Chapter 58 First Lessons
Jolie POV
"This is going to hurt."
Elena leads me away from camp, deeper into the forest where the trees grow so thick the sunlight barely penetrates. My boots crunch on fallen pine needles, and the air smells rich.
"You already said that." I hug myself, suddenly cold despite my jacket. "About six times now."
"Because you need to understand." She stops in a small clearing where a circle of white stones sits in the grass. "What I did yesterday was emergency treatment. I created pathways, but I didn't teach you how to use them. Today, we actually begin training, and training means pushing your limits until you break through them."
"Great." I step into the circle of stones, feeling immediately different. The air here thrums with energy that makes my skin prickle. "So how does this work?"
"Sit." Elena points to the center. "Cross-legged, hands on your knees."
I do as she says, and the moment I settle into position, the moonfire in my chest stirs awake.
"Close your eyes." Elena's voice becomes softer, almost hypnotic. "Feel the pathways inside you. They're new, raw, unfamiliar. But they're yours now. Find them."
I close my eyes and turn my awareness inward.
It's like diving into deep water. At first, there's nothing but darkness and the sound of my own heartbeat. Then slowly, I start to see them—silver lines running through my body like rivers of light. The pathways Elena created.
"Good." She must sense my discovery somehow. "Now, call the moonfire. Let it flow through those channels instead of burning against your skin."
I reach for the power, and it rises eagerly, rushing up from some bottomless well inside me. Instead of fighting it, I guide it toward the pathways.
The first touch of moonfire against the new channels feels like ice water in my veins. I gasp, and my eyes fly open.
"Keep going." Elena's voice is stern. "The pain means it's working."
I close my eyes again and push through the cold burn. The moonfire flows into the pathways, and suddenly, I can feel it spreading throughout my entire body. Not consuming, but filling, like water being poured into an empty vessel.
"How does it feel?" Elena asks.
"Cold." My teeth chatter. "But not painful. Just... intense."
"That's because you're finally using the power correctly." I hear satisfaction in her voice. "Before, you were trying to contain an explosion. Now you're channeling it, directing it. The moonfire was never meant to be locked away—it's meant to flow."
The cold sensation starts to warm, and gradually, the burning transforms into something pleasant. Like sitting by a fire on a winter night instead of being thrown into the flames.
"Open your eyes."
I do, and immediately see silver light glowing beneath my skin. The pathways are visible through my arms, my hands, tracing delicate patterns that look almost like tattoos.
"Whoa." I turn my hands over, watching the light pulse in time with my heartbeat. "Is this normal?"
"For a moonfire wolf? Yes." Elena circles me slowly. "The light will fade when you're not actively using the power. But those of us who can see will always recognize what you are."
"What about Ryder? Can he see it?"
"Your mate will sense it more than see it. The bond between you makes him sensitive to your power." She stops in front of me. "Now, for the hard part."
"That wasn't the hard part?"
"Not even close." Elena raises her hand, and suddenly, a ball of bright blue fire appears in her palm. "I'm going to attack you. Your job is to defend yourself using only the moonfire."
"Wait, what?" I scramble to my feet. "You're going to attack me?"
"How else will you learn combat applications?" She throws the fireball without warning.
I yelp and dive sideways. The fireball hits where I was standing, scorching the grass black.
"Stop dodging!" Elena conjures another ball of flame. "Use your power!"
"I don't know how!" Another fireball comes, and this time, I'm not fast enough. It clips my shoulder, and the pain explodes through my arm.
"Then figure it out!" Elena doesn't give me time to recover. Fire rains down in multiple attacks, forcing me to keep moving.
The moonfire surges in my chest, responding to my panic. Without thinking, I throw my hands up, and silver light pours from my palms in a wave.
The fire hits my shield and dissipates harmlessly.
"There!" Elena stops attacking, lowering her hands. "That's instinct. That's the power protecting you because you let it."
I drop my hands, breathing hard. The shield fades, and I'm left shaking with adrenaline. "You could have warned me!"
"Would it have worked if I warned you?" She tilts her head. "Fear triggers instinct faster than anything else. And right now, your instincts are your best teacher."
My shoulder throbs where the fire hit me. I look down and see the fabric of my shirt burned away, the skin underneath red and blistered.
"Heal it," Elena commands.
"What?"
"You have healing power. I saw it in your pathways yesterday." She crosses her arms. "Heal yourself."
"I've only healed other people." I touch the burn gently, wincing. "And every time I do, I almost pass out."
"That was before the pathways. Try again."
I place my hand over the burn and reach for the moonfire. It comes easily now, flowing through the channels Elena created. Silver light blooms under my palm, and I watch as the blistered skin smooths out, becoming whole and perfect again.
When I take my hand away, there's no sign of injury. And more importantly, I don't feel like I'm about to collapse.
"How" I stare at my healed shoulder. "It didn't drain me."
"Because you're channeling the power properly now." Elena actually smiles, and it transforms her ancient face. "This is what I meant about being a channel instead of a container. The moonfire doesn't deplete you when it flows through you correctly."
I flex my arm, testing it. Everything feels normal, strong even. "So I can heal people without dying now?"
"You can do a lot of things without dying now." Elena gestures to the forest around us. "Come. There's more to learn."
She leads me deeper into the woods, to a place where massive boulders are scattered like toys. Water trickles somewhere nearby, and moss covers everything in thick green carpets.
"Lift that." Elena points to a boulder easily twice my size.
"With the moonfire?" I ask.
"Yes. The power isn't just defensive. It can enhance your physical abilities too." She demonstrates by picking up a rock the size of my head with one hand, holding it effortlessly. "Moonfire wolves of old were said to match alphas in strength when they channeled properly."
I approach the boulder and place my hands on the cold stone. Then I reach for the moonfire and push it through the pathways, directing it into my arms and legs.
Power floods my muscles, and suddenly, the boulder feels light as foam. I lift it over my head with a shout of triumph.
"Excellent!" Elena claps once. "Now throw it."
I heave the boulder, and it sails through the air before crashing into the trees fifty feet away with a sound like thunder.
"Holy hell." I stare at my hands. "I just threw a boulder."
"You channeled divine strength through a mortal body." Elena's expression grows serious. "But remember—this power has limits. Push too hard, too fast, and you'll burn through your energy reserves regardless of the pathways. The key is balance."
She puts me through exercise after exercise. Lifting, running, fighting invisible opponents while maintaining the flow of moonfire through my body. Each task grows harder, pushing me closer to my limits.
By the time the sun starts to set, I'm exhausted in a way that has nothing to do with the moonfire. My muscles ache, my head pounds, and I can barely walk straight.
"Enough for today." Elena catches my arm when I stumble. "You did well, child. Better than I expected."
"Doesn't feel like it." I lean on her heavily as we walk back toward camp. "Feels like I got hit by a truck."
"That's your body adapting to new power. It will get easier." She helps me over a fallen log. "Tomorrow, we work on precision control. Today was about learning to let the power flow. Tomorrow, you learn to direct it exactly where you want it."
We emerge from the trees, and I see Ryder pacing by the fire. The moment he spots me, he crosses the clearing in three long strides.
"You okay?" He takes me from Elena, his hands gentle despite his obvious worry.
"Just tired." I sag against his chest. "Elena's training is intense."
"She looks like she's about to collapse." He glares at the ancient healer.
"She needs to be pushed." Elena's expression doesn't change. "Comfort won't prepare her for what's coming."
"What is coming?" Ryder demands.
Elena looks between us, and for the first time, I see real fear in her ancient eyes. "I had a vision last night while the girl slept. A pack of hunters, silver bullets and hate in their hearts, coming north toward these mountains."
My blood runs cold. "Gio."
"Perhaps." Elena's gaze settles on me. "Or perhaps something worse. Either way, they'll be here within a week. Which means you have seven days to learn what should take seven months."
She walks away, leaving us standing in the fading light.