Chapter 11: Training Begins

Lila’s POV

When Ethan told me I had to train, I laughed in his face. Not because I didn’t believe him—on the contrary, I believed him all too well. After what happened at the cabin, there was no denying that something powerful, something dangerous, was lurking beneath my skin. But me? Training? It felt like a joke. I was just a vet, someone who patched up animals and calmed anxious owners. Not someone who knew how to wield supernatural power without blowing up the nearest tree… or, worse, the nearest person.

But Ethan was serious. He stood there, arms crossed over his broad chest, jaw set in that unyielding way of his, as if my sarcastic laugh meant nothing to him.

“You need control,” he said. “Without it, you’re a danger to yourself. And to everyone around you.”

I swallowed hard, guilt bubbling up in my stomach as I glanced at the fading cut on his arm. It had already started to heal, thanks to his werewolf genes, but the sight of the blood was burned into my memory. I had done that to him. I had hurt him.

“I’m not ready for this,” I muttered, rubbing my arms. The morning air felt crisp against my skin, but I couldn’t shake the cold that settled in my bones. “I can’t even stop it when it happens. How am I supposed to control something I don’t understand?”

“That’s exactly why we need to start training,” Ethan replied, his tone softer now. “You won’t learn to control it overnight, but we’ll get there. One step at a time.”

I opened my mouth to argue again, but then thought better of it. Deep down, I knew he was right. Whether I liked it or not, I was part of this world now, and if I didn’t learn to control whatever was inside me, I’d only hurt more people.

“Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”

---

Training wasn’t what I expected. 

I had thought it would be intense, with Ethan barking orders at me like some kind of drill sergeant while I tried and failed to summon my powers on command. But instead, it started slowly. A lot slower than I would have liked.

The first day, Ethan brought me to a clearing in the woods, the trees towering around us like silent sentinels. The place was peaceful, a far cry from the chaos I felt bubbling beneath my skin.

“Close your eyes,” Ethan instructed, his voice low and calm. “Focus on your breathing.”

I frowned. “Breathing? That’s it?”

He gave me a look. “Trust me, Lila. This is important. You need to be able to control your mind before you can control your powers.”

I huffed but did as he said, closing my eyes and trying to focus on the steady rise and fall of my chest. Inhale, exhale. Simple enough, right?

Except it wasn’t simple. My mind wouldn’t shut up. Thoughts whirled around my head, racing faster than I could keep up with. What if I couldn’t do this? What if I hurt Ethan again? What if the pack decided I was too dangerous to be around?

“Lila,” Ethan’s voice cut through my spiraling thoughts, “breathe.”

I inhaled sharply, realizing I had been holding my breath. Damn it, I couldn’t even get breathing right.

“I’m trying,” I muttered, my eyes still squeezed shut.

“Try harder,” he said, though his voice was far from harsh. It was encouraging, even. 

I took another deep breath, slower this time. In and out. Focus on the air filling my lungs, I told myself. Don’t think about anything else. Just breathe.

For a few minutes, it worked. The noise in my head dulled, fading into the background as I concentrated on the rhythm of my breaths. I felt… calmer. Like I was finally finding some sense of balance.

And then, like a cruel joke, the moment shattered.

A sudden crack of a branch echoed through the clearing, and my eyes flew open, heart pounding. Instantly, I felt the surge of energy bubbling to the surface, wild and unpredictable. My hands trembled, and I clenched my fists, trying to hold it back.

“Lila, stay calm,” Ethan said quickly, stepping toward me. “Don’t let it control you.”

“I’m not—” I cut myself off, gritting my teeth. My vision blurred at the edges, the energy pulsing through me, too strong, too fast. “I can’t stop it!”

“You can,” he insisted, his voice steady despite the rising tension. “You’re stronger than this. Don’t fight it—just let it flow. Control the flow.”

“I’m trying!” I shouted, panic rising in my chest. I could feel the power pushing against my skin, ready to explode. “I can’t—”

Ethan grabbed my arms, his grip firm but not painful. His eyes locked onto mine, steady and unyielding. “Look at me, Lila. Focus on me.”

I did, barely managing to hold his gaze. The energy roiled beneath the surface, but Ethan’s eyes… there was something grounding about the way he looked at me. Like he believed I could do this. Like he knew I could.

“Breathe,” he said again, his voice a soft command. “Just breathe.”

So I did. Slowly, the tension began to ease. The energy didn’t disappear, but it dulled, retreating back into the depths of me. My breathing evened out, and I felt my hands stop shaking.

When it was over, I let out a shuddering breath, my legs threatening to give out beneath me. Ethan kept his hands on my arms, steadying me.

“You did it,” he said quietly, a small smile tugging at his lips. “You controlled it.”

I shook my head, my heart still racing. “Barely. That was… I thought I was going to hurt you again.”

“But you didn’t,” he pointed out, releasing me and stepping back. “You controlled it, Lila. It’ll get easier.”

I wasn’t so sure. The whole thing felt too volatile, too unpredictable. But I nodded anyway, not wanting to dampen Ethan’s optimism.

“Let’s call it for today,” Ethan said, noticing the exhaustion on my face. “We’ll pick up tomorrow.”

---

Training became part of my routine, something I begrudgingly accepted as necessary. Every morning, Ethan and I met in the clearing, working on my focus, my breathing, and trying to control the power that lurked just beneath the surface. It wasn’t easy, and more than once I nearly lost control. But each time, Ethan was there, guiding me, pulling me back from the brink.

Days passed like that, each one a little better than the last. I felt stronger, more in control, though the fear of what I could do still gnawed at me.

One afternoon, after a particularly grueling session, Ethan returned to the pack house and i decided follow him, only to find Marcus waiting for ethan at the door, his expression dark and tense.

“What’s going on?” Ethan asked, his demeanor immediately shifting from calm to alert.

Marcus glanced at me, hesitating for a second before speaking. “We found something. Or rather, someone.”

Ethan frowned. “Who?”

“A spy,” Marcus said grimly. “Nathan Cross.”

The name sent a shiver down my spine, though I didn’t know why. I could tell by the look on Ethan’s face that this was serious.

“He’s been feeding Dominic information for weeks,” Marcus continued, glancing around as if the trees had ears. “We caught him trying to leave with vital intel.”

Ethan’s jaw clenched, his expression hardening. “What kind of intel?”

Marcus hesitated, his gaze shifting to me for a brief moment. “About Lila. And the mark.”

My stomach dropped. All the training, all the control I’d been trying to gain—it suddenly felt fragile, like it could be ripped away in an instant.

“What does Dominic want with me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Ethan’s expression was grim. “I don’t know. But whatever it is, it’s not good.”

And as the weight of those words settled over me, I realized that the battle for control wasn’t just inside me. It was out there, too. And it was coming for me.