Secrets Shared

“He didn’t tell me everything. What he did tell me was enough to know that we’re going to have to be extra vigilant,” Raven says.What could have happened to make Lyall call Raven like this?Honestly, part of me is surprised he didn’t contact her sooner. I had assumed he was staying away because he wanted to leave that line of communication open between them without risking me finding out. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe something has changed.“Okay, I’m going to need a little more than that,” I say slowly.“Well, they just got back, so he doesn’t know everything yet. But what he has learned is that their electronics have been compromised. His phone is clean, but only because he’s been away from the pack for so long. Someone has also infiltrated the pack itself and planted listening devices. Apparently, he noticed something strange about his room right away. It was completely spotless.”I frown, thinking about what that could mean.Our maids have always been competent, but they were never th

Training Exchange

After Raven and I finally get Amaani settled back to sleep, I’m ready to start learning again.Knowing someone is out there deliberately targeting me and my daughter has changed something inside me. I don’t want to waste another second. I want to learn everything Raven can teach me, master my magic, and become strong enough to protect Amaani from whatever might come our way.Unfortunately, Raven has other ideas.“I know you’re feeling rushed to learn as much as you can,” she says, giving me a knowing look. “But we have to take this at a reasonable pace. If we push too hard, your body won’t be able to handle it.”“What? Why would that happen?” I ask, confused.“Think of your magic almost like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it becomes. But just like any other muscle, it needs time to grow and recover. If you push yourself too far before you’re ready, you’ll burn yourself out.”I consider her words for a moment.A muscle. That actually makes sense.When I first started exerc

Training Begins

The next morning, I wake Raven up well before her usual time.I have always been an earlier riser than she is, thanks to the pack's insistence on early morning exercises. Witches, on the other hand, only seem to wake up early when they absolutely have to. Humans did get a few things right. Witches tend to be more productive at night than they are in the morning.Apparently, Raven is no exception.“What are we doing up this early?” she asks with a yawn as she wanders into the kitchen.“We are having a protein shake before we warm up. Then you're going for a jog,” I tell her with a smile.She looks at me incredulously as I begin mixing our drinks. I can feel a smirk forming, but I quickly try to hide it.“Why aren't you going for a run?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.I chuckle and glance pointedly at Amaani, who is lying peacefully in one of her bassinets.“Oh, right. I guess you have to stay here,” she says with a disappointed sigh.My laughter grows as I hand her the protein shake I ma

Training Oops

From the very first step, running feels even better than I remember.The stretch in my legs, the steady rhythm of my feet hitting the ground, and the blood pumping through my entire body give me a rush unlike anything I've felt in months. It's almost a natural high, and I can't stop the smile spreading across my face as I make my way toward the treeline.With a small jump over a fallen log that I absolutely could have run around, I enter the forest.This is exactly what I needed.Weaving between the trees, jumping over fallen branches, and ducking beneath others wakes me up in a way I haven't experienced in months. There's something freeing about being out here, surrounded by the trees, with nothing demanding my attention for a little while.As my adrenaline builds, I find myself picking up speed. Before long, I'm running faster than I originally intended.I might be a werewolf, but I did just have a baby a few days ago. Even though my body has healed remarkably quickly, I haven't exe

Training Explanations

“So, where did you learn self-defense like that?” Mark asks after we've been sitting on the couch for a few minutes.How am I supposed to answer that one?I don't think telling him that I've spent most of my life training with a pack of werewolves from sunup to sundown is going to go over particularly well. I can't exactly explain how advanced my training is compared to what most humans would consider normal. There's simply too much for him to understand, and even more that I can't tell him.Instead, I'm going to have to come up with a simple explanation. Something believable enough to keep him from asking too many questions.Thankfully, he doesn't know much about my childhood, so I have a little room to work with.“My parents taught me self-defense. From the time I was little, they thought it was something I should know. Sometimes I think I was learning kicks before I was even fully walking,” I say with a slight chuckle.He frowns a little as he listens to me describe growing up with

Training and Teasing

“What was that yesterday with Mark?” Raven asks as we begin our stretches the next morning.“It was nothing. He was asking how I knew all those self-defense moves, so I told him a little bit about pack life. Just enough for him to know that my parents started teaching me martial arts when I was young,” I hurriedly explain, especially after seeing the look on her face.This isn't the first time I've found myself getting a little too comfortable around Mark. It's much easier than it should be to let my guard down with him. There have been plenty of moments when I've nearly slipped up, but yesterday wasn't one of them.“So, you just made it sound like you're some freakishly talented martial artist?” she asks.“Well... yes,” I say with a shrug.She studies my face for a moment before bursting into laughter.What's so funny about that? It's a perfectly plausible explanation, especially considering what he saw.“You do realize no human could have done what you did so soon after giving birth