Chapter 211 Midnight Training
POV: Luna
After the Shadow Sister's warning, I couldn't sleep.
Cole returning. Soon. With increased power. Planning revenge.
We needed to be ready. Better prepared. Stronger.
I called midnight training. Optional. Voluntary. For anyone who wanted to sharpen skills.
My entire pack showed up. Plus Selene. Plus Caleb. Plus a few others.
Darius Kane appeared too. Alpha's son. He'd been watching from the sidelines. Now he was stepping up.
"Figured you could use extra bodies," he said.
"Always."
We gathered in the private training room. Warded. Secure. Safe.
"We're drilling coordination," I announced. "Pack tactics. Synchronized attacks. Defensive formations. Everything we'll need when Cole returns."
"You're certain he's returning?" someone asked.
"The Shadow Sister warned me. And my instincts confirm it. He's coming. We need to be ready."
We started with basics. Pairing off. Practicing combinations.
Selene worked with me. Demonstrating her hybrid form. Her increased magical mastery.
"Watch," I told the group. "See how she maintains human intelligence while using wolf instincts. How she channels royal magic through shifted form. This is advanced technique. Learn from it."
Selene demonstrated beautifully. Shifting smoothly. Channeling perfectly. Controlling completely.
"That's incredible," Darius breathed. "How long did that take to master?"
"Months," Selene said. "With Luna's guidance. Without her, I'd still be losing control. Dangerous to myself and others."
Through the Guardian Bond, I felt her gratitude. Her pride. Her absolute trust.
"Your turn," I said to the others. "Practice partial shifting. Maintaining enough human to use magic. Enough wolf for instinct and strength."
Everyone tried. Some succeeded. Some struggled. All improved.
I moved through the room. Correcting. Guiding. Teaching.
Found myself beside Caleb. Watching him work with a first-year student.
His teaching style. The way he explained. The way he demonstrated. The way he encouraged.
All Miguel. Every gesture. Every word. Every movement.
"You're good at this," I said.
"I've taught before. Different students. Different techniques. Same principles."
"Where? When?"
"Eastern Territories. Various academies. I traveled. Learned from many masters. Taught what I learned to others."
Plausible. But I didn't believe it.
"Your instincts," I said. "They mirror someone I knew. Someone I lost. Someone important."
"Do they?"
"You know they do. You know exactly who I'm talking about. Why won't you just tell me? Confirm what I already know?"
"Because the revelation needs to be perfect. Supported. Timed correctly. Too soon and it breaks you. Too late and it destroys us. I'm waiting for the right moment. The perfect circumstances. The safest time."
"When will that be?"
"Soon. Very soon. I promise. When Cole returns. When the final battle begins. When you need all your strength. Then I'll tell you. Then you'll know. Then everything changes."
Before I could respond, Liam appeared. Protective. Concerned.
"Everything okay?" he asked.
"Fine. Just discussing teaching techniques."
Through the mate bond, Liam felt my conflict. My certainty. My emotional turmoil.
"Luna," he said gently. "Take a break. You've been pushing hard. Rest for a few minutes."
"I'm fine."
"You're not. I can feel it. Through the bond. The exhaustion. The emotional strain. The constant vigilance. It's wearing on you."
He was right. I was exhausted. Drained. Running on determination and stubbornness.
"Okay. Five minutes. Then back to training."
We stepped outside. Fresh air. Quiet. Just us.
"Talk to me," Liam said. "Really talk. Not brave face. Not pack leader. Just Luna."
"I'm scared. Terrified. Cole's returning. The architects are planning. The Shadow Sisters are threatening. And Caleb. Caleb is Miguel. I'm certain. But he won't confirm. Won't explain. Won't give me the truth I desperately need."
"Why do you think he won't confirm?"
"Because he's protecting me. From emotional overload. From impossible choices. From devastating revelations at the wrong time."
"Is that protective? Or manipulative?"
"Both. Neither. I don't know. Everything about him is confusing. Familiar. Right and wrong simultaneously."
"And how do you feel? About Miguel potentially being back? About Caleb being him?"
"Conflicted. I loved Miguel. Grieved him. Accepted his loss. Moved on with you. If he's back. If he's alive in Caleb's form. What does that mean? For us? For me? For my heart?"
"It means you have choices. Complicated. Difficult. But choices. You can love both. Accept both. Or choose one. Whatever you decide, I'll support. Because I love you. Not possessively. Not conditionally. Just completely."
Through the mate bond, I felt his absolute sincerity. His love. His trust.
"Thank you. For understanding. For not being threatened. For being impossibly patient with this mess."
"It's not a mess. It's your life. Complicated. Beautiful. Impossible. And I'm honored to be part of it."
We kissed. Reaffirming. Reconnecting. Loving.
Then we returned to training.
Worked for another hour. Everyone improving. Coordinating. Strengthening.
Then I felt it. Through my Eclipse mark. Through the wards. Through everything.
A pulse. Magical. Powerful. Hostile.
"Something's wrong," I said.
Everyone stopped. Alert. Ready.
The pulse came again. Stronger. Closer. More insistent.
"Near the training grounds," Caleb said. "Eastern perimeter. Multiple signatures. Coordinated. Organized."
"How many?" Darius asked.
"At least twenty. Maybe more. Hard to tell with the interference."
"Interference from what?"
"Dark magic. Masking. Hiding. Making exact numbers impossible to determine."
The pulse flared again. Violent. Aggressive. Imminent.
"They're attacking," I realized. "Now. Tonight. While we're vulnerable. While we're isolated."
"Defensive positions!" Liam ordered. "Everyone! Form up! Protect each other!"
We mobilized. Instantly. Perfectly. Coordinated.
Just as the attack began.