Chapter 342
ALEXANDER
Roman arrived just after dawn.
I had already been waiting.
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He jogged toward the training ground, slowing as he approached before giving a brief nod of greeting.
“Alpha.”
Then he stepped into position automatically, feet planted the same way he always did when we began.
Ready for combat training.
For a moment, I simply watched him.
He had improved.
Not just physically. His instincts were sharper now. His body reacted faster. The hesitation that used to plague him had begun to fade.
But none of that would matter if he couldn’t do the one thing every wolf had to face eventually.
I folded my arms.
“We’ll be doing something different today.”
Roman frowned slightly.
“Different?”
“You’re ready for the next step.”
His brow furrowed deeper now.
“What step?”
I took a slow breath before answering.
“The first stage of your training was about strength,” I said. “Learning how to fight. Learning how to move. Learning how to trust your instincts.”
Roman nodded slowly.
I continued.
“But those things are only preparation.”
He shifted his weight slightly, clearly trying to anticipate where this was going.
“It’s time to put those instincts to use,” I said. “Shifting.”
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The reaction was immediate.
Roman stiffened.
Not dramatically. Just enough for someone paying attention to notice.
His shoulders tightened slightly, and the confidence he’d walked in with faltered for a brief moment.
I watched him carefully.
He had been waiting for this moment.
But anticipation and readiness were two very different things.
“You’ve never shifted,” I said.
It wasn’t a question.
Roman shook his head slowly.
“No.”
“The full moon is coming,” I said.
His eyes flickered slightly at that.
“You need to be ready before then.”
I didn’t elaborate further.
I didn’t tell him what could happen if he wasn’t.
There was no reason to put that kind of pressure on him yet.
He stood there quietly for a moment.
Then he took a slow breath.
“I’m ready to start,” he said.
I nodded once.
“Good.”
I stepped closer.
“Shifting isn’t just physical,” I explained. “Most wolves think it is the first time they attempt it. They try to force it through muscle and effort.”
Roman listened closely.
“That’s not how it works.”
I tapped a finger lightly against my chest.
“It starts here.”
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His gaze followed the motion.
“You already felt your wolf,” I said. “You told me that yourself.”
Roman nodded.
“Yes.”
“Good. Then you’re not starting from nothing”
I stepped back slightly and gestured for him to relax his stance.
“Stop thinking about shifting.”
He frowned slightly but stayed focused.
“That’s the first mistake,” I continued. “You’re approaching this like a fight. It isn’t one.”
Roman exhaled slowly.
“Close your eyes.”
He hesitated briefly, then did as instructed.
“Feel your breathing,” I said. “Slow it down.”
His chest rose and fell steadily.
“Your wolf is part of you,” I continued. “Not something separate you need to drag out.”
Roman’s brow furrowed slightly as he concentrated.
“You just have to step back and let it come forward.”
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then his breathing changed.
I saw the exact moment it happened.
His posture shifted slightly.
His fingers curled,
And when he opened his eyes-
They flashed gold.
Good.
His wolf was responding.
Roman groaned under his breath as tension rolled through his body. His muscles tightened as the transformation tried to push through.
“Don’t fight it.” I instructed. “Allow it to take over.”
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His shoulders jerked slightly as the pressure built inside him.
For a moment, I thought he might actually manage it.
Then the tension broke
Roman staggered half a step and exhaled sharply.
The gold faded from his eyes.
Frustration crossed his face immediately,
“I almost had it,” he muttered. “I felt it.”
“You did,” I said,
Roman dragged a hand through his hair.
“What did I do wrong?”
“You panicked.”
He frowned, clearly replaying the moment in his mind.
“The moment your wolf pushed forward,” I continued, “you tried to control it.”
“I thought I was supposed to control it,” he said, confused.
He was smart, but he had a long way to go.
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“Yes,” I said honestly. “You’re supposed to learn to control it, but we’re not there yet. For now, you just need to relax and let it take over.”
Roman exhaled slowly, absorbing the correction.
“Your instincts are still treating it like something you need to restrain,” I said. “Until that changes, the shift won’t complete.”
He nodded once.
“Again.”
Roman closed his eyes.
The second attempt came faster.
His wolf answered the call almost immediately.
Gold flooded his eyes again, brighter this time. His muscles tensed, shoulders tightening as the
transformation tried to force its way through.
A strained groan escaped him.
His spine arched slightly.
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For a moment, the change nearly took hold-
Then it stopped again.
Roman steadied himself with a slow breath.
We tried again.
And again.
Each attempt lasted longer.
Each time his wolf pushed closer to the surface.
His eyes would change.
His muscles would tighten.
His body would begin the transition-
And then it would collapse.
After several attempts, he let out a frustrated breath.
“This is impossible.”
“No,” I said calmly. “It isn’t.”
He looked at me.
“Then why can’t I do it?”
“Because it takes time and practice,” I said. “And sometimes a demonstration helps.”
Roman blinked slightly.
I reached for the hem of my shirt.
Roman stepped back slightly as I pulled the shirt over my head.
Then I removed my sweatpants, leaving them on the ground beside me.
Roman watched in confusion but didn’t question it.
He might have seen wolves shift during training before–but usually in the middle of a fight.
I met his gaze.
“Watch carefully.”
Then I let my wolf forward.
The shift came easily.
Bone shifted.
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