Chapter 3 The Rules of the Pack

I woke up to the sound of low growls echoing through the compound. My muscles ached in places I didn't know could ache, and my chest still thumped from last night. Rain dripped through cracks in the roof somewhere, or maybe it was just the memory of the chaos but I couldn't tell.

Dominic was already awake, sitting near the doorway. He didn't speak but was just watching. I tried to tell myself it was nothing, that I wasn't afraid, but I couldn't shake the way he made the air heavy, as danger and control clung to him like a second skin.

"Up," he said in a commanding way.

Rafe leaned against the wall, pretending to stretch but really watching me with a smirk. "Morning, sunshine," he said. "Ready to survive another day in hell?"

I shot him a glare. "I'd rather crawl back to my old life and beg for death," I muttered.

He chuckled, sharp and a little cruel but not mean. I realized he was trying to make me laugh, to distract me from the tension that made my chest tight and my hands shake.

Selene appeared at the edge of the hall, moving silently as always. "Eat something," she said softly. "You're going to need strength, and try not to get yourself killed before breakfast."

I grabbed the bread she handed me, barely tasting it. My mind was already buzzing with last night's fight; the attack, Dominic saving Jax and me smirking, all of it. And somewhere underneath the fear, underneath the adrenaline, I felt it: the pull, the heat, and the way Dominic's amber eyes had burned into mine, the brush of his hands that made me shiver, and the danger that made every nerve in my body come alive.

Dominic moved suddenly, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Follow me."

We walked through the compound. The walls were lined with others, some watching with curiosity and some with open suspicion. I noticed how they reacted to Dominic. The respect, fear, and loyalty were clear. I was completely outside it, completely vulnerable.

"Your training starts today," Dominic said without looking at me. "You'll learn the rules, you'll learn the pack. Fail, and you'll regret it."

I swallowed. "And what if I don't want to learn your rules?"

He stopped, amber eyes flicking to mine, sharp and dangerous. "You don't get a choice."

I flinched, more from the way he said it than the words themselves. His dominance wasn't just in his voice, it was in the way he moved, the way he held himself. I hated how much it made my stomach twist.

We entered a training hall, large and echoing. Weapons, claws, and other tools lined the walls. Dominic gestured at one of the packs around us. "You'll spar, learn control, learn observation, and don't get killed."

A man stepped forward, tall, muscular, his eyes glinting. "I'm your first partner," he said, smirking.

I gripped the wooden training sword and forced myself to focus. Dominic stayed nearby, watching silently. Every instinct told me to panic, to freeze, to run. But I couldn't, I had to fight.

The fight was brutal and chaotic. My opponent moved fast, faster than I expected. I blocked, dodged, struck. My arms burned and the sound of Dominic's voice cut through the hall with precise instructions to keep me alive.

"You're slow," he said once, voice carrying over the clash of wood on wood. "Faster and anticipate. Don't think but just react"

I bit back a groan, lunged, and barely avoided a strike that would have sent me sprawling. My heart raced and my body was also screaming. I realized that I was learning, not just about fighting, but about the pack, about control, and about danger.

Rafe laughed somewhere behind me, letting out a short whistle. "Not bad, newbie. Not bad at all."

I threw him a glare over my shoulder, not slowing down. This wasn't a game but survival.

And then a crash from the compound gates made everyone freeze. Dominic's eyes snapped to the entrance, alert and dangerous. The hairs on my neck rose.

Dominic's hand shot out, gripping my arm and pulling me close. Heat spread from his touch, fierce, claiming, and I hated how it made me shiver. My instincts screamed danger. This was bigger than training, bigger than sparring. Real teeth, real claws, real danger.

Rafe and Selene moved beside us, positioning themselves with precision. And I realized with a jolt that I wasn't just watching this unfold but I was part of it.

Jax stepped out from the shadows, grinning, flanked by his men. "Enjoying the tour?" he sneered. "Thought I should drop by."

Dominic's amber eyes fixed on him, but he didn't speak. The tension stretched, thick and heavy, making my chest squeeze. The pack around us growled low as they were ready.

My stomach twisted again, a mix of fear and something I refused to name. This wasn't just a rivalry anymore, it was war. And I was trapped in the middle.

Before I could react, a shadow lunged from the side, and Dominic intercepted with lethal precision. I barely had time to dodge, I rolled to the side, my heart beating uncomfortably and every nerve alive.

My hand brushed something sharp, a piece of debris, and the pain was unbearable. The fight was chaos, teeth and claws and wood flying, and I realized I had no choice. I had to survive, or I would die.

And as Dominic knocked another attacker aside. I knew I had stepped into a world where every move could kill me, every glance could cost me, and every heartbeat pulled me closer to him, whether I wanted it or not.

The rain-slicked courtyard was quiet now, but only for a moment. From the shadows, movement stirred again, subtle, silent, watching, and waiting.