22.1

Over the next few weeks, Nuri and Kalmin’s days settled into a rhythm. They’d wake up, share breakfast, and head to the office. Nuri would retreat to her study space while Kalmin handled his duties as Alpha. At noon, they’d break for lunch together—always the calm before the storm. Training came after.
In the beginning, Kalmin made Nuri run until she either puked or passed out—sometimes both, depending on his mood. Then came the fighting ring. Cameron was given free rein to push her to her limits, as long as he didn’t cause serious injury. To Nuri, it felt like a daily near-death experience. Afterward, they’d return home, where she buried herself back in her books while Kalmin cooked dinner.
When night fell, it was Tempest’s turn. Under Kalmin and Rian’s brutal standards, she trained in the forest, running at full speed, dodging hidden betas stationed among the trees. If she couldn’t evade them, she fought. Most nights ended with Tempest and Nuri commiserating in their shared mind, groaning about the two Alphas who seemed intent on killing them—but they couldn’t deny it: their bond with Kalmin was growing stronger, just like their bodies.
Nuri had become convinced Kalmin was psychic. If she’d had a particularly rough session, there’d be a bubble bath waiting. If she craved a food, it somehow appeared on her dinner plate. If she seemed close to burning out, Kalmin would snatch her books away—by force if needed—and wouldn’t return them until she’d properly decompressed. What she didn’t know was that he’d installed cameras throughout the spaces she frequented. He didn’t need to guess what she needed. He watched. He learned. He adapted.
Every Friday, Nuri visited the academy for testing with Moira. The woman couldn’t hide her disgust when Nuri not only succeeded at tasks deemed impossible but excelled. Nuri needed a seventy to pass. She never scored lower than ninety. She wasn’t just surviving; she was outperforming purebreds who’d studied for years. That made Moira’s blood boil. But worse than her fury was the reluctant admiration she was beginning to feel.
As Nuri neared graduation, Tempest’s long-awaited trial against Gael was also drawing close. At first, Nuri doubted whether they’d survive it—but now? After everything they’d endured? She had no doubt. Power hummed in her blood. Confidence anchored in her bones. Two months ago, she’d been the lowest of the low—a hybrid omega no one wanted. Now, she was a week away from graduating from an academy no hybrid had ever set foot in, and mated to the Alpha who had rewritten her fate.
“What the hell are you doing, Nuri? Haven’t you learned anything?” Cameron snapped, landing a hard blow to her shoulder that sent her crashing onto the mat with a yelp.
She scrambled upright, gasping from the pain radiating down her collarbone. Cameron rolled his tawny eyes, lip curling in disdain. “Never take your eyes off your opponent.”
“I’m sorry—I got distracted!” she hissed, biting her cheek to keep from crying. “It won’t happen again.”
“You’re damn right it won’t,” he muttered, tossing his gloves aside before lobbing her water bottle in her direction. “What distracted you?”
“I don’t know,” Nuri lied, taking a long drink before wiping the sweat from her brow with the hem of her shirt.
“Mhm,” Cameron grunted. He’d been training her long enough to know when she was full of it. “Kalmin’ll be here soon. You better get your head on straight before he walks in.”
“I know.” She took a breath, tossed the bottle out of the ring, and reached for her gloves—only for Cameron to shake his head.
“We’re done for today. Tomorrow, we move on to hand-to-hand. That little slip-up aside, you’re ready.”
“Hand-to-hand already?” Kalmin asked as he entered the gym, slinging his briefcase onto a bench. He crossed to the ring, curling a finger at Nuri. She met him at the edge, and he bent to kiss her, then pulled back with a laugh as her sweat soaked into his shirt. “What slip-up?”
“I was thinking about how Cameron’s your strongest fighter,” Nuri said, wrapping her arms around him. “And it made me wonder… if the conclave is about strength, why kill the other alphas? Wouldn’t it make more sense to have them as your betas?”
“He had to kill them to prove no one else was worthy,” Cameron answered before Kalmin could. “That’s how it’s always been. The only betas who remain are the ones who didn’t make the cut.”
“You guys always say ‘the cut,’ but what does that actually mean?” Nuri asked as she hopped down from the ring. Cameron led her to the open mat, and she followed his lead through their usual post-fight workout: fifty sit-ups, jumping jacks, pushups, and squats, repeated twice.
“It’s not just about being big and strong,” Kalmin said, taking a seat on the bench, arms crossed as he watched her grind through her pushups. “You have to graduate in the top three percent and prove your dedication, strength of character, physical ability, and mental dexterity. Not many can do that.”
“Are there things that disqualify you?”
“My class started with twenty,” Kalmin said, voice quieter now. “The hardest part was proving you could put the pack above yourself. Ten of us failed that test. Three more dropped in the mental portion. I killed the remaining seven in the conclave.”
Nuri paused at the top of a pushup, then slowly lowered to the mat. She glanced over at Kalmin, catching the distant look in his eyes. She had more questions—but she kept them to herself. ‘I wonder what the test was to prove loyalty to the pack… it must’ve been awful if half of them failed it.’
‘I doubt any part of it was easy,’ Tempest replied with a yawn. ‘That’s why so many don’t even try.’
“Oh, good morning, sleepyhead!” Nuri teased, smiling to herself as Tempest growled sleepily. Their opposite sleep cycles had been hard to adjust to at first. Before the training, they always rose and rested together. Now, they had to take shifts. It hadn’t been easy—especially for Tempest, who always felt the need to be on guard. But as her trust in Kalmin grew, so did her peace. He would protect Nuri in her stead.
“She just woke up?” Kalmin asked, raising a brow as he checked his watch. He gave a nod of approval. “You managed that faster than Rian and I did. That’s impressive.”
“Really?” Nuri gasped, eyes brightening with pride.
“Hey!” Cameron barked, pointing to the floor. “Finish your damn circuit.”