Betrayed By My Mate, Claimed By His Lycan King Uncle
Chapter 113: What is your Fear?

Chapter 113: What is your Fear?

The next day arrived in the blink of an eye, yet the golden sun had not risen. The sky remained cloaked in darkness, as though the night still held its grip over the land. A cold breeze howled softly, and the only sounds breaking the stillness were the distant chirps of waking birds and the rustle of wind through the trees.

"Get up, Sorayah!" a firm voice echoed near her ear.

Still half-asleep, Sorayah groaned and rolled over, covering her ears with a pillow. But the voice refused to let her be, persistent and unrelenting, buzzing in her ear like a determined bee.

"Leave me alone," she mumbled, her tone laced with irritation.

Before she could give voice to her full anger, a strong hand gripped her arm. In a sudden motion, she was yanked from her bed and hoisted over a shoulder.

"What the...! Put me down!" she yelled, her eyes snapping open in disbelief as she struggled against the solid hold.

"It’s me," the voice said at last....Dimitri. His low tone carried a trace of amusement, though it was more commanding than playful. "And you’d better keep your voice down unless you want to wake the entire palace."

Sorayah froze, the heat of embarrassment blooming across her cheeks. Dimitri? Why in the world was he carrying her like a sack of grain at daybreak? Her limbs stiffened, but she stopped struggling. She was still mortified, though. Her hair fell in loose golden waves, cascading around his shoulder, brushing against his back as he walked.

Just what is he up to now? she wondered, her brows furrowing in confusion. Why did he come to get me so early?

Despite the questions spinning in her mind, she remained silent. If there was one thing Sorayah had learned about Dimitri, it was that he always had a reason....whether or not he shared it.

He strode purposefully through the corridor, ignoring her squirming as he passed through the outer gate. Outside, his horse stood waiting, its dark mane tossing slightly in the wind. Without pause, Dimitri mounted the horse, adjusting Sorayah in front of him, keeping her securely in place.

His breath was warm against her neck, a quiet, steady presence. Her golden hair fluttered back in the wind, brushing against his face as they rode through the pre-dawn darkness.

After what felt like an eternity, the horse came to a halt. Dimitri dismounted first, then lifted Sorayah gently down. She blinked rapidly, the early morning air biting at her cheeks as she finally looked around.

They were on top of a hill.

Sorayah hadn’t noticed during the ride, having closed her eyes to shield them from wind and dust. Now, as she took in the breathtaking view, she inhaled sharply. From this vantage point, the landscape stretched endlessly. But when she looked down the steep side of the hill, her stomach flipped. The slope was so sharp it was impossible to see the bottom.

The dizziness came on fast, and she stepped away from the edge, her hand brushing her temple.

"What are we doing here?" she asked, her voice tight with confusion.

"What does it look like we’re doing here?" Dimitri replied with a smirk, his green eyes gleaming in the early light.

Without another word, he swung a bag off his back and opened it, revealing a set of bows and arrows. Then, he turned to the horse and unsheathed two swords that had been fastened to its side.

"We’re training?" Sorayah’s voice rose in disbelief. "At this hour? Are you serious?"

Dimitri scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest, his expression turning hard. "Do you really value your life, Sorayah?"

Her lips parted, caught off guard by the sharpness in his tone.

"I told you," he continued, "the full moon hunt is only three nights away. And here you are, whining about sleep. Do you want to die out there?" He stepped forward. "Because if that’s your choice, I’ll stop wasting my time."

"I.. I don’t..." Sorayah started to respond, but her voice faltered.

She had gone to bed late last night, and now here she was, dragged from sleep three hours earlier than anyone else in the palace. Still, the thought of dying during the hunt sobered her quickly.

"Fine," she muttered, swallowing hard. "Let’s get it over with."

Without waiting for his response, she reached out and took one of the swords from him.

But then Dimitri’s tone shifted, softening unexpectedly. "Wait. Are you all right?" he asked, studying her face closely. "There should have been a cut from last night’s incident... but I don’t see anything. Not even a graze."

Sorayah hesitated for a split second, then forced a small shrug. "I’m fine, Your Highness," she replied, trying to sound casual. "The sword didn’t cut me deeply. Just a minor graze....it’s almost gone now."

Dimitri’s gaze lingered on her longer than she liked. "Your face seems to have healed completely."

"Yes. It wasn’t serious." She looked away. "Anyway, can we just get started?"

Dimitri narrowed his eyes slightly, then said, "Drop the sword."

Sorayah blinked. "What?"

"I said drop the sword and sit on the ground in a lotus position," Dimitri repeated firmly. His gaze turned sharp as he pointed toward the cliff’s edge. "Over there. Sit exactly there."

Sorayah blinked, her eyes following the direction of his finger until they landed on the very edge of the cliff. Her stomach dropped.

’Huh?’ she thought. ’Telling me to sit down is one thing, but why at the edge?’

She took a step back, her eyes wide. "Why should I sit there? One wrong move and I’ll plummet to my death!"

Dimitri exhaled and ran a hand down his face in mild frustration. "Trust me and do as you’re told just once without asking too many questions. If I wanted to kill you, Sorayah, I’ve had countless chances before now. But you’re still alive, aren’t you? So listen. Sit down and wait for your next instructions, young lady."

There was a pause. Sorayah swallowed hard, her eyes searching his face. She didn’t know whether to call him insane or terrifyingly confident. But then again... he was right. If he had wanted her dead, he would have done it already. Slowly, her feet began to move, almost as if acting of their own will.

She walked toward the cliff edge, her heartbeat pounding like a war drum in her ears. Glancing down sent a chill through her bones. Panic rose but she took a deep breath, then lowered herself carefully to the ground. She sat in the lotus position as instructed, her limbs tense, shoulders stiff.

’He’s right,’ she thought, trying to slow her breathing. ’If he wanted to kill me, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now.’

"Close your eyes, Sorayah," Dimitri said, his voice calmer now....soothing even. "Relax your mind. Forget everything around you. Forget that you’re on a cliff. Right now, only three senses matter: your ears, your nose, and your skin."

His words puzzled her, but she obeyed, shutting her eyes and attempting to clear her thoughts. But no matter how hard she tried, unease clawed at her insides.

’How am I supposed to forget I’m one wrong shift away from falling off a cliff?’ she wondered. ’What if the ground beneath me gives out? What if....’

"Just trust me, Sorayah," Dimitri interrupted gently, as if sensing her inner turmoil. His voice was low, steady, almost comforting.

Sorayah exhaled, letting his reassurance settle over her. Gradually, she allowed herself to loosen up, her breath evening out, her body slightly less rigid.

Dimitri began to pace slowly behind her, his boots crunching softly against the earth.

"The first stage of learning sword fighting," he said, "is learning how to overcome your fear."

His tone had shifted again...now it was instructional, commanding yet wise.

"I don’t know what your fear is, Sorayah. Maybe it’s something physical, maybe it’s emotional. But if you let that fear get in your way, it will weaken you. Bit by bit. It will eat away at your resolve until your opponent finishes what your fear started."

He stopped directly behind her, arms crossed, a faint smirk on his lips. "There’s no mercy on the battlefield. If you hesitate, you die. If you let fear take root, it will paralyze you at the worst possible moment."

His voice lowered, more intimate now. "I told you to relax your mind, but keep your other senses sharp. Your ears should register the faintest sound the moment you enter a space. Your nose should recognize the scent of blood, of danger. And your skin....your body should respond before your mind even catches up. Your instincts must be trained, sharpened, honed."

He paused again, watching her closely.

"Even if you were to go blind in the future, you would still be able to fight. Still be able to survive. That is the level of awareness I want you to develop."

Dimitri crouched down slowly behind her, voice softer now. "So tell me, Sorayah... what is your fear?"