Draven.
It was Valmora.
Her voice thundered inside my head, reverberating like a storm against stone, and I swore the air in the study shifted, heavy with her wrath.
"I will take care of her." Rhovan snarled back immediately, his voice vibrating with sharp defiance. đłđđČđđ đđđ»đŒđ§đČđ„.đđđŠ
Before I could respond and even form the words boiling at the tip of my tongue, both of them vanished.
Rhovanâs presence, gone. Valmoraâs furious echo, gone.
I leaned back in my chair, my pulse hammering in my temples. My wolf had just cut me out. In fact, both of them had.
My teeth ground together. âWhat in the moonâs name are you hiding from me, Rhovan? And Valmora... what are you planning?â
The silence lingered, and my head felt too empty, as I fixed my eyes on the dancing firelight, and let the weight of everything settle. Pieces of a puzzle I didnât yet understand.
Two truths formed in my mind, clear and cold.
First, Meredith had to learn control. If she couldnât hold Valmora back when the time Rhovan all but admitted was inevitable, then Valmora would consume her, twist her, ruin her.
So, I had to train her, not just in combat, but in command of herself.
Second, I had to keep watch on Rhovan. He never responded to me. Not even when I asked what Valmora had tried to say before he silenced her, nor when I questioned why she hated him so much.
Instead, he had lured me into talking in circles for nearly an hour, feeding me fragments and evasions.
Valmoraâs voice, calling him a âsneaky, lying bastardâ re-echoed in my head. And she wasnât wrong.
Rhovan was powerful, arrogant, and prideful. Too often, he wanted things his way. But for all that, he wasnât Valmora. He wasnât ancient, he most definitely wasnât beyond me.
I could control him, and that was the differenceâthe safeguard.
And it was the very thing Meredith had to learn.
I drew a deep breath and let it out slowly, my fingers drumming once against the desk before I stilled them.
Yes. This would be my task now. Keep Rhovan on a leash, and make sure Meredith knew how to keep Valmora on hers.
---
~Hours Later~
The evening air hung heavy with the smell of sweat and earth. And I crossed my arms with my gaze locked on Meredith.
Dennis and Jeffery circled her slowly, each of them loose and ready, like predators stalking prey. She stood in the middle with her fists clenched, and her violet eyes alert but calm.
"Follow her rhythm," I said, my voice low but firm, meant for Dennis and Jeffery. "No sudden strikes. Allow her to block catch the flow. This is about control, not winning."
Dennis chuckled as he circled closer, clearly enjoying the exchange. But I caught the spark in my wifeâs eyes. She wasnât rattled, she was in control.
So, I stayed silent with folded arms, watching since she didnât need me to intervene.
And truth be told, it pleased me to see her stand toe-to-toe with Dennisâs endless antics. It meant she was settling into herself, but only as a fighter.
Time bled into motionâthirty minutes of dodges, strikes, blocks, and counterstrikes.
Meredithâs movements grew sharper with each exchange, but the signs were there. Her shoulders sagged slightly, her breath came harder, and her footing wavered with the smallest delay.
And that became my cue to call it a day.
"Stop." My voice cut through the clash of limbs.
Dennis and Jeffery stepped back immediately, giving her space. Then she straightened as sweat glistened along her brow, chest rising and falling as she fought to steady her breath.
I walked into the circle, my boots crunching against the dirt, and came to stand before her. Her violet eyes lifted to mine, weary but burning still.
"You did well today," I told her, my tone even, though the faintest hint of pride edged my words. "But you have a long way to go in terms of stamina."
Her shoulders dropped at the same time her lips parted.
"When war comes, your skill and speed wonât be the only things that matter," I continued with my gaze holding hers. "What will matter is your ability to last on the battlefield."

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