Three Alphas, Fated To One, Played By One, But Mated To One-Chapter 76: Power
I caught the water bottle and opened it then drank slowly.
Cold water slid down my throat, cooling the heat inside my body before responding to Karl.
".... really?"
"Of course, I am trying to prevent you from collapsing."
"...Thanks."
When I lowered the bottle, I noticed Mike was still standing nearby. Watching quietly.
His expression was difficult to read.
"Why are you really doing this?" he asked suddenly.
I frowned slightly because I didn’t understand what he meant.
"Doing what?" I decided to ask directly.
"Everything. You don’t need to work so hard. As my mate, you can just stay in the pack house and worry about its daily running. Why the training and the instigation of women?"
Mike asked, looking genuinely curious.
"I just want everyone to live with dignity. That’s all." I replied before putting the empty bottle back on the bench.
Before he could say anything else, another person walked over hurriedly looking flustered.
"Alpha." He called out to Mike.
"What is it? Is the sky falling? Why do you look so flustered?" Mike asked in a reprimanding tone.
"Boris is spreading rumors."
That caught me off guard, but not entirely.
I had expected that he wouldn’t let the issue go, but it had been less than three hours and he was already on the move? That was fast.
"What rumors?" Mike asked.
The assistant looked at me warily then turned back to Mike and lowered his head.
"That the Luna is trying to take control of the pack."
Silence followed.
Even I was shocked by that rumor. Couldn’t he have thought of something else?
Such an accusation could land me in the dungeon and torture me to death.
That guy was really out to get me.
I was brought back to my senses by Karl’s undisguised laughter.
However, no one else laughed.
Mike turned to look at me and said, "You see?"
I shrugged.
I have nothing to hide and I am certainly not interested in the power within the Night claw pack.
Such a rotten place, whoever wanted it could have it.
"Let them talk."
Because rumors...Were sometimes the fastest way to spread fear.
And fear was the beginning of power.
The next morning, I woke before sunrise.
The pack house was quiet at that hour. Most people were still asleep, and the corridors felt unusually peaceful without the usual whispers and footsteps.
I have always liked it this way before because the quiet meant I was alone and no one would bully me.
It also gave me the space I need to think.
I slipped out of bed and tied my hair into a tight braid before putting on the training clothes I had prepared the night before. They were simple black pants and a fitted shirt that allowed easy movement.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror for a moment.
The woman staring back at me was still thin from years of neglect, but there was strength returning to her eyes and body.
I left the room quietly and headed toward the training grounds just like the day before.
The early morning air was cold against my skin, but the sharp chill helped wake my body fully.
By the time I reached the open field, the sky was just beginning to turn pale blue. However, it was still early and the ground was empty.
There wasn’t an audience or others training to interrupt me.
I started with stretching, loosening my stiff and aching muscles one by one.
My body still protested with every movement, reminding me that eight years of weakness couldn’t disappear overnight.
But the pain only encouraged me to work harder.
After finishing my stretches, I began running slow laps around the training ground.
After about three laps, my breathing started to get heavier but I forced my pace to remain steady.
When I finished the fifth lap, sweat was already forming on my forehead. However, I could feel my body warming up.
I walked toward the sparring area and picked up a wooden training staff.
This could avoid injuries, unlike blades that could cause damage.
I began practicing simple movements.
The wooden weapon moved clumsily in my hands at first as my body lacked the memory muscle from eight years ago. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
But slowly, the rhythm returned.
I was completely focused on my movements when I heard footsteps behind me.
But, I didn’t stop.
"Good morning, Luna."
I stopped what I was doing and turned slightly when I heard the voices.
Three women stood near the edge of the training ground.
I recognized them immediately.
One of them was Mira, the other one was Tessa, and the last was Lina.
The three of them were part of that small group of women I talked to.
"Good morning," I replied calmly.
They looked a little nervous standing there, but that was expected.
The pack had strict expectations about how mated women behaved.
Training was practically viewed as rebellion.
"Did you come to watch?" I asked softly.
I would understand if they were still afraid to train and just wanted to observe.
Tessa shook her head quickly.
"No...we cam...can we train as well?"
She asked timidly.
I looked at them for a while to make sure they weren’t joking then a smile bloomed on my face.
"Then you’re standing in the wrong place."
They all blinked in confusion as they looked at me with surprise.
"If you’re going to train," I continued, "step onto the field."
The three women exchanged uncertain glances. I could see the hesitation in their eyes.
There was also fear in them.
Fear of being judged. Fear of being isolated. And fear of angering their mates.
All things I understood very well.
However, I decided to stay quiet. I wanted to see if they would be brave enough to choose themselves.
I didn’t want to influence their choice. I wanted them to choose to get stronger for themselves. Not because I told them to.
Finally, Mira stepped forward first. Her movements were slow but determined.
The other two followed almost immediately.
