Chapter 23. A She Involved

Athena

The training ground turned out to be exactly what I needed, even if my body was screaming in protest by the end of it.

“First rule,” Kiara had said before starting her torture in training form, “Forget everything you think you know about fighting. Your wolf won’t always be there to save you. Sometimes you need to rely on what the moon goddess gave you in human form.”

The next three hours were brutal. She taught me how to throw a proper punch without breaking my own hand, how to use my opponent’s weight against them, how to spot the telltale signs that someone was about to strike.

My muscles burned, my lungs felt like they were on fire, and I’m pretty sure I have bruises forming in places I didn’t even know could bruise.

Every time Kiara or the other ladies landed a hit during our sparring sessions, I reminded myself that this pain was different. This pain was for growth, for strength, for making sure I never felt helpless again.

“You