The next three weeks passed in a blur of training.
Every morning, Nora woke before dawn. Every night, she collapsed into bed with new bruises, new aches, new lessons learned. Kael pushed her harder than anyone ever had. Combat training, strategy sessions, pack politics, wolf law—he taught her everything.
And Nora absorbed it all like a sponge.
Her wolf grew stronger every day. The silver streaks in her fur became more prominent. Her eyes stayed amber even in human form now. The other Blackwood wolves treated her with respect that bordered on reverence.
It was intoxicating.
But it was also exhausting.
"Again," Kael commanded.
Nora groaned. They'd been sparring for two hours. Her muscles screamed. Her lungs burned. But she got back into position.
They circled each other in the training ring. Kael moved like water—fluid, graceful, deadly. Nora tried to match him, but he was still faster.
He struck. Nora blocked, barely. He swept her legs. She rolled and came up swinging. Her fist connected with his jaw.
Kael actually smiled. "Better."
"I hit you and all you can say is better?"
"You've hit me twelve times today," Kael said. "Last week you couldn't land a single blow. That's improvement."
He was right. Nora could feel herself getting stronger. Not just physically. Mentally too. The pain of Damien's rejection was still there, but it was distant now. Like a scar that didn't hurt anymore.
"Break time," Kael announced.
Nora collapsed onto a bench, grateful. A younger wolf rushed over with water bottles. Everyone in Blackwood Pack seemed eager to help her.
"They love you," Kael observed, watching his pack members interact with her.
"They're just being nice."
"No," Kael said seriously. "They respect you. There's a difference. Respect has to be earned. You've earned it."
Nora drank her water, thinking. "Kael, can I ask you something?"
"Always."
"Why don't you have a Luna? I mean, a real one. Your mate."
Kael's expression closed off immediately. "That's complicated."
"You said you knew what it was like to lose someone powerful and regret it," Nora pressed. "What did you mean?"
For a long moment, Kael didn't answer. Then he sighed and sat down beside her.
"Her name was Lyra," he said quietly. "She was my fated mate. We met when we were seventeen. She was perfect—strong, beautiful, kind. Everything I ever wanted."
"What happened?"
"I was young and stupid," Kael said. "Being an Alpha went to my head. I thought I was invincible. Thought I could do whatever I wanted. Lyra was from a smaller pack, not as powerful as Blackwood. My father... he wanted me to reject her and choose someone from a stronger bloodline."
Nora's heart sank. "Did you?"
"No," Kael said. "But I didn't defend her either. I let my father insult her. Let the pack treat her like she wasn't good enough. I thought I could fix it later, make it right. But Lyra was proud. She left before I could."
"Did you go after her?"
"By the time I realized what I'd lost, she'd already found a second chance mate. An Alpha from the eastern territory. He treated her like a queen from day one." Kael's voice was rough with old pain. "I went to their mating ceremony. Watched her bind herself to someone else. She looked happier than I'd ever seen her."
"I'm sorry," Nora said softly.
"Don't be," Kael said. "I deserved it. I had something precious and I took it for granted. That's why when I saw you being rejected by that fool Damien, I had to help. You reminded me of Lyra—powerful, special, and being treated like you weren't worth anything."
Nora's chest tightened. "That's why you saved me? Because I reminded you of her?"
Kael looked at her then, really looked at her. His dark eyes were intense.
"At first, maybe," he admitted. "But now..." He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered against her cheek. "Now I help you because you're Nora. Not because you're anyone else."
Nora's breath caught. The air between them felt charged, electric.
Kael's hand dropped. He stood up quickly. "We should get back to training."
"Kael—"
"Same time tomorrow," he said, already walking away. "Don't be late."
Nora watched him go, her heart pounding.
What was happening between them?
That night, Nora couldn't sleep.
She kept thinking about Kael's story. About the way he'd looked at her. About the warmth of his hand against her skin.
She also thought about Damien. How he used to make her feel safe. How he used to promise they'd be together forever.
All lies.
Her phone buzzed. Another text from Emma.
Please call me. We need to talk. It's important.
Nora sighed and dialed. Emma answered on the first ring.
"Finally!" Emma said. "I've been trying to reach you for days!"
"I've been busy," Nora said. "Training."
"Nora, you need to come home," Emma said urgently. "Things are getting weird here."
"What do you mean?"
"Damien's losing it," Emma said. "He's been challenging anyone who even mentions your name. Yesterday he almost killed Tyler for saying maybe you were better off in Blackwood."
Nora's stomach twisted. "That's not my problem anymore."
"But it is," Emma insisted. "He's talking about going to the Council. He wants to formally claim you as his mate and force you to come back."
"He can't do that. We rejected each other—"
"Unless he can prove it was done under duress or against the will of the Moon Goddess," Emma said. "Nora, he's arguing that you weren't in your right mind when you accepted. That Kael Blackwood manipulated you."
Nora sat up straight. "That's insane."
"I know! But he's serious. He's already filed the paperwork. There's going to be a Council hearing in two weeks."
Nora's mind raced. A Council hearing meant both packs would have to appear. Meant she'd have to face Damien officially. Meant she'd have to prove she chose to leave of her own free will.
"Thanks for the warning," Nora said.
"Nora... be careful," Emma said. "Damien's different now. Obsessed. Sienna left him after the confrontation at the border, and now he's convinced you're the only one who matters. It's not healthy."
After they hung up, Nora sat in the dark, thinking.
A Council hearing.
Two weeks.
She needed to be ready.
She found Kael in his office, going over pack reports.
"We have a problem," she said.
He looked up. "What kind of problem?"
"The kind where Damien's trying to drag me to the Council and claim I was manipulated into leaving Silver Moon."
Kael's expression darkened. "When?"
"Two weeks."
"Then we have two weeks to make sure you're so obviously powerful and in control that no one questions your choices," Kael said. He stood up, all business now. "No more easy training. No more breaks. If we're going to the Council, you need to be ready to prove you're a Luna wolf. Really prove it."
"How?"
Kael smiled. It wasn't a nice smile.
"You're going to learn how to fight like an Alpha."