Chapter 24 The Awakening

• The training grounds of the Silver Veil Pack were unlike anything I had ever known. Where the Crescent Howler Pack's training ring had been a place of humiliation—omegas forced to watch as warriors practiced their dominance—this was a sanctuary. The earth was packed firm but forgiving, surrounded by ancient oaks whose branches formed a natural canopy overhead. Sunlight filtered through the leaves in golden shafts, illuminating the space with an almost sacred light.
• Sylvia stood across from me, her feet planted wide, her posture relaxed but ready. She had changed into training leathers, her silver-streaked hair pulled back in a severe braid. Without the softness of the packhouse's firelight, she looked every inch the Alpha who had held this territory for decades.
• "Before we begin," she said, "I need to understand what you already know. What did the Crescent Howler Pack teach you about combat?"