Fire

The training yard was eerily empty when Ava arrived, making her question if she was actually supposed to be here or if this was some elaborate prank. That doubt, disappeared the moment she spotted him.

Leaning lazily against a wooden post, was quite possibly the finest male specimen she had ever seen. He was shirtless because why wouldn't he be?—and his properly toned body was covered in a fine sheen of sweat that did unholy things to her self-control. His messy hair made it look like he had just rolled out of bed, but he carried an air of effortless danger. The Moon Goddess must have taken extra time sculpting this one. If there were an award for looking sinfully attractive while brooding, this man would be the undefeated champion.

Kade pushed off the post and strode toward her with the confidence of someone who knew he was God's gift to the werewolf world. His eyes raked over her, unimpressed.

"Alpha Lucas seems to think you have potential."

Well, I guess we're not doing small talk.

"He also told me your wolf is dormant. So this exercise is to help you find your wolf. I must say, doing it this way means either you have a death wish for yourself or he has a death wish for you."

Ava lifted her chin. "I want this."

"Then you have the death wish." Kade shrugged. "Never mind, you're here now. Let's begin."

Without warning, he tossed a wooden sword at her. She barely caught it, and then it slipped right out of her grasp, clattering onto the ground.

Kade exhaled sharply. "I see this is going to be a long month."

She scrambled to pick up the sword though she felt utterly ridiculous standing there in her shorts and tank top.

"Okay," she huffed. "What next?"

Kade's lips twitched as if suppressing a smile. "I like that you think you're ready for what's next."

Without further warning, he swung his own wooden sword at her, smacking her right in the ribs. The impact sent her stumbling back, her breath whooshing out of her lungs.

"What the hell?!" she gasped, clutching her side.

Kade held his sword to the side, his abs flexing with the movement. "Never let your opponent make the first move."

Ava stood firm, narrowing her eyes. If he thought she was going to quit, he had another thing coming.

She lunged at him, letting out what she hoped was an intimidating war cry but probably sounded more like an aggressive kitten. She swung wildly, and Kade, with minimal effort, sidestepped her, delivering a stinging hit to her back.

Ava gritted her teeth. She was tired of being the weak one. Tired of the years at the Crimson Pack when she had prayed for a wolf to help her. She had suffered beatings and pain because everyone saw her as weak.

Not anymore.

She swung again, this time with more control. Kade blocked it easily, but his expression shifted.

"Anger is good," he mused. "But anger alone won't keep you alive."

Ava took a deep breath. This time, she didn't rush in. She watched him, the arrogance in his stance, underestimating her.

Then she struck.

Kade dodged, but barely. He let out a low chuckle. "You're a fast learner."

Ava felt a small burst of pride until he disarmed her with infuriating ease.

"Still slow," he said with a smirk. "You have me for a month. If you can't learn in that time, well… let's just say, I hope you have a backup plan."

Ava wasn't planning on losing. She balled her hands into fists, and Kade actually laughed.

"Oh, we're doing fists now?" he teased.

She knew she wouldn't win, but she didn't care. She swung at him anyway. He caught her wrist and suddenly, her back was pressed against his firm, very shirtless chest.

For a moment, she was acutely aware of every inch of his body against hers. A jolt of electricity rushed through her, and she had to mentally slap herself.

Focus, Ava. Not the time.

They trained well into the night. Kade found every opportunity to knock her down, but she got up every time. No matter how many times she landed on her backside, she refused to give up.

By the time she dragged herself back to her room, she was limping. Every muscle ached, but it was a good kind of pain. The kind that meant she was fighting back.

Soaking in warm water, she thought back to Kade—his touch, his scent, the way he had laughed when she charged at him. The last time she had felt anything close to that had been with Leon, her so-called fated mate.

Well, the Moon Goddess flopped on that one, didn't she?

Silver Pack wasn't so bad. It was a step in the right direction, and she intended to keep climbing.

*****

The next morning, Ava practically ran to the dining hall. She had burned so many calories getting her ass kicked, she felt like she could eat an entire cow.

The other concubines were already there. Nelly, elegant as ever, buttered a slice of bread with delicate precision. Sarah had her nose buried in a book. Lily, the friendliest of the bunch, immediately signaled to a maid.

"You're looking better, Ava," Nelly noted. "There's some color in your cheeks."

"Thanks," Ava muttered.

"You're going training again?" Lily asked.

"Yeah. I have a month until Kade moves on to other things."

Nelly smirked as she poured herself coffee. "I heard he enjoys smacking people around. A little like Alpha Lucas."

"I'm sure he did," Ava grumbled.

Lily giggled. "It makes my day to know you're suffering. Maybe I'll come watch."

Ava shot her a glare. "I'm sure you would love to see me."

She picked up a slice of toast and took a thoughtful bite. Then, casually, she asked, "Why hasn't Alpha Lucas made one of you his Luna yet?"