Chapter 188 Combat training and the invitaiton
Chapter 188
RAVENNA
I sat up straighter, my chest tightening with worry. "Who was it?"
Darius took a breath, his jaw clenched so hard I could see the muscle twitching, and told us everything: how he's attack, the car ramming into him with full force, Selina appearing out of nowhere and her confession about being involved in the rogue attack, her threat about coming back harder next time.
"I think Caleb was involved," Darius finished quietly, his voice tight. "But I can't prove it. Not yet."
My stomach dropped so fast I felt dizzy.
Caleb.
Of course it was Caleb.
I should have known.
Sam's hand found mine, squeezing tightly, and I realized I had been holding my breath.
I exhaled shakily, my mind racing.
Selina and Caleb were working together, planning this, orchestrating the attack that killed so many people.
My hands started trembling.
Dorian leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, his expression serious but calm. "Don't think too much about it right now. We'll find a way to deal with it. I promise. But right now, we need to sleep and rest."
He paused, his voice softening. "The last few days have been hell. And we need to be mentally prepared for the new curriculum they're adding to our studies."
He stood and stretched, his joints cracking, then moved to the other bed with Samantha, who was already half-asleep, her eyes barely open.
I stood up slowly, my legs heavy, and walked over to Darius's bed.
He welcomed me into his arms immediately, pulling me close against his chest, his warmth wrapping around me like a shield.
But I could feel the tension still coiled tight in his body. Something was still bothering him.
"Raven," he said quietly, his voice rough and low. "Selina threatened you too. She said she's coming for both of us. I need you to be careful please."
I looked up at him, and my heart raced at the fear I saw in his eyes; raw, unguarded, desperate.
"I will," I whispered. "I promise."
He kissed my forehead gently, his lips lingering there. "I can't lose you."
"You won't," I said firmly, my hand resting over his heart. "We're in this together. You and me always."
He held me tighter, his arms wrapping around me like he was afraid I might disappear if he let go.
Eventually, exhaustion dragged us both under, and we drifted off to sleep.
The bells came too soon.
I felt like I had barely closed my eyes when the sharp, blaring sound tore through the room, dragging me out of sleep with all the gentleness of a sledgehammer.
I groaned and buried my face deeper into Darius's chest, trying desperately to block out the noise.
"No," I mumbled into his shirt. "Make it stop."
Darius chuckled softly, his chest rumbling beneath my cheek, and his hand stroked my hair gently. "We have to get up. First combat lesson."
I groaned again, louder this time, but forced myself to sit up.
Dorian was already awake, pulling on his shirt and looking just as exhausted as I felt.
Sam was still half-asleep beside him, rubbing her eyes and mumbling something incoherent under her breath.
We all got dressed quickly, moving on autopilot, and headed out into the morning.
The combat training area was outside, near the edge of the academy grounds.
A large open field had been sectioned off with rope barriers, and equipment was scattered everywhere: punching bags, wooden training dummies, racks of weapons glinting in the early morning light.
Students were already gathering, some looking excited, others looking nervous or outright terrified.
The principal stood at the front with several instructors I didn't recognise, all of them looked battle-hardened, their expressions stern and unforgiving.
She clapped her hands loudly, and the chatter died immediately.
"Listen up!" Her voice carried across the field. "As announced yesterday, combat training is now mandatory for all students. Humans and wolves will be trained separately."
She gestured to the left side of the field. "Humans, you'll be learning self-defence techniques and how to use weapons effectively. Your instructor is Commander Elena."
A tall, muscular woman stepped forward, her arms crossed, her expression stern enough to make several students flinch.
The principal turned to the right. "Wolves, you'll be training in both human and wolf form. Your instructor is Captain Clay."
A broad-shouldered man with scars running down both arms and across his neck nodded at the crowd, his gaze sharp and assessing.
"Alright," the principal continued. "Split up. Humans to the left, wolves to the right. Let's begin."
I followed Darius and Dorian and the other wolves to the right side of the field, my stomach twisting with nerves while Samantha headed towarda the right. I didn't like the fact she's going to be alone but I beiive she'd be able to take care of herself.
Captain Hale stepped forward, his voice booming across the field. "Today, we're starting with the basics. Hand-to-hand combat in human form. I need to see what you're all capable of."
He pointed at two students. "You two in the ring. Now."
They stepped forward nervously, and the fight began.
It was messy but Captain Clay watched carefully, his eyes tracking every movement, calling out corrections in a voice that left no room for argument.
After a few matches, his gaze swept across the group and landed directly on me.
"You. Ravenna. You're up."
My stomach dropped so fast I thought I might be sick.
I stepped forward slowly, my heart pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.
He pointed at another student...a tall girl with sharp eyes and a confident stance. "You'll be sparring with her."
We stepped into the ring together, and I raised my fists, trying desperately to remember everything Torren had taught me. Except he didn't teach me combat.
The girl didn't wait.
She came at me fast, faster than I expected.
I dodged the first hit, barely, but the second one slammed into my ribs so hard I felt the air leave my lungs in a rush.
Pain exploded through my side, sharp and blinding.
I grunted and swung back instinctively, landing a hit on her shoulder.
She staggered slightly but recovered quickly, coming at me again.
We fought for what felt like hours but was probably only a few minutes, both of us breathing hard, sweat dripping down our faces, until Captain Clay finally called it.
"Enough. Good effort, both of you."
I stepped out of the ring, my hands shaking, my entire body trembling with adrenaline.
Darius was watching me from the edge of the group, his expression proud and warm.
The training continued for hours.
By the time Captain Hale finally dismissed us, my entire body was aching.
My muscles screamed in protest with every step, and I was pretty sure I had bruises forming in places I didn't even know could bruise.
Darius came up beside me and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close. "You did well."
I leaned into him, exhausted and grateful for the support. "I feel like I got hit by a truck."
He chuckled softly. "You'll get used to it."
"I don't want to get used to it," I muttered.
We walked back toward the dormitories together, moving slowly, and that's when Darius stopped suddenly.
I looked up at him, frowning. "What's wrong?"
He hesitated, his jaw tight, his hands clenching into fists at his sides like he was bracing himself for something.
"There's something I need to ask you," he said quietly.
My stomach twisted. "What is it?"
He took a breath, and I saw his throat work as he swallowed hard.
"There's a Moon Festival happening at my pack in a few days and it aligned with the full moon. It happens to enter into the pack yearly moons festival. It's a big event. My father will be there, the elders, everyone would isn't in the pack would return to celebrate it."
I waited, my heart pounding.
"I want you to come with me," he said quietly, his voice almost rough now, breaking. "As my mate officially."
My breath caught.
"I know it's going to be hard," he continued, his voice rough. "My father and the elders don't approve. But I don't care. I want you there by my side. I'm really scared about Selina's threat. I want to be able to protect you if something happens. Besides this is going to be the first real event we'll be attending as mates."
I stared at him, my chest tight with emotion.
He paused, his voice dropping into a whisper. "So Ravenna, will you do me the honor to attend this festival with me as my mate?" he asked, his eyes searching mine.
I knew what he was really asking.
Will you stand beside me even when everyone else wants to tear us apart?