Seraphine woke to a different kind of knock.
Not Astrid's sharp, impatient rapping Astrid was gone, banished along with the others.
This knock was firm but controlled. Professional.
She sat up, pulling the blankets around herself.
"Come in."
A male warrior entered tall, broad-shouldered, with kind brown eyes that seemed out of place in such an intimidating frame.
"Good morning, miss," he said, bowing slightly. "I'm Garrett. The Alpha King has assigned me as your personal guard."
Seraphine blinked. "My... what?"
"Your guard," Garrett repeated. "I'm to escort you anywhere you need to go and ensure your safety."
He gestured to a package he'd set on the table near the door.
"The Alpha King also sent these for you. He requests your presence in the east training grounds in one hour."
Training grounds?
Garrett must have seen her confusion because he added gently, "He'll explain everything when you arrive, miss."
Then he stepped back into the hall, closing the door to give her privacy.
Seraphine stared at the package.
Slowly, she approached and unwrapped it.
Inside were clothes but not the servant dresses or the finer gowns she'd been wearing. These were fitted leather pants, a simple tunic, and sturdy boots. Training clothes.
A note lay on top in Kael's sharp handwriting:
"Wear these. Bring nothing else."
- K
Her hands trembled slightly as she picked up the clothing.
What was he planning?
An hour later, Garrett led her through parts of the pack grounds she'd never seen before.
They passed the main training fields where warriors sparred in human and wolf form, their grunts and snarls echoing through the morning air. Past the armory, where the smell of metal and oil hung heavy. Down a winding path that led away from the main compound.
Finally, they emerged into a secluded clearing surrounded by tall pines.
Kael stood in the center, dressed simply in dark pants and a fitted shirt that emphasized the raw power of his frame. His arms were crossed, his expression unreadable.
When he saw her, something flickered in his eyes.
Approval.
"Good," he said. "The clothes fit."
Seraphine stopped a few feet away, suddenly self-conscious. The leather pants felt strange foreign. She'd never worn anything like this.
Kael's gaze swept over her once, then met her eyes.
"Garrett, leave us. Guard the perimeter. No one enters."
"Yes, my king." Garrett bowed and disappeared into the trees.
Silence settled over the clearing.
Kael approached slowly, circling her like he had so many times before assessing, calculating.
"Do you know why you're here?" he asked.
Seraphine shook her head.
"Because you're vulnerable," Kael said bluntly. "And I'm tired of watching you flinch every time someone raises their voice."
He stopped in front of her.
"The Council wants to test you. Rival packs see you as my weakness. There are wolves in my own territory who would hurt you just to hurt me."
His hand came up, tilting her chin so she had to look at him.
"I can't protect you every second of every day. So I'm going to teach you to protect yourself."
Her eyes widened. "But I'm an omega. I can't fight"
"You don't know what you can do," Kael interrupted. "Because no one ever taught you."
He released her chin and stepped back.
"We're going to change that."
Lesson One: Stand Your Ground
"First lesson," Kael said, moving to stand about ten feet away from her. "Stop cowering."
Seraphine stiffened. "I don't"
"Yes, you do." His voice was firm but not cruel. "Your shoulders hunch. Your head drops. You make yourself smaller."
He gestured at her posture.
"Straighten your spine. Lift your chin. Look at me directly."
She tried. But years of trained submission fought against her.
Kael's aura pulsed just slightly.
Her body wanted to fold immediately.
"No," Kael said sharply. "Fight it."
"I can't"
"You already have. Twice."
His eyes locked onto hers.
"That first day in the hallway, you resisted for one second. In my chambers, you did it again. Your body knows how your mind just needs to catch up."
He let his aura press harder.
Seraphine's knees shook. Her wolf whimpered, desperate to submit.
But she remembered that first day. That split second where something in her had pushed back.
She focused on that feeling. That tiny spark of resistance.
Her spine straightened just slightly.
Kael's eyes gleamed. "Good. Again."
He increased the pressure.
She gritted her teeth, fighting every instinct.
One second.
Two.
Three.
Her legs gave out and she collapsed to her hands and knees, gasping.
Kael was beside her immediately, his hand on her back steadying, not restraining.
"Three seconds," he said quietly. "That's three times longer than yesterday."
He helped her up.
"Again."
Hours Later
They repeated the exercise dozens of times.
By midday, Seraphine could stand against his aura for nearly ten seconds before her body forced her down.
She was exhausted, drenched in sweat, every muscle trembling.
But she'd done it.
Kael handed her a water skin. "Rest. Five minutes."
She collapsed onto a fallen log, drinking gratefully.
Kael sat beside her close enough that she felt his warmth.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked between breaths.
"Because you need it."
"That's not an answer."
Kael was quiet for a moment.
"When I was young," he finally said, "I watched my father die."
Seraphine went still.
"He was the strongest Alpha I'd ever known," Kael continued, staring at nothing. "But he trusted the wrong wolf. A Beta he considered a brother."
His jaw clenched.
"The Beta poisoned him. Slowly. By the time anyone realized, it was too late."
He turned to look at her.
"My father died because he was powerful but not careful. Strong but not smart."
His hand found hers.
"I won't let that happen to you. I won't let you be strong in only one way."
Seraphine's chest tightened. "I'm not strong at all."
"You're wrong."
Kael's grip tightened slightly.
"You've survived in a world that told you you're worthless. You resisted an Alpha King's command. You looked me in the eye when you were terrified."
He leaned closer.
"That's a different kind of strength. And I'm going to help you find the rest."
Before she could respond, he stood.
"Break's over. Next lesson."