All Chapters of The Alpha King's Chosen : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Aria’s POVWhen dawn finally broke, the air carried a stillness that made every sound sharp. I dressed in silence, tying my boots tight.The yard had been cleared. A wide circle of white chalk covered the ground. The space around it buzzed with quiet energy.Dozens of academy officials stood on the raised platform. Their robes shimmered faintly in the morning light. Instructors lined the edges, speaking in low tones.Mistress Eryne stood beside Captain Varron, her expression unreadable. Varron’s gaze swept over us like he could see every thought we were trying to hide.“This,” he said, “is the Battle Round.” His voice carried across the yard, clear and steady. “You will fight until only ten of you remain inside the circle. Use what you’ve learned. Show skill, restraint, and control.”His words hung heavy in the air.He continued, “Changing into your wolf form is not required. But if you must, do so with care. Besides, we are all werewolves, do what suits you. This is not a show of pow

Lucian's POV Ronan leaned forward on the platform, eyes still on the circle. “That was wild. I thought the dust would swallow half of them before the horn.”“They fought well,” I said.“Well?” He turned to me, one brow raised. “That was better than well. Did you see the one with the short sword? Nearly took down two wolves at once.”“He relied on speed, not awareness,” I said. “He would not last in a real fight.”“Still impressive,” Ronan said. “And that girl…” He paused, gaze shifting toward her. “What was that at the end? For a second I thought the ground moved.”“It was quick,” I said quietly.“Quick?” He scoffed. “It looked like the air cracked around her. One moment she was down, then she stood like she owned the field.”“You noticed too much,” I said.“I notice everything,” Ronan said, grinning. “It is my job. You, on the other hand, stared long enough to miss three eliminations.”“You talk too much,” I said.He smirked. “You are avoiding the question.”“There was no question.”

“Everyone, take your seats,” Master Callen said as he entered the room.The hall smelled faintly of chalk and dust. Rows of wooden desks filled the space, and light poured from tall windows behind him. It was our first class in the barracks, and everyone looked tense. Ten of us sat in two neat rows, our posture straight, our hands on the desks. No one spoke. The silence pressed against the walls.Master Callen set a few scrolls on the table in front of him. He was older than most of the instructors I had seen before, his dark hair streaked with gray, his gaze sharp enough to make everyone sit taller. He didn’t need to raise his voice. His presence alone did the work.“Today,” he began, “we will talk about leadership and control. Two things that separate a wolf from a beast.”The sound of a chair creaked somewhere in the back, but no one dared move again. Jace sat beside me, his hand tapping lightly against his knee. It was the only sound close enough to break the tension.Master Calle

Sleep didn’t come easy after Callen’s lesson. His words kept echoing in my head, stillness in chaos. I didn’t know why they bothered me so much, but they did. By morning, the thought still hadn’t left.When the bell rang again, I joined the others heading toward the training field. The air felt heavier today, thick with something like tension. No one was talking. Even Jace looked more focused than usual.By the time I reached the field, most of the students were already there. The ground had been marked with white circles, ten of them spread across the sand. Master Callen stood in the center, arms folded behind his back. His face gave nothing away.“Form a line,” he said.We moved without a word, boots crunching softly against the dirt. Jace took his place beside me, shoulders squared.Callen’s gaze swept over us. “Instinct Trials,” he said. “You’ve heard the name. Now you’ll learn its meaning.”He began pacing between the lines. “This is not about fighting. It is about control. You w

Aria’s POVThe blindfolding trials had come and gone, but they still clung to me like a shadow that refused to fade. I could still hear the quiet breaths of the others, the soft scrape of boots against sand, the way every mistake echoed too loud in the silence. We had learned what it meant to fight without seeing, to move when everything inside screamed to stop.When Callen called us to the field again, I expected more of the same — another lesson in patience, another test of control. But the look in his eyes told me this would be different. He stood in the center of the field with his hands behind his back.“You have learned control,” he said. His voice carried through the still morning air. “Now you will learn awareness.”No one spoke. The air felt heavier than usual, charged with quiet anticipation. Even Jace, who usually had something to say, stood silent beside me. Darin shifted his weight, restless as always. Rian, calm and sharp-eyed, watched Callen without blinking.“This test