Chapter 7: Awakening Darkness
The morning came too soon. Serena woke to Mira shaking her shoulder gently.
"Alpha wants you in the training grounds," Mira said, her eyes wide. "Everyone's waiting."
Serena clutched the small wolf carving hidden under her pillow. She had slept with it in her palm all night, Ronan's words echoing in her mind: A warning. And a promise.
"What time is it?" Serena asked, shaking sleep from her head.
"Just past dawn. Hurry—Lucian doesn't like to wait."
The training grounds sat in a flat clearing behind the mountain caves. As Serena approached, she saw a circle of wolves gathered, their faces a mix of curiosity and distrust. Lucian stood in the center, bare-chested despite the morning chill, his muscled body covered in scars that told stories of countless battles.
"Finally," he said when he spotted her. "Your training begins now."
