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Aria’s POV
I stood in the training center at six in the morning, my fists pounding rhythmically against the heavy bag. Each punch
carried the weight of my frustrations—with Emma, with Ethan, with the entire mess my life had become. The sharp smack
of my knuckles against leather echoed through the nearly empty room, a satisfying sound that matched the controlled
burn in my muscles.
“Focus on your footwork, Aria,” I muttered to myself, dancing lightly on my toes. “Don’t let your emotions throw off your
technique.”
I’d signed up for an upcoming werewolf fighting competition. The prize money was substantial, even for second place,
and I needed to start planning for a future beyond the wolf world. I couldn’t stay here forever, not with all the
complications and painful memories. Lucas needed stability, and I needed independence.
A loud thump from the corner of the training center momentarily distracted me. I glanced over to see Lucas sprawled
across the makeshift “couch fort” I’d constructed from training mats. Poor kid—being dragged to the training center at
dawn couldn’t be fun for a six-year-old, but I had no choice. I returned my attention to the bag, focusing on keeping my movements sharp and controlled.
The heavy metal door to the training center swung open with a screech that cut through my concentration. I paused midpunch, irritated by the interruption, to see Leo striding in. His normally perfectly styled hair was disheveled, as if he’d just
rolled out of bed. Despite the early hour, he was dressed in an expensive polo shirt and designer casual pants that looked
comically out of place among the utilitarian training equipment. He carried an enormous cup of coffee in one hand, his
eyes scanning the room until they found Lucas, then settling on me.
“You look like you’re in good form to me!” Leo called out cheerfully as he approached my punching bag.
I landed another solid hit, causing the bag to swing violently. “I’m way off,” I panted, wiping sweat from my brow with the
back of my hand. “Not focused today.”
Leo mumbled something under his breath that I couldn’t quite catch. Every strike now carried more force, channeling my
simmering anger. I threw a straight punch that missed its mark slightly, grazing the metal support pole instead of hitting
the center of the bag. I winced as the impact sent uncomfortable vibrations up my arm.
“Why not take a break, sweetheart?” Leo suggested, leaning casually against a nearby weight rack.
I ignored him, throwing another powerful combination. The bag swung back faster than I anticipated. Before I could
dodge, it rebounded at a sharp angle and caught me hard on the side of my face. The impact knocked me off-balance,
sending me stumbling backward until I tripped over the edge of a mat and landed flat on my back.
“Damn it, Aria!” Leo was at my side in seconds, his face appearing in my field of vision as I stared up at the ceiling,
struggling to catch my breath. I took a mental inventory of my body—nothing hurt except my pride.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment. “I’m just a bit distracted today.”
“Let me help you up,” Leo extended his hand.
I took it, allowing him to pull me to my feet. As I stood upright, intending to release his hand, a wave of dizziness washed
over me, forcing me to clutch his forearm for stability.
“Water,” I managed to say through the momentary nausea. The word came out more desperate than I intended, my voice
thin and strained. A wave of dizziness crashed over me, making the fluorescent lights overhead blur into streaks of harsh
white. My stomach lurched uncomfortably, a sour taste rising in the back of my throat. I swallowed hard, trying to fight
down the sudden queasiness that made cold sweat break out across my forehead and between my shoulder blades.
Leo nodded and stepped away, causing me to sway slightly without his support. I focused on my breathing—in through
the nose, out through the mouth—while pressing my palm against my temple where a dull throbbing had begun. After what felt like an eternity but was probably only seconds, Leo returned with a water bottle.
I stared at the unfamiliar bottle for a beat before accepting it. It was a custom design with a small locking mechanism on
the side that had to be pushed to open or remove the cap. After my experiences with Bella’s poisoning and Emma’s manipulations, I’d become cautious about what I consumed. I carefully engaged the lock mechanism and took a long
drink, letting the cool liquid wash away the nausea and clear the gray spots from my vision.
“Feeling better, Mom?” Lucas’s voice startled me. I turned to find my son standing beside me, his green eyes—so like his
father’s—wide with concern. I managed a reassuring smile.
“Yes, baby. I just got overconfident and didn’t think I’d get hit like that.” I bent down, capturing his chin between my
thumb and forefinger, and pulled him close to rub my nose against his. Lucas giggled and squealed in delight, then
placed his small hands on my cheeks, squishing my face until my lips puckered like a fish. I ignored the dull throbbing
from where the bag had struck me.
“Blub-blub, fishie kisses!” My words came out bubbled and distorted with my lips forced into that ridiculous position, my
voice all squishy and underwater-sounding. Lucas’s eyes crinkled with pure joy as he erupted into a cascade of giggles
that seemed to bubble up from his toes. The sound of his laughter—bright and uninhibited—was like sunshine breaking
through clouds, instantly melting away some of the tension I’d been carrying all morning.
I raised my free hand, curling my fingers into exaggerated claws, and wiggled them menacingly. “The tickle monster is
coming for youuuuu,” I growled in my most playful monster voice.
“Nooooo!” Lucas squealed with delight, his little body already squirming in anticipation. He scrambled backward on all
fours, green eyes wide with mock terror, before tumbling dramatically onto his mat fortress. “Save me! Save me from the
mommy monster!”
Leo chuckled, watching our antics with an amused expression. “Don’t worry, buddy, I’ll protect you!” he called to Lucas,
striking a heroic pose with his hands on his hips. Lucas peeked out from behind his makeshift fort, giggling
conspiratorially.
“You and what army?” I challenged Leo, arching an eyebrow and slowly advancing toward my son’s hideout.
In a flash, Leo lunged forward and scooped Lucas up, swinging him onto his shoulders as my son shrieked with laughter.
“The Lucas and Leo Awesome Alliance!” they declared in unison, clearly having practiced this battle cry before.
I clutched my heart, staggering backward dramatically. “Oh no! I’m outnumbered! The monster is defeated!” I collapsed
onto a nearby mat, tongue lolling out in an exaggerated death scene that had Lucas howling with laughter.
“Come on, monster cub,” I said, glancing at the clock on the wall. “Time for school. Those volcanos aren’t going to erupt
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