The next few days were grueling. William pushed Stella to her limits, forcing her to fight against pack members, to lift weights far beyond what a human could bear, to run until her legs felt like they would give out. But despite all of his efforts, something was missing. She lacked the raw fury, the instinctual aggression that had once made her a formidable opponent.
"Come on, Stella! Focus!" William barked, as she struggled to fend off an attack from Silent. Stella stumbled back, barely managing to block a heavy blow that sent her crashing into the wall. "You're holding back. Why are you holding back?"
"I... I don't know," Stella painted, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. "It's like... it's like there's a block in my mind. I can't access my powers like before."
