Chapter 240

The morning sun cast golden rays through the curtains of Lillian’s bedroom, stirring her awake. She stretched lazily, her muscles still sore from yesterday’s training session with Professor Montclair. The scent of freshly brewed coffee drifted up from the kitchen, making her stomach growl.

Downstairs, Donovan sat at the dining table, scrolling through his phone with a scowl. Evelyn was beside him, whispering something that made his lips curl into a smirk. Lillian clenched her fists, forcing herself to remain calm. She had long accepted that Donovan was no longer hers, but seeing him with Evelyn still stung.

"Morning," Beatrice chirped, sliding a plate of pancakes toward her. "You look like you could use some sugar."

Lillian managed a small smile. "Thanks, Bea."

Sebastian Blackwood entered the room, his presence commanding immediate attention. His dark eyes flickered toward Lillian, and for a brief moment, she thought she saw something unreadable in his gaze.

"We leave for the summit in an hour," he announced. "Pack light. We won’t be staying long."

Lillian nodded, though her stomach twisted with nerves. The Lycan Summit was a high-stakes event where rival packs negotiated alliances—or declared war. And with Alpha Maximilian Voss rumored to be attending, tensions were already high.

As she finished her breakfast, Oliver bounded into the room, his face alight with excitement. "Lillian! Are you really going to see the other Alphas?"

She ruffled his hair. "Yep. But don’t worry, I’ll bring you back something cool."

Sebastian’s phone buzzed, and his expression darkened as he read the message. "We have a problem."

Marcus Grayson, his Beta, stepped forward. "What is it?"

"Alpha Voss has already arrived," Sebastian said grimly. "And he’s brought reinforcements."

Lillian’s pulse quickened. This wasn’t just a negotiation—it was a power play.

Beatrice grabbed her hand. "Be careful out there."

Lillian squeezed back. "Always am."

But as she followed Sebastian out the door, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this summit would change everything.

And not necessarily for the better.

I nodded and continued observing the various sparring matches. Soon, it was my turn to face Odette.

As I’d mentioned before, she was massive—which meant I could use my petite frame and agility to wear her down before striking. My instructors had always drilled into me: never repeat the same move twice. We’d sparred before, so she already knew some of my techniques. That meant I needed to switch things up.

Darting around her, I slipped between her legs, tucking into a roll to evade her grasp. She snarled, her wolf flashing briefly in her eyes.

"You won’t win this time!" she hissed, her voice laced with fury.

She lunged, but before she could reach me, I seized the climbing rope hanging from the ceiling and swung myself out of her reach. Her eyes widened as I soared over her head like some bizarre, vengeful pixie.

Gasps and cheers erupted from the students as I used the momentum to kick Odette square in the shoulder. She staggered back, and I twisted the rope around her torso, yanking her off balance. The move caught her so off guard that she toppled, taking us both down. Luckily, I landed on top of her—her body cushioning my fall.

She hit the mat first. Victory was mine.

The crowd roared, including Professor Montclair.

My gaze flicked to Alpha Maximilian, who was scribbling notes in his journal. Odette cursed under her breath as she stormed away. Her friends tried to console her, but she brushed them off, insisting she was fine.

Next up: Étienne. He looked downright furious as he stepped forward.

"Do I seriously have to fight a girl?" he muttered.

I smirked. "What’s the matter, Étienne? Scared I’ll wipe the floor with you?"

His nostrils flared. "In your dreams, sweetheart."

The bell rang, and we clashed. He was a far better opponent than Odette, matching me blow for blow. Like her, though, he knew some of my moves, so I couldn’t recycle the rope trick. For a moment, I thought I’d lose—until he made one critical mistake.

He tried to flip me over his shoulder and slam me onto the mat. The second my back hit the ground, he’d have won. What he didn’t expect was for me to reverse our positions midair. His shoulder struck the mat first.

Cheap shot? Maybe. But it worked.

The crowd went wild. Seeing someone my size take down two of the biggest fighters in class must’ve been hilarious. Most of these students had never witnessed—