Chapter 98 Cole Confides
POV: Luna
Two days after the Council hearing, Cole asks me to stay after combat class.
"We need to work on your defensive techniques," he says. "The Council is watching closely. You need to demonstrate perfect control at all times."
"I know."
"So extra training. Tonight. After dinner. The advanced training grounds."
I agree, even though I'm exhausted from everything.
But Cole's right. I need to be flawless. Give the Council no reason to invoke the Binding Protocol.
That evening, I meet him at the training grounds as the sun sets.
He's already there, setting up equipment.
"Thank you for doing this," I say.
"You don't need to thank me. This is my job."
"Your job is teaching class. Not private lessons for students the Council wants to bind."
He pauses, then looks at me directly. "Maybe I have personal reasons for wanting to help you."
"What reasons?"
"Let's train first. Talk later."
We run through defensive drills for two hours. Blocking attacks. Deflecting spells. Maintaining shields while under pressure.
I'm improving. Getting faster. More precise.
"Better," Cole says. "But your shield wavers when you're emotionally stressed. You need to separate feelings from technique."
"Easier said than done."
"I know. But necessary."
We take a break. Sitting on the ground, catching our breath.
The moon is rising. Nearly full. In a few days, there will be another ceremony.
"You defended me at the Council hearing," I say. "You didn't have to do that."
"Yes, I did."
"Why? You barely know me."
Cole is quiet for a long moment. Then he speaks.
"I graduated from a different Academy three years ago. Coastal territory. I was a promising student. Strong. Talented. Destined for leadership in my father's pack."
"What happened?"
"I fell in love with someone I shouldn't have. A girl from a rival pack. Our families had been enemies for generations. But we thought we could overcome that. Thought love was stronger than politics."
His voice carries old pain. Deep pain.
"What happened?" I ask gently.
"Her family found out. They gave her an ultimatum. Renounce me. Or be cast out. Lose everything." He stares at the moon. "She chose her family. Chose safety over love. And I don't blame her. The consequences of choosing me were too high."
"I'm sorry."
"After that, I couldn't stay at my home pack. Couldn't watch her with someone else. Couldn't pretend everything was fine. So I left. Took a teaching position here. Started over."
"That's why you understand," I realize. "About losing someone. About grief."
"Yes. Different circumstances than yours. But the pain is similar. The sense of something vital being ripped away."
We sit in shared silence. Both of us carrying loss. Both of us trying to move forward.
"You said you had personal reasons for helping me," I say. "Is this it? Seeing yourself in my situation?"
"Partly. But also because I see potential in you. Real potential. And I'm tired of watching talented people be destroyed by fear and politics. It happened to me. I won't let it happen to you if I can prevent it."
Something shifts between us. Understanding. Connection.
Not just teacher and student. Something more personal.
"We should get back to training," he says, standing and offering his hand.
I take it, and he pulls me up.
But when our hands touch, something happens.
My mark flares. Hot and bright.
And I feel it. Magical resonance. Like our energies recognizing each other. Connecting.
We both freeze.
"Did you feel that?" I whisper.
"Yes. Your mark is reacting to my magical signature."
"Why would it do that?"
"I don't know. Eclipse marks react to powerful magic. Maybe that's all it is."
But something in his eyes suggests he's not sure.
We continue training, but the awareness between us has changed.
Every time we get close, my mark tingles. Aware. Alert.
Like it's drawn to him somehow.
"Luna, can I ask you something personal?" Cole says during our final cooldown.
"Sure."
"The human boy you lost. Miguel. Do you still love him?"
The question catches me off guard. "Yes. I always will."
"But you're here. Moving forward. Training. Surviving."
"Because that's what he wanted. Told me to keep living. Not to be trapped by grief."
"That's wise. Both of him to say and you to accept." Cole moves closer. "But it must be lonely. Carrying that loss while facing everything else you're dealing with."
"Sometimes. But I have friends. Pack. People who understand."
"And what about romance? Do you think you could love someone else? Eventually?"
My heart rate picks up. "I don't know. Maybe. Why?"
"Just curious. About how people move forward after loss. Whether it's possible to love again after something that profound."
He's not just asking about me. He's asking about himself too.
Whether he can move on from the girl who chose her family over him.
"I think it's possible," I say carefully. "But it takes time. And the right person. Someone who understands what you've been through. Who doesn't expect you to forget. Just to make room for something new."
"That's a mature perspective."
"Grief teaches you things. Whether you want to learn them or not."
We finish training and walk back toward the main Academy.
The campus is quiet this late. Most students already in their dorms.
"Same time tomorrow?" Cole asks.
"Yeah. Thanks for this. For all of this."
"Luna." He stops. "I meant what I said at the Council hearing. You're worth defending. Don't let them make you think otherwise."
"I'll try."
He hesitates, like he wants to say more. Then just nods and walks toward the faculty wing.
I head to my dorm, my mark still tingling from the resonance.
What was that? Why did my Eclipse mark react to Cole's magic so strongly?
Nova is waiting when I get back.
"How was training?"
"Good. Productive." I sit on my bed. "And weird."
"Weird how?"
"My mark reacted to Cole. When we touched. Magical resonance or something."
"That's significant. Eclipse marks don't just react to anyone."
"That's what I'm worried about."
"Or maybe it means he's trustworthy. Maybe your mark recognizes him as safe. As someone who can help you."
"Or maybe it means something else entirely. Something I don't understand yet."
I can't shake the feeling that the resonance meant something important.
But I don't know what.
And until I figure it out, I need to be careful.
Cole defended me at the Council. He's training me privately. He's shared personal history.
But is he genuinely helping? Or is there an ulterior motive?
The shadow caller shares his name. Has a connection to his family line.
Maybe that's why my mark reacts. Warning me. Telling me Cole is dangerous.
Or maybe I'm being paranoid.
Maybe Cole is exactly what he appears to be. A teacher who understands loss and wants to help a struggling student.
I don't know.
And not knowing is driving me crazy.
But for now, I need the training. Need his help.
So I'll work with him. Learn from him. Get stronger.
And I'll watch for signs of betrayal.
Just in case.