Stuck with the enemy

Derek's Story

All week, I'd been trying to figure out why Deniz came that day. The encounter left me with more questions than answers, and nothing seemed to make sense. Meanwhile, my engagement to Adeline was drawing near. It was an arrangement that had been planned for years, one I'd accepted solely to strengthen alliances. At my father's request—and hers—Adeline was moving in with us temporarily so we could get to know each other better.

Even though the marriage was nothing more than a formality for me, I agreed. It would make things easier, and it gave her a chance to familiarize herself with the pack before officially becoming part of it. She was due to arrive today, but before that, my father had sent me to the training center.

Apparently, a new team had been formed, and I hadn't been informed. Part of me was annoyed by the lack of communication—especially at Paul, who clearly knew about it from the beginning. But on the other hand, my father was not only my parent but also my Alpha, and his decisions weren't something I could challenge.

When I arrived at the training center, I parked the car in the courtyard and was greeted by one of the trainers. From his expression, it was clear that no one had expected my visit.

"Alpha," he said, inclining his head respectfully.

"Who are the new recruits?" I asked, skipping any small talk.

"They're in the arena right now. You can observe them from the tower if you'd like," he suggested, motioning toward the observation deck.

I followed him to the tower, where the view of the arena was exceptional. From up here, I could see everything—the sparring mats, the equipment, and the recruits. They were in the middle of drills, moving in synchronized motions that spoke of potential, if not yet mastery.

"Who are they?" I asked, scanning the group.

"I don't know all their names yet, Alpha," the trainer admitted. "It's their first official day of training. But they're promising. I saw them in the team trial earlier, and they performed surprisingly well."

There were fifteen of them in total, all lined up in the arena. Most had their backs to me, but there were three figures in particular that felt oddly familiar.

I stayed silent as I watched the sparring matches begin. Jonah and Elias were the first pair called to the mat. Jonah was quick, but Elias was more experienced, and it showed in his movements. His victory was no surprise; he was one of our best.

Then, I saw Clara step into the ring, her usual confidence radiating as she squared off against her opponent. When I saw who she was up against, my heart stopped.

"Deniz Brown," Paul's voice echoed from below, confirming what my eyes already told me.

Deniz?

What was she doing here?

I felt David stir in the back of my mind.

"Why is she here?" I asked him, though I knew he had no more answers than I did.

The match began, and I watched as Clara immediately landed two hits on Deniz—one on her arm and another on her abdomen. Every instinct in me screamed to intervene, to stop the fight. Another part of me wanted to lash out at Clara for daring to touch her.

But before I could act, Deniz did.

With a level of skill that stunned everyone in the room, she took control of the fight. Her movements were precise, calculated—too good for someone who'd just started training. In a matter of moments, Clara was on the ground, pinned without any further contact.