Chapter 18: Breaking Point

Darius's POV

It was day five of training, and Calla was exhausted.

I could see it in the way she moved, slower than yesterday, her strikes lacking power. Sweat dripped down her face and soaked through her tank top.

"Again," I said.

She came at me, throwing a punch I blocked easily. I swept her legs and she went down hard on the mat.

"Get up."

"I need a break." She stayed on the floor, breathing hard.

"You don't get breaks." I stood over her. "Lucas won't give you breaks. The full moon won't give you breaks. So get up."

"Darius—"

"Now."

She glared at me but pushed herself up. Her legs shook.

"You're tired," I said. "Good. That's when your wolf will try to take over. When you're weak and vulnerable. You need to learn to control her even then."

"I'm trying."

"Try harder." I moved behind her and grabbed her in a chokehold. Not enough to hurt, just enough to trap. "What do you do?"

She struggled, trying to break free. But she was too tired, too slow.

"What do you do, Calla?"

"I don't know." Her voice was panicked. "Let go."

"No." I tightened my grip slightly. "Your wolf knows what to do. Let her help you."

"I can't."

"Yes, you can." I leaned closer to her ear. "Stop thinking. Just feel."

She went still. I felt the moment her wolf stirred, responding to the threat.

"That's it," I said. "Now use that strength."

She twisted in my arms, breaking my hold with a burst of power that surprised us both. She spun and shoved me back.

"Good," I said. "Do it again."

"No." She bent over, hands on her knees. "I'm done for today."

"You're done when I say you're done."

"Fuck you." She straightened up, eyes blazing. "I've been training for five days straight. My body hurts. I'm exhausted. And you're pushing too hard."

"The fight is in three days. We don't have time to go easy."

"I know that." She wiped sweat from her face. "But if you kill me in training, there won't be a fight."

"I'm not going to kill you."

"Then stop treating me like a punching bag." She headed for the stairs. "I need water."

I grabbed her arm. "We're not done."

"Yes, we are." She yanked free. "I need a break, Darius. A real one."

"You need to be stronger."

"I am strong." She got in my face. "But I'm also human. I need rest. I need food. I need five minutes where someone isn't yelling at me to push harder."

"Fine." I let her go. "Take five minutes. Then we're going again."

"Make it ten."

"Five."

She stormed past me to the mini fridge in the corner and grabbed a water bottle. I watched her drink, noticing the bruises on her arms from where I'd grabbed her during drills.

Maybe I was pushing too hard. But we were running out of time.

Sierra appeared at the top of the stairs. "How's it going?"

"Great," Calla said sarcastically. "Your brother is trying to kill me."

"I'm trying to prepare you," I corrected.

Sierra came down and looked between us. "You both look terrible."

"Thanks," Calla muttered.

"I'm serious." Sierra touched Calla's shoulder. "You're covered in bruises. And you—" she pointed at me "—look like you haven't slept in days."

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine." Sierra crossed her arms. "You're both running yourselves into the ground. And for what? So you can barely stand during the actual fight?"

"The fight is in three days," I said. "We need—"

"A break," Sierra finished. "You both need a break. Real food. Real sleep. Or you're going to collapse before the full moon."

"She's right," Calla said quietly.

I looked at her. Really looked. The dark circles under her eyes. The way she favored her left leg. The exhaustion written all over her face.

"Okay," I said. "We'll break for today."

"Really?" Calla's eyes widened.

"Really." I walked over to my own water bottle. "Get some rest. We'll start fresh tomorrow."

"Thank god." Calla headed for the stairs. "I'm going to take the longest shower of my life."

Sierra followed her up. "I'll order pizza."

"Extra cheese," Calla called back.

I stayed in the basement, staring at the training mats. Five days of brutal sessions and she still wasn't ready. Her wolf was too unpredictable. One minute under control, the next ready to burst free.

And the full moon was coming. I could feel it already, pulling at my own wolf, but worry settled in my gut.

I heard footsteps on the stairs. Calla came back down, her hair wet from the shower, wearing clean clothes.

"Couldn't stay away?" I asked.

"Pizza's not here yet." She sat on the edge of the mat. "And I wanted to apologize."

"For what?"

"For snapping at you earlier." She picked at a loose thread on her shorts. "You're just trying to help. And I know we're running out of time."

"You weren't wrong though." I sat next to her. "I am pushing too hard. Sierra's right. If I break you before the fight, none of this matters."

"You won't break me." She bumped my shoulder with hers. "I'm tougher than I look."

"I know." I took her hand. "But I'm scared. If something happens to you during that fight—"

"It won't."

"You don't know that." I squeezed her fingers. "Lucas will be in full wolf form. His pack will be watching. And if your wolf comes out, if anyone sees what you really are—"

"Then we deal with it." She leaned her head on my shoulder. "Together. Like we promised."

I kissed the top of her head. "One more session tomorrow. Light training. Just to keep sharp."

"Okay."

"And then the day before the fight, we rest completely."

"Deal."

We sat like that for a while, her head on my shoulder, my arm around her waist. The basement was quiet except for the hum of the ventilation system.

"Darius?" she said softly.

"Yeah?"

"What happens if you lose?"

I went still. "I won't."

"But if you do." She lifted her head to look at me. "What happens to me? To us?"

"If I lose, you go back to Eclipse." My jaw tightened. "Lucas claims you as his mate. And I—" I couldn't finish.

"You what?"

"I lose everything that matters." I cupped her face. "So I can't lose. I won't."

She kissed me. Soft and slow, like we had all the time in the world.

When she pulled back, her eyes were wet. "Promise me something."

"Anything."

"If things go wrong during the fight, if Lucas is about to win, promise me you'll run. Don't let him kill you just to keep me."

"Calla—"

"Promise me." Her voice broke. "I can't watch you die. I can't."

"I promise," I lied.

Because the truth was, I'd die before I let Lucas take her. But she didn't need to know that.

Sierra's voice echoed do

wn the stairs. "Pizza's here!"

Calla wiped her eyes and stood. "Come on. Let's eat before it gets cold."

I followed her up, trying to shake the feeling that something bad was coming.