Kimberly
I hadn’t meant to look back at him.
But I did.
My eyes found Kendrick’s across the training field as I walked toward the sparring ring, surrounded by laughing pack members, and for the first time in weeks, I didn’t feel like a shadow of myself.
For a brief moment, I was just me. Kimberly. Not the captive. Not the pawn.
Not the woman tethered to a man I couldn’t trust. Just… a girl with dirt on her boots, sun on her skin, and breath in her lungs.
It felt strange. Unfamiliar. Like wearing clothes that almost—but not quite—fit.
The invitation had come so casually. Marla had leaned in while clearing breakfast dishes, whispering like she was sharing forbidden news.
“A few of the warriors are having a friendly match in the ring this afternoon. They said it’d be nice if you ca
