Chapter 5 Tension at Training

The scent of eggs, spice, and something sweet floated through the air before Aurora even stepped into the dining area. The long table by the open windows was already half full a few pack members grabbing breakfast before training, the atmosphere quiet but familiar.

Aurora had just made her way down the stairs when Irene waved her over.

Elias stepped in, drying his hands on a towel. His greying hair was slicked back neatly, apron still tied around his waist.

"Good morning, girls," he said, voice as calm and solid as always.

"Morning, Elias," they all chorused.

"I've set out fruit and honey if anyone wants," he said, gesturing to the smaller counter.

Then his eyes settled on Aurora.

"You slept well?"

Aurora nodded. "Yes. Thank you."

"I'm glad." He gave a short nod, eyes kind. "You seem brighter this morning."

"She's warming up to us," Irene said. "We've almost broken her."

Vivienne added, "Another week and she'll be out of her shells"

Aurora smiled into her cup.

Elias turned toward the counter again, reaching for a list he'd written earlier. "There will be stew for lunch. And if any of you are going out today, let me know by noon. I'll pack something."

"Like a picnic?" Vivienne asked, perking up.

"No," Elias said. "Like normal food for normal people"

"Enjoy the morning, girls," Elias added, heading for the back pantry.

"Thank you, Elias," Aurora said quietly.

The kitchen returned to the soft buzz of breakfast clinks and soft teasing.

"You coming out to watch training today?" Irene asked Aurora.

"Watch, yes," Aurora said. "But I'm not sure about joining."

"Don't worry," Vivienne said, stretching. "We'll bully you gently."

Aurora laughed again, letting herself feel lighter, little by little.

And for the first time since she woke in this place... she didn't feel like a guest anymore.

.....

The training grounds were alive with movement and the sharp sounds of impact fists against pads, arrows thudding into targets, feet kicking up dust. The sun sat high, warm against the earth, and the scent of pine and sweat hung in the air.

Aurora stood off to the side with Irene, watching as some of the pack sparred, joked, and pushed each other around with easy confidence.

She sipped from the water bottle Elias had packed her, her eyes scanning the group.

Jack, shirt half-buttoned and smug as ever, swaggered toward her with a playful grin. "Didn't know they let angels train with wolves."

Aurora blinked. "What?"

"Come on," he said, standing way too close. "You gotta stop looking at me like that."

"I'm not..."

"See? You're doing it again."

"Jack," Irene called flatly from beside her. "Go punch a tree or something."

he winked, then jogged off.

Aurora shook her head, exhaling a small laugh. "He's... confident."

"He's annoying," Irene muttered. "Ignore him. His hair gel probably leaks into his brain."

The moment of ease vanished when a trio appeared across the field.

Ellie, dressed in tight black training gear, strode in like she owned the ground beneath her. Fiona and Arat flanked her like loyal shadows silent and sharp-eyed.

"Well, look who decided to be dramatic today," Irene said under her breath.

Aurora followed her gaze.

Ellie walked to the archery setup, hair immaculate, expression unreadable. She picked up a silver-tipped arrow and nocked it easily. Without hesitation, she drew the bow and released.

Thud.

Dead center.

Aurora blinked. "She's... good."

"She's a showoff," Irene muttered. "And she loves an audience."

Ellie drew another arrow, shoulders calm and poised. She pulled back.

Thud.

Another bullseye.

Aurora couldn't help but watch. For all her hostility, Ellie had grace lethal, cold, powerful grace.

Then, slowly... Ellie turned.

She nocked a third arrow.

And this time... aimed it at Aurora.

The air changed instantly.

Aurora froze. Her heart slammed against her ribs as the point of the arrow locked on her chest.

Irene's voice rang out. "Ellie! What the hell are you doing?!"

The training field fell into stillness. Conversations died. Movement stopped.

All eyes turned.

Five whole minutes.

Ellie stood, arrow drawn, unblinking, unmoved aimed straight at Aurora.

Aurora couldn't breathe.

She didn't move.

Didn't blink.

Her legs wouldn't respond, her fingers numb at her sides. Her wolf stirred, warning her but even Sphere didn't know whether to fight or flee.

"I swear to the goddess, Ellie!" Irene shouted again. "Put it down!"

"Yo, Ellie!" Toby called across the field. "What the actual fuck?!"

Ellie didn't move.

Didn't speak.

Aurora's breath caught as the world seemed to narrow the string drew tighter, and the tip never wavered from her chest.

Then...

PHEEWWWW

Aurora flinched and shut her eyes.

There was a whisper of wind. A sudden silence.

Something grazed her hair just barely.

She opened her eyes slowly, heart in her throat.

Behind her, pinned perfectly to a tall post, was a dead raven the arrow lodged deep in its chest.

Blood dripped from its body in slow, quiet drops.

Aurora blinked.

Still frozen.

Ellie walked past her, eyes cold, smug a cruel smirk dancing on her lips.

Aurora's breath caught again as her gaze followed her. Ellie moved with the calmness of a goddess, pulled the arrow from the raven, then walked away like nothing had happened.

Irene rushed to Aurora's side. "That bitch is crazy."

Vivienne appeared too. "What the hell was that?!"

Aurora didn't answer.

Her hands were still shaking.

She could still feel the whisper of the arrow slicing through her hair.

She had almost died.

And Ellie had looked delighted to scare her like that.

---

Ellie stormed into the west wing lounge, the heavy oak door slamming behind her.

Her boots clicked against the marble floor with purpose, blood still faintly staining the silver-tipped arrow clenched in her hand. She didn't wait for Fiona and Arat she knew they'd follow like they always did.

The second she stopped, she whipped the arrow down onto the table with a sharp clatter.

"Did you see their faces?" Fiona breathed, walking in behind her, eyes wide with glee. "Everyone went dead silent."

"Jack looked like he was going to throw up," Arat added with a grin. "Even Irene screamed."

Ellie didn't smile.

She stood by the window, arms crossed, her jaw locked tight as she stared down at the edge of the training field below.

Aurora was still standing there too still. Like she didn't know how to move after what just happened.

Ellie's gaze narrowed.

"She just stood there," she said finally, her voice cool. "Pathetic."

"She probably thought you were going to kill her," Arat said, hopping up onto the armrest of a chair.

Ellie shrugged. "I wanted to see what she'd do. Turns out... nothing."

"She didn't even flinch," Fiona said, brows raising. "That's weird, right?"

"It's stupid," Ellie corrected. "She doesn't belong here. And now she's walking around like she matters."

Arat tilted her head. "Maybe people just feel bad for her?"

Ellie turned sharply. "Or maybe she's manipulating them.

That made both Fiona and Arat pause.

Ellie's expression shifted not panic, but something sharp.

Tight.

She walked over to the table and sat down slowly, dragging her fingertip over the bloodied arrow.

"She's not pack," she said quietly. "She doesn't know our laws, our history, our bond. She doesn't even remember her name"

"She's soft," Ellie said. "Too soft for this place. She can't hunt. She can't fight. She's pathetic "

"So... you're going to scare her off?" Fiona asked.

Ellie finally smiled.

"No," she said softly. "I'm going to remind everyone that she doesn't belong here."

She lifted the arrow again, holding it by the shaft.

"One wrong move," she added. "And I'll make sure she regrets ever stepping foot in Blackmist."

---

Aurora hesitated in front of the tall double doors before knocking lightly, balancing two thick books against her chest.

She'd read them both twice. And somehow, that hadn't been enough to distract her from the knot that had taken permanent residence in her stomach.

The door opened a second later.

"Come in," Caelum's deep voice called from inside.

She pushed the door open gently.

The office was dimly lit, like always, with thick shelves filled with books, maps, and quiet authority. Caelum stood behind his desk, dressed in his usual all-black, sorting through a file. He didn't look up immediately.

Aurora stepped in quietly, her eyes flickering around the room.

She placed the books neatly on the side of the desk. "I came to return these."

"Finished already?" he asked without looking at her.

"Yeah," she said. "They were good."

Silence. He didn't say anything else.

She glanced at the bookshelves along the wall and then, without thinking, asked, "Is this where you sleep?"

That made him look up.

Slowly.

One brow raised. "Why?"

Aurora shrugged. "Just... it feels lived in. You're always here."

Caelum stared at her for a long moment, then replied, "I don't sleep."

She blinked. "You don't sleep?"

"I rest. I close my eyes. But sleep?" he said, tilting his head slightly, "Not really."

"Is that... healthy?"

His lips twitched. "I'm not built to be healthy."

She frowned softly, her fingers brushing the corner of the desk. "Then what are you built for?"

Caelum stepped around the desk.

He walked toward her slowly, deliberately, until he stopped a few feet away not touching, just hovering in that space that made her pulse skip.

"I'm built to watch," he said quietly. "To protect. To destroy when necessary. Sleeping isn't always part of that equation."

Aurora didn't move.

Her voice came out a little lower. "That sounds... lonely."

"Lonely," he repeated. "Is for people who crave noise. I crave silence."

She didn't know what to say to that. Not immediately.

He took a step closer.

His eyes roamed over her without hiding it.

"You ask dangerous questions, Lily."

Aurora's breath caught. "I'm just curious."

"That's even more dangerous," he said, voice deepening.

Then he leaned slightly toward her, lowering his voice to something that slipped under her skin.

"Curiosity gets people tied to desks, sweetheart."

Her eyes widened, and she instinctively stepped back.

He smirked.

"You..." she started, half breathless, half amused. "Your mouth is so raw."

"Is that a complaint?" he asked, taking another step forward.

She blinked, flustered. "It's... just bold."

"I don't deal in soft words."

"I noticed."

He leaned in slightly again, voice brushing the shell of her ear. "You'll get used to it, Lily."

She swallowed. "Stop calling me that."

"Why?" he asked, brushing past her just barely as he circled her slowly. "Because it sounds too sweet coming out of my mouth?"

"Because it makes me feel like you know me," she whispered.

"I do know you," he said without hesitation, his voice low and steady behind her.

She turned around slowly, their eyes locking.

"You're flirting again," she murmured.

"I'm warning you."

She tilted her head. "You think I'm afraid?"

Caelum gave her a slow, quiet smile. "I know you're not. That's the problem."

Aurora stepped back toward the desk, her fingers brushing one of the closed books. "I should go."

She hesitated, then turned toward the door.