Training started before sunrise.
Alex barely had time to process his decision before Mara was shaking him awake, her expression sharp and unforgiving.
"Get up," she said. "The city doesn't wait for anyone."
They trained in an abandoned industrial zone on the edge of Larkridge—broken warehouses, rusted rail lines, cracked concrete stained by years of neglect. It was quiet, but not empty. Alex could feel eyes on him from the shadows. Other wolves. Watching. Judging.
"Rule number one," Mara said, circling him slowly, "your body is stronger now, but your mind is still human. That makes you dangerous—to yourself."
Alex nodded, jaw tight.
"Show me your claws," she ordered.
He focused. Heat surged through his hands. Pain flared briefly, then claws slid free, dark and sharp.
"Good," Mara said. "Now retract them."
Alex tried.
Nothing happened.
The claws stayed out. His pulse quickened. The hunger stirred, subtle but insistent.
"Don't fight it," Mara warned. "Guide it."
Alex closed his eyes, breathing slowly, forcing the instinct back into its cage. After a tense moment, the claws slid away.
He opened his eyes, exhausted.
"That took too long," Mara said flatly. "In a fight, hesitation gets you killed."
They moved on to speed, balance, awareness. Alex ran until his lungs burned, jumped until his legs trembled, listened until his head throbbed from too much sound. Each time he failed, Mara corrected him. Each time he succeeded, she pushed harder.
"You're holding back," she said finally.
"I don't want to lose control," Alex snapped.
Mara stopped in front of him. "Control doesn't mean weakness. It means knowing exactly how far you can go—and choosing when to stop."
As if summoned by her words, pain flared across Alex's shoulder. The mark burned hotter than ever before.
He gasped, dropping to one knee.
"What's happening to me?" he asked through clenched teeth.
Rafe stepped out of the shadows, his presence calm but heavy. "The Old Blood doesn't like being ignored. It pushes. Tests."
Alex looked up. "And if I fail?"
Rafe's gaze softened slightly. "Then the city pays the price."
That night, Alex stood alone on a rooftop, watching the city lights stretch endlessly beneath him. He felt stronger than he ever had—and more afraid than ever before.
Because now he understood something crucial.
This power wasn't a gift.
It was a responsibility.
And it was only getting heavier.