Free Web NovelChapter 112: Chapter 112
How was I supposed to argue with that?
The three students arrived on a Sunday afternoon.
Emma was tiny—maybe five-foot-two with huge brown eyes that looked perpetually worried. Rachel was tall and confident-looking until you noticed her hands shaking. Jade was stunning and completely closed-off, her walls so high I could practically see them.
"Welcome to Shadow Ridge," I said, trying to project confidence I didn’t feel. "I’m Sophie, and this is Diana. We’re excited to work with you." freewebnσvel.cøm
Emma burst into tears immediately. "I’m sorry, I just—my pack said I was defective. That I’d never be a real Luna. And now I’m here, and what if they’re right—"
I pulled her into a hug, sending calming Luna energy through the contact. "They’re not right. You’re not defective. Your abilities are just dormant, and we’re going to wake them up."
Rachel and Jade exchanged glances. They were skeptical. I didn’t blame them.
Christian hosted a welcome dinner that night. He was perfect—warm but not overwhelming, answering the students’ nervous questions about Shadow Ridge while making them feel valued.
"Sophie will change your lives," he told them over dessert. "I’ve watched her develop her own abilities from scratch. If anyone can teach you, it’s her."
"No pressure," I muttered.
He squeezed my knee under the table, sending reassurance through our bond.
I spent individual time with each student the next day, trying to understand their specific struggles.
Emma sat across from me in the meditation room, twisting her hands together. "I’ve tried to heal for years. Nothing happens. Like, literally nothing. My hands don’t even get warm."
"Tell me exactly what you do when you try."
"I focus on the injury and... will it to heal? I imagine it getting better?"
"Okay, that’s your problem right there." I pulled out the notes Diana and I had made. "You’re using your mind when you should be using your energy. Healing isn’t about thinking—it’s about feeling."
Emma looked confused but hopeful. "Can you teach me?"
"That’s why you’re here."
Rachel was different. She could sense the pack bonds—barely—but couldn’t influence them at all.
"It’s like they’re behind glass," she explained, frustration clear in her voice. "I can see them, feel them a little, but I can’t touch them. Can’t strengthen them or send anything through them."
"How long have you been trying?"
"Three years." Rachel’s jaw tightened. "My Alpha is patient, but I know he’s disappointed. Other Lunas can do this naturally."
"Other Lunas had teachers," I said. "You’re learning from scratch, which is incredibly hard. The fact that you can sense the bonds at all is impressive."
"It doesn’t feel impressive."
"It will. Trust me."
Jade was the hardest. She sat in the assessment room with her arms crossed, radiating hostility.
"My Alpha mate thinks I’m useless," she said bluntly. "He doesn’t say it, but I can tell. Every time another Luna visits and demonstrates abilities I don’t have, he gets this look."
"What kind of look?"
"Disappointment. Like he wishes the mate bond had chosen someone else." Jade’s voice cracked. "Sometimes I wish it had too."
My heart broke for her. "Jade, Luna abilities don’t determine your worth."
"Easy for you to say. I’ve heard about you—the Luna who mastered everything in months. You don’t know what it’s like to fail at something that’s supposed to be innate."
"Actually, I do. I didn’t even know werewolves existed six months ago. I had zero abilities, zero knowledge, and zero confidence." I met her eyes. "But I had people who believed in me. Now I’m going to believe in you until you can believe in yourself."
Jade’s walls cracked, just a little. "What if you’re wrong about me?"
"I’m not. But we’ll prove it together."
The first group lesson was terrifying.
I stood in front of Emma, Rachel, and Jade in the meditation room, my notes clutched in sweaty hands.
"Okay, so we’re starting with basic energy centering," I said. "Everyone sit comfortably and close your eyes."
They obeyed. Three faces, three desperate hopes.
*Please don’t let me screw this up.*
Diana assisted, demonstrating the breathing techniques she’d taught me. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Visualize energy pooling in your core.
"Feel the warmth in your chest," I said, walking between them. "That’s your Luna energy. It’s always been there—you just haven’t learned to access it yet."
Rachel gasped. "I feel it. Oh my god, I actually feel it."
By the end of the lesson, Rachel could sense the Shadow Ridge pack bonds clearly. Not influence them yet, but sense them strongly. She cried with joy, and I had to blink back my tears.
"You did that," Diana whispered to me.
"We did that," I corrected.
