The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate novel Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Cockblocked by His Own Wolf

When they arrived at the training field, both Elara and Serena looked around, visibly confused. This did not feel like the next logical stop on the political mystery tour.

Gavriel, ever the tactful one, broke the silence without a hint of sugar.

"You were both awful. Serena, you let yourself get stabbed by a girl who was fighting herself the entire time. And Elara? I held you off with one hand. Your execution was embarrassingly sloppy."

"Noted. Thank you for the feedback," Elara replied, her tone dry enough to parch the grass.

"If you three have duties, we can train and meet you," Serena offered. She wanted time alone with Elara anyway.

Dex, who had been holding a question all day like it physically pained him, finally asked, "The bow and quiver earlier... do you actually know how to shoot?"

"Yes."

Elara snorted so hard it echoed off the training posts.

Serena shot her a look that could have drawn blood.

"What?" Elara flashed a devilish smile. "That’s the equivalent of that one time Hyran asked if you knew how to read."

Dex’s lips twitched, curiosity sparking behind his eyes.

"Show me."

He handed her a quiver and a fresh set of arrows.

Serena took them without a word, her face still perfectly neutral. Unfazed. Almost annoyed that she had to prove this. It had been six years since she’d last shot, but it didn’t matter.

If there was one skill she never questioned, it was this. She didn’t just know how to shoot—she was the best. And in this one thing, she allowed herself to be cocky.

"You don’t know what you’ve just done," Elara warned darkly with a wicked grin.

Serena loaded. Fired. Bullseye.

Loaded again. Fired. The arrow split the first clean down the center.

A third. Same motion. Split the second. Perfect symmetry.

She glanced back at Dex, a spark of mischief flickering across her face.

Pride radiated off him, and he didn’t even try to hide it as he asked, "What are you thinking?"

"I just realized I can do something that I’ve never thought of before."

Elara crossed her arms. "Here we go."

"And you want to try it, but aren’t because..." Dex prompted.

"Hyran mentioned I shouldn’t in front of mages or—"

"We’re not mages," Dex cut in.

"Good point."

Elara sighed. "Famous last words."

Serena lifted her hand, fingers steady as the air began to hum. An arrow materialized from nothing—pure magic woven into a sliver of solid gold.

She aimed. Fired.

The magical arrow shot forward and struck dead center, embedding itself into the target with a sound like a tuning fork.

A second arrow formed instantly in her hand, seamless and smooth as breathing. She fired again.

This one split the first gold arrow clean down the center, scattering glowing shards like sunlight shattered.

Serena calmly set the bow down and turned around.

Every jaw had dropped. Even Dex’s.

No one moved for a few heartbeats.

"That’s a new one," Elara remarked. She shook her head slowly. "I hate that I’m not even surprised anymore."

"Didn’t see that one coming," Dex admitted, exhaling a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. "Did you just learn this?"

"Yes," Serena confirmed. "This morning. Before I retrieved your sword."

Gav’s arms were crossed, studying Serena with the expression of a man recalculating everything he thought he knew. "Instead of reloading, after you fire, can you generate a new arrow already in position and loaded?"

A golden bow fabricated in Serena’s right hand, vibrating into existence. An arrow fabricated in her left.

She loaded and fired. Before the arrow hit, another was already nocked. The first struck a bullseye as the second left her string, and by the time both were embedded, three more were airborne. She kept going until she had a rapid-pace cadence.

That was until one stuttered. Gold light splintered for half a second, jagged and wrong, before it solidified. She fired before anyone could see.

But she noticed.

The mark on her arm pulsed hot, and for a fraction of a second, her vision narrowed at the edges. She blinked it back and kept her expression neutral.

It was nothing. Probably.

Dex and Gav winced in unison as her mark flared—a shared sharp intake of breath they both fought to hide. Serena, still facing the target and lost in thought, remained entirely unaware of their reaction.

She was too busy wondering if there was a better way to design the bow itself. Just as she was about to ask for their input, Hale’s voice broke through her thoughts.

"Can you put a sword in my hand?"

He beamed like a child who’d just discovered Christmas was happening early.

Serena grinned. Her eyes flashed gold, and she pushed her magic towards him instead of holding it. The mark on her arm burned, hotter than the stutter, and for a half-second her fingers tingled like the magic didn’t want to leave her body. Then a sword of pure gold magic solidified in Hale’s hand.

Hale nearly dropped it, fumbled a recovery, and then stared at her like she’d just pulled the moon out of the sky.

"This is the best day of my life," he announced solemnly. "Don’t tell Elara I said that."

"I’m standing right here," Elara pointed out.

"I know what I said."

Serena turned her attention to Dex. "Is there a better design for a bow where rapid fire is optimized?"

Dex huffed a laugh and dragged a hand through his hair.

"Of course you would ask that after breaking reality."

He shook his head, studying her with open admiration.

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