Chapter 31 Bonds Strengthen
POV: LUNA
I woke up sore. Every muscle ached from last night's rogue attack. The scratches on my arms had scabbed over. They'd heal faster than normal because of my wolf healing. But they still hurt.
Nova was already gone. Probably at breakfast. I grabbed my phone. Three missed texts from Ryder.
"Meet me at training grounds after breakfast. Private session."
"Need to work on your control. Last night was close."
"Don't be late."
I groaned. My body wanted to stay in bed. But Ryder was right. I'd barely survived two rogues. Next time could be worse.
I dragged myself out of bed. Got dressed. Grabbed my training gear.
The dining hall was crowded. Students talking about the upcoming full moon ceremony. About the challenge everyone knew was coming even if it wasn't official yet.
I spotted Nova sitting with Marcus. They waved me over.
"How are you feeling?" Nova asked. She looked worried.
"Like I got hit by a truck. But I'll live."
"Ryder said you're doing extra training today."
"Yeah. Control exercises. Apparently, I need work."
Marcus stirred his coffee. "Control is everything. Especially for someone with your power level. Lose control at the wrong moment and people die."
"Thanks for the pep talk."
"Just being honest."
I grabbed some food. Toast and eggs. My stomach was too twisted to eat much. But I needed energy for training.
Darius walked past our table. He didn't say anything. Just looked at me. That calculating expression he always wore. Like he was planning something.
I ignored him. Focused on eating. On preparing for whatever Ryder had planned.
After breakfast, I headed to the training grounds. The regular ones. Not the abandoned ones from last night.
Ryder was already there. Alone. No other students. No faculty watching.
"You're late."
"By two minutes."
"Two minutes can mean life or death."
I rolled my eyes but didn't argue. He was in serious mentor mode today.
"Last night you almost lost control. Your wolf wanted to fully shift. You barely held it back."
"I was fighting for my life. Kind of hard to stay calm."
"That's exactly when control matters most. When you're scared. When adrenaline is pumping. That's when your wolf takes over if you're not careful."
He gestured to the center of the training area. "We're going to work on controlling adrenaline spikes. Teaching your body to stay calm even when your mind is panicking."
"How?"
"By simulating high-stress situations. Over and over. Until your body learns the difference between real danger and panic."
That sounded terrible. But necessary.
Ryder started with basic exercises. Sprint drills while maintaining partial shift. My heart rate would spike. My wolf would push to surface. I had to keep control.
It was harder than it sounded.
Every time my heart raced, my wolf instincts screamed to shift fully. To run faster. To fight harder. Ignoring those instincts felt wrong. Unnatural.
"Don't fight your wolf," Ryder said. "Work with it. Acknowledge the instinct. Then choose your response."
"That doesn't make sense."
"Your wolf wants to protect you. But full shifts aren't always the answer. Sometimes partial shifts are smarter. More controlled. You need to teach your wolf that."
I tried again. Sprint. Heart racing. Wolf rising. This time, I didn't fight it. I acknowledged the urge to shift. Then made a conscious choice to stay partial.
It worked. Sort of. My control wasn't perfect. But it was better.
"Good. Again."
We repeated the drill. Over and over. My body exhausted. My mind stretched thin. But slowly, I was learning. My responses becoming more instinctive. More controlled.
After an hour, Ryder called a break. I collapsed on the grass. Breathing hard. Sweating through my clothes.
He sat beside me. Handed me a water bottle. "You're getting better."
"Doesn't feel like it."
"Trust me. You are. Most first years can't maintain partial shifts under stress. You're ahead of where you should be."
"Because I have to be. Because things keep trying to kill me."
"Unfortunately true."
We sat in silence. The training grounds quiet. Peaceful. A weird contrast to the chaos of my life lately.
"Can I ask you something?" I said.
"Sure."
"Why are you doing this? The extra training. The secret group. You're risking your position as a mentor. Your standing with faculty. Why?"
Ryder was quiet for a long moment. His expression thoughtful. "Because I've seen what happens when students aren't prepared. When they're thrown into danger without proper training. People die. And I refuse to let that happen again."
"Again?"
"I had a sister. Younger than me. She was marked. Powerful. Like you. Faculty didn't train her properly. Didn't prepare her for the reality of what she was facing. When rogues attacked, she wasn't ready. She died trying to protect other students."
My heart clenched. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry. Be strong. Be prepared. Honor her memory by surviving what she couldn't."
I understood then. Why Ryder pushed so hard. Why he cared so much. I reminded him of his sister. And he was determined not to lose someone else.
"I won't let you down."
"I know you won't."
Our eyes met. Held. Something shifted in that moment. Something I couldn't quite name.
Ryder wasn't just my mentor anymore. He was someone who understood. Who cared. Who saw me as more than just a student with potential.
He looked away first. Cleared his throat. "Let's run the drill again. This time, I'll add variables. Unexpected sounds. Movement in your peripheral vision. You need to maintain control even with distractions."
I stood. My legs protesting. But I pushed through the pain.
The next drill was harder. Ryder had other students create noise from the sidelines. Sudden movements. Anything to trigger my fight response.
My wolf wanted to react to everything. To turn and face potential threats. I had to consciously choose which threats were real and which were distractions.
It was mentally exhausting. But effective. By the end of the session, I could maintain partial shift through almost anything.
"That's enough for today," Ryder said. "You did good."
"I feel like I got hit by two trucks now instead of one."
He smiled. Actually smiled. It transformed his whole face. Made him look younger. Less burdened.
"Pain means you're growing. Embrace it."
"Easy for you to say."
We walked toward the equipment shed. Side by side. Close enough that our arms almost touched.
I found myself hyper-aware of his presence. The way he moved. The way his voice sounded when he was relaxed instead of in teaching mode.
This was bad. I shouldn't be feeling this way. Not about my mentor. Not when Miguel was in danger. Not when everything was so complicated.
But feelings didn't care about logic. They didn't care about timing. They just existed. Inconvenient and undeniable.
"Same time tomorrow?" Ryder asked.
"Yeah. Same time."
"And Luna? Be careful. Darius has been watching you more than usual. I don't trust whatever he's planning."
"I'll be careful."
Ryder left. I stood alone in the training grounds. Trying to sort through everything I was feeling.
That's when I saw him. Darius. Standing at the edge of the forest. Far enough away that most people wouldn't notice. But close enough to have seen everything.
Close enough to have watched Luna and Ryder training together. Talking. Sitting close during the break.
His expression was unreadable. But something in his posture made my skin crawl. He looked like a predator watching prey. Calculating. Planning.
Then he smiled. Not his usual smirk. Something darker. More dangerous.
He turned and disappeared into the trees. But I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd just made things worse.
Whatever Darius was planning, it had just escalated. And I had no idea what was coming.