Chapter 11 - Strength in Loss

  ***Kiera's POV***

  The weight of exhaustion clung to Kiera like a second skin, but sleep never came easy anymore. Her body ached, not just from the bruises and scrapes of their recent escape, but from the hollow ache in her chest that refused to fade. She sat at the edge of the Packhouse steps, knees drawn to her chest, staring out at the darkened treetops.

  Footsteps scuffed against the wooden porch behind her, but she didn’t need to look to know it was her brother. His presence was familiar, grounding, and he had been the only one in the house since everything had started.

  He settled beside her with a heavy sigh, stretching his legs out in front of him. "You’re thinking about him," he said after a long silence.

  Kiera swallowed hard, nodding. "I keep wondering how long he lasted." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "How long before he turned? Did he even have time to feel it? Or was it quick? Watching Hank turn was..."

  Her brother, younger by by almost ten years, exhaled sharply. "I try not to think about it. It doesn’t change anything."

  "I know," she murmured. "But it still hurts."

  He didn’t argue with that. Instead, he reached out and took her hand, squeezing it tightly. "We keep moving forward. That’s what he’d want."

  Kiera shut her eyes. Moving forward. It seemed so simple, yet the weight of everything that had happened—the loss of their parents, the horrors she had witnessed—made it feel impossible. And yet, here she was. Still breathing. Still fighting.

  But fighting what? She was human. No claws, no supernatural strength, no ability to shift or wield magic. How was she supposed to help protect anyone? She had survived this long because of Leo, because of his pack. Without them, she was nothing more than prey waiting to be picked off.

  Her fingers curled into fists. She didn’t want to feel like this anymore. Weak. Useless.

  She turned to her brother. "I’m going to learn how to fight."

  His brows lifted slightly, but he didn’t seem surprised. "You sure?"

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  She nodded, more certain than she had been about anything since the outbreak. "I can’t just sit back and watch while everyone else fights for survival. I need to be able to protect myself. Protect others."

  "Then shouldn’t you talk to his brother James?"

  "You know what? I think I will today."

  _____________

  The next morning, Kiera stood in the clearing behind the Packhouse, her heart pounding as she stared at James. he regarded her with the calculating gaze of a seasoned warrior.

  "You’re serious about this?" he asked, arms crossed over his broad chest.

  "I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t."

  He nodded once, then without warning, moved.

  Kiera barely had time to react before his leg swept out, knocking her off balance. She hit the ground hard, the breath leaving her lungs in a sharp gasp. Before she could process what happened, James was crouched beside her.

  "Lesson one," he said calmly, "the moment you hesitate, you lose."

  Kiera gritted her teeth, pushing herself back up. "Then I won’t hesitate next time."

  A ghost of a smirk tugged at James’ lips. "Good. Let’s see if you can back that up."

  The training was brutal. James didn’t hold back, forcing her to push past every limit she thought she had. She learned how to fall and roll with the impact, how to use her smaller frame to her advantage, and how to wield a knife properly—not just to defend, but to kill if necessary. By the time they finished, her body ached in ways she didn’t know were possible.

  Leo had been absent for almost a week, busy preparing his soldiers and educating them on what little they knew about the new creatures. She didn’t blame him, but part of her wished he had been there, even just to see that she wasn’t completely helpless. That she was trying too.

  As the sun dipped below the horizon, James clapped a hand on her shoulder. "You did good today."

  Kiera wiped sweat from her brow, managing a breathless, "Yeah?"

  "Yeah. But don’t get cocky. We’re just getting started."

  She let out a tired laugh. "Wouldn’t dream of it."

  As she made her way back inside, she felt something she hadn’t in a long time.

  Not just grief. Not just loss.

  Purpose.

  _____________

  As night fell, Kiera found Leo in his study, pouring over maps and reports. His brows furrowed when he saw her, and he set his papers aside. “It's late.” He stated with concern, giving her appearance a once over.

  “I was training,” she said, taking a seat across from him.

  Leo stilled. “Training?”

  She nodded. “James has been teaching me how to fight.”

  His jaw tightened as he raised from his seat and made his way towards my chair. “Kiera, you don’t have to do that.”

  She sighed. “Yes, I do. I can’t just sit back while everyone else fights for me. You said so yourself, human or not I am Luna of this pack, and that comes with duties.”

  Leo exhaled through his nose, his golden eyes dark with something unreadable. “I can protect and always have protected you.”

  “I know you can,” she said softly. “But I need to be able to protect myself, too.”

  He was silent for a long time before he gently cupped her face in his hands. “I don’t like it,” he admitted. “But I understand. However if James gets too rough with you, I'll kill him.”

  Kiera leaned into his touch. “Thank you.”

  His thumb traced her cheekbone before he pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead.