Chapter 4: The Alpha’s Shadow

“You didn’t tell me you knew how to fight like that.”

The voice came from behind me, smooth and lazy. I didn’t even need to look to know it was him.

Lucian.

The hairs on my arms stood on end, my body instinctively tensing. I kept walking, ignoring the way his presence filled every corner of the hallway behind the training grounds. My boots echoed against the cold stone floor, but his footsteps were silent. Still, I knew he was there. lurking like a predator who had no need to rush the kill.

“I don’t owe you an explanation,” I said, not bothering to turn around.

A pause. Then, “No, you don’t.”

I stopped. My hand rested on the metal handle of the door leading outside, but I didn’t push it open yet. The air around us thickened, like fog laced with static. I hated how he made everything feel more alive. More dangerous.

“But you walked into my territory,” he added, “and into my trials. You’re not exactly a ghost anymore, Sera.”

I slowly turned around to face him. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, black shirt clinging to his frame. The way he stared at me it was like I was a riddle he couldn’t quite solve, and he didn’t like not knowing the answer.

“I’m not trying to be a ghost,” I replied. “I just don’t want to be anyone’s pawn.”

Lucian tilted his head, eyes narrowing just a little. “Who says you are?”

“Everyone who looks at me like I don’t belong here,” I said, stepping toward him. “Including you.”

Something flickered across his face. Amusement? Annoyance? I couldn’t tell.

“You think I doubt you?” he asked, pushing off the wall and closing the space between us with slow, deliberate steps.

My throat tightened. I hated how tall he was, how every move he made seemed calculated. He was the kind of man who didn’t just command a room, he bent it to his will.

“I don’t think,” I muttered. “I know.”

Lucian stopped just in front of me, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from him. He reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

I flinched.

His hand lingered for a second too long. “You’re wrong,” he said softly. “I don’t doubt you. I just want to see how far you’ll go.”

The words sent a chill down my spine.

“You’re testing me.”

He smiled then, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Everyone here is being tested.”

“Except you.”

His smile faded.

I didn’t know why I said it. Maybe it was the adrenaline still pumping through my veins from the fight. Maybe it was because I was tired of feeling like prey.

“You watch us like you’re above all this,” I added. “But you haven’t lifted a finger.”

“You want me to fight you?” His voice dropped, like it was a dare.

“No,” I snapped. “I want you to stop watching me like I’m yours to claim.”

The air crackled.

“I didn’t say you were mine,” he said.

“You don’t have to.”

Silence stretched between us.

Then, Lucian took a step back. His gaze was unreadable again, his face hardening into that expressionless mask I was starting to recognize.

“You’ve got fire,” he said, almost to himself. “It’s going to get you killed.”

I moved past him, pushing the door open. “Or it’s going to burn through every wall in my way.”

And I left.

Outside, the cold night bit into my skin, but I welcomed it. It grounded me, reminded me I was still in control. Sort of.

I didn’t expect to find Mara waiting near the edge of the woods.

“You pissed him off,” she said without looking at me.

“Which one?”

She chuckled. “The big bad Alpha, obviously. He looked like he wanted to tear something apart when you walked out.”

I gave a small shrug, not sure how to respond. Everything with Lucian felt like a game I hadn’t agreed to play.

“You okay?” she asked, her tone shifting.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “It’s like... he sees through me. And I don’t know what he’s looking for.”

Mara turned toward me, her expression serious. “Lucian doesn’t look for things unless he thinks they matter.”

“I don’t want to matter to him.”

“Too late.”

Later that night, I lay on the thin mattress in the shared quarters. The moonlight spilled through the window, casting silver shadows on the walls. The others were asleep, soft breathing and shifting blankets the only sounds, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what Lucian said.

How far will you go?

I didn’t know the answer. But I knew this, I hadn’t come this far to be broken by an Alpha with sharp eyes and sharper instincts.

I rolled over, trying to shut him out of my head.

But his voice echoed anyway.

You’ve got fire. It’s going to get you killed.

Maybe.

But if it did, I’d make damn sure I burned bright before I went out.

The next morning, the arena felt different.

Colder. Quieter. Like it was holding its breath.

Whispers followed me the moment I stepped in.

“That’s her... the rogue who dropped Caleb.”

“She’s still here?”

“Lucian watched her all yesterday.”

I ignored them, heading straight to the board with the new matchups.

My name was there... top of the list.

Sera vs. Ronin.

Shit.

Ronin was no joke. One of Lucian’s elite. Not just muscle. He was fast, brutal, and ruthless in the ring.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I didn’t have to look to know it was Mara.

“Be careful,” she said. “Ronin doesn’t hold back.”

“I’m not asking him to.”

She squeezed my arm once, then moved away.

I stepped into the ring, every muscle tense.

Ronin was already there, stretching. He glanced at me with a small smirk.

“So, you’re the rogue,” he said. “Didn’t expect you to be this small.”

“Didn’t expect you to talk so much.”

His grin widened. “Let’s make this fun.”

The fight started fast.

Ronin came at me with a low sweep, aiming to knock me off my feet. I jumped, barely dodging, then countered with a punch that grazed his jaw. He staggered, then recovered instantly, eyes gleaming with excitement.

“You’ve got bite,” he said, circling.

I didn’t answer. My focus narrowed. Breathe. Move. Anticipate.

He lunged again, this time feinting left before slamming his elbow toward my ribs. Pain shot through me, but I used the momentum to spin and land a kick to his thigh.

The crowd roared.

But I barely heard them.

All I could hear was the blood rushing in my ears, the sound of my own breath. My body ached, my vision blurred, but I kept going.

Hit after hit. Dodge. Strike. Bleed. Grit.

Ronin wasn’t holding back.

And neither was I.

By the time it ended, we were both bruised, breathless. He had me pinned for a moment, but I twisted, elbowed his ribs, and shoved him back hard enough to break the grip.

The match ended in a draw.

The crowd was stunned.

No one expected a rogue to last more than a few minutes against him.

Lucian stood at the edge of the arena. He didn’t speak, but he didn’t need to.

His eyes met mine. And for the first time...

He nodded.

Just once.

But it felt like the whole damn world shifted under my feet.

End of Chapter 4.