Chapter 23 Pack Training
“I can’t believe I agreed to this,” I said for the third time as Lycian drove toward the pack house.
“You’ll be fine. It’s just training.”
“Just training where everyone watches me fail at wolf stuff I can’t even do because I’m wolfless.”
“You’re observing. Not participating.” He glanced at me. “And you won’t be alone. Elena will be there. Garrett. Damien.”
“And Sarah. Don’t forget Sarah.”
“I’m choosing to forget Sarah.”
It was Wednesday evening. The sun was setting. Casting everything in orange and gold. Pretty. Except I was too nervous to appreciate it.
My palms were sweating. I wiped them on my jeans.
“What if I embarrass you?” I asked.
“You won’t.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do. Because you’re you. And you’re perfect exactly as you are.” He said it so casually. Like it was obvious. Like he really believed it.
My chest felt tight. Warm. “You’re too nice to me.”
“I’m exactly nice enough.”
The pack house loomed ahead. More cars than usual. Everyone was here.
My stomach churned.
Lycian parked. Came around to open my door. Took my hand.
“Breathe,” he said.
I breathed. It came out shaky.
“If it gets too much, we leave. No questions. No judgment.” He squeezed my hand. “Okay?”
“Okay.”
We walked inside together. The main hall had been transformed. Mats covered the floor. Weapons lined one wall. Not guns. Knives. Staffs. Things that looked medieval and dangerous.
Fifty wolves stood around, stretching, talking, laughing. All comfortable in a space foreign to me. Conversations stopped when we entered. Eyes turned. Some curious, some hostile. I wanted to run. Lycian’s hand tightened on mine.
“Elowen!” Elena waved. “Over here!”
We joined her, Garrett, and a few others from breakfast. Friendly faces.
“You made it,” Elena said, hugging me. She smelled like vanilla and something floral. “I saved you a spot away from the chaos.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem. First training is overwhelming. I remember mine. I threw up. You’re already doing better than me.”
Garrett bumped my shoulder. “Stick with us. We’ll keep the scary wolves away.”
“All wolves are scary wolves,” I muttered.
“Fair point.”
Thaddeus entered. Silence. Complete. Tall, powerful, every inch an Alpha.
“Good evening. Before we begin, I want to address the new addition. Elowen Hale will observe for ninety days. She’s here to learn how this pack operates. Make her feel welcome.”
Some nodded. Others looked unconvinced. Sarah crossed her arms, glaring.
“We’ll start with basics. Partners. Form up.”
Wolves paired off. I froze, unsure what to do.
“You’re with me,” Lycian said. “Just watch. I’ll explain.”
He led me to a mat at the back. Damien was already there with another wolf.
“Hey,” Damien said. “Ready to watch me kick ass?”
“Ready to watch you get your ass kicked,” the woman said. Tall, muscular, dark hair pulled back. “I’m Maya. Nice to finally meet the girl causing all the drama.”
“Not intentionally,” I said.
“Best kind of drama. I like you already.”
They sparred. Fast. Brutal. Maya had Damien down in thirty seconds.
“She’s good,” I whispered.
“She’s the best fighter we have besides my father,” Lycian said, watching closely. “See how she uses his momentum? That’s how to fight someone bigger, stronger.”
I watched. Not just the fighting but the strategy, how Maya anticipated and Damien adapted.
It was like a dance. Violent and controlled at the same time.
“Your turn.” Maya stood. Extended a hand to Lycian. “Let’s see if future Alpha still has skills.”
Lycian glanced at me. “You okay here?”
“Yeah. Go. I want to watch.”
He stepped onto the mat. The change in him was immediate. Everything about him sharpened. Focused. His eyes flashed gold.
This was Alpha Lycian. Not boyfriend Lycian. The one who commanded armies and inspired loyalty and scared the hell out of people.
It was hot. Annoyingly hot.
They circled each other. Maya struck first. Fast. Lycian blocked. Countered. They moved like lightning. All power and precision.
“He’s holding back,” Damien said beside me. “He always does with Maya. Doesn’t want to hurt her.”
“She looks like she can handle herself.”
“Oh, she can. But Lycian’s protective. Even in training.”
They sparred for five minutes. Neither landed a solid hit. Finally, Thaddeus called time.
Lycian was barely breathing hard. Maya was grinning.
“Not bad, future Alpha. You’ve been practicing.”
“Can’t let you have all the glory.”
They bumped fists. Respect is clear between them.
Other wolves continued training. I watched. Learned. Saw how the pack hierarchy played out. How younger wolves deferred to older ones. How everyone moved with purpose.
Then Sarah approached. Of course she did.
“Must be nice,” she said. Voice loud enough for others to hear. “Watching everyone else work while you sit there useless.”
My face went hot. “I’m observing. Like Thaddeus said.”
“Right. Observing. Because you can’t actually participate. Because you’re wolfless.” She said it like an insult. Like being human was something shameful.
“Sarah, that’s enough.” Lycian moved between us. His voice had that edge again. Dangerous.
“I’m just stating facts. She doesn’t belong here. She can’t fight. Can’t shift. Can’t contribute anything useful.” Sarah crossed her arms. “Why are we wasting time pretending she matters?”
“Because she’s my mate. That makes her matter.”
“She’s not your mate. She’s your mistake.”
Lycian’s eyes flashed gold. Stayed gold. His wolf was close. Too close.
“Lycian.” I touched his arm. Felt the tension vibrating through him. “Don’t.”
“She needs to learn respect.”
“And you attacking her won’t teach that. It’ll just prove her point.” I looked at Sarah. Met her hostile gaze. “You’re right. I can’t fight. Can’t shift. I’m human and wolfless and completely out of my depth here.”
Sarah looked surprised. Like she’d expected me to argue.
“But I’m still here. Still trying. And I’m not going anywhere.” My voice got stronger. “So you can keep being hostile. Keep making comments. I don’t care. I’ve dealt with worse than mean girls who peaked in high school.”
Garrett choked on a laugh.
Sarah’s face went red. “How dare you…”
“Enough.” Thaddeus appeared. When had he gotten there? “Sarah, you’re done for the night. Leave.”
“But Alpha…”
“Now.”
She left. Practically vibrating with rage.
Thaddeus looked at me. Something like approval in his eyes. “Well said.”
Then he walked away.
The room slowly returned to normal. Training continued. But I felt eyes on me. Some impressed. Others calculating.
“That was awesome,” Garrett said. “Did you see her face?”
“I thought she was going to explode,” Maya added.
“You made an enemy,” Damien said. More serious. “Sarah doesn’t forget.”
“She was already an enemy.”
“True. But now she’s a motivated enemy. That’s worse.”
Training ended an hour later. Wolves filed out. Some nodded at me as they passed. Others ignored me.
Elena hugged me goodbye. “You did great. Sarah deserved that.”
“Thanks for being here.”
“Anytime, honey. See you Sunday breakfast.”
Lycian and I walked to the car. The night air was cold. Clear. Stars scattered across the sky.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah. Actually, yeah.” I was surprised to realize I meant it. “That wasn’t as bad as I thought.”
“You stood up to Sarah. Impressed my father. Made friends with Maya.” He opened my door. “I’d say it went pretty well.”
“She really hates me.”
“She hates that I chose you over Madison. That’s different.” He got in the driver’s side. “Don’t let her get in your head.”
“Too late. She’s already there.”
We drove in comfortable silence. The city lights blurred past. My body was tired but my mind was racing.
“Can I ask you something?” I said.
“Always.”
“When you’re fighting. When your eyes go gold like that. Does it hurt?”
“No. It’s like… pressure. Like something pushing to get out. But not painful.” He glanced at me. “Why?”
“Just curious. Trying to understand.”
“You can ask me anything. About wolves. About the bond. About any of it.”
“What does the bond feel like? For you?”
He was quiet for a moment. “Like you’re in my head. Not thoughts. Just presence. I always know where you are. If you’re upset or scared or happy. It’s constant. Background noise that I don’t want to turn off.”
“That sounds overwhelming.”
“It’s not. It’s comforting. Knowing you’re there.” He pulled into the penthouse garage. Parked. “Does that make sense?”
“I think so.” I unbuckled. “I don’t feel any of that. The bond. The connection. Does that bother you?”
“No. Because you will eventually. It takes time for humans. For wolfless mates.” He said it with such certainty. “You’ll feel it. I promise.”
We went inside. I showered. Changed into pajamas. Settled on the couch with my biology textbook.
Lycian worked on his laptop. We existed in the same space. Comfortable silence.
My phone buzzed. Text from an unknown number.
You embarrassed Sarah tonight. That was stupid. Watch your back.
I stared at the message. My hands started shaking.
“What’s wrong?” Lycian looked up.
I showed him.
His expression went dark. “I’ll handle this.”
“How? You can’t protect me from everyone.”
“Watch me.”
But as I looked at that message. At the threat hidden in those simple words. I wondered if even Lycian could keep me safe.
Because Sarah wasn’t my only enemy.
And something told me the real danger was just getting started.