Chapter 22

The pack had just finished training, and I was worn out, but there was no mistaking the challenge in her voice. The way she stood there, with her arms crossed and a smug look on her face, told me this wasn’t just about a simple sparring match. She wanted something more—she wanted to humiliate me in front of the entire pack.

I took a deep breath and turned to face her. “Alright,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Let’s do it.”

A murmur spread through the pack as everyone began to gather around us. I could feel their eyes on me, some curious, others skeptical. After everything that had happened, after the whole pack discovered I was wolfless—or so they thought—this was the last thing I needed. But I couldn’t back down now, not when Cassandra was practically daring me to fight her.

Cassandra stepped into the sparring circle, moving with a grace that spoke of years of training. She smiled at me, but it was more of a smirk, like she knew something I didn’t. “Don’t worry,” she sai