Page 36 of My Fated Mate

In their place is a strained courtesy that leaves me feeling adrift at sea.

It is as if a storm has passed, leaving behind a wreckage of unspoken words and a yearning I can’t quite define.

Frustration gnaws at me.

Had I misinterpreted the intensity of what happened between us? Was the closeness a mere product of the heightened emotions following the battle? The thought sends a cold pang of disappointment through me.

Determined to bridge the gap, I decide to take matters into my own hands. Today, I’ll spend time with Thorne and find a way to break through the barrier that has sprung up between us.

Emerging from my room, I find the usual morning bustle in full swing.

Warriors mill about the training grounds, their laughter echoing in the crisp morning air.

But Thorne is nowhere to be seen.

A wave of disappointment flows across my chest. I could start with his warriors and then forge connections within his pack.

After all, if I am going to be spending more time with Thorne, getting to know his team wouldn't hurt.

With a determined nod, I head towards the training grounds.

There, amidst the sparring matches and grunts of exertion, I spot them—Thorne's warriors. Viktar, the burly warrior that Finn… well… befriended, is locked in a fierce but playful duel with another pack member.

A grin stretches across my face.

He seems like a good place to start.

Let’s go, Elowen!

"Good morning, Viktar!" I call out, my voice bright.

He glances up, his initial surprise morphing into a warm smile. "Elowen! Good morning to you too." He disengages from his sparring partner, wiping sweat from his brow with a forearm.

"That was quite a display," I smile, gesturing towards the sparring match. "You seem to be holding your own."

He laughs, a deep rumble that sends a pleasant shiver down my spine. "Just a bit of morning exercise. Keeps the blood flowing." He casts a playful glance at his sparring partner. "Don't worry, Gunnar here goes easy on me… most of the time."

Gunnar, a broad-shouldered warrior with a shaved head, chuckles, his booming laugh filling the air. "Easy? Maybe on a full moon, Viktar!"

The camaraderie between them is evident, a sense of brotherhood that warms me. Perhaps this pack isn’t so different from ours after all.

"So," I say, trying to bridge the conversation gap, "what's it like being part of Thorne's pack?"

Viktar's smile softens. "It's… different, to say the least. Thorne's a demanding Alpha but a fair one. He leads from the front, you know? Earns our respect instead of demanding it."

He pauses, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "There's a… closeness here, a sense of family that I haven't experienced before."

His words resonate with me.

That same sense of family was what drew me closer to my own pack.

Perhaps, I thought, that was the key to understanding Thorne's pack and, maybe, Thorne himself.

The morning unfolds in a flurry of training demonstrations and lively conversation. I learn about Viktar's journey, his reasonsfor joining Thorne's pack, and his blossoming friendship with Finn.

We share stories and laugh at each other's jokes, and by the end of it, a sense of camaraderie begins to form.

Later in the afternoon, I find myself drawn back to the training grounds. But this time, Thorne is there, barking out instructions as his warriors put themselves through grueling drills.

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