BREAKING THE WEAPON

The medical team arrived exactly 30 minutes later.

Two women. One older, gray-haired, stern-looking. The other, younger, nervous one kept glancing at Aria, as if she might explode.

“I’m Dr. Voss.” The older woman set down her bag. “Let me see the arm.”

Aria held out her injured arm. The makeshift bandage was soaked black with dried blood.

Dr. Voss cut it away. Didn’t react to what she saw underneath. Just cleaned the wounds with efficient movements. “Deep. Needs stitches. This’ll hurt.”

“Everything hurts.” Aria watched her work. “What’s a few more stitches?”

The younger woman was examining Kira. Taking her pulse. Checking her temperature.

“She’s malnourished,” the young doctor said quietly. “Dehydrated. When’s the last time she ate?”

“Two days,” Kira whispered. “Maybe three.”

“We’ll get food in you. Start slow or you’ll get sick.” She pulled out an IV kit. “This’ll help with the dehydration.”

Dr. Voss was stitching Aria’s arm. Black thread through torn skin. Aria didn’t flinch. Just watched.

 

Pain was familiar now. Almost comforting.

“You’re lucky,” Dr. Voss said. “Quarter inch deeper and you’d have nerve damage.”

“Yeah. Lucky.” Aria’s voice was flat.

Dr. Voss looked up. Met her eyes. “You’re the cursed Luna everyone’s talking about.”

“That’s me.”

 

“Are you really going to help Marcus kill the Alphas?”

Aria didn’t answer.

Dr. Voss went back to stitching. “For what it’s worth, some of us think the Council deserves what’s coming. What they did to the Luna bloodline—” She shook her head. “It was genocide. Just slow.”

“You knew about it?”

 

“Everyone knows. We just don’t talk about it.” Dr. Voss tied off the last stitch. “There. Keep it clean. Change the bandage daily. If it gets infected, come find me.”

She packed up her supplies. The younger doctor finished setting up Kira’s IV.

They left without another word.

 

Kira was already half-asleep. The IV drip and the soft bed are doing their work.

Aria sat on her own bed. Stared at her stitched arm. At her hands that still glowed faintly silver.

Three days. Then Marcus wanted an answer.

Help kill Thorne or refuse and—what? Had they let her go? Doubtful.

She was trapped. Again. Different cage. Same result.

A knock on the door.

 

Aria tensed. “Come in.”

Maya entered. Carrying a tray of food. “Figured you’d be hungry.”

She set it on the table. Bread. Meat. Fruit. Water. Real food.

Aria’s stomach twisted with hunger. When had she eaten last? She couldn’t remember.

“Thanks.” She grabbed the bread. Tore into it.

Maya sat in the chair. Watched her eat. “Marcus wants to start your training tomorrow morning.”

 

Aria swallowed. “Training for what?”

“Control. You’ve got raw power but no discipline. You’re a loaded gun with a broken safety.” Maya leaned forward. “He’s going to teach you how to aim.”

“And if I don’t want to learn?”

“Then you’re useless to us. And useless things don’t last long here.” Maya’s voice wasn’t threatening. Just factual. “This isn’t a charity, Aria. We’re building an army. Everyone contributes or everyone leaves.”

“Leaves where? You said we’re twenty miles from anywhere.”

Maya smiled. “Exactly.”

 

Aria ate more bread. Thinking. “What’s Marcus’s endgame? Really?”

“He told you. Destroy the Council. Free the suppressed Luna bloodlines. Rebuild the pack system into something fair.”

“That’s the speech. What’s the truth?”

Maya was quiet for a moment. Then she laughed. “You’re smart. Good.” She stood. Walked to the window. “The truth? Marcus wants revenge. The Council killed his sister—your mother. Destroyed his family. He’s spent twenty-two years building this so he could watch them burn.”

 

“So I’m just a tool for his revenge?”

“We’re all tools for something.” Maya turned back. “At least here, you get to be a weapon instead of a victim.”

Aria thought about that. About being a weapon. About the shadows that responded to her pain. About killing without meaning to.

Maybe she was already a weapon. Just one nobody knew how to use yet.

“What about you?” Aria asked. “Why are you here?”

 

Maya’s face hardened. “My Alpha sold me to another pack to settle a debt. I was sixteen. They used me until I couldn’t be used anymore. Then they threw me out.” She crossed her arms. “Marcus found me half-dead in a ditch. Gave me purpose. So yeah. I’m here for revenge too.”

The room felt smaller suddenly. Heavier.

“Everyone here has a story like that?” Aria asked.

“Every single one.” Maya moved to the door. “That’s why we’re dangerous. We’ve got nothing left to lose.”

 

She left.

Aria finished eating in silence. Kira was snoring softly. The IV drip is steady.

Aria lay down. Stared at the ceiling. Her mark was still burning. Lower now. Constant.

She thought about Thorne. About his face when he rejected her. About his cold eyes.

Did she want him dead?

She didn’t know.

But she wanted him to hurt. Wanted him to understand what he’d done to her.

Maybe that was enough.

 

 

Morning came too fast.

Someone pounded on the door at dawn. “Training starts in twenty minutes. Don’t be late.”

Aria dragged herself out of bed. Her arm throbbed. The stitches pulled when she moved.

Kira was still asleep. The IV bag is empty. Color back in her face.

Aria left her there. Followed the sound of voices outside.

The training grounds were massive. Obstacle courses. Fighting rings. Weapons everywhere. And wolves. So many wolves.

 

They all stopped when she appeared. Stared.

Aria kept her head up. Met their eyes. Didn’t look away first.

“Aria.” Marcus’s voice. “Over here.”

He was standing in the center ring. Shirtless. Covered in scars. Looking like he’d been fighting since birth.

“Hope you’re ready,” he said as she approached. “We don’t go easy here.”

“Good.” Aria climbed into the ring. “I don’t want easy.”

Marcus smiled. “Maya told me you’re smart. Let’s see if you’re tough too.”

He moved fast. Faster than she expected.

 

His fist came at her face. Aria dodged. Barely. Felt the air move past her cheek.

“Too slow.” Marcus swept her legs.

Aria hit the mat hard. Air knocked out of her lungs.

“Get up.”

She got up. He came at her again. This time, she was ready. Blocked his punch. Threw one of her own.

 

He caught her fist. Twisted. Pain shot through her wrist.

“You’re thinking like a human. Think like a Luna.” He let go. Stepped back. “Use what makes you different.”

“I don’t—”

“Your power. The shadows. Use them.”

Aria hesitated. “I don’t know how to control—”

“Then learn. Fast.”

 

He attacked again. Harder this time. His fist connected with her ribs. Something cracked.

Aria gasped. Dropped to one knee.

The shadows exploded out of her. Instinct. Defense.

They wrapped around Marcus. Lifted him off the ground.

The watching wolves gasped. Backed away.

Marcus didn’t struggle. Just smiled. “There it is. Now squeeze.”

“What?”

 

“You heard me. Squeeze. Show me what you can do.”

Aria stared at him. The shadows wrapped around his body. She could kill him. Right now. Just tighten her grip and—

“I’m not going to kill you.”

“Why not? I’m hurting you. I’m your enemy right now. So kill me.” His voice was hard. “Or let me go and admit you’re too weak to do what needs doing.”

The shadows tightened. Just slightly.

Marcus grunted. “Good. More.”

“No.”

 

“More!”

Aria released him. The shadows dropped him. He landed on his feet. Barely.

“Interesting.” Marcus rolled his shoulders. “You can access the power but you won’t commit. That’s a problem.”

“I’m not a murderer.”

“You killed Ronan. Killed his wolves. Killed the Blood Hunters.”

“That was different. That was survival.”

“This is survival too.” Marcus moved closer. “The Council won’t stop hunting you. Thorne won’t stop looking for you. You have two choices—kill them first or wait for them to kill you.”

 

Aria’s chest hurt. Where he’d hit her. Where her ribs were probably cracked.

“There has to be another way.”

“There isn’t.” Marcus’s voice was brutal. “Your mother thought there was. She tried diplomacy. Tried reasoning with them. They killed her for it.” He grabbed Aria’s shoulders. “Don’t make her mistake. Be stronger than she was.”

Aria pulled away. “I need a break.”

“Training isn’t—”

 

“I said I need a break.” Her voice came out harder than she meant. The shadows stirred.

Marcus looked at her for a long moment. Then nodded. “Fine. One hour. Then we go again.”

Aria left the ring. Walked to the edge of the training grounds. Sat on a bench. Her whole body hurt.

Maya appeared. Handed her water. “You did good.”

“I failed.”

 

“You accessed your power on command. That’s progress.” Maya sat beside her. “Most wolves here took months to learn control. You did it in ten minutes.”

“I didn’t control anything. I just reacted.”

“That’s how it starts.” Maya gestured to the training grounds. “See that girl over there? The redhead?”

 

Aria looked. A young woman. Maybe twenty. Practicing with knives.

“She came here six months ago. Couldn’t even shift properly. Alpha broke her so badly her wolf went silent.” Maya’s voice was quiet. “Now she’s one of our best fighters. Marcus gave her purpose. Gave her rage a direction.”

“You think that’s what I need? Direction for my rage?”

“I think you’re drowning in pain and you don’t know what to do with it.” Maya stood. “Marcus is offering you a way to make it mean something. That’s more than most of us got.”

 

She walked away.

Aria sat there. Drinking water. Watching wolves train. Learning to kill. Learning to survive.

Was this who she was now? A weapon being sharpened?

Her mark burned.

She looked at her hands. Still glowing. Always glowing now.

A shadow fell over her. Aria looked up.

A wolf she didn’t recognize. Male. Huge. Scarred face. He was staring at her with open hostility.

“You’re the cursed Luna.”

“Yeah.”

“You don’t look that dangerous.”

Aria didn’t respond. Just held his gaze.

“My brother died in Blackwater territory last week. Hunting you.” The wolf took a step closer. “He was nineteen. Just wanted the bounty money.”

Aria’s stomach dropped. “I didn’t—”

“You killed him. With your shadow magic. Left him in the woods like trash.”

She remembered. The wolves in the forest. The ones who’d attacked her and Kira. One of them had been young. Scared under the bravado.

“I’m sorry,” Aria said quietly. “I didn’t want to kill anyone. He attacked first. I defended myself.”

 

“You’re a monster.” The wolf’s voice was shaking. “My brother’s dead and you’re sitting here drinking water like it’s nothing.”

“I said I’m sorry.” Aria stood. They were the same height now. “I can’t bring him back. Can’t undo what happened. But I’m sorry.”

The wolf’s fist came at her face.

Aria didn’t dodge. Took the hit. Her head snapped back. Blood in her mouth.

The wolf pulled back. Looked shocked that she didn’t fight.

“Feel better?” Aria asked. Blood running down her chin.

“No.”

 

“Good. Me neither.” She sat back down. “Your brother’s death is on me. I have to live with that. So hit me again if it helps. Or walk away. Either way, I’m sorry.”

The wolf stared at her. Then turned and walked away. Fast.

Aria spat blood. Touched her split lip. Yeah. That was going to swell.

Marcus appeared out of nowhere. “You could’ve killed him.”

“He just lost his brother.”

“Because of you.”

 

“I know.” Aria looked up at Marcus. “Does that make you happy? Knowing I’m adding bodies to my count every day?”

“No. It makes you useful.” Marcus crouched down. Met her eyes. “That guilt you’re feeling? Channel it. Use it. Every Alpha you help me kill is one less wolf like that boy dying for a bounty.”

 

“That’s twisted logic.”

“That’s survival logic.” Marcus stood. “Break’s over. Back in the ring.”

Aria stood. Her lip is throbbing. Her ribs are screaming. Her whole body was begging her to stop.

She walked back to the ring anyway.

Marcus was waiting. “Again. And this time, commit.”

They fought for two more hours. Marcus didn’t hold back. Every hit was real. Every block tested her limits.

 

Aria learned to call the shadows faster. Learned to use them for defense instead of just offense. Learned to push through pain, exhaustion, and guilt.

By the time Marcus called it, she could barely stand.

“Better,” he said. “Two more days of this and you’ll be ready.”

“Ready for what?”

 

“To face him.” Marcus’s smile was cold. “Your Alpha. The one who broke you. You’re going to kill him, Aria. And when you do, the whole world will know—Lunas can’t be controlled anymore.”

Aria limped back to her quarters. Every step hurt. Her stitches had torn open. Blood seeping through the bandage.

Kira was awake. Sitting up. Looking better.

“Oh my god.” She jumped up. “What happened to your face?”

“Training.” Aria collapsed on the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“Better than you apparently.” Kira grabbed a cloth. Wet it. Started cleaning Aria’s face. “This is bad. You need Dr. Voss.”

“I’m fine.”

 

“You’re bleeding.”

“Been bleeding for days. I’m used to it.”

Kira’s hands were shaking. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because I don’t have a choice.”

“You always have a choice.”

Aria looked at her. This kid who’d lost everything. Who still somehow believed in choices.

“What would you do?” Aria asked. “If you had power. Real power. Would you use it to hurt the people who hurt you?”

 

Kira was quiet for a long time. “I don’t know. Maybe.” She finished cleaning Aria’s face. “But I know I wouldn’t want to become like them.”

“What if I already am?”

“You’re not.” Kira’s voice was firm. “You saved me. Kept me alive when you could’ve left me behind. That’s not what monsters do.”

Aria wanted to believe her. Wanted to believe she was still good underneath the power and the rage.

 

But she thought about the bodies. About Ronan dying while she felt nothing. About the shadows responding to her hate.

Maybe Kira was wrong. Maybe she was already becoming exactly what they said she was.

A monster wearing a girl’s face.

 

 

Thorne stood in his office. Looking at the map. At all the places they’d searched.

Nothing. Aria had disappeared completely.

Whoever had her knew what they were doing. Knew how to stay hidden.

Kieran entered without knocking. “We got something.”

“What?”

“One of our border patrols found this.” He handed Thorne a piece of paper. “Nailed to a tree at the edge of our territory.”

Thorne unfolded it. Handwritten message.

“Two days, Alpha Blackwater. Then she comes for you. And when she does, she won’t be the broken girl you threw away. She’ll be a weapon aimed at your throat. Hope you’re ready. —M”

 

Thorne’s hands crushed the paper.

“Who’s M?” Kieran asked.

“I don’t know.” Thorne’s wolf was howling. Clawing. “But we’re going to find out.”

“How? We’ve searched everywhere. She’s gone to ground.”

Thorne thought about the message. About someone training Aria to kill him. About two days.

“Then we stop searching.” He looked at Kieran. “And we get ready for war.”

“War?”

 

“They’re coming here. To make an example of me. Of us.” Thorne moved to his desk. Started pulling files. “Call in every wolf we have. Fortify the borders. Prepare the pack house for siege.”

“You really think she’ll attack her own mate?”

 

“Former mate.” The words hurt to say. “And yes. I broke her. Made her hate me. Someone’s weaponizing that hate.” Thorne looked at the crumpled message. “So we prepare. And when she comes, we bring her in alive.”

“And if she tries to kill you?”

 

Thorne was quiet for a moment. Then he said something he never thought he’d say.

“Then I let her. Because maybe I deserve it.”