Days had passed since the practice, and Lucien was different. His strength had grown, his speed unmatched. Every move he made was sharp and exact as if his body worked at its peak. The ritual's success should have been a comfort, but it wasn't.
A darkness had settled over him.
From across the training yard, I watched him spar with pack fighters. His punches were quick and harsh. His eyes held a new focus. His anger came faster now, boiling up easily. The pack felt it too. They still respected him, but now there was something else. Fear.
It showed in how they moved around him, careful and wary. Even Serena, once close to Lucien, kept her distance more than before. Tension in the pack was rising, and I felt it between us as well.
