The training grounds sat deep inside Shadowfang territory, hidden between towering pine trees and jagged stone cliffs. The earth there was scarred from years of battles, claw marks slicing across rocks like reminders of past wars.
Nyra stood at the center of the clearing, her boots sinking slightly into damp soil. Cold morning air brushed against her skin, but it did nothing to cool the nervous heat burning in her chest.
Around them, several pack warriors lingered at a distance, pretending to train while secretly watching her.
Judging her.
Fearing her.
Kael stepped beside her, arms folded across his chest, his presence heavy and commanding as always.
"Today," he said, "you stop seeing your power as something that controls you."
Nyra exhaled shakily. "And start what? Controlling it?"
"Yes."
"That sounds… unrealistic."
Kael turned his golden eyes toward her. "So does commanding an entire pack without trying. Yet here we are."
Nyra winced. "You don't have to remind me."
"I do," he said firmly. "Because pretending you're normal will get you killed."
The bluntness struck her harder than she expected.
Kael motioned toward the far end of the clearing where several large stone pillars stood upright, each carved with ancient symbols similar to those inside the lodge.
"These stones are enchanted to absorb supernatural energy," he explained. "You'll practice on them."
Nyra stared at the pillars nervously. "And if I can't control it?"
Kael's expression didn't change. "Then I stop you."
She swallowed. "Comforting."
He stepped closer, lowering his voice so only she could hear.
"I won't let you lose yourself," he said quietly.
Something in her chest tightened.
"Okay," she whispered.
Kael moved back, giving her space. "Start by feeling the energy. Don't force it. Let it surface naturally."
Nyra closed her eyes, taking a deep breath like he taught her the night before. She focused inward, searching for the strange warmth that lived beneath her skin.
At first, there was nothing.
Then—
A faint pulse.
Like a second heartbeat.
"I feel it," she said softly.
"Good," Kael replied. "Now guide it toward your hands."
Nyra slowly lifted her palms. The pulse flickered uncertainly, reacting to her focus. A faint silver glow shimmered beneath her skin, barely visible.
Excitement sparked inside her.
Then fear followed immediately.
The glow intensified.
"Easy," Kael warned.
"I'm trying."
The energy suddenly surged faster than she expected. Wind spiraled around her feet, lifting dust and leaves into the air. The watching wolves tensed instantly.
Nyra's breathing quickened.
"Nyra, ground yourself," Kael ordered.
"It's not listening!"
"Because you're panicking!"
The energy exploded outward in a sharp burst.
The nearest stone pillar cracked down the middle with a thunderous snap.
Nyra gasped, stumbling backward. "I didn't mean to—"
"Again," Kael said firmly.
She stared at him in disbelief. "Did you not just see that?!"
"Yes," he replied calmly. "Which means you're capable of far more. Now try again."
Frustration flared in her chest. "You make this sound easy!"
"I never said it would be easy," he said. "I said it would be necessary."
Nyra clenched her fists. "Fine."
She tried again.
This time, she focused on Kael's voice, the steadiness of his presence anchoring her racing thoughts. Slowly, she pulled the energy forward, guiding it toward her palms.
The glow returned… brighter… steadier.
"Good," Kael said softly.
Encouragement warmed her chest.
She aimed toward the next pillar and released the power carefully.
A controlled wave shot forward, striking the stone with a heavy thud. The pillar trembled but remained standing.
Nyra's eyes widened. "I did it."
A small smile flickered across Kael's lips — quick and rare, but real.
"You did."
The warmth in her chest expanded proudly.
Then suddenly—
A sharp scream echoed from the tree line.
Nyra turned as one of the younger wolves collapsed, clutching his chest as if struggling to breathe. Several others staggered, dropping to their knees.
Panic surged through her instantly.
"I didn't touch them!" she cried.
Kael's head snapped toward the wolves, realization flashing across his face.
"You linked your power to the pack again," he said.
"I don't know how to stop it!"
The energy around her spiraled wildly, reacting to her fear. The air thickened with invisible pressure, forcing nearby wolves further to the ground.
"Nyra, look at me!" Kael commanded.
She couldn't. Terror blurred her vision as the power spiraled out of control again. The ground beneath her cracked, spreading outward like spiderweb fractures.
"I'm hurting them!" she sobbed.
Kael moved fast.
He stepped directly into the storm of her energy, ignoring the force pushing against him. The pressure bent the trees around them, wind roaring violently through the clearing.
"Kael, don't!" she cried.
He grabbed her shoulders firmly.
"Focus on me," he said, his voice cutting through the chaos.
"I can't control it!"
"Yes, you can."
"It's too strong!"
His golden eyes locked onto hers, glowing brighter as his wolf surfaced beneath his skin.
"Then borrow my strength," he said.
Before she could react, Kael pulled her against him, wrapping his arms around her in a tight, protective hold. The contact sent a powerful shock through her body, their energies colliding and intertwining like clashing storms.
Nyra gasped as warmth flooded her veins, stabilizing the violent surge inside her.
"Feel my heartbeat," Kael whispered near her ear.
She did.
Strong.
Steady.
Unyielding.
"Match it," he said.
Nyra forced herself to breathe in rhythm with him. Slowly, painfully, the spiraling energy began shrinking, retreating back beneath her skin like a tide pulling away from shore.
The crushing pressure vanished.
The wolves collapsed onto the ground, gasping but alive.
Silence returned to the clearing except for Nyra's shaky breathing against Kael's chest.
"I almost killed them," she whispered.
"No," Kael said firmly, his arms still around her. "You almost lost control. That is not the same thing."
Nyra trembled. "What if next time I do?"
Kael hesitated before answering.
"Then I'll be here again."
She pulled back slightly, searching his face. "Why are you risking yourself for me?"
His expression softened in a way that made her chest ache.
"Because your survival is tied to mine," he said quietly.
Nyra frowned. "That sounds like duty."
Kael's hand lingered on her waist, his thumb brushing lightly against her side before he spoke again.
"It started as duty," he admitted.
The air between them grew heavy.
"And now?" she asked softly.
His gaze dropped briefly to her lips before returning to her eyes.
"Now it's something far more dangerous."
Nyra's heart skipped.
Before either of them could speak again, a distant horn echoed across the territory — low, urgent, and filled with warning.
Kael's entire body went rigid.
"That's a border alarm," he said sharply.
Nyra's stomach dropped. "Meaning?"
His eyes darkened as he looked toward the forest.
"Meaning someone powerful just crossed into my land."
And deep inside Nyra's chest… her ancient power stirred violently in recognition.