Page 73 of A Trial of Fate

I will not break. I will be strong. I will not break. I will be strong. I will not break. I will be strong.I told myself this repeatedly until I believed the words I was saying. That night, I stayed in the woods, alone with my thoughts until I eventually watched the sun peek along the horizon, bringing forth the hope of a new day.

Chapter Seventeen

Dawn danced along the treetops, urging me to rise from the floor and embrace what was to come. I pushed myself up and brushed the dirt off my clothes. Latte expected me to report to her this morning, and I knew better than to disobey her orders. I was filthy, exhausted, and confused, but there was no way I was going to go back home last night. I didn’t want to see or speak to anyone about what happened. I still wasn’t ready to even think about it.

Betrayal.That was what hurt me the most.

I’d uncovered Gilen’s intentions for wanting to claim me, but it still didn’t lessen the pain. Physical torture, yeah, sure, bring it on. But this—this was different.

My heart ached. I thought I was in love with Gilen. Gods above, I thought he could have been mymate. I cursed myself for not being able to detect his true intentions sooner. I was warned time and time again not to pursue these feelings. I was just too naive to see the truth behind Gilen’s actions until he was seconds away from claiming me.

A part of me was relieved to learn the truth, even though it hurt like hell to discover it. I was a stupid, idiotic, foolish sack of potatoes.

Yes, potatoes.

I knew Latte would lose her mind if she saw me in this state, and a scolding was not something I was particular in the mood for today. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and got a strong whiff of what I smelled like.

“Gods above… I need a bath.”

I didn’t have the overwhelming desire to jump in the cold river, though. Sure, any other day this would have been a fine option, but I wanted to soak in a deep, hot bath. And lucky for me, I knew exactly where to find one.

In the training grounds of the alpha’s estate near the river, there were recovery areas that would cater perfectly to my needs.There was a large bathhouse that gathered fresh water from the nearby streams, which allowed for a luxurious soak in a tub and hot steams to refresh your spirits.

Traveling silently through the early hours of the morning, I was able to reach the estate without running into anyone along the way. I ducked around toward the riverside and waited to see if the coast was clear of any early risers. Satisfied that no one else was here, I got to work prepping the bathhouse, starting a fire to heat river rocks with the hopes of fitting in a quick steam while my bath water heated up. A good steam would help wash away any trace of scent from last night.

I cringed and froze for a moment, my mind flashing back to the memories of Gilen.

No, Sky,I told myself.Screw Gilen.

I wasn’t meant to be caged or used as a breeding tool to help secure an alpha’s rule. My magic was special. I knew that, but I also deserved more than this. If I never found my mate, at the very least, I deserved to be respected and loved for who I was and not just because of my abilities.

I opened the rickety wooden door of the bathhouse and quickly slipped inside. The slitted bottom floor allowed for water to drain back into the river, while the fortified ceiling above trapped hot air for the sauna. I pulled down on the lever in the corner to begin filling the enormous tub that could easily house more than three people and went outside to start working on stoking the fire.

The hearth of the bathhouse burned outside in a submerged pit that allowed air in to fuel the flames but kept it contained so it wouldn’t burn everything down. I tended the fire with logs from the nearby stack, and while I waited, I decided to split a few more. It would take the rocks a minute to heat up enough before I could move them toward the sauna opening.

I picked up the axe and began to split firewood and kindling for the next group to use the facility. Keeping my hands busy also helped keep my mind occupied. I was so focused on preparing everything that I almost missed hearing the commotion in the training yard.

“Who is training this early in the morning?” I wondered aloud.

Curiosity, of course, got the best of me. I checked on my fire and bath water, making sure they were where I needed them, and scurried off in the direction of the sound. Crouching down in the tree line, so I didn’t disturb anything, I saw them…him. My heart beganto race as a warmth in my core simmered, transforming into a flush of heat. I hadn’t seen him since he left me alone on the green sand beach, and—curse the gods—I missed him.

Daxton and Castor were sparring against each other in the open field of the training area. I could see the same patterns and movements repeating over and over again, realizing they were working through a training exercise. Daxton seemed to have the upper hand against his brother, besting him at each go-around they attempted. The movements were fluid and unbroken; Daxton was so fast and light on his feet that it almost seemed like he was dancing. Castor moved with a similar grace, but it still fell short of matching Daxton’s finesse.

A solid thud sounded as Daxton’s fist collided with Castor’s jaw. He stumbled back and cursed loudly. “Fuck, Dax! We have been at this for hours!” Castor roared as he wiped the blood from a cut on his lip.

“And you still haven’t managed to counter the final attack. Your weeks away have lowered your guard, and you have been slacking on training.” Daxton rolled his broad shoulders and reached down to pull his shirt over his head. “Again.”

I inhaled a sharp breath at the sight of Daxton shirtless on the training field.

“Why amIlanding on the opposing side of your lovely mood today?” Castor asked, following his brother’s lead and removing his sweat-soaked shirt, but Daxton didn’t move or even acknowledge his question.

Castor was leaner than Daxton, and on his inner forearms, I could make out the designs of two unique tattoos that decorated his skin. They were moving so damn fast though I wasn’t able to get a good look at what they were.

From this distance, I could see evidence of deep scar marks that ran along Daxton’s exposed torso. Twin jagged cuts spanned over his firm chest muscles, with one long line that began at the deep V of his abdomen and curled around his back toward his ribs. This male held the scars of a battle-hardened warrior, and I couldn’t turn my eyes away from him.

For a second, as he pivoted toward me, I noticed a tattoo marking his left shoulder, expanding across his left chest and down his arm.That was definitely new. I didn’t remember it being there the night I healed him. The black markings were bold and fierce, creating a pattern that centered around a scar on his left chest—my scar.

Daxton dodged Castor’s kick and dropped his guard, opening his right side for attack. I assumed he did this on purpose because after watching them repeat these eight movements in a continuous loop, I was beginning to catch onto the pattern. He was trying to see if Castor would see it, too, and he did.

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