Chapter 8 The Fire Within

• Dawn arrived with an icy bite, the kind that seeped deep into Celeste’s bones. She stood outside the cabin, breath curling in the crisp morning air, her muscles stiff with exhaustion. She hadn’t slept much. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Silverclaw—saw Kieran’s indifferent stare, the jeering pack members, the weight of every moment she had been made to feel small.
• Not anymore.
• Rafael stood a few feet away, his stance relaxed, but there was no mistaking the raw power beneath his stillness. “You said you want to be ready,” he said, his golden gaze piercing. “Let’s see if that’s true.”
• Celeste squared her shoulders. “What do I have to do?”
• Rafael didn’t answer. Instead, he lunged.
• The attack was swift, brutal. Before she could react, she was on the ground, breath knocked from her lungs. Pain radiated through her back as she gasped, stunned by the sudden impact.
• “Too slow,” Rafael muttered, stepping back. “Get up.”
• Celeste gritted her teeth and pushed herself onto her feet.
• Rowan, watching from the side, frowned. “You didn’t even let her prepare.”
• “Neither will the ones who come for her,” Rafael said coolly.
• Celeste wiped dirt from her palms. He was right. If Kieran came, if Silverclaw came—she wouldn’t get the luxury of readiness.
• She nodded. “Again.”
• Rafael smirked. “That’s more like it.”
• This time, when he moved, she braced.
• Celeste barely had a second to react before Rafael struck again. He moved like a phantom, all sharp precision and speed. She twisted, dodging the first hit, but his second strike came faster. His arm hooked around her waist, sweeping her off her feet. She crashed onto the ground, the impact rattling through her spine.
• “Better,” Rafael said, circling her like a predator. “But not good enough.”
• Celeste sucked in a breath, pushing herself up. Every muscle in her body screamed, but she refused to stay down.
• “Why are you hesitating?” Rafael asked, his golden eyes narrowing.
• Celeste wiped the sweat from her brow. “I don’t know how to fight like you.”
• “Then learn.” Rafael lunged again. This time, she raised her arms in defense, blocking his first strike, but he was relentless. His palm slammed against her shoulder, sending her stumbling back.
• Rowan took a step forward, frowning. “Maybe you should go easier on—”
• “She doesn’t need easy,” Rafael snapped. His gaze never left Celeste. “She needs to stop thinking like a victim.”
• Celeste stiffened. The words hit deeper than the blows.
• A victim.
• That was what Kieran had made her. What Silverclaw had forced her to be. Every moment she had spent trying to prove herself, trying to earn scraps of approval, had been wasted on a pack that never wanted her to rise.
• Her hands curled into fists.
• Rafael smirked. “There it is.”
• He moved again, fast as lightning, but this time, Celeste reacted. She ducked, twisting to the side. Her instincts screamed—move, strike, fight. Without thinking, she swung her leg out, aiming for his ribs.
• Rafael blocked it, but a flicker of approval crossed his face. “Again.”
• Celeste braced herself. This was just the beginning.
• Celeste’s breath came in sharp gasps, her body burning from exertion, but she refused to stop. Rafael circled her like a wolf toying with its prey, his golden eyes gleaming with something unreadable—judgment, amusement, or maybe a test to see how long she would last.
• “Again,” he ordered.
• Celeste clenched her fists, ignoring the sting in her muscles. When he lunged this time, she moved faster, sidestepping his attack. But Rafael was ruthless. He pivoted, sweeping her legs out from under her, and she crashed onto the frozen ground. The impact rattled through her bones, knocking the air from her lungs.
• She wanted to stay down. Her body screamed for rest. But she couldn’t afford weakness—not anymore.
• With a deep breath, she rolled onto her knees and pushed herself up.
• “That’s what I want to see,” Rafael said, his voice edged with approval. “Pain means nothing unless you let it control you.”
• Celeste wiped the sweat from her brow, her heart hammering. “You make it sound easy.”
• Rafael scoffed. “It’s not. But you either learn, or you die.”
• Rowan, standing a few feet away, exhaled sharply. “You could at least let her breathe.”
• “She doesn’t need a break,” Rafael countered. “She needs to stop holding back.”
• Celeste swallowed hard. She wasn’t holding back—was she?
• Rafael studied her, as if reading her thoughts. “You’re still hesitating,” he said. “Why?”
• Celeste’s hands trembled at her sides. She wanted to say it was because she didn’t know how to fight like him, like a warrior who had spent years mastering his instincts. But deep down, she knew the real reason.
• For too long, she had been afraid of stepping out of line. Of being seen as a threat. Of proving them right.
• In Silverclaw, she had been trained to be obedient. To yield.
• That ended now.
• She raised her chin, meeting Rafael’s gaze. “I’m not hesitating anymore.”
• A slow, dangerous smirk curled at his lips. “Good.”
• He attacked again, faster this time, testing her resolve. Celeste braced herself, instincts flaring. She blocked his first strike, then ducked under his next. When he moved to grab her, she twisted, slamming her elbow into his ribs.
• Rafael grunted, stepping back. A flicker of approval passed through his eyes. “Better.”
• Celeste’s pulse pounded. For the first time, she felt it—not just resistance, not just survival, but the beginnings of power.
• She was done being weak.
• Rafael straightened, rolling his shoulders. “You’ll be ready when the time comes,” he said. “But you’re not there yet.”
• Celeste exhaled, nodding. She knew this was only the start.
• She glanced at Rowan, who gave her a small, knowing smile.
• “You’re already stronger than you were yesterday,” he said.
• Celeste looked toward the horizon, where the sun was beginning to rise over unfamiliar land. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she was becoming something more.