Chapter 210 Chapter 209: The Circle and the Lesson All eyes turned toward the boy who had just broken ranks. His boots beat against the earth as he sprinted toward Orion, both hands gripping his longsword so tightly his knuckles blanched. Orion did not so much as blink. He merely
Chapter 209 Chapter 208: War Cry The trainees turned to each other. Hesitation spread across their faces. The scrape of boots sounded louder as they rubbed their feet against the packed earth beneath them, eyes tracing the small circle and the man standing inside it. “Do you guys have any
Chapter 208 Chapter 207: A Different Kind of Sparring The morning sun sat thin and brittle over the training grounds, the packed snow glittering beneath the pale light. Dren leaned in close to Sophia, low enough that his words were little more than breath. “I don’t think it’s going to
Chapter 207 Chapter 206: I’m Not Weak Sometimes, the biggest changes start small, and sometimes we tend to miss the signs. This was the case with Orion — but rather than missing the signs, he noticed them and chalked it up to being a coping mechanism for Sophia ever since
Chapter 206 Chapter 205: The Weight of the Dream Cold air clawed at Sophia’s lungs as she struggled to breathe. Her heart thundered in her chest, wild and uneven, every beat echoing the terror that still pulsed through her veins. The remnants of the dream clung to her. She could
Chapter 205 Chapter 204: Whispers Beneath the Frost After the intense training session, Orion suggested the trainees rest. He had very little time to spend with Sophia until night. Even when he got home, he realized she wasn’t in his house, so he sneaked into hers, where he found her
Chapter 204 Chapter 203: Anchor and Flow Dren was getting better. There was a stubborn determination in the way he moved now — no longer flinching when Orion corrected him, no longer second-guessing each strike. For every mistake he made, he recovered with a sharper response. Sweat beaded on his
Chapter 203 Chapter 202: The Rhythm of Motion Orion turned, sharp eyes sweeping across the rest of the trainees who had frozen mid-drill, their gazes glued to Sophia. “Why are you guys staring p> Nia spoke up. “Because we can’t believe our eyes p> “What?” Orion asked her. Nia played
Chapter 202 Chapter 201: Big Talk from Someone So Little His grin widened. “I wouldn’t kill you, shorty, even if you are extremely annoying. Instead, I’ll make sure you are strong enough to kill me p> “Okay… I’m not killing you, and can we please stop with the killing talk?
Chapter 201 Chapter 200: You Did Good, Shorty She rolled her eyes. “That wasn’t what you said last night—or the other nights before p> Orion chuckled, his boot rolling the ball lightly between his feet. “Fine. You are delicious, which is why they’ll eat you without leaving anything behind. Happy
Chapter 200 Chapter 199: The Dance of Steps The air between them thickened with quiet challenge. Around the field, the sounds of wooden blades clashing and trainees grunting faded into the background hum of Nightshade’s morning rhythm. Snow drifted lazily between shafts of sunlight, and Orion’s smirk deepened as the
Chapter 199 Chapter 198: The Game The rhythm of wooden soles striking packed earth echoed through the training field. Morning light poured across the grounds, washing the circle of trainees in a pale gold that softened the harsh angles of their focus. Dust hung in the air like smoke, stirred
Chapter 198 Chapter 197: Apologize for Pinching My Butt “Hold in that urge to bow, Joren,” Nia said with a chuckle. He frowned. “I’m not going to bow; Alpha Orion doesn’t like it p> Orion released a low chuckle. “Alright. I’m sure you guys saw what I did, right? Now
Chapter 197 Chapter 196: Anchor Steps The morning air was sharp with snow, the sky a pale wash of blue that hinted at the rising sun. Orion stood before his group. They were the smallest among the divisions scattered across the training field. Spear shafts caught the light beside short
Chapter 196 Chapter 195: The Lesson of Discipline Orion only let the silence settle for a while before he barked at Joren. “No p> The word cut through the cold morning air like a whip. The trainees stiffened instantly. Joren—who had just begun to lower himself to the ground—froze mid-motion,
Chapter 195 Chapter 194: Orion and Tobias The trainees scrambled back, forming a wide circle around the two men. The air seemed to tighten, charged with expectation. Snowflakes drifted lazily between them, the only movement for a heartbeat. Then Tobias moved first. The bow came up in one smooth arc,
Chapter 194 Chapter 193: Reading the Opponent The morning light cut across the training grounds, sharp and cold. The air carried that familiar smell of iron, leather, and the faintest trace of snow. The trainees assembled once more in neat lines, wooden weapons in hand. Their breaths rose in small,
Chapter 193 Chapter 192: Day 2 The dawn light was soft and pale, slipping through the thin curtains and settling over the room like a whisper. The embers in the hearth had burned down to a faint orange glow, still warm enough to keep the chill at bay. Orion stirred
Chapter 192 Chapter 191: Teach Me The room was a sanctuary of warmth, a stark contrast to the frigid world outside. Snow fell in heavy blankets over the Nightshade pack compound, its silence broken only by the occasional crackle of the hearth within Sophia’s home. The fire cast a golden
Chapter 191 Chapter 190: The Woman at the Training Grounds The question slipped from Sophia’s lips before she could stop it—not that she was willing to stop it in the first place. Ever since she’d seen the blonde woman, she had been unsettled. There was something about her that didn’t