Rejected by Her Mate Claimed by Four Alphas novel Chapter 25

CHAPTER 22-2

“Too slow. Again.”

This continued for what felt like hours–him attacking, me failing to block in time, his cold voice repeating “Again” until I wanted to scream. By the time the sun had fully risen, sweat soaked my clothes and my arms trembled from the weight of the wooden sword.

“Enough basics,” he said abruptly. “Now we add your wolf.”

I blinked, confused. “What do you mean?”

“Shift,” he commanded. “But only partially. I want claws, fangs, enhanced senses. Nothing

more.”

Partial shifting was difficult. Most wolves went all in or stayed human. The middle ground required control few mastered. I’d done it before, but never on command, never under

pressure.

“I don’t think I can-”

“You won’t survive if you can’t,” he cut me off. “Your enemies won’t always give you time for a

full shift. Learn or die.”

I closed my eyes, focusing on the wolf beneath my skin. She was always there, pacing, waiting. Usually, I held her back or let her take over completely. Now I tried to meet her halfway, to borrow her strength without surrendering my form.

The change rippled through me. It felt excruciatingly painful and awkward. My nails lengthened into claws. My canines sharpened and extended. My senses heightened until I could hear his heartbeat, steady and even while mine raced.

“Better,” he said, the first hint of approval I’d heard. It disappeared immediately. “Now dodge.”

He came at me faster than before. I barely managed to leap aside, my newly enhanced reflexes saving me from the blow. But he didn’t stop. He kept coming, his movements fluid

and relentless.

“Shift back,” he ordered mid–attack. “Human form. Now.”

The command startled me. I was just getting used to the partial shift, finding my balance with the new sensations. Switching back while defending myself seemed impossible.

His blade caught my shoulder when I hesitated. “Too slow. In battle, you need to control your form at all times. Again.”

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CHAPTER 22-2

+25 Points

This pattern continued–human to partial wolf to human again, all while dodging his attacks. Sometimes he’d have me shift to full wolf, leaping over obstacles he’d gesture toward, then back to human before I landed. My body screamed with the effort of the constant

transformations.

“Faster,” he barked. “Smoother. Your enemy won’t wait for you to settle into your skin.”

By midday, I was drenched in sweat, my clothes clinging to every curve. My lungs burned. My muscles quivered. But he showed no signs of tiring, no indication that he planned to stop.

“Run the course,” he ordered, pointing to a series of obstacles that had been set up at the far end of the field. “Wolf form to start. Human form by the end. No breaks in between.”

The course was brutal–hurdles, crawl spaces, climbing walls, and balance beams. In wolf form, the first part was manageable, though my exhausted body protested every leap.

The transition to human halfway through nearly broke me. My naked human form stumbled, suddenly vulnerable without fur or claws, as I scrambled for the clothes stashed at the

checkpoint.

“Faster,” he called from behind me. “Your enemies won’t care about your modesty.”

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