The wave of light that radiated from Ema filled the entire room in a warm, shimmering glow. Leo blinked against the sudden brightness, his claws retracting instinctively as the energy settled around them.
"Ema, what was that?" he asked cautiously, feeling a subtle but powerful pulse in the air.
Ema chuckled softly. "Mind wave. It changes some memories about a thing or two—nothing that could cause an accident, of course."
Leo stared at her, stunned. "And its range?"
She smiled knowingly. "The whole central world."
Leo gave her a look that clearly said: are you joking?
Ema laughed. "What, you think I'm a spirit for no reason? Besides, not all creatures are affected—only a few you know, and mortals. Any supernatural beings will notice immediately."
Leo looked at her like she'd sprouted a new pair of wings before shaking his head. "I'm just going to leave. See you later."
Ema chuckled again. "See you later."
As Leo stepped out of the log house, he glanced back one last time before transforming into a green wind and vanishing.
-----
Back at La Push, in a local hotel just before dawn, two men sat in a corner room with a woman between them.
Ethan rubbed his eyebrows under the wary smile of his mother and grandfather. Sighing, he said, "So let me get this straight—Leonard has the ability to help us control our beast perfectly, without the risk of going black?"
They nodded. His mother added, "That's the short version, but yeah."
Ethan shook his head in disbelief. "Is that even possible? Even our ancestors didn't have that kind of gift."
His grandfather's eyes darkened. "No, he wasn't born with it. He earned it."
Ethan was about to ask more when a phone rang. Elisabeth answered, her face suddenly tense. She ended the call quickly and turned to her father, concern etched in her features.
"Some people in the forest lookout are having problems. Those with strong control are fine, but others have lost it—their beasts broke loose in the watch grounds, and they're still rampaging."
The old man nodded grimly and stood by the window. "I guess we'll have to leave. I was hoping to see him before we went back, but that'll have to wait."
He motioned for his companions to come closer. As they did, a blue mist engulfed the three of them, and they disappeared.
Back at the Cullen house, the family had just finished their day. Alice and the others returned, trailing a grumpy Rosalie who hadn't yet met her mate.
Edward chuckled as they entered, causing Rosalie to glare. "What?"
He shook his head. "Nothing. Just good to see you're trying to claim first place."
The family exchanged confused looks while Rosalie growled, scratching her head. "Can you damn stay out of my brain?"
Alice smiled. "I bet you want to meet him first?"
That piqued the family's interest. Rosalie snarled, "Can you blame me? I've been waiting forever! Now I have to share?"
She sighed and snorted. "At least I'll lead my sisters. Let's see if he can handle the bullying."
The family smiled, and Emmett teased, "You're already calling them sisters? That's a good sign."
That earned him a glare and a punch from his mate.
Despite the banter, the night passed peacefully for the Cullens. But for Leo, things were far from calm. The world was revealing itself in its true colors—wild, dangerous, and full of secrets.
On the cliffs near La Push beach, the wind picked up, coalescing into a human shape. A tall man, 2.2 meters, with silver hair streaked with black and gray, looked around thoughtfully.
Leo sighed and pulled out his phone. "Alfred, are the monitoring systems still active?"
[Yes, sir, but until we can scan meta-energy, we're stuck with normal sensors. Also, the heat signature of the Rageheart group disappeared from the hotel. I can track phone signals in DC but not exact locations. May I activate spy protocol?]
Leo paused as a video feed appeared on the wall—three people talking in a room before suddenly disappearing.
"Hmm, interesting... some kind of spatial ability? Sure, but they'll notice the conditions. Go ahead and activate it."
He nodded and looked around, shifting into an eagle to fly back toward his house. But then he stopped, remembering something. "I forgot—I can summon beasts from the nearby forest. They'll make good guards."
Shifting back to human form, his shadow expanded as creatures emerged: a pack of eight wolves, two tigers, and three jaguars.
Pointing at his house, he said, "That's home. Guard it quietly, protect the mundane people, and those with stopped hearts and golden eyes. Don't bother the big wolves on the other side. If you find any with red eyes and stopped hearts, bring them here. If attacked, don't kill—but feel free to play with them."
The animals bowed and disappeared into the forest.
Leo sighed, entering his house to shower and try on clothes—none fit yet.
He grabbed his phone again. "Alfred, get someone to bring new clothes, and check if you can update things at school."
Looking in the mirror, he muttered, "Also, see if there's an opening for a new teacher. I doubt anyone still thinks I'm a teenager."
[Open positions: art, music, science. Which one, sir?]
"Check the Cullen's timetable, too."
[Done.]
After studying the hologram, Leo nodded. "Art and music will do."
[Shall I reveal your 'Moon Lion' persona, or keep it confidential?]
"Tell the principal about the persona. If he asks about you, say you're my butler."
[Affirmative... Done. You have a meeting with the principal the day after tomorrow. Is that okay?]
"Fast! Wasn't that too quick?"
[No, sir. I found him online, and coincidentally, he's a fan of your work. Things sped up.]
Leo sighed, smiling. "Good to have you, Alfred. The day after tomorrow works."
[Clothes are on their way, sir.]
The door opened, revealing a robot holding a package. Leo raised an eyebrow.
"Nearby shop?"
[Negative, sir. I used the underground facility to tailor them in your style but the correct size.]
Leo chuckled, rubbing his brow. "I forgot about that. I really need some sleep."
Lying back after changing into boxers, he said, "Wake me at 9:00, Alfred. Good night."
[Good night, sir.]
Morning came peacefully. After a shower and breakfast, Leo remembered the garage footage.
"Alfred, put the garage footage on the TV, triple speed."
[Affirmative.]
The screen showed Rosalie working on her car. Leo watched, spellbound, smiling wide and forgetting his food.
As the footage ended, he sighed. "No wonder they give such strange descriptions about bonds and mates. But... this feeling, just from a video?"
His heart raced toward her.
Standing, he headed to the basement training room. "Alfred, alert me if anyone comes."
[Affirmative, sir. Should I block access?]
"No, just let them be."
He stood in the center and scratched his claws against the floor. "Targeting system on."
Walls opened with multiple holes revealing an array of gun muzzles.
"Start in five seconds. Level 7 lethality. Target me."
He released his claws, took a fighting stance, and braced as dozens of bullets—from lethal to armor-piercing—fired at him.