Chapter Sixty-Six
The morning sun filtered through the trees, casting long shadows across the training field. The grass was still damp with dew, but the air buzzed with anticipation. Avery stepped out, freshly showered, her light breakfast settled and her body already humming with readiness.
She caught the tail end of the briefing as she joined her mates and dads. Auron stood beside Mark, gesturing toward the course — a series of stations designed for agility, strength, and tactical awareness. Lucien, arms crossed and brow furrowed, asked, “Is this going to be part of the school’s curriculum when classes start?”
Mark nodded. “Yes. The Council and the Dean agree — every warrior in training should go through this. It’s designed to sharpen combat instincts and elevate individual strengths.”
Auron added, “And it’s not just here. Leaders across the territories are implementing similar courses. Your progress, Avery, has set a new standard.”
Avery blinked, surprised by the weight of that statement. She’d trained hard, yes — but she hadn’t realized her growth had rippled outward like that. She knew this course well, had run it with Auron and his elite more times than she could count. But now, it wasn’t just hers. It was becoming part of something bigger.
She didn’t speak. She just sat back, letting her mates ask their questions — Kael curious about the obstacle layout, Molly wondering if magic would be incorporated, Riven already calculating how to push his limits. Lucien, ever precise, wanted to know how progress would be measured.
Avery listened, content. This was her rhythm — absorbing, observing, anchoring.
A nudge at her shoulder pulled her from her thoughts.
She turned and smiled instantly. “Wulph.”
Auron’s best friend and top warrior stood beside her, broad-shouldered and grinning. His presence was steady, grounding — the kind of quiet strength that didn’t need to announce itself.
She stood and hugged him, arms tight around his middle. “You made this,” she said softly.
“For you,” he replied. “And now for everyone.”
Kael’s attention drifted from the course briefing when he realized Avery wasn’t among the group. His gaze swept the field until he spotted her off to the side, talking with Wulph.
He knew Wulph — the man had visited his pack more than once, teaching advanced techniques and evaluating warriors. But seeing Avery so at ease with him, smiling, leaning in as they spoke, sent an unexpected wave of jealousy through Kael’s chest.
The emotion was sharp enough to ripple through the bond.
Riven’s head snapped toward him, Lucien’s eyes narrowing as they caught the edge of Kael’s reaction. Without a word, both began moving toward Avery.
Wulph caught the shift instantly. His nostrils flared, scenting the sudden spike of tension. In one smooth motion, he stepped forward and pushed Avery gently but firmly behind his broad frame, his stance shifting into quiet readiness.
Auron, who had been watching from the edge of the group, moved fast — stepping between Wulph and the three advancing males before anything could escalate.
“Enough,” Auron said, voice calm but edged with authority. “Wulph is like an uncle to Avery. He’s the one who designed this course, and he’s been monitoring her progress from the start.”
The words landed. Riven’s shoulders eased, Lucien’s jaw unclenched, and Kael’s expression shifted from suspicion to reluctant understanding.
Everyone seemed to relax… except Avery.
She stepped out from behind Wulph, eyes flashing. “Seriously? You three thought this was worth puffing up over? He’s family. And even if he wasn’t, I don’t need you storming in like I can’t handle myself.”
Her tone was emphatic, each word clipped with irritation. She turned on her heel before they could respond, muttering under her breath, “Men. Measuring dicks and stupidity.”
Molly, who had been watching the whole thing with a deepening scowl, shot the three of them a look that could cut steel. Without a word, she fell into step beside Avery.
Wulph gave a small, knowing smile and motioned for them to join his team. Two other warriors from his unit stepped forward, ready to run the course. Avery didn’t look back as she took her place beside them, her focus already shifting to the challenge ahead.
Behind her, the three boys stood in awkward silence, the echo of her words hanging in the air.
Avery didn’t even have to look at her mates to know they were still watching her and Molly walk away with Wulph. She could feel it — that mix of longing, frustration, and bruised pride radiating through the bond.
She reached for Auron’s mind, her mental voice sharp with amusement.
Put them through the toughest level of the course. Consider it punishment for idiotic, macho behavior.
Across the field, Auron’s lips twitched. He didn’t answer aloud, but when she and Molly took off for the first stretch of the course with Wulph and his second-in-command, he caught the way the three males’ eyes followed them. That sealed it.
As the girls disappeared into the first obstacle, Auron turned to the boys. “Alright. You three — advanced level. No shortcuts. No breaks.”
Kael frowned. “Advanced? We haven’t even—”
“Move,” Auron said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Mark, arriving just in time to hear the exchange, raised an eyebrow at the looks on their faces. Auron leaned toward him and murmured, “We’re going to have to sit them down tonight. Give them pointers on how not to end up in Avery’s bad books so often.”
Mark chuckled. “Good luck with that.”
Meanwhile, Wulph was already in assessment mode. He knew Avery’s capabilities inside and out — her speed, her precision, her endurance. She didn’t need testing. Molly, however, was new to his eye.
“Keep pace with her,” Wulph told Molly as they approached the rope climb. “Don’t worry about beating her time. I just want to see your form.”
Molly smirked. “You’re assuming I can’t beat her time.”
Avery grinned. “You can try.”
The two of them launched into the climb, Wulph and his second watching closely, noting every movement, every adjustment. By the end of the day, he’d know exactly where Molly stood — and exactly where to start when training all five of them as a unit.
Of course, that was if Avery didn’t kill her three male mates in their sleep tonight.
Given the way she’d muttered “measuring dicks and stupidity” earlier, Wulph wasn’t entirely sure they were safe.