THE BLACK ROSE

TRAINING OF THE BLACK ROSE

CHAPTER 7: TRAINING

Monday came fast.

And with it came the first rule of being a shifter pup:

You train or you break.

---

6:00 AM. Ryder’s backyard.

The grass was wet with dew.

Jackson was in pajamas and rain boots.

Ryder was in shorts and a tank top.

I was on the porch with coffee and anxiety.

"Morning, team," Ryder said, clapping his hands. "Today we learn control."

Jackson saluted. "Yes, sir!"

Ryder laughed. "No sir. Just Dad."

My heart did that stupid thing again.

"First lesson," Ryder said, kneeling in front of Jackson. "Your wolf is part of you. Not a monster. Not something to be scared of. It’s you. Okay?"

Jackson nodded seriously.

"Good," Ryder said. "So we’re gonna play a game. It’s called Red Light, Green Light. But for wolves."

He explained it.

When he said "Green Light" - Jackson could let the wolf out a little. Eyes. Nails.

When he said "Red Light" - Jackson had to pull it back.

"Ready?" Ryder asked.

Jackson bounced. "Ready!"

"Green Light."

Jackson’s eyes flashed gold. His nails sharpened.

He was giggling.

"Red Light!"

Jackson gasped and squeezed his eyes shut.

The gold faded.

His nails went back to normal.

"Perfect!" Ryder said, lifting him up. "You did it!"

I had to look away because my eyes were burning.

This was what I’d dreamed of.

And what I’d been terrified of.

---

9:00 AM. The Kitchen.

Breakfast was chaos.

Pancakes. Syrup. Jackson telling Ryder every dinosaur fact he knew.

Ryder listening like it was the most important lecture of his life.

Callen came in with groceries.

"How’d training go?"

"Great," Ryder said. "He’s a natural."

"Of course he is," Callen said, ruffling Jackson’s hair. "He’s a Wade."

I was chopping fruit when Ryder came up behind me.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"Hey."

"You okay?"

"Yeah," I said. "Just... watching you with him is weird."

"Weird good or weird bad?"

"Weird good," I admitted.

Ryder bumped my shoulder. "We’re figuring it out."

"Day by day," I said.

"Day by day," he agreed.

---

3:00 PM. Pack Training Center.

The first official "check-in" with the pack.

The center was big. Concrete floors. Mats. Other pups running around.

Other parents watching.

Other wolves.

Jackson froze in the doorway.

"Too many people?" Ryder asked.

Jackson nodded.

Ryder crouched down. "You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. We can leave."

Jackson looked at me. I nodded.

"Okay," Jackson said. "We can try."

Elder June was there. Clipboard. No smile.

"Alpha," she said. "Pup."

"June," Ryder said, cold.

"Today’s test is control," June said. "He needs to hold his shift for 10 seconds."

Ryder stepped between her and Jackson.

"He’s four," he said. "He’s not doing a test."

"It’s pack law," June said.

"Then pack law can wait," Ryder said. "Until he’s ready."

The room went quiet.

Another dad walked up. "Is this the new pup?"

"Yeah," Ryder said. "This is Jackson."

"Cool name," the guy said to Jackson. "You like dinosaurs?"

Jackson lit up. "YES!"

And just like that, another kid ran over.

"Do you want to play?"

Jackson looked at me. At Ryder.

"Can I?"

"Yeah, buddy," I said. "Go play."

He ran off.

June watched him go. "He’s behind. Other pups started training at 3."

"Then he’ll catch up," Ryder said. "On his time."

June sighed. "You’re going to be a headache, aren’t you?"

"Probably," Ryder said.

---

6:00 PM. Back home.

Jackson crashed. Hard.

Training was exhausting.

He fell asleep on the couch mid-sentence.

Ryder carried him to bed.

I followed.

Ryder pulled the covers up. Kissed Jackson’s forehead.

"Night, buddy," he whispered.

"Night Dad," Jackson mumbled.

We walked out and closed the door.

In the hallway, we just stood there.

Quiet.

"You were amazing today," I said.

"So were you," Ryder said. "For letting him try."

Silence.

"Can I..." Ryder hesitated. "Can I make you dinner?"

"Sure," I said.

---

Dinner for two.

Pasta.

Wine for me. Beer for him.

Candles. Not romantic. Just... normal.

"Tell me something," Ryder said. "About the last four years."

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything," he said. "The hard parts."

So I told him.

About working three jobs.

About Jackson’s first fever and me in the ER alone.

About the nights I cried because I didn’t know if I was doing it right.

Ryder didn’t interrupt.

He just listened.

And when I was done, he reached across the table and took my hand.

"I’m so sorry," he said. "For all of it."

"I know," I said. "But you’re here now."

"I’m here now," he repeated.

---

10:00 PM.

We were on the couch.

Watching a movie.

Not touching.

But close.

Jackson came out, rubbing his eyes.

"Bad dream?" I asked.

"Kind of," he said.

Ryder opened his arms. "Come here."

Jackson crawled into his lap.

Ryder wrapped a blanket around both of them.

"Want me to stay?" Ryder asked me.

"Yeah," I said.

So he did.

On the couch.

Me on one end.

Him and Jackson on the other.

At some point I fell asleep.

When I woke up, Ryder had a blanket over me too.

And Jackson was asleep between us.

---

The next morning.

Callen found us like that.

He took a picture.

Then deleted it.

Then took it again.

"Morning, family," he said.

Ryder groaned. "Don’t call us that."

"Why not?" Callen said. "Looks like family to me."

Ryder looked at me.

I looked at him.

Then at Jackson.

"Yeah," I said quietly. "Maybe it does."

---

END OF CHAPTER 7

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