I barely stepped into my room before Audrina’s voice reached me from down the hall. She was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, staring me down with a sharp look that could cut steel.

“Why are you really here?” she asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

I took a deep breath, trying to stay neutral. “I was allowed to do the trials so the Elite trainers could see my skills. Our pack hosted them, and Warrior Hogan and Alpha Michael decided I should be here. So, here I am.” I shrugged, deflecting the weight of her question onto the shoulders of those in charge. If she had a problem with it, she’d have to take it up with them.

“It’s bold of you to use their names so casually,” she scoffed.

“They personally told me to,” I replied, meeting her gaze but keeping my tone light. My stomach churned. This was exactly the dynamic I had hoped to avoid—standing out in all the wrong ways.

“It’s still disrespectful. You should know your place in the hierarchy here. You’re not in your pack anymore. You’re not the best or the favorite, and you’d do well to get used to not being coddled quickly.”

The venom in her words was unmistakable, but I couldn’t tell if it was jealousy or authority driving her tone. I straightened my shoulders. “Yes, ma’am,” I said, careful to keep any trace of sarcasm out of my voice.

Audrina narrowed her eyes, clearly dissatisfied with my answer but unwilling to press further. Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving me feeling the tension in the air like a storm cloud. This is going to be fun, I thought dryly. She’s my direct supervisor, and she already hates me.

After a quick shower to rinse off the sweat and dirt from the day, I was just pulling on a fresh pair of sweats when a bell chimed through the compound, followed by a knock at my door. Wyatt’s voice boomed from the other side.

“Selene, let’s go! Warning bell—we don’t want to be late for dinner.”

I opened the door to see him leaning casually against the frame. “Warning bell?” I asked, confused.

“We’ve got ten minutes to clean up and get to the canteen. Trust me, you don’t want to be late,” he said, ushering me toward the hall like it was life or death.

As we hurried down the corridor, Wyatt glanced sideways at me. “How’s it going with Audrina?” he asked. “I saw her lurking outside your room earlier.”

I hesitated, unsure how much to say. “I don’t know. What’s her deal, anyway? I’ve been here for all of five minutes and haven’t done anything but run the ropes course.”

Wyatt smirked. “That’s probably it. But we can talk about it downstairs.”

By the time we reached the stairs, I could hear the hum of voices growing louder. As we turned the corner, I saw the crowd—a room full of warriors, all bigger and older than me, filling the dining area like a buzzing hive.

Lillian appeared out of nowhere, grabbing my arm and pulling me alongside her. “Come on, newbie. You’re going to love the food here. The kitchen staff is incredible—anything you want, and it’s all to die for!” She was practically drooling as she spoke, and I couldn’t help but giggle.

“What’s so funny, Midget?” Wyatt teased, coming up behind us with Nathaniel in tow.

“Lillian’s already drooling just thinking about the food. Is it really that good?” I asked, still laughing.

Nathaniel shrugged. “Basically.” A man of few words—I liked it.

When we finally reached the buffet line, it was chaos in the best way. Plates clattered, voices roared, and wolves moved with efficiency that screamed don’t get in my way. Every kind of food imaginable was spread across the counters. I piled my plate high, remembering Ethan’s warnings about my size and weight. If training was going to be as intense as everyone said, I couldn’t afford to skimp on calories.

We found seats at a long wooden table in the far corner of the room. It was old, worn, and full of grooves and stains that seemed to tell a thousand stories. I could feel the weight of history here, like this table had been the silent witness to countless meals, battles, and bonds.

As I bit into a burger that practically melted in my mouth, I couldn’t hold back a question that had been nagging at me. “So,” I started, looking between Wyatt, Nathaniel, and Lillian, “what’s the deal with Audrina? What does my baseline test have to do with her attitude toward me?”

The three of them exchanged a look before Lillian sighed and leaned forward. “Here’s the thing,” she began. “Normally, recruits do their baseline in front of the entire warrior training camp. It’s kind of like an initiation—heckling included. Almost nobody finishes the course because they have no preparation. It’s a trial by fire. When we got here, they threw us straight into the gauntlet. Out of fifty recruits, only twenty made it past the first day.”

Nathaniel chimed in. “Drina’s the only other person Warrior Hogan has personally evaluated. She was the youngest recruit at seventeen—until you.”

My stomach sank. “Great. So now she thinks I’m here to overshadow her or take her place?”

Wyatt nodded. “Probably. And then there’s the whole ‘call him by his first name’ thing. No one else gets that privilege. Combine that with the fact that he gave you a pet name? Yeah, you’re definitely on her radar.”

I groaned, pushing my plate away. “I don’t want to be the favorite, and I don’t want anyone’s place. I just want to train and keep my head down.”

Lillian smiled sympathetically. “You’ve got a long way to go, newbie, but you’ll figure it out. Just don’t let her get to you.”

As the conversation turned to lighter topics, I let myself relax for the first time all day. The buzz of the dining hall, the laughter of warriors, and the promise of a fresh start gave me hope. I had challenges ahead, sure, but I was ready to face them.

Even if that meant dodging a very angry Audrina along the way.