Chapter 7: Pushing the Limit
1277 Words
The next few days were a blur.
I was in pain.
I was trying to get control.
I kept failing.
Then I started to make progress.
It happened again and again.
I didn't know how much time had passed.
My body felt different.
I felt stronger.
Not physically, not entirely.
Inside something felt different.
It was like something had clicked into place.
"Again " he said.
His voice cut through the air.
It was calm and steady.
It was impossible to ignore.
I exhaled slowly.
I lifted my hand.
The warmth came now.
There was no hesitation.
There was no searching.
It answered me.
Alone should have scared me.
It didn't.
The energy gathered beneath my skin.
It was steady and controlled.
I focused on it like he had taught me.
I wasn't forcing it. I wasn't resisting it.
I was guiding it.
The ground beneath my feet trembled slightly.
Then it stilled.
There was silence.
"I'm holding it, " I said.
There was a hint of disbelief in my voice.
"I can see that, " he said.
I glanced up at him.
His expression was the same.
His eyes were unreadable.
"You could least pretend to be impressed, " I said.
"I prefer results, " he said.
I scoffed.
Of course he did.
"Fine, " I muttered.
"Watch this."
I pushed more.
Just a little.
The energy responded instantly.
It surged higher and stronger.
It was too strong.
My breath hitched.
"Careful, " he warned.
"I've got it, " I said.
The ground cracked.
A sharp pulse burst outward.
It sent dust and loose stones flying across the training field.
I staggered back.
I barely managed to hold it this time.
Barely.
The energy flickered violently.
Then it settled again.
My heart was racing.
"I almost lost it…" I said.
"But you didn't, " he said.
I looked at him.
Frustration was rising.
"That's your takeaway?" I asked.
"That's the one that matters, " he said.
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"You're improving, " he said.
I blinked.
That was the thing to praise I'd gotten from him.
It meant more than it should have.
That day I realized something else.
It wasn't just me changing.
It was them, the pack.
At first they barely looked at me.
Now they watched me.
They didn't do it openly.
They didn't do it boldly.
I could feel it.
Every time I walked through the territory conversations dipped.
Eyes followed me.
Whispers trailed behind me like shadows.
It wasn't a pity.
Not anymore.
It was something
It was uncertain.
Maybe it was even fear.
That was good.
A small satisfaction settled in my chest.
Let them wonder.
"You're adapting faster than expected, " he said.
I turned at the sound of his voice.
I found him standing at the edge of the clearing.
"When you say things like that " I said,
"It doesn't sound like a compliment."
"It's not, " he said.
I sighed softly.
"Then what is it?" I asked.
"A concern, " he said.
That caught me off guard.
"Why?" I asked.
He stepped closer.
His gaze was more focused than usual.
"Because power like yours doesn't grow this quickly without a cost " he said.
The words settled heavily.
"What kind of cost?" I asked.
"That's what I intend to find out, " he said.
I didn't like the sound of that.
Not at all.
The next training session felt different.
It felt more intense.
It felt more deliberate.
"Today " he said, stepping back
"you stop holding "
I frowned.
"I'm not holding back, " I said.
"You are, " he said.
"I almost cracked the ground open, " I said.
"And still controlled it, " he said.
His tone didn't change.
"That means you haven't reached your limit, " he said.
A chill ran down my spine.
"I don't think that's something we should be testing, " I said.
"We don't have a choice, " he said.
Before I could argue he added:
"Attack me."
I froze.
"What?" I asked.
"You heard me, " he said.
"That's an idea, " I said.
"Do it anyway " he said.
I stared at him.
I tried to figure out if he was serious.
He was serious.
"You want me " I said slowly
"to attack you… with something I barely understand?"
"Yes, " he said.
". You're not even a little concerned?" I asked.
"No, " he said.
That should have been reassuring.
It wasn't.
"Fine, " I muttered under my breath.
"But if this goes wrong"
"It won't, " he said.
"I'm blaming you, " I said.
"Focus " he said.
Right.
Of course.
I inhaled slowly.
I called the energy forward.
It came instantly.
It was too easy.
The warmth surged through me.
It was stronger than before.
It coiled beneath my skin like it was waiting for permission.
My pulse quickened.
"This is an idea…" I whispered.
"Do it, " he said.
I pushed.
The energy exploded outward.
A wave of force tore across the ground.
It was heading straight for him.
For a second… I panicked.
What have I done?
It never reached him.
The air in front of him warped.
Then it shattered.
Like a wall had stopped everything in its tracks.
The force dissipated instantly.
It was gone.
Like it had never existed.
My eyes widened.
"What… was that?" I asked.
He didn't answer.
He didn't even move.
Something about him had changed.
It was subtle.
It was dangerous.
"You're holding back, " he said again.
I stared at him.
"You just blocked everything I threw at you, " I said.
"Exactly, " he said.
A slow realization crept in.
"You're not even trying, " I said.
"No, " he said.
My chest tightened.
"Then what happens when you do?" I asked.
There was silence.
For a moment… I thought he wouldn't answer.
But then
"You won't survive it, " he said.
The words were calm.
They were matter-of-fact.
Not a threat.
A fact.
A chill ran through me.
Yet…
Instead of fear…
Something else rose to the surface.
Challenge.
"Then maybe " I said quietly meeting his gaze
"You should."
There was a pause.
It was longer this time.
His eyes locked onto mine.
Something sharper flickered beneath the surface.
Not anger.
Not quite.
Something darker.
More interesting.
"You're either very brave…" he said slowly.
"Or very reckless, " he said.
" Both " I said.
For the time
The faintest hint of something almost like amusement touched his expression.
It vanished as quickly.
"Again " he said.
This time…
I didn't hesitate.
Away…
In a territory I once called home
Kael Draven stood at the edge of his balcony.
His jaw was tight.
His gaze was fixed on nothing.
Days had passed.
The silence hadn't.
The bond felt… wrong.
It felt twisted.
It felt incomplete.
His chest tightened.
Something unfamiliar crept in.
Not anger.
Not pride.
Something heavier.
"Find her, " he ordered coldly.
A guard bowed immediately.
"We've searched the regions, Alpha.
There's no trace, " he said.
"Then look harder, " Kael said.
His voice dropped.
It was dangerously quiet.
"She didn't just disappear, " Kael said.
His eyes darkened slightly.
Because deep down…
He could still feel it.
It was faint.
It was distant.
It was there.
It was alive.
Back on the training ground
The air cracked again.
My power surged forward.
It was stronger.
It was sharper.
It was closer to something I still didn't fully understand.
This time…
I didn't feel like I was chasing control.
It felt like I was getting closer to it.
Maybe…
That was the most dangerous part.
- Writer
