SERAPHINA’S POV
I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed the rhythm of training until I was back on the mats again. The solid thud of my boots against the ground, the sharp crack of air every time my strikes met Lucian’s blocks.
The OTS compound buzzed with its usual controlled chaos. Early morning light slanted through the wide windows, spilling gold across the floor where Maya had set up a series of new obstacles designed specifically for me.
I no longer trained in the private practice rooms, and my sessions were no longer generic drills. Now, they were tailored for someone caught between human and wolf. The “half-shift anomaly,” Lucian called it.
I think he meant it as a compliment.
“Again,” Lucian said, his voice smooth but commanding.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead and reset my stance. My lungs burned, my muscles trembling from exertion, but more than anything, I felt a stubborn determination hardening inside me. I refused to stop.
