#Chapter 112 – Silver Leaf

Lila The wooden staff cracked hard against my forearm, but I didn’t flinch. Pain was better than all the sitting still I’d been doing. I exhaled through clenched teeth, adjusted my grip, and went again. The palace training yard was nearly empty—just me and a rotating schedule of guards. But today’s wasn’t a stranger. It was Kellen. Kellen had been one of the only guards who spoke to me like a person during the early days of the selection. He offered a quiet “good luck” before the trials. A tall, broad-shouldered wolf with a crooked grin and soft eyes. Friendly. Steady. The kind of male who didn’t ask questions unless you wanted him to. Today, though, I didn’t want a friend. I wanted the exhaustion that came quickly when I pushed my physical limits. Kellen’s swings were measured—controlled. He wasn’t treating me like an opponent. He was treating me like someone fragile. Or like someone he would be in trouble for hurting. That made me furious. Another swing came