Chapter#13

Selene’s POV

The gym buzzed with activity as I stepped inside. My nerves were already frayed after last night’s encounter in the woods. I wasn’t in the mood for surprises, but as I crossed the threshold, my eyes landed on Varian. He leaned against the stone wall with his eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made my stomach twist.

“Kaelen,” he called.

He pushed off the wall and approached, “I’m paired with you for training,” he announced as his lips curved into a smirk.

My brows furrowed as confusion mixed with dread. “No, you’re not. Liam said…”

“There was a slight misunderstanding,” Liam’s voice cut in from behind me. I turned to see him approaching, “Varian’s your partner now.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but the firmness in Liam’s gaze stopped me. “Fine,” I said, biting back my frustration. Varian was dangerous. I knew that better than anyone. Being paired with him, especially after last night, felt like a trap.

“Let’s get this over with,” I muttered, brushing past him toward the sparring mats.

The training session started tense. Varian’s sharp tongue was relentless as we moved through drills. “Are you planning to fight the beasts with that sloppy stance, or just trip over your own feet and hope they take pity on you?” he sneered. His voice dripped with sarcasm as I adjusted my form, trying to balance on the uneven mat.

“Some of us didn’t grow up with a silver spoon of power in our mouths,” I snapped.

To my surprise, he didn’t bite back. He only smirked and continued training. Despite his attitude, his guidance was precise, almost annoyingly so. He corrected my stance. His hands brushed against mine as he adjusted my posture, each touch sending a jolt through me. I couldn’t tell if it was my wolf stirring or my own nerves betraying me under his scrutiny.

A rhythmic pounding filled my ears: a heartbeat, too loud to ignore. Was it mine? His? I couldn’t tell, but it amplified the tension between us. My eyes kept drifting to Varian, taking in the way his muscles flexed and how the sweat rolled down his bare chest. How could someone so insufferable be so magnetic? My wolf clawed at the edges of my control, desperate to reveal that I was his mate. But I couldn’t let that happen.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to look away, but fate had other plans. During our next exercise, close combat practice, Varian stood in front of me. “Don’t hold back, little Kaelen,” he drawled.

“Don’t tempt me,” I shot back.

He chuckled, stepping closer, “Oh, I’d love to see you try.”

The sparring began, and he was relentless, forcing me to stay on my toes. I ducked and spun to avoid a sweeping kick, but my balance faltered on the uneven mat, and I stumbled forward. My hands instinctively reached out to steady myself. One palm landed on his sweat-drenched chest. The heat of his skin seared against mine as our eyes locked. The other palm hit something firm.

Heat rushed to my face as I realized where my hand was. Embarrassment flooded me. I yanked my hand back, avoiding his gaze.

Varian’s sharp laugh cut through the air, “Getting a little handsy, aren’t we?” he mocked, stepping closer.

My wolf’s growl echoed in my chest as I stepped back. “That was an accident,” my voice trembled.

He wasn’t done. His smirk deepened, and he kept advancing until my back hit the wall, leaving me nowhere to go. “Relax, princess Kaelen,” he said, leaning in. His voice was a low murmur that made my skin crawl with both fear and something I refused to acknowledge. “I’m not one of those desperate fools looking for a lover. But if you’re offering to satisfy some… basic physical needs, I wouldn’t say no.”

Without thinking, I shoved him hard as my palms hit his chest with enough force to make him stumble back. “Don’t ever talk to me like that again,” I hissed.

Varian raised his hands in mock surrender, “Touchy, touchy. Fine. Whatever you say.”

I turned away. My heart raced and my cheeks burned. Desperate to calm my wolf, I changed the subject, forcing my voice to sound casual. “What do you know about the beast battles?” I asked, focusing on the iron weights in the corner as I caught my breath.

Varian snorted, “They’re a waste of time. Teamwork is for weaklings. I work alone.”

“That’s not how it works,” I countered, “The whole point is to balance the strong and the weak, to ensure everyone survives.”

“Survival of the fittest,” he shot back, “Dragging dead weight around gets you killed.”

His words stung. Was he talking about me? The thought gnawed at me, but I pushed it aside, focusing on the task at hand.

“Ready, little Kaelen?” Varian drawled.

I tightened my grip on the wooden practice sword, “Don’t call me that,” I snapped.

He chuckled as he stepped closer, closing the distance between us until I could feel the heat radiating from his body. “Oh, I think it suits you,” he purred.

“Focus on the drill, Varian,” my voice came sharper than I intended, stepping back to create space, but the mat was too small and the gym was too crowded.

He tilted his head as he raised his practice sword, showing off the flex of his arms, “Show me what you’ve got, Kaelen… or should I say, whoever you are?”

The words hit like a blade. My heart pounded as panic surged. Before I could digest it, he lunged, forcing me to parry as the wooden swords clashed with a sharp crack. I ducked under his next strike, spinning to his side, but he was faster. His free hand caught my wrist, pulling me closer until our chests nearly touched.

“Not bad,” he whispered against my ear, “But you’re holding back, aren’t you?” His thumb brushed the inside of my wrist. “I can feel it, you know,” he continued as his lips hovered near my temple.

I yanked my wrist free, stumbling back, “Keep your distance, Varian. I won’t tell you again.” I hissed.

“Should I?” He stepped closer again, “Because it seems like you don’t wish distance from me.” His gaze dropped to my lips, lingering there for a moment too long, before flicking back to my eyes, “Tell me…what would happen if I got just a little…closer?”

My breath hitched as my sword slipped from my grip to clatter on the mat. I stood frozen, trapped by his gaze. My wolf surged, threatening to consume me. His fingers brushed the side of my neck and for a moment, I thought I might let him, might give in to the storm between us, consequences be damned.

But then a shout from across the gym snapped me back to reality. It was the commander barking orders. I jerked away. My cheeks flushed as I scrambled to pick up my sword, avoiding Varian’s gaze. “We’re done here,” I muttered.

Varian’s low chuckle followed me, “Forget it. Focus on your training.”

As the session continued. My wolf grew restless. My faint scent teased the edges of my senses. I stole a glance at Varian as he adjusted my posture again.

The day wasn’t over, and the beast battles loomed. It was a life-threatening challenge I couldn’t afford to fail. My thoughts tangled with fear and suspicion. Pieces started to fall into place. Varian’s behavior, the way he looked at me, the way he spoke, the sudden switch from Liam to him as my partner were all because he knew who I was.

There was no “misunderstanding.” It meant one thing: Varian could expose me anytime. I had to be cautious, more than ever before, because the man I’d tried to avoid since I stepped foot in this camp was now my partner, who knew my secret, and I couldn’t escape him.