CIARA'S POV

The morning light painted the clearing with hazy gold when I squared off against Noah. My breath clouded in the cold dawn air. Around us, a small circle of sentinels watched, their faces a mix of curiosity and confusion. I knew what they were thinking: why was Noah, the most skilled fighter among them, wasting his time with me—the Alpha's daughter who'd never shown any real talent for combat?

I wiped sweat from my forehead and tried to steady my breathing. We'd been at this for ...