Chapter 7: The Calm Before the Storm

The tension in Rogue Haven was palpable after Logan’s appearance at the river. The rogues moved about with wary eyes and tense shoulders, their conversations hushed and clipped. Amara felt like an intruder in their fragile world, a spark that could ignite an already volatile situation.

Adrian had been silent since their return, retreating to the main cabin that served as his quarters. Amara had tried to follow him, but Mara had blocked her path with a glare sharp enough to cut stone.

“Leave him be,” Mara had said. “He needs time to think.”

So Amara found herself sitting alone at the edge of the clearing, her thoughts a chaotic swirl.

She couldn’t shake the image of Logan’s smirk or the ominous warning in his words: *Enjoy your peace while it lasts.*

Peace. It felt like a cruel joke.

“Mind if I sit?”

Amara turned to see Mara standing behind her, arms crossed. Her tone wasn’t exactly friendly, but it lacked the sharp edge it usually carried.

“Suit yourself,” Amara replied, gesturing to the patch of ground beside her.

Mara hesitated for a moment before sitting down. They stared out at the forest in silence, the tension between them as thick as the trees.

“You’re a liability, you know,” Mara said finally, her voice matter-of-fact.

Amara bristled. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

Mara sighed, running a hand through her short hair. “I’m not saying it to be cruel. It’s just the truth. Logan’s right about one thing—you don’t belong here. And as long as you’re here, you’re a target.”

“I didn’t choose this,” Amara snapped, her frustration bubbling over. “I didn’t ask to be rejected by my mate or cast out of my pack. I didn’t ask to end up here.”

Mara’s gaze softened slightly, though her expression remained guarded. “Maybe not. But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re here now. And if you want to survive, you need to stop feeling sorry for yourself and start fighting back.”

Amara stared at her, taken aback by the bluntness of her words. But as much as she hated to admit it, Mara had a point.

“I am fighting back,” Amara said quietly.

“Not hard enough,” Mara countered. “Out here, survival isn’t just about brute strength. It’s about being smart, being ruthless when you need to be. Adrian sees something in you, or he wouldn’t be wasting his time. But if you don’t figure out what that is soon, you’ll get us all killed.”

The weight of Mara’s words settled over Amara, heavy and unrelenting. She wanted to argue, to defend herself, but deep down, she knew Mara was right.

Before she could respond, Adrian’s voice cut through the clearing.

“Amara.”

She turned to see him standing at the edge of the clearing, his expression unreadable.

“Come with me,” he said.

Amara glanced at Mara, who gave her a look that said, *Don’t screw this up.*

Rising to her feet, she followed Adrian into the forest.

---

They walked in silence for several minutes, the only sounds the crunch of leaves beneath their feet and the distant calls of birds.

Finally, Adrian stopped in a small clearing, turning to face her.

“We need to talk,” he said, his tone serious.

“About Logan?” Amara asked.

“About you,” Adrian corrected.

Amara blinked, caught off guard. “What about me?”

“You’re not just some random rogue,” Adrian said, his gray eyes piercing. “You were part of a pack. You had a mate. And now you’re here, in Rogue Haven, where your presence is putting everyone at risk.”

His words stung, but Amara forced herself to meet his gaze. “I didn’t ask for this, Adrian. You’re the one who offered me a place here.”

“And I don’t regret it,” he said, his voice softening. “But you need to understand something, Amara. If you want to survive here—if you want to prove you’re not a liability—you have to stop letting your past control you.”

Amara opened her mouth to protest, but Adrian held up a hand to silence her.

“You’ve been through hell,” he said. “I get that. But out here, no one cares about what you’ve lost. All that matters is what you do next.”

Amara swallowed hard, his words cutting through her defenses.

“So what do I do next?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Adrian’s gaze softened, and for a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of something more—something vulnerable—behind his steely exterior.

“You fight,” he said simply. “You fight for yourself, for your place here. And when the time comes, you fight for the people who have your back.”

Amara nodded, the weight of his words settling over her. She didn’t know if she had it in her to be the kind of fighter Adrian was talking about, but she was willing to try.

“Good,” Adrian said, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Then let’s get to work.”

---

For the next several hours, Adrian put Amara through a grueling training session. He pushed her to her limits, forcing her to think on her feet and adapt to every challenge he threw her way.

By the time they returned to the camp, Amara was exhausted, her muscles screaming in protest. But for the first time since her exile, she felt a spark of hope.

Mara was waiting for them by the fire, her expression unreadable.

“How’d she do?” Mara asked, her gaze flicking to Amara.

Adrian smirked. “Better than I expected.”

Mara raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Amara sank onto a log, her body aching but her spirit lighter. For the first time, she felt like she had a chance—not just to survive, but to thrive.

But as she stared into the flickering flames, Logan’s warning echoed in her mind: "Enjoy your peace while it lasts."

She knew this was only the beginning.