By the time we pulled up to school, something was in the air. A shift in energy crackled around us, making it impossible to miss. The students buzzed with excitement, conversations weaving together like a restless swarm of bees.

“What the hell is going on?” I muttered, glancing over at Kylie, who gave a shrug just as confused as I was.

It hadn’t even been an hour since training ended, and yet something huge must’ve happened. I didn’t have to wait long to find out.

Stacey, dressed in tight pink workout clothes that looked suspiciously untouched by sweat, jogged over to us. Her bright, fake smile beamed as she linked her arms with Aaron and Ryan, clinging to them like a barnacle.

“Oh. My. Goddess!” she gushed, practically vibrating with excitement. “Did you guys hear? The trials for Elite Warrior training are happening this week! Isn’t that amazing?”

The twins exchanged glances, clearly annoyed, but Stacey barreled on, oblivious. “And guess what? The Alpha King himself is supposed to come! Apparently, he’s heard all about our pack’s amazing training session.” She batted her eyelashes at Aaron, then threw in a giggly, “I can’t wait to sit next to you when our best warriors show off. It’ll be so romantic.”

I barely held back an eye-roll as Stacey leaned in and kissed Aaron’s cheek. Aaron’s whole body stiffened, his jaw ticking as if he were trying to decide between glaring at her or wiping his face off. Ryan took a step back, already sensing Stacey might try the same move on him.

Kylie leaned toward me, whispering, “When she says ‘our best warriors,’ does she mean herself? The only thing she worked out was her mouth.”

I stifled a laugh, but Aaron’s scowl deepened. “We’ll see what our parents decide. If the Alpha King is really coming, they’ll handle the details,” he said, his tone clipped.

Stacey either didn’t notice or didn’t care about Aaron’s irritation. “Oh, they’ll definitely want the future Alpha and his Luna present for everything.” She fluttered her lashes dramatically, glancing between the twins. “You know, to set an example.”

Ethan coughed, breaking the awkward silence. “The future Luna hasn’t been decided,” he pointed out flatly. “And if the Alpha King wants certain people present, I’m sure he’ll make that clear. Let’s not jump to conclusions.”

Without waiting for a response, Ethan stepped around Stacey, signaling for us to follow. She gave a little huff but didn’t dare chase after them with Kylie and me still within earshot.

Preparing for Trials and Trouble

The rest of the week blurred into a mix of intense training and growing anticipation for the Elite Warrior trials. The warriors had stayed in town, confirming the rumors. By Wednesday, the school board canceled classes altogether, knowing no one could focus with the buzz surrounding the trials and the upcoming dance on Saturday night.

Kylie and I trained as hard as ever, dragging the guys along even when they groaned about it. Stacey showed up to morning training each day, decked out in pristine workout gear, pretending to participate. Somehow, she always left looking like she hadn’t broken a sweat.

“She’s trying to impress the Elite Warriors,” Kylie muttered as we watched Stacey take selfies while sitting on a bench. “You think they’ll see through it?”

“They will,” I said, keeping my voice low. “We just have to keep our heads down and focus. If we make a good impression, we could all make it into the program next year.”

Kylie smirked. “And get away from Stacey.”

My wolf hummed in agreement, comforting me in the way only she could. We just need to survive a little longer.

Plans for the Dance

Later that day, we gathered at the diner, squeezing into our usual booth. Martha, as always, brought me extra fries and a milkshake, even though I hadn’t ordered one. Devin tried—and failed—to convince her to give him the same treatment.

“We should go to the dance together,” Leo said as he stole a fry off my plate. “No one actually brings dates because of the whole mating thing, but it’d give me an excuse to avoid Marnie. She’s been harassing me non-stop about matching outfits.”

Ethan smirked. “She’s gonna be real disappointed when you don’t show.”

Leo groaned. “She’s crazy. I swear, she’s scheduled our entire night down to the minute.”

“Jeanie tried something similar with me,” Ethan added with a rare chuckle. “Blocked her, though. Haven’t heard from her since.”

Kylie leaned in, a mischievous glint in her eye. “What about Stacey? Has she tried to rope the two of you into taking her?”

Ryan shrugged. “She did. I told her we were taking Selene.”

My heart skipped a beat. “You what?”

Ryan grinned, completely unapologetic. “Relax. It’s not a lie—we’re all going together anyway.”

“She’s going to lose her mind,” Kylie said, shaking her head. “You realize she’s going to come after Selene, right?”

Ryan just shrugged again. “She won’t try anything. Selene can handle herself.”

I bit my tongue. Ryan didn’t understand—Stacey never got her hands dirty directly. She manipulated others to do her bidding, and I’d been her favorite target for years.

Training to Release the Rage

Frustration built inside me like a slow-burning fire. After finishing at the diner, I headed straight for the gym, needing to hit something—hard. The guys, sensing my mood, followed at a distance but didn’t push me.

Once inside, I blasted my loudest rock playlist, the pounding drums and screaming guitars fueling my irritation. Grabbing a pair of wraps, I began the slow process of binding my knuckles.

I struggled with the second wrap, my off-hand making it difficult, when large hands took over, expertly finishing the job. I didn’t need to look up to know it was Ethan. He always seemed to know when I needed help but never made a big deal out of it.

With my hands wrapped, I dove into my workout, punching the heavy bag with everything I had. Each strike was a release, each kick a way to burn off the anger I couldn’t quite voice.

One by one, the guys joined in—Ryan and Aaron with hand pads, Devin holding up a resistance band to add some extra challenge. They didn’t say a word, just worked with me, letting me burn through whatever emotions I needed to exhaust.

Eventually, my arms grew heavy, and my breathing became labored. I slowed to a stop, panting as sweat dripped down my face. I leaned my forehead against Leo’s chest, feeling his warmth and steady presence. He wrapped me in a tight hug, pressing a kiss to the top of my head before letting me go.

Kylie slung an arm around my shoulders, grinning. “You sure know how to make us earn our meals, girl.”

I groaned, unwrapping my soaked hand wraps. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to keep you guys here so long.”

Devin shook his hands dramatically, pretending to wince. “You really let us have it. You’ve been holding back during regular training, haven’t you?”

I laughed, finally feeling lighter. “You deserved it.”

As we made our way to the truck, Ryan nudged my shoulder. “You know Stacey won’t try anything, right? She’s not that stupid.”

I shared a look with Kylie, my stomach twisting. If only he knew. Stacey didn’t need to try anything directly—she had others to do her dirty work.

Just as we settled into the truck, all our phones buzzed at once.

Luna Ava: Tell Selene to stop training you all to death and get to the pack house. Showered and dressed nicely in 30 minutes.

Ethan: Yes, ma’am.
Devin: What about me? Don’t you love me anymore?
Ryan: 👍
Aaron: We’re on our way.
Leo: Be there soon.

Kylie rolled her eyes. “Why do you all have to respond?”

The boys laughed. “If we don’t, Luna Ava assumes we’re ignoring her,” Aaron explained. “And trust me, you don’t want to ignore Luna Ava.”

Our phones buzzed again.

Luna Ava: GIRLS!

I smirked, typing quickly. Me: With the guys, on our way now.
Kylie followed suit: See you soon!

We were still laughing as we pulled into the pack house garage, ready for whatever the day—and Stacey—would throw at us next.