Chapter 5: Learning to Burn

I didn’t sleep.

Not really.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw silver light flashing from my hands. I heard the elders whispering.

Ancient blood.

Silver Luna.

Hunters.

And underneath it all—

I felt him.

Not physically.

Not even emotionally.

Just… there.

Like a second heartbeat echoing faintly in my chest.

The mate bond.

Even rejected, it refused to disappear.

By morning, I was exhausted and irritated.

Which meant I was in the perfect mood for “training.”

A sharp knock hit my door.

“It’s open,” I called flatly.

Kael stepped inside.

Of course it was him.

He wore black training clothes, sleeves rolled to his forearms. His presence filled the room too easily.

Too naturally.

“Ready?” he asked.

“No.”

His lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

“We start anyway.”

I grabbed the jacket draped over the chair. “You’re enjoying this.”

“Watching you glare at me? Slightly.”

I scowled.

He turned and walked out without waiting.

Infuriating.

—

The training grounds were behind the estate, carved into a wide clearing surrounded by towering pines. The earth was packed flat, marked with claw scars and deep indentations from previous fights.

Several pack members were already there.

Including Selene.

Her sharp eyes scanned me from head to toe.

“Well,” she said coolly, “the human survived the night.”

“Disappointed?” I shot back.

A few wolves exchanged looks.

Kael stepped forward before Selene could respond.

“Elena will attempt controlled energy release,” he announced. “No shifting. No interference.”

Murmurs rippled.

“She can’t even shift?” someone muttered.

Heat prickled under my skin.

“Enough,” Kael warned.

Silence fell instantly.

He turned to me.

“Focus on the feeling you had last night.”

“That’s not exactly something I can G****e.”

“Close your eyes.”

I hesitated.

Then obeyed.

The clearing went quiet.

“Breathe,” Kael instructed.

His voice was closer now.

Lower.

“Feel the energy inside you. Don’t force it. Don’t chase it. Let it surface.”

Easy for him to say.

I inhaled slowly.

Exhaled.

At first, there was nothing but embarrassment and the weight of everyone watching.

Then—

A spark.

Faint.

Silver warmth flickering beneath my ribs.

I focused on it.

It responded.

Growing warmer.

Brighter.

“Good,” Kael murmured.

My eyes snapped open.

“How do you know?”

“Because I can feel it.”

My pulse skipped.

Right.

The bond.

The warmth intensified.

This time it didn’t hurt.

It hummed.

Alive.

“Now,” Kael said carefully, “extend your hand.”

I lifted my palm.

The air around it shimmered faintly.

Gasps echoed behind me.

Silver light coiled around my fingers like mist.

Excitement fluttered in my chest.

“I’m doing it,” I whispered.

“Control it,” Kael warned.

Too late.

The energy surged suddenly, bursting outward in a blinding flash.

The shockwave knocked two wolves off their feet.

I staggered backward, heart racing.

The light vanished instantly.

Silence.

Then—

“Well,” Selene said tightly, brushing dirt from her clothes. “She’s consistent.”

I winced. “Sorry.”

Kael didn’t look amused.

He looked impressed.

And concerned.

“You’re not channeling it,” he said slowly. “You’re releasing it.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Channeling is controlled flow.”

He stepped closer.

“Releasing is an explosion.”

Oh.

“That’s bad, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

Before I could respond, a sharp howl cut through the air.

Every wolf froze.

It wasn’t close.

But it was deliberate.

A message.

Kael’s posture shifted instantly.

“That’s not rogue,” Selene said quietly.

“No,” Kael agreed. “It’s organized.”

My stomach tightened.

“The hunters?” I asked.

He didn’t answer.

Which was answer enough.

Another howl followed.

Closer.

“They’re testing the borders,” one of the pack members said.

Kael turned to me.

“Inside. Now.”

“I’m not made of glass.”

“You’re a target.”

The word hit hard.

Target.

“I can fight,” I insisted.

“You can barely control a pulse.”

That stung.

But he wasn’t wrong.

Still—

“I won’t hide while you all risk yourselves.”

Something shifted in his expression.

Not anger.

Something deeper.

“You think I’m trying to protect the pack from you?” he asked quietly.

A beat.

“Yes.”

His jaw tightened.

“I’m protecting you from them.”

The honesty in his voice stole my breath.

Another howl echoed.

Closer.

The air vibrated with tension.

Selene stepped forward. “Alpha, we need orders.”

Kael’s gaze lingered on me for a fraction longer than necessary.

Then he turned away.

“Form defensive lines. No one crosses the eastern ridge.”

The pack moved instantly.

I stood there, adrenaline surging.

This was real.

They were coming.

Not rogues.

Hunters.

Wolves who wanted power.

Wolves who would want me.

Kael looked back at me one last time.

“Go inside.”

I shook my head.

He stepped toward me in two long strides.

“You don’t understand what they’ll do if they capture you.”

“Then explain it.”

His voice dropped.

“They will break you.”

The words were quiet.

Terrifyingly certain.

“And if I’m the Silver Luna?” I challenged, even as fear crept in. “Shouldn’t I be stronger than them?”

“You’re not trained.”

“Then train me faster.”

Silence stretched.

The wind shifted.

And suddenly—

The bond pulsed violently.

Pain lanced through my chest.

Not mine.

His.

Kael stiffened.

His breathing hitched almost imperceptibly.

“You’re hurt,” I whispered.

He stared at me.

“How—”

“I felt it.”

The bond wasn’t just warmth anymore.

It was a bridge.

His tension.

His anger.

His protective instinct.

All bleeding faintly into me.

A crack sounded in the trees.

A shadow moved along the ridge.

Golden eyes glinted in the distance.

Not pack.

Not rogue.

Hunters.

One stepped forward into partial view.

Larger than the others.

Scar slicing across one eye.

He stared directly at me.

Not at Kael.

At me.

And he smiled.

Slow.

Knowing.

Kael shifted instantly, stepping in front of me.

But the hunter didn’t attack.

He only tilted his head slightly—

As if confirming something.

Then he disappeared into the trees.

The forest fell silent again.

Too silent.

“They know,” I whispered.

Kael didn’t deny it.

“They’ve found her,” Selene said grimly.

No.

They’d found me.

Kael turned back into human form moments later, chest rising steadily.

“They won’t attack head-on,” he said. “Not yet.”

“They’re waiting,” I realized.

“Yes.”

“For what?”

His eyes met mine.

“For you to lose control.”

The weight of it settled heavily on my shoulders.

This wasn’t just about survival anymore.

It was about mastery.

If I couldn’t control the power inside me—

They would take me.

And use it.

Kael stepped closer again, lowering his voice.

“From this moment on, you do exactly as I say.”

My instinct was to argue.

To push back.

But the memory of that hunter’s smile silenced me.

“Fine,” I said quietly.

His gaze softened just slightly.

“Good.”

The bond pulsed again.

Not painful.

Not unstable.

But stronger than it had ever been.

As if danger was feeding it.

Strengthening it.

And deep down—

I realized something terrifying.

The hunters weren’t the only ones waiting for me to awaken.

The power inside me was waiting too.

And I wasn’t sure which one was more dangerous.