Chapter 59 Trust in the Alpha
POV: Luna
"We start with breathing," Ryder says.
I blink. "Breathing?"
"Everything starts with breath. Your wolf instincts, your ability to sense danger, your control over panic. All of it connects to how you breathe."
He demonstrates. A slow, deep inhale through his nose, hold for three counts, then exhale through his mouth.
"Your turn."
I copy him, feeling slightly ridiculous.
"Good. Now keep doing that while I circle you. Don't watch me with your eyes. Sense where I am. Feel my presence."
He starts walking around me slowly. I keep my eyes straight ahead, breathing steadily.
At first, I don't feel anything. Just my own heartbeat and the morning air.
But then, as he moves behind me, something shifts. A prickling awareness at the base of my skull. Not quite sight or hearing. Something deeper.
"There," Ryder says. "You feel that? That's your wolf instincts starting to wake up properly. Most wolves can sense others nearby. Eclipse wolves can sense intent."
"Intent?"
"Whether someone means you harm. Whether they're friend or foe." He stops behind me. "What do you sense from me right now?"
I focus on that prickling feeling. It's... warm. Protective. No threat.
"Safe," I say. "You feel safe."
"Good. Now remember that feeling. Because when you're in a fight, you need to be able to distinguish between ally and enemy instantly. No time to think. Just instinct."
Over the next hour, he teaches me how to sharpen that sense. How to feel not just presence but movement. Direction. Speed.
"Anticipating attacks isn't about seeing them coming," he explains. "It's about feeling the shift in energy right before someone moves. Every creature, wolf or otherwise, creates a ripple in the air when they attack. You just need to learn to read it."
He lunges at me without warning.
My body reacts before my brain catches up. I sidestep, and his hand passes through empty air.
"Excellent. Again."
We do it over and over. He attacks from different angles, different speeds. Sometimes I dodge successfully. Sometimes I don't.
But I'm getting better. Faster.
"Your adrenaline is spiking," he observes after I dodge three attacks in a row. "I can see it in your movements. You're getting sloppy."
He's right. My heart is racing, my breathing uneven.
"Adrenaline is useful in small doses. It sharpens your reflexes, gives you strength. But too much and you lose control. Your movements become predictable." He walks over to me. "Feel your heart rate right now. Feel how fast it's going."
I nod, my pulse pounding in my ears.
"Now slow it down. Consciously. Use the breathing technique."
"I can't just slow my heart rate."
"You can. You're Eclipse. Your body responds to your will more than normal wolves." His voice is calm, steady. "Breathe with me."
We breathe together. Slow and deep.
And impossibly, my heart rate starts to decrease. The panic edges away.
"Better," Ryder says. "Now try again."
We train for another two hours. By the end, I'm exhausted but exhilarated.
I successfully dodged fifteen attacks in a row. Controlled my adrenaline three times. Even managed to anticipate one of his movements before he made it.
"You're a fast learner," Ryder says, tossing me a water bottle. "Most students take weeks to develop that level of instinct control."
"I have good motivation. Not wanting to die and all."
He almost smiles. "Fair point."
We sit on a bench at the edge of the training grounds, both catching our breath.
"Can I ask you something?" I say.
"Of course."
"Why are you doing this? Training me personally. Going out of your way to help me."
Ryder is quiet for a moment. "Because I see something in you that most wolves don't have. Potential. Real potential. And because..." He pauses. "Because I failed someone once. Someone who needed training and protection. And I won't make that mistake again."
There's pain in his voice. Old pain.
"Who did you fail?"
"That's a story for another time." He stands. "Come on. One more exercise before we're done for today."
He leads me to the center of the grounds where a series of posts are set up in a circle.
"This is about reaction time. I'm going to throw things at you from different directions. Your job is to dodge or catch them. Don't think. Just react."
"What kind of things?"
He picks up a small ball and throws it at my head without warning.
I catch it on pure instinct.
"Good. Keep that up."
For the next twenty minutes, he throws objects at me from all angles. Balls. Sticks. Even a few foam weapons.
I dodge most of them. Catch some. Get hit by a few.
But with each attempt, my reactions get sharper. My confidence grows.
"Enough," Ryder finally calls. "You're getting tired. We'll pick this up tomorrow."
I'm drenched in sweat and my muscles are screaming, but I feel alive. Powerful.
More like myself than I have in weeks.
"Same time tomorrow?" I ask.
"Same time. And Luna?" He catches my eye. "You did well today. Really well. Keep this up and you'll be ready for whatever comes next."
"You think something else is coming?"
"I know something else is coming. Whoever sent those rogues after you won't stop. They'll try again. Different method, same goal." His expression is serious. "But when they do, you'll be ready."
I nod, appreciating his honesty even though it scares me.
We walk back toward the main Academy building together. The morning classes are starting, and students stream past us toward the Great Hall for breakfast.
A few of them stare at me. Whisper as I pass.
The girl who survived five rogues.
The Eclipse wolf.
The target.
I try to ignore them, but it's hard.
Ryder notices. "They're curious. Scared. You're different from them. Different is always threatening."
"Great. Just what I need. More reasons for people to hate me."
"Not everyone hates you. You have friends. Real ones." He glances at me. "And you have me. For whatever that's worth."
There's something in his voice. Something warm.
I look up at him, and our eyes meet.
For a moment, the world seems to narrow to just the two of us. His amber eyes hold mine, and I see something there I haven't noticed before.
Not just concern. Not just professional interest.
Something deeper.
My heart does a weird flip.
"Ryder, I—"
"Get some rest," he says quickly, breaking the moment. "Eat something. You burned a lot of energy today. I'll see you tomorrow morning."
He walks away before I can respond.
I stand there for a moment, confused and slightly breathless.
What was that?
"Interesting."
I spin around.
Darius is leaning against a tree at the edge of the training grounds, partially hidden in shadows. He's watching me with that infuriating smirk.
"How long have you been there?"
"Long enough." He pushes off from the tree and walks closer. "Private training sessions with Ryder. How cozy."
"It's not like that."
"Isn't it?" His smirk widens. "The way he looks at you. The way you look at him. Very sweet. Very... distracting."
"What do you want, Darius?"
"Just observing. Taking notes. You know, for future reference." He circles me slowly, like a predator. "You're getting stronger. I'll give you that. But strength isn't everything, Eclipse. Sometimes the strongest wolves fall the hardest."
"Is that a threat?"
"It's advice. Free of charge." He stops in front of me. "You're making yourself a very visible target. All this extra training. All this attention. People are starting to wonder if you're worth the trouble you bring."
"I don't bring trouble. Trouble finds me."
"Does it? Or do you seek it out?" He leans in slightly. "That little adventure you and your friends took a few nights ago. Breaking curfew. Leaving campus. Very risky behavior."
My blood runs cold. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't I?" His eyes glitter dangerously. "I know more than you think, Luna Eclipse. And so do others. So maybe you should be more careful. About where you go. Who you trust. What secrets you think you're keeping."
He walks away, leaving me standing there with a sick feeling in my stomach.
He knows. Somehow, Darius knows we left campus.
And if he knows, who else does?