Four Days
Before the Full Moon
Age 22
The rain
hadn't let up since yesterday, a steady drizzle that turned the grounds of
Silverfang Manor into a muddy mess. I stood on the stone steps leading into the
main hall, my breath fogging in the chilly air, my body still sore from
training with Darius. My wolf was quieter today, a low hum in my chest rather
than a restless growl, but I could feel her watching, waiting. The pendant at
my throat pulsed faintly, its warmth a constant reminder of the secrets I still
didn't understand—of my mother's voice, of the creature in the forest, of the
power Darius seemed so sure I had.
Inside, the
manor was a labyrinth of dark wood and ancient stone, every hallway humming
with the weight of tradition and unspoken history. The air smelled of polished
oak and wax, but beneath it lingered something sharper—tension, distrust, the
scent of wolves who'd watched me fall and weren't ready to let me rise. I'd
been avoiding the pack since Darius brought me back, keeping to the edges of
their world, but I couldn't hide forever. Not if I wanted to survive whatever
was coming.
I pushed
open the heavy doors to the training hall, a cavernous room with high ceilings
and walls lined with weapons—swords, daggers, axes, all gleaming under the
flickering light of iron chandeliers. The space was empty except for one
figure, her presence as sharp as the blade she held. Seraphina Voss.
She stood in
the center of the room, her blonde hair pulled into a sleek ponytail, her body
clad in black leather that hugged every curve like a second skin. Her movements
were fluid, almost hypnotic, as she spun the dagger in her hand, the blade
catching the light with every turn. Her blue eyes flicked to me as I stepped
inside, and the smile that curled her lips was all venom—no warmth, no mercy.
"Well,
well," she said, her voice smooth as silk but edged with ice. "The little omega
returns. I thought you'd run for good after Darius threw you out like
yesterday's trash."
My wolf
growled, low and dangerous, and I clenched my fists to keep her in check. "I'm
not here for your games, Seraphina," I said, my voice steady despite the anger
simmering beneath it. "I just want to train."
She laughed,
a sharp, cutting sound that echoed off the stone walls. "Train?" She took a
step closer, her dagger still spinning lazily in her hand. "What's there to
train, Liora? You're an omega. A traitor's daughter. You don't belong here, and
you certainly don't belong with Darius."
Her words
hit like a slap, each one a reminder of the shame I'd carried for years. But I
wasn't the same girl who'd fled the manor in tears. Not anymore. "Darius seems
to think otherwise," I said, lifting my chin. "He's the one who brought me
back. He's the one training me."
Seraphina's
smile faltered, just for a second, but it was enough to tell me I'd struck a
nerve. She stopped spinning the dagger, gripping it tightly as she closed the
distance between us. Up close, she was even more striking—flawless skin, sharp
cheekbones, a beauty that could cut as easily as her blade. But there was
something in her eyes, a flicker of pain beneath the cruelty, that made me
pause.
"Darius is
an idiot," she hissed, her voice low, venomous. "He thinks he can fix you, mold
you into something you're not. But I see you, Liora Kane. I see the weak,
pathetic girl who thought she could take what's mine."
My wolf
snarled, her hackles rising, and I felt my claws itch beneath my skin. "I'm not
trying to take anything," I said, my voice tight. "I didn't ask for any of
this. Not the marriage, not the rejection, not the oath. I just want to
survive."
"Survive?"
Seraphina laughed again, but this time it was hollow, bitter. "You don't get to
just survive here. This pack chews up girls like you and spits them out. And
when it does, I'll be there to take back what's mine." She leaned closer, her
breath hot against my ear. "Darius was mine first, omega. He'll be mine again.
You're just a distraction—a toy he'll tire of soon enough."
I stepped
back, my heart pounding, but I refused to let her see how much her words hurt.
"If he's yours, then why did he reject me to keep me safe?" I asked, my voice
steady despite the storm inside me. "Why did he bind himself to me with a blood
oath? That doesn't sound like a man who's thinking about you, Seraphina."
Her eyes
flashed, a dangerous glint that made my wolf growl louder. "You think that oath
means something?" she spat, her voice rising. "It's a leash, Liora. A way to
control you, to keep you in line. He doesn't care about you. He never will. And
when he's done with you—when he realizes you're nothing but a liability—I'll be
the one standing by his side."
I wanted to
argue, to tell her she was wrong, but the doubt she'd planted took root,
twisting in my gut. What if she was right? What if the oath, the training,
Darius's belief in me—it was all just a means to an end? My wolf whimpered,
torn between defiance and fear, and the pendant pulsed, its heat grounding me
just enough to keep me from breaking.
"I'm not
here to fight over Darius," I said, my voice quieter now, but firm. "I'm here
to learn, to get stronger. If you have a problem with that, take it up with
him."
Seraphina's
smile returned, colder than ever. "Oh, I will," she said, stepping back. "But
first, let's see what you're made of, omega. If Darius thinks you're worth
training, prove it."
She lunged
without warning, her dagger flashing toward me. I barely had time to react, my
wolf surging forward as I dodged to the side, the blade slicing through the air
where I'd been standing. My claws extended, my senses sharpening, and I dropped
into a crouch, my heart racing. "What the hell are you doing?" I shouted, my
voice a mix of fear and fury.
"Training,"
she said, her tone mocking as she circled me, her movements smooth, predatory.
"You want to survive? Show me you can."
She came at
me again, faster this time, and I blocked her strike with my forearm, the
impact jarring my bones. My wolf growled, urging me to fight back, but I held
her in check, focusing on Darius's lessons—control, speed, instinct. I ducked
under her next swing, my claws grazing her side, but she twisted away, her
laugh sharp and cruel.
"Not bad,"
she said, her eyes gleaming with something like grudging respect. "But not good
enough."
We traded
blows, each one harder than the last, my muscles burning as I fought to keep
up. Seraphina was stronger, faster, more experienced, but I was scrappy, fueled
by a desperation she couldn't match. I caught her off guard with a low swipe,
my claws raking across her thigh, and she hissed, stumbling back. For a moment,
I thought I'd won—until she straightened, her smile gone, her eyes blazing with
fury.
"You'll
regret that," she snarled, her voice low, dangerous. She lunged again, but this
time I was ready, dodging to the side and grabbing her wrist, twisting it until
the dagger fell to the floor with a clatter. I kicked it away, my breath
ragged, my body trembling with adrenaline.
"Enough," I
said, stepping back, my claws retracting as I forced my wolf down. "I'm not
your enemy, Seraphina."
She yanked
her wrist free, her chest heaving, her eyes burning with hatred. "You're
wrong," she said, her voice a hiss. "You're everything I despise. And I'll make
sure you know it."
Before I
could respond, she turned and stalked toward the door, her movements stiff with
barely contained rage. But as she reached the threshold, she paused, reaching
into her pocket. She pulled out a folded piece of paper and slipped it into my
bag, which I'd left by the entrance. Her eyes met mine, cold and unyielding,
and her voice was a whisper that sent a chill down my spine. "He'll never love
you," she said. "Leave, or I'll make you."
She was gone
before I could speak, the door slamming shut behind her, leaving me alone in
the training hall with the echo of her words and the weight of her threat. I
crossed the room, my legs shaky, and pulled the note from my bag with trembling
fingers. The handwriting was sharp, precise, and the message was clear: He'll never love you. Leave, or
I'll make you.
My wolf
growled, a low, defiant sound, and the pendant pulsed, its light faint but
steady. I crumpled the note in my fist, my heart a storm of anger and fear and
resolve. Seraphina wanted me gone, wanted me broken—but I wasn't the same omega
who'd run from this manor in tears. Not anymore. I'd fight to stay, to survive,
to prove her wrong.
But as I
stood there, the rain tapping against the windows, I couldn't shake the feeling
that Seraphina's venom was just the beginning—and that the real battle was
still to come.