The days after Lily’s first training session passed in a blur of tension and determination. Each morning, she, Eric, and Kael returned to the secluded clearing, where she practiced guiding the magic through her emotions, learning to keep it steady and under control. The connection she felt to Eric gave her strength, his presence grounding her in ways she hadn’t realized she needed.
But despite her progress, the Shadow’s threat loomed like a storm on the horizon. The pack had reinforced the estate’s defenses, wary of another attack, and the tension among the members was palpable. Every sound, every shadow seemed to set them on edge, as though they were all waiting for something terrible to happen.
It was on the fifth morning that Kael arrived at the clearing with a somber expression, his
