Chapter 49 Growing Connection
POV: Luna
My arm is wrapped in clean bandages when I show up for training three days later.
The medical wing kept me overnight after the rogue attack, pumping me full of healing potions and checking for infection. The bite marks are already fading, barely more than pink scars now.
But I can still feel the rogue's teeth sinking into my flesh. Still see those red eyes watching me from the darkness.
"You're cleared for light training only," Nurse Willow told me this morning. "No shifting. No combat. Just basic exercises."
So here I am, standing at the edge of the training grounds while everyone else runs drills.
Ryder approaches, his expression unreadable.
"How's the arm?"
"Better. Still sore."
"Good." He gestures toward the far side of the grounds. "Come on. We'll work on footwork and balance. Nothing that'll stress the injury."
We walk away from the main group. I can feel eyes on us. Everyone knows what happened. Everyone knows Ryder saved me.
The whispers have been constant.
"Did you hear Luna got attacked?"
"Ryder killed two rogues by himself."
"They say she would've died if he hadn't shown up."
I try to ignore them, but it's hard.
Ryder leads me to a quieter section of the grounds where training dummies are set up. He grabs two practice staffs and tosses one to me.
"Let's see your stance."
I position myself the way he taught me weeks ago. Feet shoulder-width apart. Knees slightly bent. Weight balanced.
He circles me slowly, studying my form.
"Better. Your balance has improved." He taps my left foot with his staff. "But you're still favoring your right side. That's a weakness someone can exploit."
I shift my weight, trying to distribute it evenly.
"Good. Now, show me your defensive blocks. Slow motion. Don't strain the arm."
We move through the exercises carefully. Block high. Block low. Deflect left. Deflect right.
It's almost meditative. Just the two of us, the sound of wood striking wood, and the morning sun warming my back.
"You've come a long way since your first day," Ryder says after a while. "Remember how you could barely hold a stance for thirty seconds?"
I laugh. "Don't remind me. I thought I was going to pass out."
"Now you can go for hours." He pauses. "Your instincts are sharp. That's what saved you during the attack. You didn't freeze. You fought."
"I got bit."
"You survived. Against three rogues. Most first years wouldn't have lasted ten seconds."
The praise makes something warm bloom in my chest.
"I had a good teacher."
"You had natural talent. I just helped you refine it." He sets down his staff and gestures for me to do the same. "Take a break. Don't push too hard."
We sit on a nearby bench. The rest of the class is still running drills in the distance, their shouts and laughter carrying on the wind.
"Thank you," I say quietly. "For saving me. I never properly thanked you."
"You don't need to thank me for doing my job."
"It was more than your job. You could've been hurt."
Ryder looks at me, and there's something in his eyes I haven't seen before. Something soft.
"I wasn't going to let anything happen to you, Luna."
The way he says my name sends a shiver through me. Not my last name like usual. Just Luna.
"I'm glad you were there," I whisper.
We're sitting close. Close enough that I can see the flecks of gold in his amber eyes. Close enough to notice the small scar above his left eyebrow.
He reaches out slowly, giving me time to pull away if I want to.
I don't.
His fingers brush a strand of hair away from my face, tucking it behind my ear. The touch is gentle. Almost reverent.
"You scared me that night," he admits. "When I heard you scream."
"I scared myself."
"You shouldn't have been out there alone."
"I know."
"Promise me you won't do that again."
"I promise."
His hand lingers near my face, and for a moment, I think he might kiss me.
Part of me wants him to.
But then Miguel's face flashes in my mind. His smile. His laugh. The way he looked at me like I was his entire world.
Guilt crashes over me like a wave.
I pull back slightly, breaking the moment.
Ryder notices. Of course he notices.
"I'm sorry," I say quickly. "I just—"
"You're not ready. I understand."
"It's not that. It's just complicated."
"The human boy. Miguel."
I look at him in surprise. "How did you—"
"I pay attention." Ryder stands and picks up the practice staffs. "You talk about him in your sleep sometimes. During recovery training."
Heat floods my face. "Oh God. What do I say?"
"Nothing embarrassing. Just his name. Like you're looking for him." Ryder's expression is carefully neutral. "You love him."
It's not a question.
"I did. I do. I don't know." I press my hands to my face. "He's human. He's in a completely different world now. And I'm here. Becoming something he could never understand."
"But you still feel connected to him."
"Yes."
Ryder is quiet for a long moment. Then he says, "Love doesn't just disappear because circumstances change. You're allowed to still care about him while figuring out who you are here."
"Is it fair to you, though? To feel this pull toward you while I'm still thinking about someone else?"
"I'm not asking you to choose right now, Luna. I'm just asking you to be honest with yourself about what you feel."
"What I feel is confused."
He smiles slightly. "Confusion is a start."
We go back to training, but something has shifted between us. The air feels charged. Electric.
Every time our hands brush while passing equipment, I feel it. Every time he corrects my stance and his fingers graze my waist, my pulse quickens.
This is dangerous territory.
I barely know Ryder. He's my mentor. My teacher. Someone who's supposed to be keeping professional distance.
But when he looks at me like he did on that bench, professional distance feels impossible.
By the end of training, I'm exhausted and confused and feeling things I shouldn't be feeling.
"Same time tomorrow," Ryder says as we're packing up. "We'll work on agility drills."
"Okay."
"And Luna?" He catches my wrist gently. "Be careful. Those rogues are still out there. Don't go anywhere alone until we know what they wanted."
"I won't."
He releases me, and I head back toward the dorms with the other students.
Nova immediately falls into step beside me.
"So," she says with a knowing grin. "You and Ryder looked cozy during training."
"We were just practicing."
"Uh huh. Is that what they're calling it now?"
"Nova—"
"I'm just saying, the way he looks at you is not very teacher-like."
I want to argue, but she's right. And that's the problem.
We reach the dorms and I'm about to head inside when I feel it.
That prickling sensation on the back of my neck.
Someone's watching me.
I turn and scan the courtyard.
There. Near the far building.
Darius.
He's leaning against a wall, arms crossed, staring directly at me. When our eyes meet, he smirks.
Then he pushes off the wall and walks away, but not before glancing meaningfully at the training grounds.
At Ryder.
My stomach drops.
He saw us. Saw the moment on the bench. Saw the way Ryder touched my face.
And from the look on Darius's face, he's already planning how to use it against me.