Chapter 152 152
“I’m impressed,” Dominique said from beside him.
Damien gave a slow nod, his eyes narrowing as buses began rolling into the training grounds one after another.
“Yeah,” he muttered. “Same.”
With war looming on the horizon, preparation was no longer optional it was survival. The stronger their defense, the better their chances.
Every year, the pack held a tournament to select warriors for the security squad. It had always been that way. Only the strongest survived the brutal trials, and in the end, no more than fifteen twenty at most were chosen. It was a small number.
Fernando had believed in quality over quantity. A handful of elite fighters, trained to perfection. The one-man-army philosophy. It had worked back then. Their enemies hadn’t been powerful enough to demand more.
Damien remembered the stories his father used to tell especially about the war against the rogues. They had won, but it had been a close fight. Without his vampire ally, Bruno, the outcome might have been different. Bruno’s son, Noël, was proof of the alliance that once stood strong.
But this time, the enemy was different.
Back then, the packs had been united under Fernando because they shared a common threat. Now? Henri had lost his damn mind.
The power-hungry bastard had swallowed the northern territories whole, and with him aligning with the infamous Alpha Gérard, things could turn deadly for Ancient Blood.
The old system would not be enough.
Dominique and Damien had spent countless nights discussing it. Ancient Blood wasn’t ready for war not against two formidable packs. Their warrior count was too low. If they were to stand a chance, they needed numbers to match strength.
The tournament had become almost sacred over the years. Untouchable.
Damien was the one who proposed the change.
A permanent training center.
Instead of selecting only the strongest few, they would train more build warriors from the ground up. Sharpen them into something lethal.
Dominique had immediately seen the potential. They weighed every advantage, every risk. It was a gamble but one they had to take.
They already had a camp deep in the forest, a mile from town yet well within their territory. It had always hosted the tournament. The structure was there indoor facilities, an outdoor arena, barracks. They made necessary adjustments, repurposing areas to suit long-term training. It wasn’t perfect, but it was operational.
Through the mind-link, they announced the new initiative to the entire pack.
Dominique had been skeptical about turnout. The tournament usually attracted the same small number of ambitious fighters.
But as bus after bus arrived and youths began hopping out, duffel bags slung over their shoulders, both Alphas were stunned.
There were far more than expected.
Pride stirred deep within Damien’s chest. These kids weren’t trained yet but they had shown up. They had the fire. The willingness to fight for their home.
He and Dominique would shape that fire.
“How many can we fit in the barracks?” Dominique asked quietly. Though they stood at a distance, their gazes were sharp as they assessed the recruits.
“Sixty for now,” Damien replied, arms folded across his chest, expression carved from stone.
He’d expected maybe fifteen or twenty at best.
Instead, they were looking at forty maybe fifty.
Managing that many would be challenging. But they hadn’t come here for comfort. They came for their pack. For the dream of becoming warriors.
Under Fernando’s rule, only the elite few rose. The chosen ones became legends within the pack, shining examples of strength. But for every star, there were dozens who carried quiet ambition, afraid they would never measure up.
Some trained on their own. Many didn’t know how.
This center was for them.
Dominique and Damien would push them to their limits. They would mold them into fighters capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with the tournament’s finest.
At present, they had the indoor training hall, the outdoor arena, and the barracks—once temporary housing during tournament season. Soon, they would relocate the existing squad warriors here as well. Those veterans could help train the newcomers.
Dominique glanced at Damien, who met his gaze without a word.
With a sharp exhale, Dominique stepped forward and clapped his hands loudly.
“Gather up!”
His voice thundered across the grounds. Conversations died instantly. The recruits abandoned their bags and rushed toward their Alphas.
When they stood assembled, Damien stepped forward.
“Listen up!”
Silence fell so heavy it felt tangible.
“This training will be hell,” Damien said clearly. “If any of you want to back out, now is your last chance.”
A few swallowed hard.
“But if you stay,” he continued, voice rising with intensity, “you’ll be trained hard. You’ll be pushed raw. It will hurt. It will test you. But it won’t be impossible. And if you survive it if you prove yourselves you might just earn a place in the squad.”
Determination sparked in several pairs of eyes. Resolve hardened faces that moments ago looked uncertain.
Dominique stepped forward beside him.
“Do you have what it takes to become squad warriors?” he demanded.
“Yes, Alpha!” came the unified reply.
“I can’t hear you!”
“YES, ALPHA!” they roared, voices echoing across the forest.
Neither Dominique nor Damien missed the fact that not a single recruit stepped back.
They had passion.
Now they needed discipline.
“Good,” Dominique barked. “Warm up. Now.”
A flicker of shock crossed a few faces they had only just arrived.
But hesitation didn’t last.
One by one, then all together, they began stretching and running drills.
And just like that, it began.