The night after Lila's warning, Aria barely slept. Her dreams bled into her instincts, filled with phantom howls and flashes of golden eyes that watched her from the edges of darkness. She awoke at dawn with her sheets twisted, her body slick with sweat, her wolf pacing just beneath her skin. The pull to release it to let the beast inside emerge was overwhelming.
She had changed before, yes, but always in chaos. Pain and instinct had guided her, not control. She feared what would happen the next time her wolf clawed its way free, especially if Damien was not there to anchor her.
As if he had heard her thoughts, he appeared at the edge of her yard before the sun had fully risen. His presence filled the space, calm yet commanding, his golden eyes holding a quiet fire.
"Get dressed," Damien said simply, tossing her a small bundle of clothing that smelled faintly of pine and wolf musk. "We're training today."
"Training?" Aria echoed, her voice still husky from sleep.
"You cannot run from what you are anymore," he replied. "You must master it. Or it will master you."
A thrill of fear and anticipation ran through her. She followed him into the forest, her steps crunching softly against the frost-kissed leaves. The deeper they went, the more the air hummed with energy. The forest seemed alive, responding to Damien's presence as though it recognized him as its Alpha.
At last, they stopped at a wide clearing bathed in silver morning light. Aria could smell the sharp tang of earth, the musk of wolves that had passed through before. It was sacred ground.
Damien turned to her, his expression unreadable. "Shift," he commanded.
Aria froze. "Now?"
"Yes. Here. With me." His tone softened slightly, though the authority never left it. "You must learn to call your wolf, not just let it tear free when fear or pain drives it. You must own the shift."
Aria's stomach twisted. The memory of her first transformation the agony, the screaming, the helplessness clawed at her mind. "What if I can't?" she whispered.
Damien stepped closer, his hand brushing against hers, grounding her. "You can. And you will. Trust me, Aria. Trust the bond."
Her wolf stirred at his words, eager, restless. Her chest tightened as heat surged through her veins, and she closed her eyes, focusing inward. She remembered the fire that always came before the break, the wild hunger clawing to escape. Her breath grew ragged as bones ached, skin prickled, and her senses stretched beyond human limits.
The pain came sharp, raw but she didn't fight it this time. She leaned into it, surrendering, letting the wolf rise. Her scream turned into a growl, her body folding, twisting, reshaping. Fur burst along her arms, claws cut into the soil, and her vision snapped into sharper focus.
When it was over, she stood on four paws, chest heaving, her wolf fully present.
The world came alive. Every scent, every sound, every flicker of movement was crystal clear. She smelled Damien before she even turned to him pine, smoke, strength. She saw him shift effortlessly, his great black wolf emerging in a ripple of power.
Their eyes met his glowing gold, hers burning with new fire and something ancient sparked between them. The bond thrummed like a heartbeat, alive and undeniable.
Now, his voice whispered through the link, not in words but in instincts, a command and a comfort all at once. Run with me.
And they did.
Through the forest, they thundered side by side. The earth pounded beneath their paws, wind whipped past their fur, and the trees blurred into streaks of green and gold. Aria's wolf reveled in the freedom, the power, the joy of being unleashed. For the first time, she wasn't afraid.
Damien led her to the riverbank, where he tested her senses. He darted into shadows, forced her to track him by scent alone, then by sound, then by the vibrations in the earth. At first she stumbled, her instincts clouded by human doubt, but slowly she learned. Each mistake sharpened her, each success thrilled her wolf.
Hours passed. Sweat clung to her human form when she finally shifted back, collapsing to her knees in exhaustion. Damien shifted too, his chest heaving but his expression steady, proud.
"You did well," he said simply.
Aria's lips trembled into a weak smile. "I felt… alive. Free. Like I wasn't fighting anymore."
"That is the first lesson," Damien replied. "To stop resisting. To accept your wolf as part of you. The next lesson is control. You must learn to hold the shift, to call it when needed, to end it when you choose. Until then, you will always be at risk to yourself and to others."
Her smile faded. "And Viktor?"
Damien's jaw clenched. "Viktor will test you. He will strike where you are weakest. That is why we train. Because when he comes, it will not be just your strength he tests. It will be your control."
Aria swallowed hard, her heart heavy. She felt the truth of his words in her bones. But beneath the fear, determination stirred. She would not be a pawn to instinct or to Viktor. She would be ready.
Damien crouched before her, tilting her chin up so her eyes met his. His gaze was steady, unyielding, but there was softness beneath it. "You are stronger than you believe, Aria. And I will not let you fall."
Her breath caught, the bond between them tightening, surging. For a moment, the world fell away, leaving only the two of them Alpha and mate, warrior and wolf, human and something more.
"Then teach me," she whispered, resolve burning in her chest. "Make me strong enough to fight beside you."
Damien's lips curved into the faintest of smiles. "I already am."
The forest around them seemed to hum in agreement, as though the earth itself acknowledged her vow. Aria knew the path ahead would not be easy, but with every heartbeat, every breath, every lesson, she was no longer the frightened girl who stumbled into the woods that night. She was becoming something more.
And when Viktor came, she would be ready to face him not just as Damien's mate, but as a wolf who had chosen her own strength.