Page 30 of The Alpha’s Forced Rejected Mate (Silverlight Valley Alphas #1)

Dominic blocked the attack with his forearm as the training staff cracked against his tensed muscles.

Sweat beaded around his forehead as he turned, bringing down his own staff in a sweeping arc that his opponent barely dodged.

"That was better," he growled, eyes on the young wolf. "But you're still telegraphing your moves."

The training yard buzzed as pack members paired off in combat drills. Dominic had been at this since dawn, pushing his men harder than usual. The looming threat of Xavier and his corrupted hunters demanded nothing less.

A lanky wolf named Tyler was his opponent now. The young one was soaked with sweat, as he nodded and readjusted his grip on his staff.

"Again," Dominic ordered, his eyes tracking every movement.

Three hours into training and Dominic wasn't satisfied. They needed to be sharper, faster. Xavier wouldn't show mercy when he finally tracked them down, and neither would his demon-influenced hunters. Every day without an attack only made Dominic more tense.

We're not ready.

The unwelcome thought barged into his mind as he disarmed Tyler with a quick twist of his staff. The young wolf fell onto his back with a pained gasp.

Not giving him too much time on the floor, Dominic extended a hand, pulling him back to his feet. "You're dropping your guard on your left side. It'll get you killed."

"Sorry, Alpha," Tyler wheezed, accepting his staff back.

Dominic looked at all the other twenty wolves drilling in pairs. Their skills were improving, but…

It’s not fast enough.

"Take five," he called out, setting his staff against the wooden fence. "Water break."

Let them rest.

As his wolves moved toward the water cooler, Dominic caught movement at the edge of the field. A group of children had gathered to watch.

If Xavier attacks, age won't matter.

Dominic walked toward them, his boots crunching on the gravel path.

"You," he called, pointing to the kids. "Come here."

They all paused in fear before slowly approaching their alpha. Soon, they were all looking up at him.

"Can you protect yourselves from demons?" he asked.

A small boy with sandy hair shook his head. "No, Alpha."

"Then it's time you learned." Dominic grabbed several smaller practice staffs from a nearby rack. "Line up."

The children formed an awkward line, their small hands clutching the wooden staffs shakily. Dominic showed them a basic defensive stance, his movements precise and measured.

"Like this," he said. "This stance will make you harder to knock down."

The children tried to repeat what he just did, but their forms were sloppy, arms trembling under the weight of the staffs.

He saw the fear in their eyes—they were too afraid of him to learn. His reputation preceded him, and the children looked at him like he might bite their heads off.

"Are you trying to scare the kids?"

Luna stood there, wearing a blue dress that hugged her figure in all the right places.

What a woman.

He wasn’t sure he could ever get used to seeing her like this. She looked nothing like the terrified brown-haired woman he'd hunted down weeks ago with her silver hair now falling past her shoulders in waves.

"They need to learn too," he responded, although he knew that wasn’t what she asked. "Xavier won't spare the children, and you know it."

Luna approached, her eyes locked with his. "And they will learn, but not like this." She turned to the children with a warm smile. "Are you having fun?"

The smallest girl shook her head, clutching her staff with two hands.

"Well, that won't do at all now, will it?" Luna said, taking a staff from the rack. "Learning to protect yourselves should be exciting."

She knelt down, her dress pooling around her. "Now come, kids. Can any of you tell me what a wolf's greatest strength is?"

A girl with pigtails raised her hand. "Our teeth?"

Luna smiled. "Those are important, yes. But our greatest strength is our pack. Wolves work together." She took the staff from the girl with pigtails and demonstrated a simple block. "Now, let's try something. When I swing, you all block together, okay?"

She made a slow, obvious swing, and the children raised their staffs in unison, giggling as they successfully blocked her attack.

"Perfect! Now you're a pack defending each other," Luna praised. "Let's try again, but this time, after a block, someone will need to counter. Who wants to try?"

Every hand shot up eagerly.

Wow.

Dominic watched, transfixed, as Luna transformed training into a game the children wanted to play. Their fear melted away, replaced by laughter and determination. She moved among them with natural grace, adjusting stances and offering encouragement.

Within minutes, they were executing basic blocks and strikes with more enthusiasm than skill, but they were learning.

Watching Luna teaching the children stirred something primal within him.

His wolf pushed forward, recognizing their mate in her element.

Imagine her with our pups.

Luna laughed as one of the boys successfully landed a gentle strike against her staff, and the sound washed over Dominic like a caress.

"Alpha, are we continuing?" Tyler's voice broke through his thoughts.

Dominic cleared his throat, forcing his attention back to his fighters. "Yes. Pair up and work on disarming techniques."

As his men resumed their drills, Dominic was repeatedly drawn back to Luna and the children. She had them moving in formations now, their small faces locked in concentration as they followed her instructions.

"That was excellent!" Luna clapped as they finished. "You're all natural defenders of the pack!"

The children beamed under her praise. Gone was the fear that had gripped them when Dominic first called them.

"Can we train with you again tomorrow, Mistress Luna?" the smallest girl asked, looking up with eyes even Dominic couldn’t say no to.

"Of course," Luna promised. "If your alpha agrees."

All eyes turned to Dominic, including Luna's.

"Same time tomorrow," he conceded without argument, his voice gruff.

The children cheered before running off to show their parents what they had learned. Dominic watched Luna as she placed the practice staffs back in their rack.

"The children learn fast with you," he said.

Luna straightened. "They just needed a different tact. Fear doesn't motivate children."

"I wasn't trying to frighten them."

"I know." Her expression softened. "But you can be…intense."

Dominic couldn’t stop a small smile. "So I've been told."

Their eyes locked, and he couldn’t help the thought that came without effort.

Luna glanced away. "I should go. I was planning to work with the grimoire this afternoon."

"How's that going?" he asked, reluctant to end their conversation.

"Slowly. There's so much to learn, and I feel like I'm running out of time."

"Show me," he said, feeling bad that he couldn’t help her.

Luna didn’t make a good job of hiding her shock. "You want to see me train?"

"Yes." The answer was simple. He wanted to help her, protect her, and be close to her. And watching her train would help with that.

***

In the clearing behind Dominic's cabin, they made use of a remote spot enclosed by imposing pines. Luna had been utilizing it as a private training ground, the charred patches of earth and ruptured tree trunks evidence of her practice sessions.

Standing in the middle, an open grimoire lay on a flat rock beside her. Luna had cast away her dress for something handier: black leggings and an indigo tunic that hugged her ample curves. Her silver hair was left loosely braided down her back.

Leaning against the tree, Dominic's arms were crossed over his chest, eyes fixed on the attempt to conjure a protective barrier, which in her opinion was one of the most useful spells in the grimoire because it formed a barrier against physical and magical attacks.

Luna closed her eyes, lips silently mouthing the incantation.

Her hands sketched exquisite patterns in the air, the trails left faintly glowing with golden light.

The air shimmered for a moment around her as the beginnings of a barrier took form, only to fall away into nothingness, vanishing like smoke.

"Damn it!" She kicked the dirt, her entire body conveying her frustration.

"What's going on?" Dominic asked, pulling away from the tree.

Luna ran a hand over her face. "I can't hold it. The spell requires continuous concentration, and I keep losing focus." She gestured at the grimoire. "It should create a complete dome of protection, but I can barely manage a weak shield for more than a few seconds."

Dominic approached, studying the ancient book. The faded diagrams on the pages seemed to shift subtly when he wasn't looking directly at them.

"Show me again," he said, beside her now.

Luna took a deep breath and began again, her hands moving with grace. The golden light appeared, brighter this time, and formed a translucent half-dome around her. For a moment, it appeared to hold—then flickered and vanished.

"See?" She threw up her hands. "I can't keep it steady."

Dominic considered the problem. "What are you thinking about when you do magic?"

"The spell, obviously," she replied, sounding slightly irritated by his question. "The words, the gestures, channeling the energy…"

"I think that’s what holds you back." Dominic moved closer, his body just inches from hers. "You're thinking about how it works, not the purpose."

Two confused blue eyes looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"When I train my wolves to fight, I don't have them cram technique. I teach them why each move matters—what they're protecting, and what they're fighting for. The rest is instinct."

His fingers brushed against her arm. "Your magic isn't just about words and spells. It's about intention. You were much stronger when you fought me at the library because you had conviction."

A small shiver ran through her at his touch. "So what should I be thinking about instead?"