Chapter#05

Selene POV

I woke in the dead of night, my body sore, aching, and stiff from the brutal training. I had been out the whole day. A soft groan escaped my lips as I slowly shifted, trying to stretch out the knots in my muscles. Every inch of me felt like it had been run through a grinder. My head throbbed, my ribs ached from where I’d been struck, and my swollen nose still had me seeing the world through a blurry haze of pain. At least the healing salves Rowan had put on my injuries were helping. My wolf’s natural regenerative abilities were working overtime too, but nothing seemed to quell the discomfort in my limbs or the nagging feeling that something just wasn’t right.

But what bothered me most wasn’t the physical pain. It was the way I felt—filthy, both inside and out. Blood, sweat, and dirt clung to my skin in a grimy layer that I could feel with every breath. The scent of iron and exhaustion lingered in my nostrils, and the thought of it made my stomach churn. I couldn’t stand it. Not for another second.

I tried to ignore the weariness, but I just couldn’t. The idea of staying trapped in this dirt-streaked, painful state for even a minute longer was unbearable. My gaze darted around the room, and I quickly realized my brothers had already turned in for the night. Rowan’s soft snoring filled the silence from his corner of the room, while Caden’s steady breathing let me know he was out cold, probably recovering from his own battle wounds.

I tiptoed out of bed, my feet barely making a sound against the wooden floor. They wouldn’t know. They never had to know.

After a few steps, I made my way into the hallway, quietly moving past the door that led to the boys’ shower room. I knew it was filthy in there—Rowan had mentioned it often enough—but I didn’t care. The only thing on my mind was finding a way to feel clean again.

The boys' showers were dark, the only light coming from the dim glow of the moon that filtered through the cracked window. I opened the door, and the smell hit me immediately—sweat, mud, blood, and something else... a sharp, metallic tang that made me recoil. I gagged, stepping back as my stomach twisted. The floor was covered in dirt, hair, and smeared patches of blood from who-knows-what-or-who.

My inner princess rose up in disgust. I was supposed to be above this filth. A cold shiver ran down my spine as I turned, disgusted. I wasn’t about to scrub myself clean in such a disgusting space.

That’s when it hit me.

Rowan had mentioned something about a hidden hot spring deep in the mountains. A place untouched by the brutal training camps, where the air was clean and the water was warm. I couldn’t shake off the idea of going to the stream. I knew I’d risk everything if I got caught but I just couldn’t stand the filth anymore.

I grabbed a clean set of clothes and slipped out into the night, careful not to disturb my brothers. The night was quiet, peaceful, almost too quiet. The weight of the camp, of everything I had been through, still weighed heavily on my shoulders, but I knew the hot spring would help me calm my nerves.

And then I found it.

Nestled deep within the trees, surrounded by moss-covered rocks and the sounds of whispering leaves, the hot spring lay beneath the moon’s silver glow. It was a peaceful sight—soothing and untouched, a small paradise hidden away from the brutal reality of the camp. The water bubbled softly, steam rising into the cool night air as the pool shimmered in the moonlight.

I let out a slow breath of relief. My aching muscles begged for it, and the sight of the steaming pool felt like salvation. Without hesitation, I shed my clothes and slid into the water. It enveloped me like a gentle hug, soothing every ache, every tight muscle. The tension that had gripped my body for days seemed to dissolve into the water, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I relaxed.

The water was perfectly warm and I closed my eyes, letting the quiet of the night settle over me. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I could breathe again.

But as I let my mind wander, a flicker of doubt crept in and fear gnawed at me. Me and my brothers were yet to discover our magical gifts—gifts that were supposed to have been passed down through our bloodline by the Moon Goddess herself.

Our grandmother was a healer—people would come from miles away to seek her out. Our father could command the very weather, bending the sky to his will. He’d always been the powerful one, the one everyone looked up to. But what about me and my brothers?

My fingers grazed the water, feeling the ripples slide over my skin. Why hadn’t our gifts come? I stared at my reflection in the still water, watching my face shift.

What if they never awaken?

The thought sent a shiver down my spine. If our powers were never going to manifest, what did that make us? Were we just…ordinary? We could fight, yes. But without our magic, what were we really? Would we ever truly be a part of the legacy that had been passed down through our bloodline, or were we destined to remain the weak link?

Her heart tightened at the thought. I clenched my fists in the water, letting out long deep breaths to calm myself down. Our magic was the identity of our bloodline. It was our legacy.

Was it because we were unworthy? Or had the Goddess simply... forgotten us?

Just as my mind began to spiral further, a familiar voice broke the ice.

“What are you doing here?”

My heart skipped a beat, and panic shot through me like lightning. I instinctively slid lower into the water. My mind screamed for me to stay calm, but all I could think about was how I’d been caught.