The training grounds had become my sanctuary.
Every strike, every pivot, every controlled breath was a defiance against the weakness they expected from me. They wanted me broken, humiliated, forgotten. But I wouldn’t give them that satisfaction. Not Kieran. Not Maia. Not anyone in this damned pack who had watched my betrayal unfold and done nothing.
The scent of the evening air was crisp, laced with pine and the faint metallic tang of my own sweat. My muscles burned from the relentless drills, but I welcomed the pain. It was real. It was mine. Unlike the love I had once believed in.
I stepped back, wiping sweat from my brow, my body humming with exhaustion. The training dummies around me bore the brunt of my rage—splintered wood, slashed fabric, and the unmistakable scent of wolfbane that clung to my claws. A part of me knew I should stop, but stopping meant thinking. Thinking meant remembering. Remembering meant pain.
Then I felt it.
A shift in the air. A presence.
I stiffened, my senses sharpening. Someone was watching me.
Slowly, I turned, scanning the edge of the clearing where the dense forest met the open field. And that’s when I saw him.
He leaned against the trunk of an ancient oak, arms crossed over his chest, watching me with an expression that was both unreadable and assessing. Moonlight caught the sharp angles of his face, highlighting the strong line of his jaw, the piercing silver of his eyes. He was tall—taller than Kieran, broader too, with the kind of presence that demanded attention without a single word.
He wasn’t from this pack. I would have remembered him.
He didn’t flinch when I met his gaze. If anything, his eyes darkened with something close to amusement. Like he found something about me… interesting.
I tightened my stance, ready for a fight if he intended one. “Who are you?”
The man pushed off the tree with effortless grace, his movements controlled, predatory. “Seraphina Hale,” he said, as if tasting the name. “I’ve heard much about you.”
The way he said it sent a shiver down my spine, but I refused to show weakness. My expression remained blank as I crossed my arms. “And you are?”
He stepped forward, his presence pressing against my senses, a challenge in every step. “Draven Stormborne. Alpha of the Frostfang Pack.”
Recognition flickered in my mind. Frostfang. A powerful neighboring pack known for their strength and brutal efficiency. Unlike Kieran’s pack, they didn’t concern themselves with politics or petty alliances—they survived through sheer dominance. They were feared. Respected.
And now, their Alpha was here. Watching me.
I forced my voice to remain steady. “Frostfang doesn’t make social calls. What do you want?”
His lips quirked, just slightly. “Direct. I like that.”
I didn’t return his amusement.
Draven took another step forward, closing the space between us. Not enough to be threatening, but enough that I had to tilt my chin to keep eye contact. His scent was different from Kieran’s—earthy, with hints of rain and something sharp, like lightning in the distance.
“I’ve been watching you,” he admitted, silver eyes never leaving mine. “Your fight. Your strength. The way you refuse to break.” He tilted his head. “It’s impressive.”
I scoffed. “You came all this way just to admire my resilience?”
“No.” His gaze sharpened. “I came because I see potential.”
Potential.
The word settled between us, heavy with meaning.
I should’ve laughed in his face. Should’ve turned away and continued my training, uninterested in whatever game he was playing. But something in his voice, in the way he spoke, made me pause.
Potential.
No one had ever looked at me and seen that before. Not even Kieran. He had seen a mate. A Luna. Someone to love, then discard.
But he saw something else.
“What exactly do you think I have the potential for?” I asked, my voice quieter now.
Draven’s expression remained unreadable, but there was something in his eyes—something knowing. “Leadership. Power. Something greater than whatever vengeance you’re clinging to.”
I stiffened. “I don’t need a lecture on revenge.”
“No,” he agreed. “Revenge is necessary. It fuels you. But if that’s all you live for, then you’ll never truly win.”
I hated that his words made sense. Hated that he spoke to the part of me I had been trying to ignore—the part that wondered if there was something more than just tearing Kieran and Maia apart.
“What do you want from me?” I asked, my voice colder now.
“An alliance,” he said simply. “Your former mate is a fool. His weakness will be his downfall. But you? You have the fire to turn betrayal into power. I’d rather have that fire as an ally than see it wasted on a pack that never deserved you.”
My heart pounded, but I kept my expression unreadable.
An alliance.
It made sense. Frostfang was strong, but they had their own struggles. A pack like his didn’t extend invitations lightly. He saw something in me worth his time.
And for the first time since my world had crumbled, I wondered—was my revenge too small?
Was there something bigger I could take?
“I don’t trust you,” I said.
His lips curved slightly, almost like he expected that response. “Good. Trust is earned, not given.”
He turned as if to leave but paused, glancing back at me. “Think about it, Seraphina. You can stay here, drowning in your vengeance, or you can rise.” His silver gaze met mine, steady and certain. “The choice is yours.”
I watched him disappear into the shadows of the trees, his words lingering in my mind long after he was gone.
