The training grounds stretched wide beneath the pale morning light, ringed by towering pines that swayed in the cold wind.
Warriors moved through drills in disciplined rows, but as Ronan and I entered, silence swept the field. Every eye followed us. Some with curiosity, others with suspicion. A few, with outright hostility.
The whispers were sharp enough to cut skin. That's her. The one he claimed. The outsider.
I ignored them, straightening my spine. I would not flinch under their scrutiny. If they thought me weak, I'd show them otherwise.
Ronan stopped in the center of the ring. His muscular frame was impossible to ignore, tattoos winding over his arms like dark flames. He gestured toward me.
"Today, you train," he said, voice carrying easily across the grounds. "Not as a guest. Not as a fragile survivor. As my mate."
The word mate rang through me like a bell, rattling my bones. My wolf howled in fierce satisfaction, but my human heart clenched.
Still, I stepped forward, unwilling to give Mira or her allies the satisfaction of seeing me falter.
"What's the lesson?" I asked, my voice steady.
His silver gaze gleamed. "Control."
He moved in one swift blur, circling me, forcing me to pivot with him. He was faster than I remembered, every step precise, predatory. The warriors watched in silence, waiting for me to fail.
"Your wolf is strong," he said, circling. "But strength without control is chaos. And chaos will kill you—and everyone who depends on you."
My fists clenched. "I've survived on chaos all my life."
His lips curved into something dangerous.
"Then survive me."
He lunged.
I barely dodged, his hand grazing my arm like fire. My wolf snarled, ready to burst free, but I forced her down. No. Not yet. Not in front of them.
I spun, aiming a strike at his ribs, but he blocked with maddening ease, twisting my arm behind my back. His chest pressed against me, heat radiating through every taut muscle. The bond pulsed violently, searing my skin where he touched me.
"Too predictable," he murmured against my ear, his voice a growl that slid down my spine. "You telegraph your moves."
I hissed and twisted free, whirling to face him. "Maybe I wanted you close."
For a heartbeat, his silver eyes burned hotter, darker. Then he smirked, infuriatingly calm. "Careful. I might start believing you."
Gasps rippled from the warriors, their eyes locked on us—not just as Alpha and mate, but as predators circling each other, sparks flying in every strike.
We clashed again, faster this time. I ducked under his arm, slamming my palm against his chest. He staggered half a step before catching me, spinning me into his hold. His hand pressed against my stomach, his body caging mine. The warriors muttered, unsure if they were watching a fight or something far more dangerous.
"Better," he said, his breath hot against my neck. "But still sloppy."
I elbowed him hard, breaking free. My chest heaved, fury and something darker coiling inside me. He wasn't teaching me. He was testing me—pushing until I either snapped or surrendered.
Fine. He wanted fire? I'd give him an inferno.
I let my wolf surge, silver light flashing in my eyes. Power rippled through my limbs, faster, sharper. This time when I lunged, he actually stumbled back, surprise flickering across his face. I pressed forward, strike after strike, claws threatening to break free.
For a breathless moment, I had him. My palm against his throat, my body pinning him to the ground. Gasps exploded from the warriors around us.
I leaned close, my voice low and fierce. "Still think I'm predictable?"
His eyes burned up at me, silver flames dancing. His lips curved in a slow, dangerous smile—not of mockery, but of approval. "Now you're learning."
The bond roared to life beneath my skin, wild and consuming. I felt it surge between us, pulling tighter, harder, until I wasn't sure if I wanted to strike him again or kiss him until I couldn't breathe. My wolf howled, demanding more, demanding him.
Realizing where I was—straddling the Alpha in front of his entire pack—I shoved myself off him, my chest rising and falling with ragged breaths. The murmurs of the warriors buzzed like angry bees. Some in awe. Others in outrage.
Ronan rose slowly, never breaking eye contact. He wiped dirt from his arm, the ink of his tattoos flexing over hard muscle.
"She's not weak," he said to the crowd, his voice a command that brooked no argument. "She's mine. And she'll fight beside me, not behind me."
Shock rippled through the ranks. Even Mira, standing at the edge, could not mask her fury. Her lips pressed thin, her eyes blazing with the promise of retribution.
I should have felt triumph. Instead, I felt… exposed. My heart thundered, my body still humming with the echo of his touch, the bond twisting tighter around my soul.
As the crowd dispersed, Ronan stepped closer, his voice pitched low for me alone.
"You're dangerous, Raven." His gaze slid over me, heated, hungry. "And every second you fight me, I want you more."
I forced myself to meet his eyes, to bury the fire threatening to consume me. "Then maybe one day, you'll choke on your desire."
His smirk was dark, approving. "Maybe. But until then, we burn together."
And as he walked away, leaving me trembling between fury and forbidden hunger, I knew one thing with brutal certainty—this war between us was far from over.