Awakening The Silver Wolf

RAVENNA POV

"Why do we have to do this again?" I asked Mia for the hundredth time. 

"Because Beta Lucian asked us to," she replied, voice patient. 

"Lucian can go to hell." 

Mia and a few people near me snapped their heads to me, their eyes hard. 

I suppressed a sigh and held up my hand. Their eyes left me and I released a breath. 

So we're training with the pack today. Since the weeks I've been here I've only ever trained alone with Mia. But then today Lucian walked up to us with his expressionless ass and declared we were going to train together with the pack. 

I had wanted to tell him to fuck off but Mia had stepped in and agreed we'll train with the pack. Not like we had a choice. It was a goddamn order from Lucian. 

So here we were, standing with the rest of the pack who were either snarling at us or ignoring us—I liked the latter better—with Lucian nowhere in sight. 

We didn't know what to do without our trainer so some of us just stood and waited while others started training. 

And then I felt him. I didn't know when I started feeling him but it had happened three nights ago when we had our second fight. 

A heat will always spread through my body and then a tingling feeling on my chest. 

It was weird, but it was also… I didn't have the right words for it. 

Darius walked into the group and the pack parted for him, bowing as he passed. 

Once again the sight of him had my heart racing. 

He wore all black: a black long-sleeve shirt that was tight on him and showcased all the muscles behind all that clothing, black trousers that disappeared into black boots, and his hair pulled up in a loose bun. 

This man did not have to be so perfect. 

He walked with grace, with the confidence of a man who knew who he was, carrying himself tall and proud even though he wasn't wearing a suit. 

Then his eyes met mine and I felt my heart still. He smiled at me and my heart stopped.

My lips curled up a little bit. I stopped before I could smile back. What the hell was wrong with me? 

Darius' smile only widened before he looked away and faced the group once more. 

"I'll be your trainer today," he said. He wasn't shouting but his voice was heard throughout the field. The group cheered, including Mia. I kept my face blank. 

"We're sparring today," he continued. "Someone lay out the mat then I'll group you." 

A small boy with brown hair immediately spread a wide mat in the middle of the group. 

"Cole," Darius called and a big guy with short blonde hair stepped forward. He was big but standing next to Darius he looked like a child. "Adams." A much smaller man with black hair stepped forward. 

The pairing of these two may seem unfair but I knew better. Cole was big which meant he had strength. Adams was small which means he had speed and could move easily. It was a perfect match. 

Cole and Adams stepped into the mat and they nodded at each other before they took a fighting stance. 

"The rules are simple," Darius said. "Knock him off his ass, you win. Push him out the mat, and you win. Begin!" 

Cole lunged first, aiming to grapple, but Adams sidestepped, countering with a swift jab.

The sound of feet skidding on the mat echoed, punctuated by the sharp breaths of effort. As they pushed against each other, both men's faces strained with determination.

In a sudden clash, they collided, each trying to assert dominance. Time seemed to freeze as they grunted, muscles straining, then—almost simultaneously—they surged forward, hands gripping, bodies leaning into the force.

My breath caught as they toppled, both men tumbling out of bounds, landing in a heap just beyond the edge of the mat.

They lay there for a moment, catching their breath, eyes locked. A grin spread across Cole's face, while Adams chuckled, shaking his head.

Neither had won, but they were both smiling. 

Well, that ended quickly. 

Darius called two women into the mat and this one took longer. In the end the smaller one won. And then Darius called Mia and a much, much, bigger woman. Mia looked like a child compared to the woman. But Mia was a beast when it comes to hand-to-hand combat so I wasn't worried. 

As the match began, I barely had time to blink. 

In a flash, Mia ducked low, avoiding a wide swing, and surged forward. With a swift move, she executed a perfect throw, using the larger woman's momentum against her. 

The whole group gasped as the bigger fighter hit the mat with a thud, stunned.

The match was over before it truly began. Mia stood over her opponent, breathing steadily, a triumphant smile on her face.

I tried not to puff out my chest with pride. I failed anyway. Mia was a pro. 

Mia stretched out her hand to the woman but she knocked it aside with a scowl and stood up. 

I tried not to roll my eyes. Someone's pride was wounded. 

"Ravenna!" I froze when I heard my name. I looked over at Darius and he had a small grin on his face. "On the mat." 

I squared my shoulder and walked to the mat, not taking my eyes off him. 

My eyes blew wide when Darius stepped into the mat as well. Whispers broke out in the group. I heard someone whisper, "Oh she's dead." 

I ignored them and fixed Darius with a glare.

"What the hell are you doing?" I whispered harshly. 

Darius' smile grew. "Training. Now begin!" 

Darius charged. Regardless of his size, the man was damn fast. 

I sidestepped, my instincts honed from countless sparring sessions. We exchanged blows, each strike hard, my agility countering his brute strength.

"I enjoy fighting with you, Silver Wisp," Darius said before he dodged a blow. 

"Shut up." 

I felt the strain building in my muscles as the match wore on. Darius pushed me back, his relentless advance threatening to overpower me. 

Just when it seemed he had the upper hand, I felt it: that burst of energy. 

In one swift motion, I twisted, leveraging my weight to shove Darius. The momentum caught him off guard, and with a grunt, he stumbled back, teetering on the edge of the mat.

My heart raced as I propelled him one final time, feeling the satisfaction as he crossed the boundary. He landed outside the mat, shock mingling with admiration in his eyes.

A hush fell on the group. I looked around and everyone's eyes were fixed on me. My eyes caught Mia's and her eyes were wide with panic. 

Goddamn it.