Chapter 7: A Surprise in Training
Liana scrubbed her arm's dark veins until they turned red and raw. They wouldn't come off, though. It wasn't dirt; they were under her skin, coming up from her wrist like tiny streams of black ink.
"What's happening to me?" she whispered, fear rising in her throat.
To hide the marks, she pulled her sleeve down. This was something she couldn't let anyone see. That is, until she knew what it meant. She'd spent all night watching the veins, afraid they would spread further, but they had stopped just below her elbow.
She woke up when she heard a loud knock.
Talia's voice said, "Liana!" "Are you awake? Elder Mira sent me to get you!"
When Liana opened the door, Talia rushed in with a bundle of clothes.
"You need to hurry," Talia said, dropping the clothes on the bed. "The Alpha ordered everyone to morning training. Even you."
"Me?" Liana blinked in surprise. "But omegas don't train with the others."
"That's what I said! But Elder Mira insisted you need to learn to protect yourself now." Talia dropped her voice. "After what happened to Rowan yesterday, they're worried about rogues."
Liana's hand went to her covered wrist, where the dark veins moved under her skin. Was there a connection?
"What are these?" she asked, looking at the clothes Talia had brought.
"Training clothes," Talia answered. "They're mine, but they should fit you."
The clothes were simple—a gray t-shirt and black pants made for moving. As Liana changed, she was careful to keep her marked arm covered.
"Liana," Talia said suddenly, her face serious. "People are talking. About you and the triplets. Be careful today."
"What do you mean?"
"Just... watch your back. Celeste has friends in the training group."
The exercise field was crowded when they arrived. Wolves of all ranks stood in rows, stretching and preparing. At the front stood Kael, tall and commanding in his job as head trainer.
Liana tried to blend in at the back, but Kael spotted her instantly.
"Liana," he called, his deep voice booming across the field. "Front row."
Every head turned to stare at her. Cheeks burning, Liana made her way forward. She could hear the whispers following her.
"What's the omega doing here?" "Think she can actually fight?" "She'll be crying in five minutes."
Kael's gray eyes scanned her as she took her place in the front row. "Have you ever trained before?"
"No," Liana admitted, hiding her marked arm behind her back. "Omegas aren't allowed."
Something flashed across his face—anger? Disappointment? She couldn't tell.
"Everyone pair up," Kael told the group. Then, to Liana: "You're with Jace."
As if waiting for his cue, Jace stepped forward with a wide grin. "Lucky me," he said with a smile.
"Basic defense today," Kael told everyone. "One person attacks, one defends. Switch after five minutes."
Jace led Liana to an open spot. "Don't worry," he said quietly. "I'll go easy on you."
"Don't," Liana answered, surprising herself with her own boldness. "I need to learn this."
Jace raised an eyebrow, looking impressed. "As you wish, little omega."
He lunged without notice, grabbing for her shoulders. Liana stumbled backward, barely staying on her feet.
"Rule one," Jace said, circling her slowly. "Always be ready."
He struck again, this time catching her arm. She twisted away, but his grip was strong.
"Rule two: use your opponent's strength against them."
For the next few minutes, Jace kept coming at her from different directions. Each time, Liana managed to slip away, but never to counter-attack. She was getting tired, her breathing heavy.
"Not bad," Jace admitted. "But you're still thinking like an omega. Defending, never attacking."
"Because I am an omega," Liana panted.
"Are you?" Jace's green eyes sparkled with challenge. "Those silver flecks in your eyes say differently."
Before she could react, he swept her legs out from under her. Liana hit the ground hard, the breath knocked from her lungs. In an instant, Jace was on top of her, pinning her arms above her head.
His face was close to hers now, his breath warm on her cheek. "Rule three: never let your guard down."
Something stirred inside Liana—not her dog, but something else. A strange energy that started where the dark veins marked her skin and spread through her body like flames.
"Fight back," a voice whispered in her mind. Not her wolf's voice. Something older, deeper.
Without thinking, Liana arched her back and twisted her hips with a power she didn't know she had. The world blurred around her. Suddenly, their positions were reversed—Jace was on his back, and she was straddling his chest, her hands holding his arms.
Jace looked up at her in shock. "How did you—"
Liana looked around. Everyone had stopped training to stare at them. Even Kael was watching, his eyes wide with surprise.
She scrambled off Jace, terrified by what she'd done. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"
"Don't apologize," Jace said, sitting up with a wince. "That was impressive."
Kael walked over, his face unreadable. "Where did you learn that move?"
"I didn't," Liana said honestly. "It just... happened."
"Do it again," Kael ordered.
"I don't think I can."
"Try," he urged.
Jace stood up, brushing dirt from his clothes. "Ready when you are, little omega."
This time when Jace lunged, Liana tried to remember what she'd done before. But the strange energy was gone. Jace easily pinned her again.
"I can't," she gasped.
Kael frowned. "Again."
They tried three more times, with the same result. Whatever had happened before, Liana couldn't make it happen again. Her marked arm throbbed painfully under Jace's grip.
"Enough," Kael finally said. "Everyone back to training."
As the others resumed their practice, Kael pulled Liana away. "What really happened there?"
"I don't know," she admitted, rubbing her arm where the veins pumped. "Something came over me. Like someone else was controlling my body."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Your wolf?"
"No." Liana shook her head. "Something... different."
For a long moment, Kael studied her face, his gray eyes looking for something. Then, suddenly, he took her hand.
"You're not what you seem, are you?" he asked softly.
The kindness in his voice surprised her. This wasn't the stern teacher or the cold Alpha-in-waiting. This was something new—a side of Kael she hadn't seen before.
"I don't know what I am anymore," she whispered.
Kael's thumb brushed over her wrist, right where the dark veins began under her jacket. She tried to pull away, but he held tight, pushing the sleeve up slightly.
His eyes widened when he saw the black lines. "How long have you had these?"
"Since yesterday. After I helped Rowan." Liana felt tears coming. "I don't know what's happening to me."
Something flashed in Kael's eyes—recognition? Fear? He quickly covered the marks again, looking around to make sure no one had seen.
"Meet me in the library after dinner," he said, his voice low and anxious. "Don't tell anyone about this. Not even my brothers."
"Why? What does it mean?"
"I'm not sure," Kael said, but his eyes told a different story. "But I've seen these marks before."
Before she could ask more questions, a commotion broke out across the field. Two wolves were fighting—really fighting, not training. One was Celeste. The other was a young beta wolf.
"You told her!" Celeste was yelling, her claws out. "You promised you wouldn't tell!"
Kael ran over to break up the fight. Liana stayed back, watching in confusion. What was Celeste so angry about?
As the crowd gathered around the fight, Liana felt a strange sensation—like someone watching her. She turned slowly and froze.
At the edge of the forest stood a tall figure in a black coat. Even from this distance, she could see his eyes—bright red, just like in her room.
The figure raised a hand, pointing directly at her. A voice repeated in her mind, cold and familiar:
"The time is coming, Little Luna. When the moon turns red, I will claim what was promised to me."
Then the figure was gone, disappearing between the trees. But where he had stood, something remained on the ground—a silver knife, its blade gleaming in the sunshine. And pinned beneath it, a scrap of paper with her name written in what looked like blood.