Chapter 5 ***

Seraphine

Two weeks later.

It was early morning, the sun had just peaked through the clouds few minutes ago, brightening up the world again. I was at the training grounds, and so were several other individuals. It was training day, and the stench of drying blood , sweat and metal hovered all over.

I stood at the edge of the packed dirty circle, dressed in my borrowed black training attire, that were slightly too large for me. My wounds had healed enough for some light training exercises. Although, every move I made still pulled at the half healed muscle on my shoulder; either way, there was progress.

Kael’s Beta, Rowan, a broad-shouldered man with a notched left earlobe, kept his arms folded as he studied me intently. His dark wolfish eyes look curious. I could read his mind. I knew he was probably thinking.

What’s wrong with her?

Why is she always walking about as if a great boulder rested on her shoulders?

Why does she not care about the gossip?

What kind of mate doesn’t care that her other half was still in denial, refusing to acknowledge her presence?

I gave him nothing but the cold act of nonchalance.

“You fought Silvercrest doom warriors and lived," he said. “That buys you one chance. Waste it, and the Alpha will not care what the bond says." Was he goading me? I scoffed out loud in response, he narrowed his eyes at the wordless disrespect.

I rolled my shoulders slowly. “I don’t plan to waste it”. I threw in the words. I decided at that moment I wanted to get on his nerves, even if it was a little bit. For all my efforts, there was no obvious physical reaction to the dryness of my voice.

“Then prove it."

He said mockingly, before signaling a young female warrior already waiting in the circle.

Our first spar didn’t last long. I hit the ground in less than two minutes. The female warrior was lean, fast and clearly unimpressed, she stepped back without offering a hand.

“Again."

I said, as I wiped the blood from the cut on my lower lip. I would never accept defeat. Accepting was wordlessly denouncing my revenge.

It was obvious that they looked down on me. I’d prove them all wrong. I won’t back down, not ever.

We continued. I went again. And again. And again. By the fifth round my vision had narrowed to a tunnel of pure stubborness. I managed to land one solid kick to the other girl’s ribs before being thrown once more.

Rowan finally called it a day. I was all blues and purples by then. I could tell he knew. He knew I wouldn’t muster up any more kicks. Frankly, any other blow would have sent me into a coma. And who knows, may be his Alpha would have bitten his head off. Of course, I was only being delusional.

He took a careful look at me and what follows next was:

"Enough for today, you fight like someone who has nothing left to lose. That can be useful. Or it can get you killed. We will see which." I wiped blood from my split lip and nodded. I didn’t ask for praise, I wasn’t expecting it. After all, I was just a foreigner in their lands. I knew that they didn’t think much of me.

As I turned to leave, the familiar presence of my mate brushed against the edges of my consciousness. I turned toward him.

Kael stood gallant on the raised wooden platform that overlooked the training grounds. His arms where folded, with an unreadable expression glazed all over his face. Beside him stood a tall beautiful woman with dark auburn hair. She was joined hip-to-hip by his side and laid a possessive hand over his left arm.

I’d seen her a few times before, they called her Isolde.

Kael for a moment met my eyes, this made her notice me. She gave me a calculated smile, and as if to taunt me, she moved in on his neck and gave him a peck. She turned toward me again, this time smiling shrewdly. I saw Kael stiffen for a second at the gesture, his eyes set on me, almost apologetic.

He recovered quickly, and as if to make point , he deliberately turned his head and murmured something that made Isolde laugh softly and lean in closer. The mate bond in my chest twisted like a living thing; I looked away first.

That night while I was alone in my room, I sat hunching at the edge of the bed staring at my hands. They were so many bruises.

Good, I thought.

Bruises meant I was still moving forward.

Some minutes went by before I heard a knock on the door. I opened it to find a young pack girl holding a tray of food.

“The alpha ordered that you eat."

She whispered nervously.

It took her a minute of anxiety, then doubt, followed by conclusion before she continued.

“He said I should tell you that, if you starve yourself you’re of no use to anyone”. Involuntarily, she blinked twice, swallowed hard and then stared a head, as though there was something much more interesting going on behind me.

I had never tried to starve myself.

I sighed in annoyance, almost lashed out, but held back. She was only doing her job.

“Tell your Alpha I said; thank you! But your concerns aren’t needed." I said as I took the tray from her. The girl’s eyes widened slightly at the sarcasm, as I slammed the door on her nose.

Sorry, I lied. I was that petty.

I discarded the tray on the table by my right, then walked up to the high arched window. The walls of Blackthorn pack stretched far and beyond. Somewhere in those walls, Kael Blackthorn was deliberately putting distance between us. He was using another woman’s presence as a shield against a bond he refused to acknowledge.

I understood the strategy.

I respected it.

But, as the mate bond pulsed once more, low and I insistent, I pressed my right hand against my chest area and whispered into the dark.

“You can starve it all you want Alpha, but some bonds only grow stronger”.