18. Chapter 18
Rhys woke before dawn, Nadia’s warmth pressed against his side. Her breathing was deep and even, one hand splayed across his chest like she needed to confirm he was real.
He eased out of bed without disturbing her, pulling on clothes in the pre-dawn darkness. The familiar grind worked through his thigh, less than it had a week ago. Less than yesterday, even.
The shift attempt had changed something. Woken parts of himself he’d thought permanently dormant.
Outside, frost crunched beneath his boots as he crossed to the training yard. Empty this early, just how he preferred it. He dropped to the ground and started with pushups, feeling his muscles wake.
Twenty. Thirty. His arms shook but held.
Forty.
Two months ago, he’d have stopped at fifteen. A month ago, twenty-five would have been his limit.
He pushed to fifty before rolling to his feet. The leg supported his weight without buckling. Progress. Measurable and real.
The sun crept over the mountains as he moved through defensive drills. His body remembered patterns his mind had tried to forget. The smooth flow from block to strike, the way weight shifted to compensate for injury without compromising balance.
“You’re up early.”
Rhys turned to find Declan approaching, two steaming mugs in hand. The other warrior offered one without comment.
“Couldn’t sleep.” Rhys accepted the coffee, breathing in the bitter warmth.
“Or you’re trying to prove something.” Declan’s tone was mild, but his eyes were knowing. “Question is whether you’re proving it to yourself or to someone else.”
Rhys took a long drink instead of answering.
Across the compound, lights flickered on in windows.
Blackridge waking to another day of preparation and vigilance.
Three days now without a single Thornwood scout crossing the border.
Garrett was planning something. Rhys could feel it in the quiet the way he used to feel weather changes through skin and scar.
“She’s already yours.” Declan leaned against the training post. “Every wolf in the pack knows it. You don’t need to, ”
“I need to stand between her and the next thing coming.” He managed the words harder than he intended. “Need to be more than a tactical mind attached to a failing body.”
“You’ve never been just that.”
“Haven’t I?” Rhys’s scarred hand tightened around the mug. “What good is knowing how to fight when your body can’t follow through?”
Declan was quiet for a moment. “You know what I see when I watch you train? A wolf who’s clawing his way back from the kind of injury that would have destroyed most males.”
“It’s not strength either.”
“It’s survival.” Declan straightened. “And that matters more than you think.”
Movement caught Rhys’s attention. Nadia emerged from his quarters, wrapped in one of his shirts, her hair sleep-mussed and beautiful. She spotted them and waved, then headed toward the main lodge.
Probably looking for breakfast. Or coffee strong enough to wake her fully.
“She looks at you like you hung the moon.” Declan smirked. “You really think she cares whether you can shift?”
“She should.” Rhys watched Nadia disappear into the lodge. “Should have a mate who’s whole?”
“She has a mate who sees her. Who gives her space to heal instead of demanding she be something she’s not.” Declan clapped him on the shoulder. “That’s worth more than a perfect shift.”
He left Rhys alone with his coffee and his thoughts.
The training yard filled as morning progressed. Warriors running drills, younger wolves sparring under supervision. Rhys watched from the sidelines, cataloging weaknesses and noting improvements.
Nadia emerged from the lodge an hour later, coffee in hand and Sage beside her. They settled on a bench near the training area, talking quietly.
Rhys tried to focus on the sparring matches. Failed completely when Declan dropped onto the bench next to Nadia, saying something that made her laugh.
Not with the drowsy contentment of recent days, but with sharp awareness.
That’s mine.
It burned beneath his skin. Not the gentle hum of the past week. Something with teeth in it.
Rhys forced himself to breathe. Declan was pack. A friend. He was just talking to her.
It saw another male making his mate smile and wanted to do something about it.
Nadia looked up, her eyes finding Rhys across the yard. She smiled, warm and genuine, and the possessive fury in him eased slightly.
She knew where she belonged.
Henry joined the group on the bench, gesturing animatedly while describing something. Nadia listened with obvious interest, leaning in the way that meant she was actually engaged.
Rhys’s fists curled at his sides.
He stayed where he was. Barely.
“You’re going to crack your teeth if you keep grinding them like that.”
Jace’s voice made Rhys turn. The alpha stood beside him, arms crossed and expression knowing.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re about thirty seconds from doing something stupid.” Jace’s tone was mild. “Want to talk about it, or should I just watch you implode?”
Rhys forced his jaw to unclench. “She’s allowed to talk to other wolves.”
“She is.” Jace followed his gaze to where Nadia sat surrounded by pack members. “And you’re allowed to feel territorial about your mate. Those things aren’t mutually exclusive.”
“I won’t be that wolf.” His voice scraped. “Won’t try to control who she talks to or where she goes.”
“No one’s asking you to.” Jace stayed patient. “But pretending you don’t feel anything isn’t healthy either.”
Across the yard, Lonnie approached the bench. Young, confident, unmated. He said something to Nadia that made her duck her head, a flush creeping up her neck.
Rhys’s vision narrowed. His wolf slammed against his control hard enough to make his fingers ache.
“Rhys.” Jace’s command broke the haze. “Breathe.”
He sucked in air. Let it out slowly.
“Channel it.” Jace moved to stand in front of him, blocking his view of Nadia. “Whatever you’re feeling right now, put it somewhere useful.”
“Like where?”
“Like proving you’re still the best tactical fighter in this pack.” Jace’s smile was sharp. “Think you can take me?”
The challenge cut through Rhys’s jealous fury. He met Jace’s eyes, seeing the deliberate provocation there.
“Your leg up to it?” Jace’s mouth twitched, the closest he came to a smile. “Or should I find someone else?”
Rhys’s wolf responded to the challenge with fierce satisfaction. “I can handle it.”
“Then show me.”
They moved to the middle of the training yard. Wolves paused their own work to watch, sensing something significant about to happen.
Rhys caught Nadia’s gaze. She’d turned toward the commotion, her expression shifting from curious to concerned when she realized who was about to spar.
He held her eyes for a long moment. Letting her see what burned in him.
Then he turned his full attention to Jace.
The alpha moved first, testing Rhys’s reaction time. Rhys blocked smoothly, his body responding with muscle memory that hadn’t faded despite the long months of limited use.
They circled each other. Jace feinted left, and Rhys countered without thinking.
Jace pressed harder, and Rhys met him blow for blow. His leg held. His balance stayed true. The warrior he’d been before the ambush emerged through the cracks in the limited man he’d become.
Around them, wolves watched in silence. This wasn’t just a sparring match. It was a statement.
Rhys swept Jace’s legs, using momentum and precision instead of brute strength. The alpha went down but rolled smoothly, coming up with a grin.
“There he is.” Jace’s voice carried approval. “Wondered when you’d stop hiding.”
They clashed again, and Rhys felt his wolf sing with satisfaction. This was what he’d been built for. Not dominance displays or territorial posturing, but the clean simplicity of testing himself against an equal.
He caught Jace in a hold that would have ended the match two years ago. The alpha tapped out, breathing hard.
Silence held for a moment. Then the watching wolves erupted in approval, their voices carrying respect and recognition.
Rhys helped Jace to his feet, his leg screaming but holding. He’d done it. Proved he could still fight when it mattered.
His eyes found Nadia. She stood now, her coffee forgotten and her expression caught between pride and hunger.
The jealous fury transformed into something hotter. More focused.
She saw him. Not the broken warrior or the tactical mind. The wolf who’d just proven he was still dangerous when pushed.
“Feel better?” Jace almost smiled.
“Getting there.” Rhys couldn’t look away from Nadia.
“Then go talk to your mate before she combusts from watching you.”
Rhys crossed the yard, his limp pronounced but his spine straight. Wolves moved aside, clearing his path.
Nadia met him halfway, her hands coming up to frame his face. “You’re an idiot.”
“Probably.” His jaw was still tight.
“Your leg, ” Nadia said.
“Is fine?” He caught her wrists gently. “I’m fine.”
“You just fought the alpha because you were jealous.” Her tone was caught between exasperation and something that sounded like arousal. “That’s not fine. That’s, ”
“Necessary.” He pulled her closer, not caring who watched. “Needed you to feel me standing there.”
“I don’t need protection.” Her tone bit the air. “I need you whole and healthy, not pushing yourself past your limits because other males talk to me.”
He pressed his forehead to hers. “My wolf doesn’t care about logic right now.”
“What does your wolf care about?”
“Making sure every male in this compound knows you’re mine.” The admission came out raw. “Proving I’m worthy of what you gave me.”
Nadia went still. Her hands slid from his face to his chest, fingers curling into his shirt. “You’re already worthy.”
“Am I?” His hand found her waist. “Because watching you laugh with Declan made me want to do something stupid. Seeing Henry lean close made my wolf demand I stake a claim. And when Lonnie made you blush, ”
“You decided to fight the alpha instead of controlling me.” Her tone softened. “That’s you choosing how to handle wolf instinct without making it my problem.”