CHAPTER 3:Bloodmoon’s Reign

His words echoed in my mind like a cruel challenge. “Now, you prove to me that you’re worth keeping alive.”

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. I didn’t know what he wanted from me or how I was supposed to prove myself, but I wasn’t ready to die. Not here. Not like this.

“So, what exactly do you expect me to do?” I asked, my voice firmer than I felt.

Lucian’s eyes remained locked on me, his gaze unwavering. “You’ve survived out there longer than most humans would. I want to see what you’re truly capable of.”

“Surviving a wolf attack isn’t exactly a skill,” I said bitterly. “It’s pure luck.”

“Maybe. But you’re still breathing. That’s more than I can say for others who dared to cross into Bloodmoon territory.”

I shuddered at the implication. How many others had met their end because of him? Because of his pack? Yet here I was, being granted mercy from the very monster everyone feared.

“Rest up,” he said. “When you’ve healed enough, you’ll start training.”

“Training? For what?”

“To prove you can survive here. Under my protection or not, the pack won’t tolerate a weak human wandering around.”

I bristled at the insult but kept my mouth shut. Picking a fight with him wouldn’t end well. “And if I pass this… training?”

“Then we’ll see.” His gaze softened for a split second, but it was gone before I could be sure it even happened. “Until then, you’re under my watch.”

Under his watch. That meant being close to him, seeing more of the man everyone called a beast. The thought made my pulse quicken, though I wasn’t sure if it was from fear or something else.

The next few days were a blur of pain, restless sleep, and Lucian’s silent presence. He barely spoke, only offering gruff commands when necessary. But I couldn’t ignore the way his eyes lingered on me when he thought I wasn’t looking.

When I was finally strong enough to move around, he led me outside the cabin. The villagers’ eyes followed us, their gazes filled with suspicion and disdain.

“Why do they hate me so much?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly.

“They think you’re a threat. A human who wandered into our land and lived to tell the tale? That’s unheard of,” Lucian replied, his tone matter-of-fact.

“Then why not just kill me and end their worries?”

He paused, his expression unreadable. “Because you’re my problem now.”

Somehow, that didn’t feel like an answer.

Lucian brought me to a training area surrounded by towering trees. Wolves sparred with each other, both in human and wolf forms, their strength and skill unmatched.

“You expect me to fight them?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

“No.” His gaze locked onto mine, dark and intense. “I expect you to fight me.”

My heart plummeted. “You can’t be serious.”

“Completely.” His eyes glinted with something between amusement and challenge. “You need to learn how to defend yourself. And I’m the only one capable of teaching you without tearing you to pieces.”

The way he said it, so casually, made my skin prickle. But I wasn’t about to back down. Not when he was looking at me like I was something fragile and pathetic.

“Fine,” I shot back. “Let’s do this.”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by my defiance. But he didn’t argue. Instead, he took off his shirt, tossing it aside. I swallowed, trying to ignore the way his muscles rippled beneath his skin.

“Focus,” he ordered. “Your life depends on it.”

He moved so fast I barely had time to react. His arm swung toward me, but I ducked, my body moving on pure instinct.

“Good,” he acknowledged, circling me like a predator playing with its prey. “But not good enough.”

I barely had time to brace myself before his hand wrapped around my wrist, yanking me forward. I stumbled, but somehow managed to keep my footing.

“Try again,” he growled, releasing me. “If you can’t even dodge a simple attack, you’ll never survive here.”

Anger flared inside me, burning away the fear. I didn’t care that he was the Alpha King. I didn’t care that everyone thought he was a monster. All I cared about was proving him wrong.

I lunged at him, throwing my fist toward his chest. He dodged easily, grabbing my arm and twisting me around until my back was pressed against his chest.

“Too slow,” he murmured against my ear, his breath hot on my skin.

I trembled, but not from fear. Something about his closeness stirred something deep within me. Something I didn’t want to acknowledge.

“Again,” he commanded, releasing me with a shove.

This time, I waited, watching him, studying the way his muscles coiled and his eyes narrowed with focus.

When he moved, I was ready. I ducked, slid beneath his arm, and managed to land a weak punch against his side.

It was nothing compared to his strength, but the flash of surprise in his eyes was worth it.

“Better,” he admitted, his lips curving into something resembling approval. “But you’ll have to do a lot more than that to impress me.”

“I’m not trying to impress you,” I shot back, even though my chest tightened at the challenge in his gaze.

“Then what are you trying to do, Aria?” His voice was low, dangerous.

“Survive,” I whispered.

For a moment, we just stood there, our breaths mingling as the world around us seemed to fade away. I didn’t understand the way he looked at me, like I was something more than a problem he had to solve.

“Good,” he said, his voice rough. “Because that’s the only thing that matters here.”

But even as he spoke, I couldn’t shake the feeling that survival wasn’t the only thing tying me to him.