Chapter 50 Chapter 50

Chapter 50 Chapter 50
Kaelani POV

When I park the car outside the pack house, Kaia turns toward me with a grin already spreading across her face.
“So you kissed Kieran now too. Who's the better kisser?” she asks, wiggling her brows.
I suck my teeth. “You're so annoying.”
Of course this is the first thing she wants to talk about. Not the tournament, not the weird feeling I had leaving the carnival. The kisses.
“I don't know. They all kiss good, I guess. They're all different,” I say.
Which is probably the worst answer I could've given her because her entire face lights up.
“Oh, you're no fun.”
“What do you want me to do, give you a detailed review?” I ask, grabbing my bag from the back seat.
“Actually—”
“Don't answer that.”
She laughs as we climb out of the car.
“You know my birthday is coming up. I wasn't going to have a party, but now I think I should,” Kaia says.
I glance over at her as we head toward the pack house. “What changed your mind?”
“Senior year. Why not?” She shrugs. “Plus, after today, I think we deserve something fun.”
I roll my eyes. “Here?”
“Yeah, maybe a pool party.”
I groan. “You know I hate bathing suits.”
She grins. “Yes, but I'm sure your guys will love it.”
I nearly stumble.
“Can you stop calling them that?”
“Nope.”
The worst part is I can't even argue as hard as I would've yesterday, especially after catching myself thinking the exact same thing twice.
Kaia walks into the house ahead of me, still looking entirely too pleased with herself.
My father is waiting at the door when we step inside.
“You're late. Go get changed. You and Ezra are going to run the big course before we begin,” he says before walking toward the gym.
Any happiness I had left from the carnival dies immediately.
I groan.
“That's brutal,” Kaia murmurs.
“Thank you. At least somebody understands.”
“See you in the morning?” she asks as we head upstairs.
“Unless I finally die from training.”
“If you do, I'm taking your clothes.”
I stop on the stairs and glare at her. “You are a horrible best friend.”
“Love you!” she calls before disappearing down the hall.
I change into my workout clothes quickly. My muscles are already sore from the ranking course earlier, and now Dad wants me to run the big course before whatever else he has planned. Apparently rest isn't something he believes in.
I start toward the door when my phone goes off on the dresser.
Then again.
And again.
I unlock it and see multiple messages from our group chat, a few messages on my social media page, and notifications showing I've been tagged in a bunch of posts.
I hover over one of the notifications for a second before checking the time. Dad already said I'm late, and making him wait longer because I'm scrolling through my phone would be asking for another mile added to whatever nightmare he has planned.
I lock my phone again and head out of my room, through the pack house, and toward the obstacle course.
Ezra is already waiting when I get there.
“I said don't let boys be a distraction,” he says.
I roll my eyes. “They're not.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, tell that to Dad. He wants to stop you from hanging out with them. It's not sitting right with him that all three of them are sniffing around you.”
I stop stretching long enough to look at him. “Seriously?”
“Very.”
I roll my eyes again. “Dad is just being dramatic.”
“Or cautious.” Ezra gives me a knowing look before stepping toward the course. “Ready?”
I stretch a bit more before nodding. “Always.”
“Okay, one full run-through like always. Let's see if you can beat your time.”
I bounce lightly on my toes, shaking out my arms. Whatever exhaustion I was feeling a minute ago starts fading as I focus on the course in front of me.
“Go.”
I'm off.
The second Ezra gives the command, everything else disappears. The boys, Kaia's teasing, the carnival, even that strange feeling from the parking lot. All that matters is the next obstacle.
The quintuple steps are first, and I breeze through them before running across the spinning log.
“Good time. Your balance improved on that,” Ezra calls.
I don't answer. Talking wastes breath, and I already know the rope swing coming up is going to require more upper-body strength than I want to use after today's ranking course.
I reach the rope swing, and it takes me longer than I'd like. My arms protest immediately, but I grit my teeth and push through until my feet hit the platform on the other side.
Then I get to the ring toss.
I make it halfway before my grip slips.
I drop.
“Fuck!” I shout, landing hard on the mat below.
“Again,” Ezra says.
“I know,” I murmur as I push myself back up.
“You're thinking too much, and stop rushing,” Nyra says.
I flex my fingers once, take a breath, and move back into position. She's right. I'm trying to make up for lost time instead of running the course the way Dad taught me.
I start over, and this time I take my time on the ring toss. One ring at a time. No rushing. No thinking about the clock.
When I get to the swinging spikes, I almost fall, but I catch myself.
“Nice save! Finish strong, Lani!” Ezra yells.
My foot finds solid ground, and I push forward before my body has time to complain.
I run through the next three obstacles easily. By the time I make it to the wall lifts, my arms are burning again, sweat is running down my back, and my breathing is heavier than I want it to be.
I struggle on the last wall.
“Almost done! Hit the wall!” he calls.
I make the run toward the warped wall and almost miss the top. My fingertips barely catch the edge, and for a second my entire weight hangs from my hands.
I tighten my grip and pull myself up.
The second I roll onto the platform, I stay there long enough to catch my breath.
“I really wish Dad never came across that human show,” I say between breaths.
Ezra laughs. “Why? It prepared you for that course at school today. Mr. Connors called Dad and told him you got a perfect score.”
I look over at him. “He called Dad?”
“Of course he did. You got the first perfect score of the rankings.”
He grins.
“I'm proud of you, Lani. I won't tell him about that drop on the ring toss.”
I narrow my eyes at him as I climb down. “You better not.”
He winks.
“Little sisters have to have some secrets.”
“Now you're speaking my language.”
When we get to the gym, Dad has a table set up with different weapons.
I stop in the doorway.
I groan. “Not weapons after the course.”
“We haven't done weapons in a few days, and as we get closer to your birthday, I need you prepared,” Dad says.
That wipes the complaint from my face. He always gets more intense when my birthday gets closer, and this year I understand why more than I ever have before. My wolf is almost here. My magic is waking up. Whatever the Moon Goddess warned my parents about doesn't feel nearly as far away as it used to.
He hands me a glass, then gives one to Ezra.
“Drink.”
I stare down at the cloudy mixture and immediately regret breathing through my nose.
I chug the wolfsbane and juice mixture and almost throw it right back up. I cough a few times as my throat burns.
“Oh my Goddess. It tastes like straight wolfsbane.”
Dad chuckles. “It's mainly wolfsbane with a hint of juice.”
I stare at him in disbelief. “Then why even bother with the juice?”
“Because I'm a loving father.”
Ezra snorts beside me, and I glare at both of them.
“Okay, let's start. Put these on.”
Dad hands me weighted gloves and ankle weights. I secure them one at a time, immediately feeling the added pull against my arms and legs.
Then he snaps a silver bracelet around my wrist.
The burn is irritating at first, but within seconds it settles into the familiar sting I've spent years learning to work through. Between that and the wolfsbane already spreading through my system, everything feels heavier.
“Focus on Ezra, not the pain or the weights,” Dad says.
I lift my eyes to my brother.
“Begin.”
Ezra grins before picking up two small blades.
“Of course you would pick those,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“Small but efficient,” he says with a shrug, flipping one easily in his hand.
“Lani, pick your weapon,” Dad says.
My eyes move across the table. There are enough options that I could choose something easier with the weights already pulling at my wrists, but where's the fun in that?
I decide on the katana.
Ezra glares at me. “Seriously?”
I shrug, twirling it in my hand. The added weight in my gloves makes the movement slightly slower than usual, but I adjust my grip until it feels right.
“Don't show off, Lani,” Dad says.
“I wasn't.”
“You were.”
Ezra laughs. “She definitely was.”
I cut my eyes at him. “Worry about yourself.”
“First draw of blood gets the point. Three rounds,” Dad says.
The silver and wolfsbane are finally starting to bother me. The burning around my wrist has spread farther up my arm, and the weakness from the wolfsbane is settling into my muscles. My grip on the katana doesn't feel as steady anymore, but that's the point. Dad never trains me for a fight where I'm rested, comfortable, and at full strength.
Ezra charges at me, but he's moving slower as the wolfsbane takes effect, which works in my favor. His body isn't used to it the way mine is.
He's still fast, though.
I block his first blow easily. Metal clashes against metal as one of his blades meets my katana, and the impact travels straight through my already aching wrist. I dodge the second one just before it grazes my face.
He grins. “Almost had you there.”
I smirk. “Almost doesn't count.”
I duck beneath his next swing, kick his legs out from under him, and place the katana against his neck before he can recover.
“Point, Lani,” Dad says.
I grin down at Ezra.
He growls.
“Distracted?” I ask.
“Go again.”
I laugh as I step back and reset my stance. His ego definitely didn't like that one.
Dad signals for us to begin, and Ezra comes at me harder this time.
We exchange blow after blow, neither of us giving the other much room to recover. I block one blade, but he immediately follows with the other, forcing me backward. The ankle weights make every dodge harder, and the wolfsbane is turning the burn in my muscles into something deeper.
I swing. Ezra ducks.
He comes back up faster than I expect.
His blade catches me on the arm.
I hiss as the thin cut opens across my skin.
“Point, Ezra,” Dad says.
Ezra backs away with a smug smile.
“Don't.”
“I didn't say anything.”
“Your face did.”
His smile only gets wider.
I roll my shoulders and tighten my grip on the katana. One-one.
Now I'm annoyed.
I charge at him.
I swing my sword, and he ducks before returning his own blow. I twist away, feeling the blade pass close enough to stir the air beside me.
I kick one of his daggers out of his hand.
It skids across the floor.
Ezra laughs before nodding. “Okay, Bean.”
He comes at me again, swinging toward my face. I sidestep him, drive my elbow into his ribs, then spin and slice his arm.
A thin line of blood appears almost immediately.
“Point, Lani,” Dad says.
I lower the katana with a satisfied grin while Ezra looks down at his arm.
“Glad to know you aren't distracted, Lani,” Dad says.
“Never distracted.”
Dad gives me a look that tells me he isn't completely convinced, but thankfully he doesn't bring up the three boys currently responsible for half the notifications waiting on my phone.
“Good. Tomorrow we'll be running the course with injuries and sparring with injuries.” He starts collecting the weapons before looking back at me. “Good job at school today.”
The compliment catches me off guard after everything he just put me through, and my smile comes immediately.
“Thank you, Daddy.”
Ezra pats my back. “Good job today, Bean. You make me look bad. I can't be getting bested by my little sister.”
“I won't tell anybody.”
“You better not.”
“Your secret is safe with me.”
We walk out of the gym together, and the second we're far enough away, I start trying to get the silver bracelet off my wrist.
“How do you still complain about that thing?” Ezra asks.
“Because it still burns.”
“You barely react anymore.”
“That doesn't mean I enjoy it.”
He laughs as we separate upstairs, and I head toward my room.
When I get back, I take a quick shower before checking my phone. The second I unlock it, the notifications start stacking across the screen again. I ignore everything else for now and open our group chat first.
Kieran: Did you make it home safely?
Liam: ??
Zaire: Are you ignoring us already?
Liam: So are you home?
Kieran: She has to be home right?
Zaire: Do you think her father finally killed her with the training
I laugh, shaking my head before typing.
Me: You three are so dramatic 🙄
Liam: Oh she's alive
Me: Duh I'm alive. I was late because of you three. I had to run the obstacle course
Kieran: What was today?
Me: Weapons with Ezra. I had to drink wolfsbane and I had weights on my hands and ankles and silver bracelets. I beat Ezra. 😁
Zaire: That's our girl.
I stare at those three words a little longer than necessary.
Our girl.
Nyra makes an amused sound, and I refuse to acknowledge her.
Liam: So we were thinking
Me: Oh boy, that's never good 🤦🏽‍♀️
Kieran: Wow
Me: What?
Zaire: We were thinking we would like to see you in something blue or yellow.
Kieran: Or both 🤔
Liam: Oh I like the idea of both
I stare at the screen.
They cannot be serious.
Me: Are we serious?
Kieran: Very
I bite my lip, already knowing I'm going to regret agreeing to this.
Me: Fine 🙈
Three typing bubbles appear almost immediately, and I laugh before any of them can start.
Me: I'm going to bed, I will see you guys in the morning.
Kieran: Night beautiful
Liam: Night mama
Zaire: Night shorty
Me: You guys are too much
I lock my phone, but I can't contain the grin spreading across my face.
“You like them,” Nyra says.
“I don't dislike them.”
She snorts.
That seems like the safest thing to say right now.
I pull back my covers and finally climb into bed, exhaustion settling over me now that I'm no longer moving. Between school, the carnival, and Dad's training, I feel like I've lived three days in one.
My phone pings just as I go to lie down.
I reach for it without thinking, expecting Liam, Kieran, or Zaire to have ignored my goodnight and sent something else.
Instead, it's a DM from an anonymous account.
Unknown: I found you, Chosen One. Enjoy your time because when the awakening truly begins, we will come for you.
My smile disappears.
My hands start shaking, and my heart pounds loudly in my chest. I read the message again, hoping I somehow misunderstood it.
Chosen One.
Awakening.
We will come for you.
The warning my parents received when I was born crashes through my mind.
The phone slips from my hand and hits the floor with a loud thud.
I can't breathe.
My bed begins to shake.
At first, I think it's me. Then the dresser rattles against the wall.
The room starts to spin, and a loud ringing fills my ears.
“Lani, you have to calm down,” Nyra says, but her voice sounds muffled, like she's speaking to me from somewhere far away.
My vision blurs.
The ringing gets louder.
Something crashes from my dresser.
Glass shatters somewhere in the room.
The lights flicker violently overhead as another wave of panic tears through me.
The symbols covering my body begin to glow.
Not the soft glow I've seen before. They're brighter, spreading across my skin until I can see the light through my clothes.
Then my entire body burns.
Pain rips through every symbol at once, and my knees buckle as I try to get off the bed.
I scream.
The sound tears from my throat so loudly it hurts my own ears. Somewhere beyond my bedroom door, I hear someone shout my name, but I can't tell who it is.
Nyra is yelling now, but I can't understand her. The room shakes harder, another piece of glass shatters, and the glow beneath my skin becomes almost blinding.
Then everything stops.
For one split second, there is nothing but silence.
Before darkness swallows me.