Awa sat at the kitchen table, her fingers lightly tapping against the wood as she stared out the window. A week had passed since that night—since Kelsey. And yet, the world outside seemed eerily unchanged. The sun still rose every morning, the city's hustle and bustle continued as normal, and no one looked at her with suspicion as she went about her daily routines. But inside, everything felt different. She was different.
Every day, Awa woke up with the same gnawing anxiety that today might be the day the police would show up. Maybe they'd crash her radio show while she was on air, handcuff her live in front of her audience. Or maybe they'd catch her on the way to work, drag her into the back of a patrol car without anyone even knowing what happened. The worst fear, though, was that they'd show up at her home, arrest her in front of Beatrice. That was what terrified her most—the idea of her daughter seeing her like that, being taken away.
But the days passed, and nothing happened. No one knocked on her door, no suspicious figures followed her in the streets. It was as if Kelsey's death had never occurred. His body hadn't been found—or if it had, there were no leads pointing to her. She supposed it helped that she had been careful—removing his phone, hiding his body. Still, the constant tension left her exhausted, her nerves frayed.
The only silver lining in this week of turmoil came two days ago, when Tina casually mentioned something over breakfast. She had been sipping her coffee and scrolling through her phone when she glanced up at Awa.
"Hey, you know you can come back to the office now," Tina had said. "Kelsey's away again. He does this sometimes—disappears for a bit, usually to 'have fun.'" She had made air quotes with her fingers, a trace of sarcasm in her voice. "So, you're safe. No more avoiding work meetings or dodging him in the hallways."
Awa had barely kept her expression neutral at the time, nodding as if the news was no big deal. But inside, she had felt a rush of relief—and something else. Excitement. Kelsey was gone.
She was free to attend meetings at Tina's company again, free from the looming threat of his presence. And that meant she could see Forrest.
It wasn't love, she told herself. It couldn't be. What she felt when she was around Forrest wasn't the usual fluttering emotions of romance—it was something primal, something more animalistic. Her mind kept drifting back to that moment when Forrest had first gotten close to her, the way his scent had affected her, how her heart had raced in a way that was both terrifying and exhilarating.
She needed to find out what it was. Why Forrest? Why now? Was it tied to the strange changes in her, the powers she was discovering within herself? Or was it something deeper, more dangerous?
The thoughts haunted her as she went through the motions of her daily life, but one thing was clear: she couldn't stay passive any longer. She had to be prepared for whatever might come next, whether it was another werewolf, someone from Kelsey's clan, or even Forrest himself. She had to be ready.
The very next day, Awa asked her boss, Mark, about the next meeting with the company.
"Kelsey's away, so I'd like to come to the meeting this Friday," she said, trying to sound nonchalant.
Mark looked surprised but nodded. "Of course. We could use you there. Tina's been a big help, but your insight will definitely add value. I'll let them know you'll be attending."
Awa felt a surge of anticipation. Friday wasn't far away. It would be her chance to get closer to Forrest and figure out what exactly was happening between them. But she couldn't just rely on instinct and curiosity anymore. She had realized something important during her fight with Kelsey: she wasn't ready. She had been faster than him, stronger even, but her moves were clumsy, untrained. If she hadn't been fueled by desperation and sheer rage, she might not have survived. She couldn't take that risk again.
She needed to learn how to fight.
Awa spent the rest of the evening browsing the internet, looking for self-defense classes. She had always been cautious about her safety, but now it was different. Now she was on a whole new level of danger, and she needed to be equipped to handle it. She couldn't just rely on brute strength or speed—she needed skill, precision, and knowledge. Werewolves, monsters, humans—she needed to be prepared for all of it.
She set two goals for herself: close combat training and weapons training.
First, she searched for the best close combat self-defense classes in the city. She wasn't looking for basic self-defense techniques—she needed something more intense, more advanced. After scrolling through several options, she found a Krav Maga school with rave reviews. Krav Maga was known for being practical, brutal, and efficient, designed for real-life situations where there were no rules. It was exactly what she needed. The focus on disabling attackers quickly, using the body's natural reflexes and weaknesses, appealed to her.
This will be good for hand-to-hand combat, she thought. If I ever face someone like Kelsey again, I'll be ready.
Next, Awa searched for weapons training. She wasn't just interested in learning how to fight with her hands—she wanted to master weapons too. If she could have had a weapon during her fight with Kelsey, maybe things would have ended sooner. Maybe she wouldn't have needed to rely on the strange power surging through her.
She looked into two categories: cold weapons and hot weapons.
Cold weapons were anything non-firearm—blades, staffs, batons, and so on. She figured a good place to start would be with something basic but effective, like knives. She found a tactical knife fighting class taught by ex-military instructors. The idea of learning to fight with blades was both terrifying and exciting, but it was necessary. Awa had no delusions that she was invincible—there were likely others stronger than Kelsey, faster than her. A well-placed blade could be the difference between life and death.
The second category, hot weapons, was a bit more daunting. Guns were powerful, but they also drew attention, and in most situations, Awa preferred subtlety. However, after her close encounter with Kelsey, she realized she couldn't rule anything out. She signed up for a firearms training course, knowing that if push came to shove, she needed to be proficient with more than just her fists and claws. Knowing how to use a gun could save her life one day—or protect Beatrice when she wasn't around.
Awa leaned back in her chair after making all the necessary bookings. The Krav Maga classes would start next week, and the knife and firearms training would follow soon after. She felt a small sense of accomplishment, as though taking these steps gave her some control over the chaos that had invaded her life.
Her thoughts drifted to Beatrice, her sweet daughter who had no idea what her mother had been through. Awa felt a pang of guilt as she realized how little time she had spent with Beatrice in the past week, her mind too preoccupied with the fear of being discovered. But now, with these new precautions in place, she felt more secure. She would survive this, and Beatrice wouldn't lose her mother.
I'll never allow myself to be caught off guard again, Awa promised herself.
As she stared at the computer screen, another thought crossed her mind—a darker one. What if she was the weakest of them all? What if Kelsey had been one of the weaker members of his clan, and there were others out there far stronger, far deadlier? What if the Quinn clan had more dangerous werewolves hidden away, waiting for a reason to come after her?
A chill ran down her spine at the thought. She had no real idea how strong Forrest was, or what his intentions were. Was she in danger from him as well? Or did he hold some kind of protection over her?
The uncertainty gnawed at her, but she pushed it aside. For now, her priority was to get stronger, to train, and to protect herself and Beatrice. She couldn't afford to be distracted by what-ifs or emotions she didn't fully understand.
Glancing at her reflection in the window, Awa flexed her hands, feeling the power surge through her once more. Her nails lengthened into sharp claws, and she willed them to retract with ease. This power isn't a curse, she reminded herself. It's a gift. She just needed to learn how to use it properly.
With that thought in mind, Awa shut down her laptop and headed to bed. Tomorrow, she would begin her journey to mastering her new abilities—both as a fighter and as something far more powerful than she had ever imagined.