The cold night air wrapped around Alex as he fell to his knees, panting, with sweat dripping down his body. The trembling in his muscles wasn't just from physical exhaustion but from the inner storm he had just weathered. His golden eyes, which had shone with savage fury, were now fading. The wolf inside him was retreating, and Alex, little by little, was regaining control.
Gideon approached slowly, his footsteps crunching over the dry leaves. There was no urgency in his movements. "You did it, kid," he said, his voice calm. Relief was clear, but there was no hint of reproach.
Alex looked up, feeling the fatigue deep in his bones. "Did I?" His voice shook slightly. "I felt like I was slipping… like I couldn't come back."
"That's what happens when you fight the wolf," Gideon said, sitting down on a nearby log. His expression was calm, but there was a flicker of understanding in his eyes. "The trick is not to resist it, but to accept it. If you keep fighting, you'll always lose."
Alex watched him in silence. He knew Gideon was speaking from experience, but there was something more. Something he didn't quite understand. "Why don't you ever transform?"
The question seemed to catch Gideon off guard. He looked at Alex for a moment before letting out a long sigh. "That's… a long story." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "It wasn't always like this. There was a time when I did, just like everyone else."
Alex frowned. He had never imagined this. "What happened?"
"I lost control," Gideon said, his voice quieter now. "I was young and cocky. Thought I could master it, but one night under the full moon… well, I hurt people I cared about." He paused, guilt crossing his face like a shadow. "After that, I decided I'd never take the risk again. I haven't transformed since."
Gideon's words were simple, but the weight behind them was heavy. Alex swallowed hard, feeling the pressure of what he'd just heard. "I never thought you… that you'd gone through something like that."
Gideon shrugged. "We all have demons, kid. Some bigger than others."
Alex looked down at the ground. The physical exhaustion was still there, but now he felt an emotional emptiness he didn't know how to fill. "I'm… not great at control either," he admitted finally. "Maybe because I never had much in my life to lose. I'm an orphan. Never knew my parents. I don't know what it's like to trust someone or to have someone who cares about me."
Gideon didn't say anything. He just let Alex speak.
"I've always been alone, drifting from one place to the next, never connecting with anyone," Alex continued, his voice shaky. "Until I met you." He lifted his gaze, looking directly at Gideon. "You saved me. You've taught me more than anyone ever has. For the first time, I feel like I have something… someone I can rely on."
The silence that followed was thick. Alex wasn't sure if he'd said too much. He wasn't used to being vulnerable, especially not in front of someone like Gideon.
Slowly, Gideon stood and walked over to him. He placed a heavy hand on his shoulder, but the gesture was warm, comforting. "We're not blood, Alex," he said quietly, "but that doesn't mean you can't count on me. You don't have to be alone. Not anymore."
Alex felt a lump form in his throat. He had said what he had been wanting to express for a long time, and now, finally, he had let it out. Gideon's response was more than he had hoped for. It made him feel… relieved. As if the weight he had been carrying for so long was starting to lift.
Gideon gave his shoulder a pat and turned towards the cabin. "Come on, kid. Tomorrow we continue training. There's still a lot to learn."
Alex smiled slightly, his eyes still glimmering with exhaustion. The battle for control over the wolf would be a constant struggle, he knew that. But for the first time, he felt like he wouldn't have to face it alone.
Under the light of the moon, Alex looked out at the horizon, where the forest merged with the night sky. The moon still hung high, but the inner storm that had stirred within him was beginning to calm. For the first time, however brief, he felt like he had found a place to call home.