Chapter 4 First Training & Tensions

Orientation lasted two hours.

Luna sat in the Great Hall with the other first years while Headmaster Sterling explained rules, schedules, and expectations.

Don't shift without permission.

Don't leave campus without authorization.

Don't enter the forbidden forest.

Don't challenge students above your rank.

The list went on.

Luna's head spun trying to remember everything.

Nova sat beside her, taking notes frantically. "This is insane. How are we supposed to remember all this?"

"I have no idea."

Sterling dismissed them at ten. "First years report to the training grounds. Your physical assessment begins in fifteen minutes. Don't be late."

Students filed out of the Great Hall. Luna followed the crowd toward the back of the building.

The training grounds were outside. A massive open field surrounded by forest. Equipment scattered across the grass. Obstacle courses. Climbing walls. Fighting rings marked with white chalk.

And professors. Lots of professors. All of them watching as students gathered.

A man stepped forward. Tall. Muscular. Scars crossing his jaw and neck. His eyes were cold. Assessing.

"I'm Professor Marcus Thorne. Combat and physical training. For the next four years, I will break you down and rebuild you into wolves worthy of the Silverwood name. Some of you will excel. Most of you will struggle. A few of you won't make it past first semester."

He paced in front of the assembled first years. "Physical training is not optional. It is survival. In the real world, weak wolves die. Fast wolves live. Strong wolves lead. Which category you fall into depends entirely on how hard you're willing to work."

Luna's mark tingled beneath her sleeve.

"We'll start with basics. Speed. Endurance. Strength. Agility. Then we'll move to combat. Hand-to-hand first. Wolf form later. Questions?"

No one spoke.

"Good. Partner up. Now."

Students scrambled to find partners. Nova grabbed Luna's arm.

"Partners?"

"Obviously."

Thorne walked through the crowd, observing. He stopped in front of Luna and Nova.

"You two. Separate."

"What?" Nova's voice went high. "Why?"

"Because you're friends. Friends go easy on each other. I need to see what you're actually capable of." He pointed at Luna. "You. With me."

Nova shot Luna an apologetic look as Thorne pulled Luna aside.

"Luna Eclipse. Eclipse bloodline. Marked yesterday. Is that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Your family has a history of producing powerful wolves. But history doesn't mean anything here. Power means nothing without control. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'm assigning you a personal mentor. Someone who can push you harder than I can push an entire class. Someone who won't tolerate excuses or weakness."

A figure emerged from the equipment shed. Male. Maybe early twenties. Lean muscle. Dark hair. Cold expression.

He looked like he'd rather be anywhere else.

"This is Ryder Thorn. Fifth year. Top of his class in combat. He'll be responsible for your training outside of group sessions."

Ryder looked Luna up and down. His expression didn't change. "Great. Another Eclipse."

"Problem, Ryder?" Thorne's voice carried warning.

"No, sir. No problem."

"Good. Get started. I want a full assessment by end of day."

Thorne walked away, leaving Luna alone with Ryder.

They stared at each other.

"So," Luna said finally. "You're my mentor?"

"Apparently."

"You don't sound thrilled about it."

"I'm not. I have better things to do than babysit first years."

"Then why'd you agree?"

"I didn't. My father voluntold me." Ryder crossed his arms. "Let's get something straight. I don't care about your bloodline. I don't care about your famous last name. I care about results. You show up on time. You work hard. You listen when I talk. Do that, and we'll get along fine. Waste my time, and I'll make your life miserable. Clear?"

Luna's temper flared. "Crystal."

"Good. Let's see what you've got. Run the perimeter. Two laps. Go."

"Right now?"

"You deaf? Run. Now."

Luna took off. The perimeter was huge. Easily a quarter mile around. Her lungs burned after the first lap. Her legs screamed by the second.

When she finished, Ryder was waiting with a stopwatch.

"Nine minutes. That's pathetic."

"I just ran half a mile."

"And you should've done it in six. Again."

"What?"

"You heard me. Again. Faster this time."

"I need a break."

"Breaks are for weak wolves. Are you weak?"

"No."

"Then run."

Luna ran again. Her muscles protested. Her chest ached. But she pushed through.

Eight minutes this time.

"Better. Still pathetic, but better." Ryder pointed to a climbing wall. "Climb that. Top to bottom. No stopping."

Luna approached the wall. It stretched twenty feet high. Handholds jutted out at irregular intervals.

She started climbing.

Halfway up, her arms gave out. She fell, landing hard on the mat below.

"Get up."

Luna pushed herself to her feet. "This is impossible. I've never climbed anything before."

"Then learn. Again."

"I can't."

"Wrong answer. Try again."

"I said I can't."

Ryder stepped closer. His voice dropped. "Let me tell you something about Eclipse wolves. You're either exceptional or you're dead. There's no middle ground. Your grandmother? Exceptional. Graduated top of her class. Your great-grandmother? Dead before her second year. Lost control during a shift and had to be put down. Which one are you going to be?"

Luna's mark burned. Heat raced up her arm.

"I'm not dead yet."

"No. But you will be if you give up every time something gets hard. Now climb. Don't stop until you reach the top."

Luna climbed. Her hands bled. Her muscles shook. But she reached the top.

When she dropped back to the mat, Ryder nodded once. "That's progress. Rest. Five minutes. Then we're doing combat drills."

Luna collapsed onto the grass. She watched other first years training across the field. Nova was sparring with another girl. Badly. She kept flinching before strikes even landed.

Movement caught Luna's eye.

Darius Kane. Standing at the edge of the training grounds. Watching.

Not watching everyone.

Watching her.

Luna pushed herself to her feet. "Who's that?"

Ryder followed her gaze. "Darius Kane. Fourth year Alpha. Stay away from him."

"Why?"

"Because he's dangerous. The Kanes don't like competition. And you're competition."

"I'm not competing with anyone."

"Doesn't matter. You exist. You have Eclipse blood. That makes you a threat to his position. And Darius doesn't handle threats well."

Before Luna could respond, Darius started walking toward them.

"Great," Ryder muttered. "Here we go."

Darius stopped a few feet away. Up close, he was even more imposing. Tall. Confident. Every inch the Alpha.

"Ryder. Still babysitting first years?"

"Still compensating for your father's expectations?"

Darius's jaw tightened. "Careful."

"Or what? You'll challenge me? We both know how that would end."

Darius's attention shifted to Luna. "So you're the Eclipse everyone's talking about. Marked yesterday. Thrown straight into training. Must be tough."

"I'm managing."

"We'll see. Eclipse wolves have a reputation. Big names. Big expectations. Big failures." He circled her slowly. "Which category do you think you'll fall into?"

Luna's mark pulsed. Warm. Insistent.

"I don't care about reputations."

"You should. Reputations are everything here. They determine who respects you. Who fears you. Who challenges you." He stopped in front of her. "And right now? Your reputation is nothing. You're a first year with a famous last name and zero proven skills."

"Then I guess I'll have to prove myself."

"Looking forward to it."

Something in his tone made Luna's instincts scream warning.

Her mark flared. Bright enough that light leaked through her sleeve.

Darius noticed. His eyes narrowed. "Interesting. Your mark reacts to threat. That's unusual for a first year."

"Back off, Kane." Ryder stepped between them. "She's my student. You have a problem with her, you go through me first."

"Relax. I'm just saying hello. Getting to know the new blood." Darius smiled. It didn't reach his eyes. "See you around, Eclipse. I'm sure we'll have lots of opportunities to train together."

He walked away.

Ryder waited until he was out of earshot. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Because your mark is glowing. And your eyes just flashed gold."

Luna looked down at her wrist. The mark blazed through the fabric. Brighter than she'd ever seen it.

"I don't understand. Why is it doing that?"

"Because you felt threatened. Your wolf responded. That's instinct. It's also dangerous if you can't control it."

"I wasn't trying to do anything."

"That's the problem. You can't let your wolf react without your permission. If you do, you'll shift at the wrong time. Hurt someone. Get yourself killed."

Luna tried to calm down. Breathe. Focus.

The mark's glow faded slowly.

"Better. But you need to practice that. Controlling your wolf when emotions run high." Ryder checked his watch. "We're done for today. Tomorrow morning, six AM, meet me here. We're working on control before anything else."

"Six AM?"

"Problem?"

"No. I'll be here."

"Good. Go clean up. Get food. Rest. You're going to need it."

Luna started walking back toward the main building. Her legs felt like jelly. Her arms ached. Her hands were blistered.

But she'd survived.

First training session complete.

A group of first years passed her heading toward the dorms. Three girls. All of them laughing.

They stopped when they saw her.

One of them gasped. "Your mark. It's glowing."

Luna looked down. The mark was still faintly visible through her sleeve. Pulsing with silver light.

"I know. It does that sometimes."

"That's not normal," another girl said. Her voice shook. "First years don't have marks that glow that bright. Not unless they're about to shift."

"I'm not shifting. I'm fine."

"You don't look fine. You look dangerous."

The three girls backed away. Fast. Like Luna might attack at any second.

"Wait. I'm not going to hurt anyone."

But they were already running.

Luna stood alone in the middle of the path. Her mark pulsed. Her reflection caught in a window nearby.

Her eyes glowed faint gold.

Just like Ryder said.

She looked dangerous.

She looked like something wild barely contained.

And she had no idea how to make it stop.