Chapter 13: A Warrior's Heart

Chapter 13: A Warrior's Heart
Ivy’s POV

After scraping the last bits of potato and egg from the plate, I leaned back on my palms with a soft sigh, the warmth of a full stomach settling over me like a fragile peace. It had been so long since I’d eaten like that, without fear or urgency. For a moment, I just sat there, soaking it in, letting myself feel human again.

Eventually, I peeled myself off the floor, glancing at the clothes the maid had left. A soft beige gown with a simple belt and a light cotton texture. Modest. Comfortable. Nothing extravagant

I padded into the bathroom and turned on the shower. The water came hot, startling me at first, but it washed over my skin like liquid comfort, chasing away the grime of the past few days. I scrubbed until my skin was red and raw, until I felt like I’d shed a part of the terrified, hunted girl I had been when I ran.

When I stepped out and wrapped the towel around myself, I caught my reflection in the mirror. Hollow eyes, bruises fading into shadows, but something else was there now, something I hadn’t seen in a while.

Resolve.

I dressed slowly, slipping into the gown and tightening the belt around my waist. It hung comfortably on me, light and breathable. I brushed my fingers through my wet hair, pulling it back in a loose tie. Then I walked back to the window.

The view from here still felt unreal.

The pack was alive, buzzing with movement. Wolves trained in the courtyard. Maids rushed about carrying baskets or trays. I saw children again, their laughter floating faintly through the air like a ghost of something I never got to have. The pack looked disciplined, strong… but not cruel. And for a moment, I wondered if I’d misjudged this place.

Then I saw him.

Alpha Lucien.

He was walking across the stone path below, his frame unmistakable even from a distance. Broad shoulders, commanding stride. He wasn’t wearing a formal uniform, just a black shirt and slacks, sleeves rolled up to his forearms. He moved like he owned everything he touched—which, I supposed, he did.

He was speaking to two two of his wolves, calm but focused, gesturing with his hand as though giving instructions. Even from here, I could see the way the others listened closely, almost reverently.

I didn’t know what possessed me to stare, but something about him pulled at me, dangerous, dark, but not entirely unkind.

And then… he looked up.

Right at me.

My breath caught.

For a few seconds, our eyes locked. I didn’t move. I didn’t blink. The air shifted, like the world had just pressed pause, and I was pinned beneath that gaze. Sharp. Intelligent. Intense. Like he could see straight through the window and into the parts of me I didn’t show anyone.

Lucien gave a slight nod, barely there, then turned back to his wolves. A moment later, they dispersed, walking off in separate directions.

But Lucien…

He was gone.

I blinked, leaning closer to the window. He couldn’t have just disappeared, right? I scanned the path, the surrounding walkways, but there was no sign of him. Just trees and stone and sunlight.

Where the hell did he go?

Then—

Knock knock.

I jumped.

The sound sliced through the quiet room like a blade. My heart leapt into my throat.

The door creaked open before I could respond.

And there he was.

Alpha Lucien leaned casually against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, amusement flickering in his stormy eyes.

“You know,” he said, voice smooth like velvet but carrying something heavier underneath, “you could see the pack much better if you weren’t staring through glass.”

I swallowed.

He tilted his head, smirking just slightly.

“Want me to actually show you around? Rather than just watching from the window?”

My throat tightened. I didn’t know what surprised me more, the fact that he caught me watching… or the fact that I wanted to say yes.

I nodded slowly, almost unsure if I was allowed to. “…Okay.”

He pushed off the frame and gestured toward the hallway.

“Then come on, rogue,” he said, lips twitching into something unreadable. “Let’s make sure you don’t get lost again.”

And just like that, I was following the Alpha into his world, still unsure if I was stepping into safety… or something far more dangerous.

Walking beside Alpha Lucien was strange.

Not because he spoke little, his silence was comfortable, commanding, but because for the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn’t being watched like prey. I wasn’t being scolded, ordered around, or sneered at. I was simply… there. Moving through a pack that didn’t know who I was.

We passed rows of warriors on patrol, training buildings, and small homes nestled neatly between tall, ancient trees. Crescent Pack was as beautiful as it was intimidating. Everything about it breathed strength and structure. It was nothing like Blackwood… and yet, I couldn’t relax.

Lucien’s voice broke the silence. “Our training grounds are ahead.”

Training.

Something in my chest tightened. I didn’t know why, but I felt pulled toward it, like a string inside me had snapped taut and was dragging me forward.

And then I saw them.

Rows of warriors, sparring beneath the afternoon sun. Some were shifting mid-fight, half-wolf forms twisting and turning with precision. Others struck heavy punching bags or practiced coordinated strikes with blades. The sounds, the grunts, the thud of fists, the clashing metal, it was all… raw. Real.

I stopped walking.

My eyes locked on a female warrior as she took down her opponent in one swift motion. Her body moved with grace and power, like she’d been born for it. And I—gods—I wanted that.

Not the silk gowns folded neatly on my bed.

Not the polite smiles or cryptic kindness

I wanted strength.

Lucien turned when he realized I wasn’t following. His sharp gaze swept over me. “Something wrong?”

I didn’t answer right away. My hand twitched by my side. I forced myself to speak, the words dry on my tongue.

“This is what I want.”

His brows lifted slightly.

I nodded toward the training grounds. “Not the dresses. Not the quiet. I want to fight.”

He studied me carefully, the edge of surprise flickering in his expression before it vanished.

My gaze dropped for a moment, my hand moving instinctively to rest over my stomach.

They would come for me. Sooner or later.

Kael. Selene. Someone from Blackwood.

And when they did, I had to be ready.

I couldn’t be the girl who cried herself to sleep anymore.

I couldn’t be the weak link, the discarded thing.

No one was going to protect me, not forever. I had to protect myself. I had to survive. Not just for me

But for the little life growing inside me.

“I want to train"