The next morning arrived with an overcast sky that foretold a storm. Dark clouds covered the sky, and the air was laden with humidity, as if the forest itself was preparing for something imminent. Alex woke up before dawn, with tense muscles and a mind clouded by confused memories of his dreams. He dreamed of wolves, of a figure in the shadows watching him from a distance. Red eyes, glowing like embers in the darkness. An enemy, or a warning, he wasn't sure.
Gideon was waiting for him outside the cabin, already prepared for the day. There were no words of welcome. Instead, his expression was loaded with determination. "Today is not a day for softness, Alex," he said while adjusting the straps of his leather jacket. "You need to be ready for what's coming."
Alex stretched, trying to shake off the feeling of heaviness that enveloped him. "I'm ready," he said, although a part of him doubted if he really was.
Gideon guided him to a clearing in the forest, deeper than they had gone before. The terrain was uneven, with exposed roots, scattered rocks, and thorny bushes. Alex recognized the environment immediately: it was a training field, designed to test more than just his physical abilities. Here, he would have to be alert at all times.
"This is where you'll learn to fight like a true wolf," Gideon said, his voice low and calculated. "Hunters don't play fair, and neither should you."
Without further warning, Gideon attacked. It was fast, almost too fast for Alex to react. The first blow hit him on the shoulder, sending him staggering backward. Alex barely had time to compose himself before the second attack came, this time aimed at his leg.
"Control your rage!" Gideon growled, while launching a new attack. Alex blocked it, although the impact made his arms tremble from the effort. "The wolf is your strength, but it's also your weakness if you let it dominate you."
The following minutes were a whirlwind of movements. Every blow Gideon launched, Alex received as if it were a lesson. And with every mistake he made, he felt the wolf inside him stir, eager to take control, to release the contained fury.
Suddenly, everything changed.
A loud crackle resonated among the trees. Alex stopped dead in his tracks, his body completely alert. It wasn't an animal. He knew how to distinguish the sounds of the forest, and this wasn't one of them. This was different. Something or someone was watching them.
Gideon felt it too. He took a step toward the sound, his eyes narrowed. "We're not alone," he muttered, pulling a knife from his belt with the fluidity of someone who had done it thousands of times.
Alex spun around, scanning the forest for any sign of movement. The air was charged with a palpable tension, as if the forest itself held its breath, waiting for the inevitable.
And then, he saw it.
A figure emerged from among the trees, tall and slender, wrapped in a dark cloak that seemed to merge with the shadows of the forest. Its red eyes glowed like embers, intense and full of a malice that Alex could feel in the depths of his being. It was as if those eyes penetrated directly into his soul, searching for something, scrutinizing him.
"So this is the famous newly turned," said the figure, with a voice that was more of a growl than words. "The Alpha didn't mention you in such detail."
Alex felt a chill run down his spine. His inner wolf reacted immediately, tensing each of his muscles. It was an automatic, instinctive response. This figure, whoever it was, wasn't here to talk.
"Who are you?" Alex asked, taking a step back, feeling how adrenaline began to course through his body.
The stranger smiled, showing sharp fangs that gleamed under the dim daylight that barely filtered through the trees. "Someone who has been waiting to meet you," he said, his tone mocking. "Your blood... it's special. And soon you'll know it."
Before Alex could react, the figure disappeared into the shadows, leaving them alone in the clearing. The silence that followed was deafening.
Gideon turned to Alex, his eyes full of concern. "We have problems, pup. And they're coming straight for you."