ISLA'S POV
Something slams into my door so hard I fly out of bed.
UP! Damien's voice booms through the wood. Training starts in five minutes. You're late.
I stare at the ceiling, my heart racing. Late? The sun isn't even up yet!
I said NOW! Another bang on the door.
I scramble out of bed, my new Queen Alpha body moving faster than I'm used to. I crash into the dresser, knocking over a lamp.
Four minutes! Damien shouts.
I don't even know where the training yard is! I yell back.
The door swings open. Damien stands there in all black, arms crossed, looking like death itself. Then you better run fast and figure it out. Three minutes.
He disappears down the hallway.
I stand there in my nightgown, staring after him. Is he serious?
A piece of paper slides under my door. I grab it a hand-drawn map with a big X marked training yard and a note: Follow the smell of blood and sweat. - D
Great. My first day as Queen, and I'm already behind.
I throw on the training clothes someone left on my chair and run.
The training yard is outside, and it's massive. At least fifty wolves are already there, doing exercises that look impossible. Jumping over walls. Lifting weights bigger than my whole body. Fighting each other with wooden swords.
They all stop when I appear.
That's her? a female warrior mutters. The new Queen?
She looks twelve, another says.
I heard she used to be omega, a male wolf laughs. This should be entertaining.
My face burns. Even as Queen Alpha, they still see me as weak.
Something funny? Damien's voice cuts through the laughter. He appears beside me, and every wolf immediately drops into push-up position.
Nobody answers.
I asked a question, Damien says quietly. The quiet is scarier than yelling. Is there something funny about your Queen?
No, Commander! they all shout.
Good. Because the next wolf who disrespects her will fight me. Personally. Damien looks at each of them. Anyone want to volunteer?
Silence.
That's what I thought. Back to work. He turns to me. You. Center of the yard. Now.
I walk to the middle, feeling everyone's eyes on me.
Your first lesson, Damien announces loud enough for everyone to hear, is learning that being knocked down doesn't make you weak. Staying down does. He faces me. Attack me.
I blink. What?
You're Queen Alpha now. You have power. Show me.
I look at his scarred face, his warrior's body. He's trained his whole life. I've been Queen Alpha for less than twelve hours.
I don't know how
ATTACK ME! Damien's alpha command hits like a physical force.
My new wolf reacts before I can think. I lunge at him, claws extending.
He sidesteps so fast I don't see it. His leg sweeps mine. I hit the ground hard, all the air leaving my lungs.
Again, Damien says.
I get up, angrier now. I attack from a different angle.
He blocks, spins me around, and I'm on the ground again.
Again.
I attack. Fall. Attack. Fall. Attack. Fall.
After the tenth time, I stay down, gasping for breath. Everything hurts.
I can't, I whisper.
Damien kneels beside me. The watching warriors can't hear what he says next. Yes, you can. You survived your mate rejecting you in front of everyone. You survived your father throwing you away. You survived dying in the mountains. You think a little combat training is harder than that?
Tears sting my eyes. This is different.
How?
Because back then, I had no choice. I had to survive.
And now? Damien's scarred hand grips my shoulder. You think becoming Queen means you're safe? There are wolves out there who will challenge you. Who will try to take your crown. Who will use your omega past against you. If you can't fight, you can't rule.
He stands up, speaks louder so everyone hears. One more time. And this time, stop thinking. Just feel.
I force myself up. My muscles scream. My pride is in pieces. But I face him anyway.
This time, when I attack, I don't think about technique. I think about Kade's disgusted face. Vivian's cruel smile. Dad signing the disownment papers.
I think about every time someone said I was worthless.
My fist connects with Damien's jaw.
The entire training yard goes silent.
Damien touches his face, and when he pulls his hand away, there's blood. He's smiling. There she is. There's my Queen.
The warriors erupt in cheers.
After three hours of getting beaten up, I can barely walk to my next lesson.
Lucian waits in a room full of books. He doesn't ask if I'm tired. Doesn't care about my bruises.
Sit, he orders. We're starting with the Seven Territories' political structure. Tell me the name of every Alpha and their pack alliances.
I stare at him. I don't know that.
Then you'll learn. You have one hour to memorize this. He slides a book thicker than my head across the table.
One hour? I gasp. That's impossible!
Lucian's ice-blue eyes don't blink. Queens don't get to say impossible. We say 'yes, sir' and we figure it out. Start reading.
I want to argue. But something in his face stops me. He's not being cruel. He's being honest.
If I can't handle studying, how will I handle ruling?
I open the book and start reading.
By the time Theron comes to get me for magic lessons, my brain is mush.
Rough day? He grins, offering his hand.
I take it, grateful for his warmth after Lucian's ice. Is it always this hard?
The first year is the worst, Theron says cheerfully. But you'll survive. You're stubborn enough.
Is that a compliment?
From me? Always. He leads me outside to a private garden. Magic lesson time. And unlike my brothers, I actually believe in breaks and fun.
Thank the Moon Goddess, I breathe.
Theron laughs. Don't thank her yet. Magic is harder than combat or politics. It requires you to trust yourself completely. His expression turns serious. Can you do that, Isla? Trust yourself?
I think about that. Trust myself? I've spent my whole life believing I was worthless.
I don't know, I admit.
Then that's what we'll work on first. Theron takes both my hands. Close your eyes. Feel the power inside you. Don't force it. Don't control it. Just let it be.
I close my eyes. Try to feel the Queen Alpha power.
Nothing happens.
You're thinking too hard, Theron says softly. Stop trying to make it work. Just breathe.
I breathe. In. Out. In. Out.
And there I feel it. The silver power humming in my chest.
Good, Theron whispers. Now let it out. Gently.
I imagine the power flowing through my hands like water.
Silver light explodes from my palms, so bright Theron stumbles back.
Too much! he laughs. But good! That's progress!
I stare at my glowing hands, amazed. I did that?
You did that. Theron's smile is proud. You're going to be magnificent, Isla. I can feel it.
That night, I collapse into bed without even changing clothes.
Every muscle hurts. My brain is full of political information I'll probably forget by morning. My hands still tingle from magic.
But I did it. I survived day one.
I'm about to close my eyes when the bond pulses.
It's been quiet all day. I almost forgot about it.
But now it's screaming.
Through the bond, I feel Kade. He's not sleeping. He's awake, pacing, agitated.
Something's wrong.
Then I feel it fear. Pure, terrible fear coming through the bond.
Not his fear. Mine.
He's feeling the fear I felt when he rejected me. When Dad disowned me. When I thought I was going to die in the mountains.
The bond is making him live through everything I survived.
Part of me is glad. He deserves to suffer.
But another part the part that still remembers loving him feels sick.
Then I feel something else through the bond.
Kade isn't alone.
There are other wolves with him. Aggressive ones. And they're not from Bloodmoon Pack.
Rogues.
Bloodmoon territory is being attacked.
My first instinct is to ignore it. Let Kade handle his own problems.
But then I feel it innocent pack members dying. Children screaming. The pack is being slaughtered.
No, I whisper.
My Queen Alpha wolf growls inside me. Not our problem. They cast us out, remember?
But those children didn't. Those innocent wolves didn't.
So what are you going to do about it? You've been Queen for one day. You can barely throw a punch.
She's right. I'm not ready for this.
But those wolves are dying RIGHT NOW.
I run to my door, throw it open.
And freeze.
Lucian stands in my doorway, hand raised to knock.
His face is grim. You felt it through the bond. Bloodmoon Pack is under attack.
We have to help them, I say immediately.
No. Lucian's voice is ice. We don't. They're not our problem.
Innocent wolves are dying!
Innocent wolves die every day, Lucian says coldly. You can't save everyone, Isla. And Bloodmoon Pack cast you out. They don't deserve your help.
But
No. He steps closer. You want to be Queen? Then learn the first rule. You can't let emotions make your decisions. Not even the bond.
I stare at him, horror and fury warring inside me.
Through the bond, I feel more wolves dying.
I won't just let them die, I whisper.
Lucian's expression doesn't change. Then you'll go alone. Because I won't risk my warriors for wolves who threw away their future Queen.
He walks away, leaving me standing in my doorway.
Through the bond, Kade's fear intensifies. He's fighting for his pack. For his people.
For Vivian.
The bond pulses one more time, and I feel something that makes my blood run cold.
Kade is losing.
And if he dies, the bond will kill me too.