The silence after he left didn't last long.
Because this time…
No one could pretend things were normal anymore.
"We don't have time."
Leo's voice cut through the tension.
Sharp. Decisive.
I looked at him. "For what?"
His gaze locked onto mine.
"To train you."
I blinked.
"Train me?"
Kai let out a short breath. "You think you can just walk around like this now?"
I frowned. "Like what?"
Evan answered calmly.
"Unstable."
That word hit harder than I expected.
"I'm not unstable."
"You lost control in the hallway," Leo said flatly.
"I handled it," I shot back.
"Barely."
Silence.
My jaw tightened.
I hated that they weren't entirely wrong.
Kai stepped forward slightly.
"Look," he said, voice lower now, less sharp. "Whether you like it or not…"
"You're different."
Evan added softly, "And right now, you don't understand your own power."
I exhaled slowly.
"And you do?"
A small pause.
Then—
"No," Leo admitted.
That surprised me.
"But we understand enough," he continued, "to know what happens if you don't learn control."
My chest tightened.
"And what happens?"
This time—
Evan answered.
"You hurt yourself."
Kai added, "Or someone else."
Leo finished it.
"Or both."
Silence.
Heavy.
Real.
I looked down at my hands.
Normal.
But I remembered the claws.
The speed.
The strength.
How natural it felt.
That scared me.
"…Fine," I said quietly.
All three of them looked at me.
"I'll train."
Kai smirked slightly. "That was easier than I expected."
"Don't get used to it," I muttered.
Leo turned immediately.
"Come on."
"Now?" I asked.
He didn't even look back.
"Yes."
Of course.
Training Grounds – Behind the Alpha House
The space was wide.
Open.
Quiet.
Far from everyone else.
Good.
Because if I lost control again…
At least no one else would see.
"Start simple," Evan said.
He stepped in front of me.
Calm as always.
"Focus on the bond."
I frowned. "That's the problem."
"Not exactly," he said.
Kai leaned against a tree nearby, watching.
"For once, listen to him."
I rolled my eyes slightly—but still closed them.
"Now what?"
"Feel it," Evan said.
"Don't fight it this time."
My chest tightened.
That didn't sound like a good idea.
But…
I tried.
At first—
Nothing.
Then slowly…
It came back.
That pull.
That heat.
That connection.
Stronger than before.
My breathing shifted.
Deeper.
Slower.
"Good," Evan said quietly.
"Now don't let it control you."
My eyes snapped open.
"That's not helpful."
Kai laughed under his breath.
Leo didn't.
"Focus," he said.
I exhaled slowly.
Again.
Closed my eyes.
Reached for it.
The bond surged instantly.
Stronger.
Faster.
My fingers twitched.
"Don't react," Evan said calmly.
"Control the reaction."
My chest rose sharply.
The power started building again—
That same heat.
That same rush.
"It's too much," I muttered.
"No," Leo said.
"You're just not used to it."
Easy for him to say.
The energy pushed harder.
My heartbeat sped up.
My senses sharpened again.
"Don't let it spike," Evan instructed.
"Keep it steady."
"How?!" I snapped.
And then—
Kai moved.
Fast.
He grabbed my wrist.
The bond exploded at the contact.
But this time—
It didn't overwhelm me.
It spread.
Evenly.
My breathing steadied slightly.
"What did you just do?" I asked.
Kai's grip stayed firm.
"Balanced it."
Evan nodded.
"Physical contact stabilizes the bond."
Leo's expression darkened slightly at that.
I noticed.
Interesting.
"So I just… hold hands with you and everything is fine?" I said.
Kai smirked. "If you want to put it like that."
I pulled my hand back.
Quick.
"Let's try something else."
Evan stepped forward again.
"Try triggering it."
I stared at him.
"On purpose?"
"Yes."
That sounded like a terrible idea.
But I tried anyway.
I focused.
On the feeling.
On the power.
On that moment in the hallway—
It came back instantly.
Stronger.
Faster.
My nails started to shift—
Claws forming again.
"I'm doing it," I whispered.
Leo stepped closer.
Watching carefully.
"Hold it."
My chest tightened.
"I'm trying—"
The power spiked suddenly.
Too fast.
Too strong.
"I can't—"
It surged out of control.
And this time—
It didn't stop at my hands.
My vision shifted completely.
My senses exploded.
My body tensed—
And I lost it.
Everything went sharp.
Wild.
Instinct took over.
I moved—
Fast.
Too fast.
Straight toward Leo.
"Nancy—"
Too late.
I pushed him back.
Hard.
Stronger than I meant to.
He didn't fall.
But he definitely felt it.
Kai was beside me instantly.
"Hey—HEY—look at me!"
But I wasn't listening.
Not fully.
The world felt different.
Like I wasn't fully in control anymore.
Evan's voice cut through.
Calm.
Firm.
"Nancy."
Something in me reacted to that.
Just slightly.
"Focus on us," he said.
"Not the instinct."
My breathing was uneven.
My chest rising fast.
"It's too loud," I whispered.
Leo stepped closer again.
Careful this time.
"Then anchor yourself."
"How?"
He didn't hesitate.
"Us."
The bond pulsed.
Strong.
Clear.
Kai grabbed my hand again.
Evan stepped closer.
Leo right in front of me.
All three.
At once.
The bond surged—
But this time…
It didn't explode.
It settled.
My breathing slowed.
My vision cleared.
My claws slowly… disappeared.
Silence.
I blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"…I almost attacked you," I said quietly.
Kai exhaled. "Yeah. You did."
Leo didn't respond.
But his eyes stayed on me.
Not cold.
Not distant.
Something else.
Evan spoke softly.
"But you stopped."
I swallowed.
"That didn't feel like control."
"No," Leo said.
"It's progress."
My chest rose slowly.
Falling back into a normal rhythm.
Kai glanced between us.
"So… conclusion?"
Evan answered.
"She can control it."
Leo added,
"But not alone."
Silence.
I looked at them.
All three.
The bond pulsed again.
Different this time.
Not overwhelming.
Not painful.
Just… there.
"…So I'm stuck with you?" I said.
Kai smirked.
"Looks like it."
Leo didn't argue.
Evan didn't deny it.
And somehow…
That scared me more than anything else.
Because this wasn't just training anymore.
This was dependency.