Bella’s POV
I swallowed. “Harper told you?”
“No.” He glanced at me then, his expression was unreadable. “I felt it. Your energy flared through the wards like a damn flare gun.”
“I didn’t use powers. It was just—” I paused. “Instinct.”
“Exactly.” He faced me fully now, stepping closer. “Your wolf’s too close to the surface.”
I scoffed and dropped my bag by the kitchen table. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“It is when people start to notice.” His voice was low. “That doctor of yours—Haldren? He’s already talking about it. Calling you some kind of miracle worker. Word spreads, Bella. Fast.”
I sat down slowly. The wood beneath me felt cold, grounding. “What do you want me to do? Let someone die next time?”
“I want you to control it,” he snapped. “There’s a reason we train to separate instinct from action.”
Silence stretched between us. I broke it first. “I’m not just a wolf, Liam. I’m not just a nurse either. I’m… in between. And no one taught me how to be that.”
He rubbed his fac
