Chapter One Hundred Thirty Three
Cla
While Diana and Willow were in town choosing dresses for the Stone Claw ceremony, Talon found himself restless. He had tried staying inside the guest suite. He had tried reviewing the small reports Damon had given them about the Silver Wolf. He had even tried sitting quietly, waiting for Diana to return. None of it worked. His wolf was restless.
Fenrir paced inside him, still tense from the attack, still angry over Thorne’s poison, still unwilling to trust the Rogue Kingdom fully even if Damon was slowly becoming less unbearable.
“We need to move,” Fenrir said. Talon agreed.
So instead of sitting inside and letting his thoughts twist into anger, he left the suite and followed the sounds of training.
The Rogue Kingdom’s training grounds were larger than he expected. Warriors sparred in groups across the field, some in wolf form, others in human form with weapons. There was no laziness in their movements. No disorder. No lack of discipline.
For a kingdom made of wolves other packs had rejected, banished, or feared, the Rogue Kingdom trained like a true military force.
Talon watched silently from the edge of the grounds. He would never admit it out loud, but Damon had built something impressive.
The warriors noticed him almost immediately. One by one, movements slowed. Heads turned. Whispers spread.
“The Alpha King…”
“He’s here?”
“Is he going to train?”
Talon ignored the murmurs. His gaze moved across the field until he found Damon.
The Rogue King stood near the center of the training ground, arms crossed, watching two warriors spar. His expression was focused, his posture relaxed but alert. He looked every bit the king of his territory. Damon felt Talon before he saw him. He turned. Their gazes met across the field. For a moment, neither male moved. Then Damon said something quietly to one of his warriors before walking toward him.
“Alpha King,” Damon greeted.
“Rogue King,” Talon answered.
Damon’s mouth twitched slightly.
“You came to watch?”
“No.”
Damon raised an eyebrow. Talon stepped forward.
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Chapter Opened Thirty Three
“+came to spar.”
Char
The training ground went completely silent. Every warrior within hearing distance stopped pretending not to listen. Damon studied him for a moment.
“You want to spar with me?
“Yes.”
“Is this sparring,” Damon asked carefully, “or are you looking for an excuse to break my bones because I upset you again?”
Talon’s expression remained blank.
“That depends.”
Damon huffed out a quiet laugh.
“At least you’re honest.”
Talon rolled his shoulders once.
“I need to move.”
Damon understood that more than he expected.
He nodded.
“Fine.”
He turned toward the warriors.
“Clear the center.”
The command was immediate. Warriors moved back quickly, forming a wide circle around them. Excitement rippled through the training ground. The Alpha King of Black Howler and the Rogue King were about to spar.
To them, it was history. To Talon, it was a way to burn off tension. To Damon, it was a test.
He removed his jacket and handed it to one of the warriors. Talon did the same, rolling his sleeves up as he stepped into the center of the training ground.
“No claws?” Damon asked.
“No claws,” Talon agreed.
“No killing?”
Talon looked at him. Damon sighed.
“That pause was unnecessary.”
Talon’s lips twitched faintly.
Then they moved. Damon struck first. Fast. Much faster than most wolves Talon had fought. His fist came
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< Chapter Opermiked Thirty Thre
toward Talon’s jaw, but Talon turned just enough for it to pass by, then countered with a blow aimed at Damon’s ribs. Damon blocked it with his forearm and twisted, using Talon’s momentum to attempt a sweep. Talon jumped back.
Clain
Damon was skilled. Not just strong. Skilled. He fought with experience, with instinct, with the kind of control that came from years of surviving enemies who underestimated him. His movements were sharp and efficient, less polished than royal training but more unpredictable. Talon respected that. A little. Damon came at him again, this time with a series of quick strikes meant to test his defense. Talon blocked each one, his feet steady, his eyes tracking every motion.
To the warriors watching, it looked equal. Perfectly matched. Two kings. Two powerful wolves. Two leaders testing each other.
But Damon knew better. He felt it with every exchange. Talon was holding back. Not insulting him. Not mocking him. Just controlling himself. If Talon wanted this fight over, it would be over. Damon ducked beneath one of Talon’s strikes and landed a clean hit against his side. A murmur of surprise moved through the watching warriors. Talon barely moved.
Damon’s eyes narrowed. “You let that land.”
Talon’s expression did not change. “No.”
Damon scoffed. “Liar.”
Talon attacked then. A sudden burst of speed. Damon barely blocked the first strike, missed the second, and had to twist away from the third before it caught his shoulder. The force behind it still sent him back
two steps.
The warriors erupted in low voices. Damon smiled faintly despite the sting in his arm.
“There he is.”
Talon’s eyes sharpened. Damon came forward again. This time, they truly moved. Strike. Block. Counter. Dodge. Their feet tore into the dirt, their bodies turning with speed and force that made the younger warriors stare in awe. Damon landed another hit, this one against Talon’s shoulder. Talon answered with a strike to Damon’s stomach that knocked the breath from him, Damon stumbled back, laughing once under his breath.
“Goddess.”
Talon gave him no time to recover. He attacked again. Damon blocked, but the force sent a tremor through his arms. Inside him, Cerberus growled.
“He is stronger.”
“I know,” Damon answered.
“If he fights seriously, we lose.”
“I know that too.”
“Then why are we smiling?”
Damon dodged another strike and countered.
Clam
Chapter Opened Thirty Thren
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