The Newbreeder

Chapter 30

Amaya

Training to find the man who has been hunting me since before I was born is more difficult than I thought it would be. After my marking, we started training harder than ever. I grew stronger, not only physically but also with my magic. Although I haven't chosen a specialty yet, my abilities keep growing.

As hard as training may be, it's been rewarding. Sparring with Jordan has proven my progress—I've managed to beat him more than once in the past week. With a patrol mission scheduled for this week, we've begun to observe and study different fighting styles, learning how to incorporate them into our own. Watching other warriors take the mat and analyzing how they move to take down their opponents has been the best way for me to learn. By the time Jordan and I stepped onto the mat, I felt more than confident.

"Fuck," Jordan exclaimed, falling onto his back. Flipping him for the second time in a row felt better than anything I had ever done.

"You're getting weak, Commander," I teased, walking over to help him up.

"No, you're just getting stronger, Princess. It's that new tattoo," he said, stretching out his back.

"Well, maybe I'll challenge you for the spot of Commander soon," I joked, walking past him to join the rest of the guard watching us.

"Amaya."

I turned at the sound of my name. Christian stepped onto the mat, beckoning me forward. I joined him, standing at the edge.

"You and me. Let's go," he said, locking eyes with me as he cracked his neck.

"What?" I asked, confused. I hadn't been with the guard for long, and sparring with not only my birth father—an alpha—but also the Commander of the guard felt impossible.

Christian stood across from me, arms crossed, expression calm but challenging. His presence alone filled the room with authority, and the watching warriors fell silent.

"You've learned a lot these past months," he said, circling me slowly. "But training against Jordan or the others isn't the same as going up against me. If you can land a win here, I'll know you're ready."

"Don't hold back just because I'm new to this," I warned, shifting into a defensive stance. I knew I wasn't likely to beat him, but I wouldn't back down.

Christian smirked. "Wouldn't dream of it."

He struck first, moving with the speed of an alpha who had trained for decades. His fist shot toward my ribs, but I twisted at the last second, feeling the air shift as his knuckles grazed me. He followed with another strike, but I ducked low, aiming a hit at his abdomen.

He dodged easily. "Good try," he muttered before grabbing my arm and yanking me forward. My balance faltered, and he shoved me down to one knee.

Gritting my teeth, I planted my hands on the ground and kicked back, my foot connecting solidly with his side. The grunt that escaped him sparked my confidence. I rolled away and sprang back to my feet.

Christian closed the distance quickly, jabbing in a flurry meant to overwhelm me. My wolf surged inside my chest, instincts guiding me. I blocked one strike, ducked another, and shoved upward with my palm, slamming it into his chin and snapping his head back.

He staggered but recovered fast, his eyes flashing with a mixture of surprise and pride. "Not bad."

That gave me hope—not just that I could fight him, but maybe even make him yield.

Before he could reset, I lunged. My shoulder slammed into his chest, driving him back a step. I hooked my leg behind his and shoved hard. He hit the mat with a thud that shook the room.

I dropped beside him before he could roll away, pressing my hand against his throat—not choking, just pinning. My wolf growled in triumph inside me.

"Yield," I demanded, breathless but steady.

For a long moment, Christian just stared up at me, chest heaving. Then the corners of his mouth lifted into a proud grin.

"I yield," he said, loud enough for the guards to hear. "Princess Amaya wins."

I helped him to his feet, his eyes shining with pride.

"Welcome, the new Second in Command of the Guard—Princess Amaya!" Christian roared. The guards dropped to one knee, bowing their heads. I was now in leadership.

After being given the position, Christian walked me through what it meant. I would be in charge of my own team and overseeing others on this patrol mission. Our single goal: gather as much information as possible on Victor and his whereabouts.

Christian would lead three teams north, toward the elf kingdoms, while I would lead four west, near the vampire and shifter borders. My team would return to the original spotting area to search for clues. Since this was my first mission, I needed a proper guard uniform.

Unlike the formal armor worn to protect and guard the kingdom, our patrol uniforms were more practical: black cargo pants, loose enough to move in, and a black top with the kingdom's crest on the chest. I added a black jacket since spring was still cold.

Once dressed and packed, I headed to the meeting room to finalize plans. Brandon, Erica, Lynda, and Christian stood around the central table, a map spread wide.

"Welcome, Second in Command," Erica said, bowing slightly. Lynda laughed and followed suit.

"Thank you. Truly, I don't even know what that title means." I turned to Christian for clarification.

"It means," he said, standing tall and folding his arms, "when I step down, you will become Commander of the Guard. And if something happens to me, you'll automatically take the title."

I nodded slowly, the weight settling on my shoulders. Not only was I in leadership, but I would one day lead after Christian. Great.

"The plan is as follows," Lynda began. "Elves have reported sightings of rogues traveling in large groups. They're turning humans into Newbreeders."

Her words stunned us all. I hadn't heard that term since I was first introduced to this world. After finding out who I was made it better, but I've never met a true newbreeder. I have learned that it was a loophole for shifters to make new members and grow in numbers.

"If Victor is really making Newbreeders and has control of rogues, what does he want to do with them?" I asked

"Nothing good," Erica said, taking a deep breath and looking at the map.

"One major problem at a time," Lynda said, returning our attention. "For now, we'll stick to the plan. Stop the rogues from turning any more humans, if you can take some in for questioning."

Everyone nodded. We closed the meeting to prepare to leave the kingdom.