The air in the training grounds was cold enough to sting my lungs, but that was exactly what I needed.
Every strike that landed against the wooden post sent a sharp jolt through my arms–the kind that forced my mind to focus on something other than the
chaos waiting outside these walls.
I was supposed to be preparing for a fight to the death.
I needed the world to shut up for a moment.
I inhaled deeply and reset my stance–then froze.
A familiar scent drifted in from behind me.
Steady and strong.
I turned, half expecting my mind to be playing tricks on me.
Cole stood there.
Not bandaged and leaning on a damn wall like he had been earlier.
He was standing tall, shoulders squared… breathing easy.
For a second, I just stared at him.
He lifted the hem of his shirt without a word.
Where the stab wound should have been–where the medics said healing
would take at least a few more days–there was nothing. Just a faint scar
that looked like he had healed weeks ago.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.
“You’re healed.”
1/8
Cole nodded slowly. “Completely.”
+25 Points?
I stepped closer, scanning the spot again even though I already knew what I
was seeing.
“How?”
Cole let his shirt fall back into place, and something like quiet wonder moved
across his features.
小
“It’s one of the perks of having a Luna who’s gifted,” he said, a small smile tugging at his mouth.
A slow smirk pulled at mine in
response
Of course… Faye. I remembered she had mentioned going to see Cole earlier.
Even when she didn’t understand her power, couldn’t control it, and couldn’t
even feel her wolf… she was doing great
Cole shook his head, almost laughing under his breath. “You told me she had
gifts, but I didn’t think I’d witness it firsthand like this. She… Alexander, she
healed me just by being near me.”
I felt a warmth in my chest I hadn’t expected–pride, relief, maybe more.
“Welcome back, brother,” I said simply.
Then I turned away and resumed training. The smirk lingered on my face
longer than it should have.
Cole didn’t leave immediately. I could feel his eyes on my back, heavy with
thoughts he wasn’t saying.
It was only when I drove my fist into the post again that he finally spoke.
“Are you really serious about this Ring of Fire thing?”
I didn’t turn around. “Yes.”
+25 Points
Silence stretched, thick with the things he wanted to argue but knew better than to push.
“I don’t like it,” Cole said quietly. “Not the terms. Not the rules–or the lack of them. Marcus is-”
“Desperate, manipulative, and unhinged” I finished for him. “I know.”
“And that’s exactly why this fight plays into his strengths,” Cole said.
“I know that too.”
I would never expect Cole to like the idea. Even Faye… she had given me her support earlier, but I could see it in her eyes. If she could stop me from doing this, she would.
I swallowed hard, the truth settling heavy in my chest.
“I know,” I murmured.
She would stop me if I let her… but I couldn’t.
I landed another blow, harder this time–splinters cracking beneath my knuckles.
“I would rather die fighting,” I said, voice steady, “than watch Marcus take what’s mine while I’m still breathing.”
Cole exhaled slowly, like he’d been holding that breath since last night.
“I figured,” he said. “I don’t like it. But I understand.”
He didn’t say anything else. He didn’t need to.
He supported me even if it terrified him
ALEXANDER
111
O
<
FAYE
I pushed open the door to our chambers, feeling the day’s weight still clinging to me like dust, and the first thing I saw was Alexander on the couch. He was half–reclined, laptop balanced on his thighs, eyes narrowed in concentration. The glow of the screen reflected against his cheekbones, highlighting that furrow he got whenever he was buried too deep in work.
“Hey,” I murmured.
He looked up instantly.
The crease between his brows softened, his whole expression warming as he leaned slightly toward me. I kissed his cheek, and he hummed a soft response–barely a sound, more like a quiet acknowledgment that he’d missed me, even if he wasn’t going to say it out loud right now. Then, just as quickly, his attention returned to the laptop.
I walked toward the closet, letting my heels slip off with little thuds along the way. My shirt was tucked neatly into my skirt, but it felt like a straightjacket after the day I’d had, so I tugged it free with a relieved sigh. I took a few breaths–just long enough to ground myself–then padded back out and sank beside Alexander on the couch, and he shifted automatically to make space. “How was your day?” he asked, eyes still scanning something on the screen.
“Fine,” I said. “Irene came by and tried to get me fired.”
That got his attention. His mouth quirked up in that half–smirk he couldn’t hide when he was amused. “Did it work?”
“It didn’t.”
He clicked his tongue in mock disappointment and shook his head. “She can do much better.”
I nudged him, scandalized. “You actually like the idea of me getting fired?”
He spared me one glance–quick, boyish, and full of trouble–before bursting into a quiet laugh.
I rolled my eyes dramatically and leaned over his shoulder, partly to annoy him and partly because I really did want to see what he was working on. His scent hit me–and the combination relaxed me before I even realized it.
I wasn’t sure when sleep began tugging at me. One moment I was reading an email draft over his shoulder; the next, the words blurred. I blinked a couple of times, tried to straighten my posture, but my body wasn’t having it. I gave up and let my head drop onto his shoulder.
111
3/9
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
