Sunlight shone brightly through the curtains, falling directly onto her soft face as she lay in bed.
She opened her eyes, and as she stared at the ceiling, everything returned, how Viola and Lysha humiliated her. She could still hear the slaps as they landed on her cheeks. And those Eonians were here…
How could she kill them? The only thing she had ever depended on was her magic, and now it was gone.
She forced herself to sit up, her body feeling sore, but the pain wasn't as intense as she had expected. She paused slightly.
She was healed?
The last one who saved her… was that Khalien?
She froze when something clicked in her mind. There was no one in the pack who cared for Nalath other than him.
Maybe she could use him…
"Don't you dare, witch!" Zaphyra growled in warning.
Radella closed her eyes, irritation flickering through her. How did she keep forgetting about that beast's existence?
Soon, she stepped into the bathroom. When she finished preparing herself, she left, her thoughts already shifting forward. She had to find a way to kill a werewolf.
She soon stopped at a field where the warriors of the pack trained.
There were many of them, surrounding a huge, round, flat hill that acted as the arena. Two muscular men stood in the middle, fighting with pure strength.
From where she stood, some warriors noticed her and gave her surprised and confused looks, but their attention quickly returned to the fight—especially to that man.
He had long brown hair reaching his shoulders, and with ease, he scooped his opponent up and threw him out of the arena. He laughed heartily, and the audience cheered.
Then the man noticed her. Immediately, he bowed with his hand on his chest.
"Luna."
When he did, the other warriors followed.
Radella looked at them with wide eyes, completely taken aback. This could be another mockery.
When she had first arrived, no one had bowed for her. But after that man did, the others followed. It wasn't hard to tell he was their leader, though she wasn't sure whether the respect shown was genuine or simply forced.
"Why are they doing that? Who is he?" Radella asked Zaphyra.
"Don't be moved yet. He is only fulfilling his promise, nothing more. His name is Eldric—the leader of the warriors."
"Luna, what brought you here?" Eldric asked.
She stepped forward and stood at the arena, still maintaining her seriousness. "What does it take for one to join your army, Eldric?"
Eldric looked at her with raised brows.
The other warriors exchanged glances, then started laughing and murmuring among themselves.
"Quiet!" Eldric shouted.
The noise died instantly.
He returned his attention to Radella. "Luna, what do you mean?"
Radella looked at him silently, her thoughts deeper than her expression. Couldn't she take the army under her control in another way?
"Don't take our warriors for fools," Zaphyra said in frustration.
"Forgive us, Luna, but that is impossible," Eldric said respectfully.
At his answer, the other men smiled, clearly satisfied with their commander's response.
"Why is that?" she asked.
"Joining the army means going to battlefields and dangerous missions. Taking you with us would add another responsibility, protecting you. That could endanger other warriors."
Radella, who had already prepared for that answer, responded without hesitation. "Then teach me how to protect myself."
This time, no one laughed.
When she had asked the first time, it sounded like she wanted something to play with and wasn't taken seriously. But now, there was intent behind her words.
"May I ask why you want to be in our army?" Eldric asked.
Radella answered inwardly, To get rid of werewolves. "To protect myself and the pack."
Hearing her answer, the other warriors started laughing again.
"Who protects who?"
"Hey, Luna, this pack was doing just fine even without your protection."
But Eldric remained silent as he watched her.
"I…" Radella said, raising her voice slightly as she looked at them. "I will make this pack stronger than it has ever been. No one will compare to it—not even the Eon pack."
Now, everyone's eyes widened.
"You dare challenge the Eons?" Eldric asked in disbelief. Weren't they in their pack? What if they heard about this?
Eldric bowed slightly. "Excuse me, Luna. I just remembered a matter I must attend to." He immediately left, and the others followed.
She had expected the Eons to be feared, but not to that level. What was the point of calling themselves warriors?
"The Alpha died messing with them," Zaphyra told her.
Radella's fists tightened. What a pity, she meant her words. She would sharpen this pack and use it to slay them.
Instead of returning to her room, she decided to take a stroll around.
She reached the market. It was busy, bustling with people selling their goods, and everything seemed peaceful.
Low-rankers didn't know their leader's face, and she didn't think it would change anything even if they did know her.
She spotted someone selling vegetables and scoffed. As far as she knew, werewolves hated vegetables.
Then she stopped at one of the booths.
"Welcome, miss. I assure you, these are the most durable weapons you will ever see. I made them myself."
She looked at the seller, who seemed less than twenty. He had brown skin and a flat cut.
Few people stopped at his stall, as most werewolves didn't use weapons, only things to play with.
She picked up a golden bow and examined it closely. It was indeed perfectly made, far better than the weapons in her clan. She tried to pull the string, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.
"Miss, you have a good eye for these things," the seller added.
Radella returned it. She didn't have money. But instead of leaving, she picked up a spear. It was perfectly crafted, its sharpness catching her attention. She wished she could have it, but for someone who hated this situation, she was still poor.
She sighed and returned it.
The seller frowned. Was that girl playing with his business?
"Khalien is near," Zaphyra hinted.
She turned her head and searched for him.
Not far away, she saw Khalien standing near a jewelry shop with a girl beside him. Noticing Nalath's scent, he turned around.
And their eyes met.
Khalien eyes widened. He turned to the girl beside him then back to Radella.
He intended to ignore her as if he hadn't seen her, only to notice her walking toward him.