Awakening The Silver Wolf

DARIUS POV

I leaned against the doorframe of my office, my gaze fixed on the trees outside. 

A knock at my door pulled my focus away. "Enter," I called out. 

The door opened and Silver Wisp—I still didn't know her name—entered. 

She was a mess—covered in dirt and grime from her relentless training—but there was an undeniable beauty in her determination. 

Her gray eyes, sharp and defiant, reflected a spirit that intrigued me more than I cared to admit.

She stood with her arms crossed and we held eye contact. 

To be honest, I didn't have a good reason for calling her to my office. 

I had been watching her train for days. Lucian had been doing the same. He reported that she wasn't as skilled as I thought and that I had underestimated her that day on the battlefield. 

But I doubted that. She was skilled. I knew that. 

I pushed myself away from the frame and stepped closer, my presence casting a shadow over her. 

To her credit, she didn't step back as before, only just held my eyes. 

"Hello, Silver Wisp," I greeted. "Long time no see." 

She rolled her eyes, her arms falling back to the side. "It's only been two days, Darius," she said. I felt a tug in my chest when hearing her say my name. "Obsessed much?" 

A small smile formed on my lips. "Indeed I am," I answered. And that wasn't a lie. She has occupied my thoughts for the last few days. 

I had told myself that watching her during training was just to study her techniques but that was a lie that I wasn't going to admit to myself. 

"Why did you call me here?" she asked, voice hard, but it lacked her usual bite. Perhaps I was growing on her too. 

"Perhaps it's time to see how your training translates beyond the yard," I said, my curiosity piqued. "I want to see the girl who thought she could wound me in battle." 

She snorted. "Not 'thought', I did wound you." 

I smiled. "And you claim my ego is too inflated."

She pressed her lips together but I could see she was trying to hide her smile. 

"You're covered in dirt and sweat," I remarked, a hint of amusement threading through my composed demeanor. "It strangely suits you. Do you think it adds to your charm?" 

She raised an eyebrow, a smile still threatening her lips. "I didn't realize you were such a connoisseur of charm, Darius." 

I shrugged, not knowing how to reply to that. Then my expression turned serious. "I wanted to assess your progress. You train hard, but do you truly believe you can defeat me?" 

"I do believe it," she replied, her voice steady. "You seem to forget I've already managed to hurt you once. I'm not afraid of you." 

"I don't want you to," I blurted out. Strange how that seems to have changed.

She watched me, a look I couldn't decipher in her eyes. 

"Fear is not what drives you, then?" I challenged, leaning closer. "What is it? Pride? Defiance?" 

Her gray eyes narrowed. "First of all, It's the desire for freedom. I want to prove that I can overcome you, even if it's just to earn my place back in the world. And second, I would enjoy wounding your ego for the second time." 

I found myself captivated by her resolve. 

There was something electric about our exchanges, a dance of power and vulnerability. I was used to people fearing me, cowering under my gaze, but she stood firm, unyielding.

"Interesting," I said, stepping back. "You believe freedom is worth the struggle. But tell me, what will you do if you lose?" 

"I won't lose," she insisted, her voice rising slightly. "But if I do, I will find another way. I refuse to accept defeat." 

"There won't be another way when you'll be dead." 

Her body tensed, and I inwardly chided myself. I had meant it as a joke, but she had misunderstood. And what was this feeling in my chest? Why did the words taste bitter in my mouth? 

That was what this whole game was about. She won, she got her freedom. She loses, and I kill her. So what then was this reaction? 

She straightened and held her chin high. "Then I will do well not to lose. I still plan to enjoy life." 

I studied her, an unsettling admiration forming in my mind. 

She wasn't just a prisoner; she was a force to be reckoned with. The fire in her gray eyes challenged me, igniting a flicker of something I didn't fully understand.

I took a step closer to her, then another, until I stopped in front of her. This was the closest we'd ever stood together, and that familiar tug returned to my chest. 

Her scent filled my nose—lavender and rose. I fought the urge to touch her. 

She looked up at me, her usual fire still burning in her eyes but there was something else there too. Something that made the fire less hot. 

"Tell me your name," I said, my voice came out as a plea. 

She swallowed, and I could tell she was debating whether to tell me or not. 

She chose the formal. "Ravenna," she whispered. The tug in my chest became stronger, and I felt a small victory. I knew she would tell me. 

"Ravenna," I repeated, my voice low. I couldn't fight the urge any longer—I took a strand of her hair and inhaled it. Her scent was intoxicating. My wolf stirred from his stumble. I didn't know what to make of that. 

Her cheeks darkened, a hint of shyness creeping into her expression, but she didn't pull away. 

"Ravenna means 'raven,' a symbol of beauty, intelligence, and mystery," I said, my voice gentle. "And you seem to embody that—mysterious yet captivating. There's strength in that name." 

I tugged the strand of her hair behind her ear and my hand brushed her cheek. She inhaled sharply, the pink on her cheeks spreading. 

Fuck. She was so goddamn beautiful. 

A knock at the door broke the spell and Ravenna pulled away. 

"What?" I snapped at the person knocking. 

"It's me," Lucian's voice answered before he opened the door and entered. 

He glanced at Ravenna before turning back to me, a knowing look in his eyes. He wisely kept his mouth shut.

Ravenna spun around and practically bolted from my office without a word—she literally ran.

I turned to Lucian. "What is it?" I snarled. 

Lucian studied me for a while. "You're aware she'll stick a knife in your back the first chance she gets, right?" he asked, his voice hard. 

I glared at him. "Tell me something else I don't know, like why the fuck you're here." 

Lucian signed and sat. "A message came."