Chapter 9

The house is so silent, I almost believe I’m the only one here.

I wander into the grand hall, deciding against heading to bed just yet.

It’s still early, and I’m itching to have that conversation with Roman. Lost in my thoughts, I flop onto the couch.

Except, it’s not the couch I land on, but someone sitting on it.

I spring up with a high-pitched shriek, spinning around.

My hands are already ablaze as I face the person I just plopped onto.

When I recognize him, I roll my eyes and extinguish my flames.

“Nice to see you too.” Jess greets me with a smirk that screams, “I’m a cocky jerk.” I roll my eyes again and sit beside him.

“Don’t you have your own place?” My words come out more biting than I intended, but Jess just chuckles. He places a hand over his heart in a mock hurt gesture.

“I like hanging around beautiful warrior women.” I roll my eyes yet again as I sink back into the couch.

“Well, if my mate has his way, I won’t be a warrior much longer.” The hurt behind my words is hard to hide.

I can’t fathom why he can’t just accept me. Most mates, upon finding each other, seclude themselves in the bedroom for days. Overjoyed to have found love and all that.

“You need to give him some time. He…he has a good reason. But it’s tough for him to talk about it.”

This piques my interest. If there’s an issue or something he’s experienced, I can reassure him that it won’t happen to me.

“And you’re not going to spill the beans, are you?” I glance at Jess, and for a fleeting moment, I see an emotion flicker across his face. An emotion I’ve seen in Lucy when she lost her mom: sorrow.

He quickly regains his composure and flashes his playful grin again.

“I can’t. I’m rather attached to my head. It’d be a shame if I lost it.”

Despite my concern, I laugh. Jess is easy to converse with. He’s humorous and relaxed. But I sense there’s some hidden pain within him.

“You didn’t answer my question. Don’t you have a place of your own?”

“I have a wing in this house. Roman and I have been buddies since forever. When I lost my... house, he let me stay here.

“I never really felt the need to get my own place. Especially since I have an entire wing on the east side.”

I instantly feel a pang of sympathy for him and the urge to express it. With his wolf-hearing, our constant bickering will probably drive him nuts.

“That’s kind of him. I apologize in advance for the arguments.” We both burst into laughter.

“When and where do the warriors train?” Jess looks at me, doubt flickering across his face. I know I’m asking a lot of him, especially given Roman’s firm stance on me fighting.

But everyone has to train, even future queens. After a few moments of hesitation, he rises.

“Come on, let me show you.”

Excitement bubbles within me as I trail behind Jess.

We traverse the side of the house, through a door likely meant for the staff.

A vast field stretches before us, leading to the trees.

I inhale deeply, committing the scents here to memory. It smells fresh, pure.

And somewhere, I detect a hint of the ocean.

Ten minutes into the woods, I hear them.

The unmistakable grunts of men in combat.

Unable to contain my excitement, I sprint towards the source.

It’s growing dark, but that’s no issue for my wolf-vision.

At least fifty warriors are scattered across a large field. Some spar in pairs, some fight alone, and some battle in groups.

My heart swells at the sight.

Soon one of the warriors spots me, then another, then another.

Until they all halt to stare at me. I shift uncomfortably on my feet.

Suddenly they part, and a massive man strides towards me.

A scar runs from his left ear to the right side of his jaw.

His muscles are enormous, and his nose is crooked; clearly broken multiple times in the past.

Despite this, he’s a good-looking man.

“Who are you?” His voice is commanding and sharp.

If I weren’t so thrilled, I’d probably be frightened. Jess steps up beside me, hands in his pockets.

“Easy, Emilio. That’s no way to address our future queen.” Emilio remains unimpressed.

He glares at Jess, and I’m certain there’s some history between them. Emilio's gaze returns to mine. Hard, like a true warrior who has witnessed the horrors of this world.

“Can you fight, Princess?” He makes the word princess sound like an insult.

I simply nod, as a soldier would to his sergeant. A sadistic smile spreads across his face, making him appear even more menacing.

“LORENZO!” His voice echoes across the field, and once again the warriors make way.

A guy only slightly taller than me steps forward. A scar on his neck indicates he’s seen his fair share of battles too. There’s no light in his eyes, almost as if he’s emotionally dead.

“Let’s see what you got, Princess.”

I shrug off my jacket and toss it to Jess.

I swing my arms around my body to warm up, stretching my legs a few times.

I catch Emilio grinning sadistically again.

I know what he’s thinking, what they’re all thinking.

A girl like her isn’t a warrior, she isn’t strong, she can’t hold her own.

I look at Lorenzo, who’s sizing me up like I’m his next meal.

“No rules?” My voice is steady and confident.

Lorenzo nods once. Before his nod is complete, he transforms into a massive grey wolf.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s an Alpha.

He growls at me in a show of dominance, trying to make me submit to him.

I simply smile.

My witch side has always made me immune to wolf dominance.

When he realizes he can’t make me submit, he lunges forward. He’s quick but heavy.

It makes it harder for him to move swiftly after an attack.

So I dodge him and immediately spin around.

He lunges at me again, and I dodge, sliding under him.

His paw connects with my leg, and a hiss of pain escapes me.

I spin around to find him already airborne, so I summon my magic.

I conjure just enough wind to push him back without causing harm.

A few gasps echo from the warriors. Even Lorenzo seems taken aback.

I seize the moment to create a ring of fire around him, then I shift.

I leap through the wall of fire, landing on top of him.

This seems to snap him out of his surprise, but it’s too late. My teeth are already sunk into his neck.

He bucks and writhes, trying to shake me off, so I dig my teeth in deeper.

He twists his head and grabs my front paw, yanking me off.

But I don’t let go.

The scent of blood fills my nostrils as he tears the skin on my paw.

I bite down even harder, using my other front paw to claw into the skin at his side.

A loud, menacing growl reverberates across the field.

Lorenzo releases me instantly.

I recognize the growl of an Alpha. I’m in deep trouble.

I slowly release Lorenzo, and the moment I do, he retreats from me as far as he can.

I extinguish the fire still burning in a circle and turn my gaze towards the direction of Roman’s growl.

Everyone is frozen, even the distant birds have ceased their song.

Roman shifts into his human form, the moonlight and stars casting a glow on his magnificent body.

Keep your eyes up, Katelynn. Stay focused.

Roman’s eyes, now as dark as the night, are locked on Lorenzo.

The eyes of a predator.

I step in front of Lorenzo, who easily towers over me.

Roman’s gaze shifts to me, to my front paw.

I know my fur is stained with blood, but the skin has already healed.

I meet his gaze defiantly. There’s no way I’m going to let him punish Lorenzo for sparring with me.

Roman reads the challenge in my eyes and his jaws tighten.

He looks at me with a mix of anger and...concern?

If I could, I would have snorted.

He stops in front of me, never breaking eye contact.

After what feels like an eternity, he speaks.

“Home. Now.” I don’t want to shift and stand naked in front of all these warriors, so I continue walking in my wolf form, ensuring I’m always between Roman and Lorenzo.

The walk back to the house is silent, and I can smell Roman’s anger in the air.

Jess is nowhere to be found, likely fled to save his own skin.

When we enter the house, he remains silent.

I still don’t shift, and since the mating isn’t complete nor is the pack ritual, we can’t communicate telepathically.

I head upstairs, Roman trailing behind me.

He moves so quietly that even my wolf hearing struggles to pick up his steps.

I’m honestly a bit worn out, not in the mood for a confrontation.

When we reach the bedroom, I leap onto the bed, still in wolf form.

Roman’s gaze follows me, but I don’t meet his eyes.

I lay my head down and close my eyes.

A few minutes later, I feel Roman’s hand on me, exploring my body.

I almost purr as his hands stroke my fur. His touch is gentle and slow.

Soon, I’m drifting off to sleep.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again.” I’m not sure if he actually said those words or if I dreamed them. But I know that this is going to be the toughest fight I’ve ever faced.