Chapter 34
No matter how often Evelyne ran through the maneuvers, her footwork was still too slow; her blade work was sloppy.
Frustration clawed at her insides as she dropped the blade again during the morning training.
Maybe it was the restless sleep—or perhaps it was him.
Kaldrek had been incredibly insufferable lately, but last night?
Last night had unraveled her, confused her.
They’d all been gathered around the fire, eating whatever game the pack had hunted down and cooked over the flames.
Evelyne was getting used to the meals now, lean meat, rich with protein, strengthening her in ways she hadn’t expected.
She could feel the difference in her body, in the toned muscles and the endurance she was building.
Aside from the rain-soaked nights that left her shivering in whatever makeshift shelter Kaldrek deemed safe for the pack, she had to admit she didn’t hate it out here.
Alaric seemed to be enjoying himself, too, adapting with ridiculous ease.
He made friends faster than anyone she’d ever known; if anything, this wild life suited him.
She had just popped the last bite of food into her mouth, barely enough time to chew, when Kaldrek dropped into the open space beside her without warning.
“For a betrothed couple, you and Alaric don’t seem very intimate,” he said bluntly, tearing into his meat with lazy precision.
Evelyne nearly choked on her last bite. Of all the things he could’ve said, that was the last she expected.
She raised her brows, but forced herself to chew, to swallow. Answering him with her mouth full would be unladylike, and she refused to give him the satisfaction of flustering her.
“How exactly is my relationship with Alaric any of your business?”
Kaldrek only shrugged smugly. “Everything that happens within my pack is my business.”
Of course he’d say something so self-important. The arrogance was unbearable. But still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that his interest in this subject wasn’t just about leadership.
She should have left it at that, should have walked away and ignored him. Instead, she kept talking.
“Alaric and I… care for each other,” she admitted. “But we’re just friends. And will only ever be just friends.”
Kaldrek hummed, expectant. And damn him—she gave him more.
“There was a moment between us. Just one stupid and impulsive moment. And somehow, it ended in an engagement. I know that sounds absurd.” She paused, swallowing.
“Then I found out it was arranged. And he knew. He knew the whole time… and never said a word.” Her voice stayed even, but the hurt slipped through anyway.
“I see.” His voice had dipped lower, a shade rougher. Was that the answer he wanted to hear?
“Is this the kind of information that keeps you up at night, Alpha?” she drawled, dragging out the word to irritate him.
A muscle in his jaw ticked, and she swore the corner of his mouth lifted. “I just find it interesting that your betrothed spends half his time sneaking glances at Heidara when he already has a beautiful fiancée.”
The compliment should have made her blush, but it didn’t, because he was right. Alaric did look at Heidara. A lot. And for some reason, that realization didn’t make Evelyne jealous. It made her happy. Hopeful, even. Maybe he could move on, and she wouldn’t be holding him back.
She shrugged. “Heidara’s gorgeous. I catch myself looking at her, too.”
Kaldrek chuckled.
“Does it bother you when he looks at her?” she asked. “Do you have feelings for her?” The thought made her a little jealous.
His smile grew, and she immediately regretted asking.
“Heidara? No. She’s like a sister to me.” That was oddly comforting. Then he said, “But it would bother me if his glances upset you.”
“Why?” Evelyne didn’t see why her feelings mattered to him.
“I honestly don’t know. Especially since that attitude of yours is irritating as hell.”
She laughed. “Yeah, well, you deserve it.”
He was still smiling. She could tell his guard was down, and she wasn’t about to waste it.
“Why go north?” she asked. “You know my reasons, but I don’t know yours.”
His smile vanished, expression hardening. After a pause, he answered. “Because she has taken too many of my loved ones and continues to corrupt our lands.” He spoke softly, but with an edge. “We need to band together and get revenge, or else we will all die.”
Vaelora. Evelyne’s mind raced. Who had she taken from him? A lover? A sibling? Then she remembered their first real conversation—when she’d asked if he liked being alpha.
The words slipped out before she could stop them. “She killed your father?”
His eyes flashed with fury, the kind that burned deep and never truly faded. But she didn’t flinch; his rage wasn’t directed at her.
“And my mother,” he added quietly.
The pain hung between them, thick and unspoken. His loss, his grief, was something he carried with ruthless control. She saw it now, in the sharp line of his jaw, in the tension winding through him like a wound that had never healed.
Evelyne swallowed down the urge to press further. He didn’t want to talk about this.
Instead, she exhaled softly, reached out, and placed her hand gently atop his. “I’m sorry.”
Kaldrek dipped his head, sorrow shadowing his features. She missed his smile, the teasing, the banter, that infuriating spark in his eyes that always made her chest tighten. She had to shift the mood and bring back the part of him that made everything feel lighter.
So, she did the only thing that came to mind.
She turned slightly and gave him a slow, knowing smile. Then she let her eyes move over him—staring at his chest, pausing there, then drifting lower, all the way to his boots, before lazily making their way back up.
Kaldrek lifted a brow, and she knew she had his attention. She let the silence stretch between them, making sure he felt the heat of her stare.
“Evelyne?” His eyes darkened.
“So tell me, Kaldrek… who keeps you warm at night? Do you have a mate?” Evelyne’s voice was smooth with false confidence. Inside, she was shaking. She’d never pushed this far before.
For just a second, his body stiffened, like she’d caught him off guard. His lips parted slightly, surprise flickering across his face before something settled in his gaze. Good. He would play along—
Oh.
He leaned forward, folding his muscled forearms on the rock between them, eyes locked onto hers like a wolf sizing up prey. “Does that question keep you up at night, Lady?” His voice was pure sin, laced with something dangerous. “Wondering which one of these beautiful women shares my bed?”
She should have had a quick response ready. A laugh, a scoff, anything. But her mouth went dry, and she could only stare at him like a fool.
He grinned.
“No,” he murmured, his eyes drifting to her lips, then back up again. “You’d know if someone warmed my bed at night. The whole damn forest would hear her screaming my name while I pleasured her.”
She swallowed, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip on instinct. His eyes tracked the motion, and he let out a slow breath. He knew exactly what he was doing to her. And she hated that her body betrayed her—pulsing with want, flushed with heat. Not from anger. Not from shame. From him.
Kaldrek stood abruptly and rolled his shoulders.
“Goodnight, Evelyne.”
He winked and walked away, leaving her flushed, speechless, and burning with frustration.
***
She wondered if Kaldrek felt even a fraction as off-balance as she did during their morning training, but if he did, he didn’t show it. He was all fire and focus, and he didn’t hold back for a second.
What started as a routine session quickly shifted.
After a few warm-ups, he moved straight into takedowns, pairing her with Heidara.
Meanwhile, he demonstrated each move with Holden, and Evelyne couldn’t help but notice how Kaldrek exhaled after every slam with long, controlled breaths, like he was forcing something out of himself with each impact. Rage. Frustration. Something deeper.
Holden, to his credit, didn’t flinch. He just kept getting back up, again and again, only to be slammed into the ground with staggering force.
It was a rhythm that felt practiced, like this wasn’t the first time the alpha and beta had used each other to burn through whatever darkness weighed them down.
Kaldrek’s strength was something else entirely.
Watching him throw Holden around like he weighed nothing made it clear why the alpha mark had chosen him.
His power was unmatched. And still, Holden grinned every time he hit the dirt, brushing himself off and asking, “That’s it? ” before stepping back into position.
Heidara, thankfully, was much gentler with Evelyne, guiding her through each move with patience. But then Kaldrek switched to blade work, and everything went to hell.
He’d paired her with Nathan, whose skill with a blade left her thoroughly embarrassed in front of everyone. Nathan was following orders, sure, but Kaldrek? He was pushing her hard. Too hard. Maybe she’d crossed a line last night. Perhaps this was his version of punishment.
Whatever it was, he made sure every mistake she made rang loud and clear across the clearing.
Every misstep, every falter, called out for everyone to hear.
But she wouldn’t break. Instead, she pushed through the rest of training, ignoring the burn in her muscles and the agitation simmering beneath the surface.
When the rain came, she slipped behind her tent, soaked, sore, and far from finished. She still had something to prove, and needed to do it alone.
Rain poured in relentless sheets, drenching Evelyne to the bone and turning the ground beneath her into a slick mud pit. She barely noticed. Kaldrek had told the pack they would set out in an hour, giving her enough time to practice somewhere away from watchful eyes.