Lucian left the house without saying much.
The door closed behind him and he just kept walking.
No rush. No direction at first. He just needed space.
The streets were the same as always. People moving around, talking, living normally. Nothing looked different. Nothing cared that he was irritated.
That was part of the problem.
Everything felt too normal.
Lucian shoved his hands into his pockets and walked faster without really deciding to.
A group of people passed by laughing about something. He didn't listen. A human patrol moved through the side street in clean formation, calm and organized.
He clicked his tongue under his breath.
It all looked too smooth.
Too safe.
His jaw tightened a bit, but he didn't stop walking.
He crossed into a wider section of the district where movement was more open. A monitored training zone was visible ahead behind reinforced barriers. Inside, controlled fights were happening. Nothing serious. Nothing real. Just regulated exchanges under supervision.
Lucian slowed slightly as he looked at it.
Clean strikes. Measured movement. Rules everywhere.
It wasn't what he wanted.
He looked away almost immediately and kept walking.
"Pointless," he muttered.
His phone buzzed in his pocket.
He pulled it out.
Pack message.
"Training session confirmed. Show up."
That was it.
No details. No discussion.
Lucian stared at it for a second, then locked the screen.
"Finally," he said under his breath.
It wasn't excitement.
More like relief that something was happening at all.
He turned his direction and started heading toward the meeting point.
His pace was steady now.
A few people passed him, but he wasn't really paying attention anymore. His mind wasn't calm, but it wasn't scattered either.
Just focused on one thing.
He just kept walking toward where things would actually happen.
The walk didn't take long.
The pack grounds were already active when he arrived. Wolves were gathering in loose groups, some stretching, some talking, some already stepping into position.
This kind of thing happened sometimes. Sudden sessions. No planning. Just call and move.
An older wolf waved him in. "You're in."
Lucian gave a small nod and stepped forward.
The space was open, rough ground marked by old training damage. Nothing fancy. Just a place to fight.
A few pairs were already going at it. No weapons, just hands and movement. Hard hits, quick recovery, no hesitation.
Lucian rolled his shoulders slightly as he looked around.
Then stepped into the circle.
The first opponent came in fast.
Lucian didn't step back.
He met it head-on.
The impact was sharp, immediate. Not clean, not controlled like the human training zones he had seen earlier. This was different. Real pressure, real force.
Lucian's expression changed slightly.