Chapter 47

The morning air was crisp, filled with the sound of footsteps on the training yard and the distant clang of swords from sparring warriors. It had become a routine: Althea showing up early, stretching on the edge of the field before Kaden arrived to push her limits. But today, something felt different. Althea stepped into the yard with a new energy. She was wearing leggings and a fitted training top that hugged her body comfortably, a stark contrast to the looser clothes she’d worn in the past to hide herself. Now, the material highlighted her lean, toned frame: a reflection of the hours she had poured into her recovery. The old Althea: the one who used to shrink in the face of insults and hide behind her limp,was gone. She wasn’t completely healed, but she was stronger. The progress wasn’t just physical. It was the way she carried herself now, her shoulders straighter, her voice firmer when she spoke. It was the way the pack had started looking at her: not with pity, but with respect.