Chapter 5 Training Day

Lorenzo's POV The morning air carried a thousand stories to my heightened senses. Damp earth and pine needles filled my nostrils as I breathed in deeply, my wolf stirring beneath my skin. A heavy mist clung to the ground, creating ghostly tendrils that twisted around my ankles. It was a perfect day to train. I wanted to ask Denver to check up on her, and to remind her of the training ahead but something stopped me and I decided to go myself. my footsteps echoing in the empty hallway as I walked to her room. The moment I lifted my hand to knock, the door suddenly flew open. I barely had time to process what was happening before she emerged, nearly crashing into me. It turns out that she was already dressed and heading to the training ground before we collided. The surprise caught me off guard, and for a split second, I found myself staring directly into her face - noticing details I'd never seen before. The way her eyes caught the hallway light, the slight parting of her lips in surprise. My heart skipped a beat, and I immediately jerked backward, trying to put proper distance between us. The unexpected proximity had thrown me off balance, both physically and mentally. I cleared my throat, attempting to regain my composure while fighting the warmth threatening to rise in my cheeks. I stared at her intensely but she didn’t seem to feel it, she was obviously more interested in the training. "I was just coming to get you," I managed to say, my voice steadier than I felt. She gave a small smile that didn't help my composure. "Looks like I saved you the trouble." I shifted my weight, acutely aware of how narrow the hallway felt. The air seemed thicker somehow, charged with an awkwardness I wasn't prepared to deal with. “Training. Right. We needed to focus on training.” I said foolishly as we went downstairs. The training grounds were bathed in a warm glow as the morning sun made its way through the trees. Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself for the task at hand. I had looked forward to starting Lyla's fighting training today. I couldn't help but notice the fire in Her eyes and the stubborn set of her jaw as she walked closer. She didn't look anything like the weak Lyla that I had known. No, this lady looked like she was prepared to take back her position in the world as Luna. "I'm ready," she said in a firm voice, sweeping me off my thoughts. I nodded, glancing momentarily at the scar that covered her cheek, a continual reminder of the atrocities she had experienced. She looked at me, her face etched with determination. "Excellent. Let's start with the fundamentals.” I led her through a number of exercises over the course of the following few hours, observing as she performed each one with grace and accuracy. As our session went on, I saw that her brow wrinkled in concentration and that her muscles flexed beneath her skin distracted me more and more. I scolded myself to stop. Despite my best efforts, I was unable to ignore the mounting tension between us—a charged energy that was on the verge of overwhelming me. "Again," I yelled, in a harsher tone than I meant. Lyla's eyes narrowed, and she sprang at me with strong, fluid motions. Despite my attempts to parry her attacks, she persisted in pushing me back with each one. "You're holding back," she said. Her breath came in harsh, short breaths as she roared. Knowing that she was correct, I clenched my teeth. With her, I couldn't afford to be careless. Not when the flames of my yearning threatened to consume my whole soul. I snarled in frustration and threw my full might into the fray, tackling her onslaught with equal vigor. The sound of our strikes reverberated throughout the clearing as our bodies collided in a blur of motion. I briefly caught a glimpse of fear in the depths of Lyla's eyes as they widened upon realizing the full scope of my abilities. But then, it was gone, replaced by a furious determination that sent a shudder down my spine. We danced around each other. Then in slowly calculated steps, we moved around one another, each looking for a chance to gain an advantage. My muscles were strained from trying to keep up with her, and I could feel the perspiration trickling down my brow. My heart thumping in my chest, I thought, She's gorgeous. Lyla feinted to the left, then hit with lightning speed, her fist hitting my ribs just as I thought I had the advantage. I growled in pain, but I refused to back down, retaliating with a torrent of blows that forced her to retreat. Because we were evenly matched, our fight demonstrated the unadulterated strength and expertise that were simmering beneath the surface. I was aware that I couldn't continue doing this indefinitely without running the risk of my actual character being revealed. I was surprised, very surprised. Maybe I underrated her before, the Lyla standing here with me was nothing like the Lyla that I had heard about. She was strong — very too. Too strong for a woman that sold her birthright for sex at night with her supposed ‘husband’. As I stared at her, I noticed a change in her face when we stopped and each caught our breath. The ferocious resolve persisted, but it was subdued by a fresh respect and recognition of my abilities. "You're holding back," she said in a voice that was just barely audible. I opened my mouth to reply, but a sharp pain shot through my head, catching the words in my throat. Images started to flash before my eyes, and I gasped, sending my hand shooting to my temple. fragments of a world cloaked in terror and darkness from a long time ago. An old and strong curse that devours everything in its path. And at its core, a tale of love and treachery that stood the test of time. I Stumbled, the ground swaying under me, my vision hazy. The weight of this new information seemed to overwhelm me as I collapsed to the ground, faintly registering her startled gasp. With my head spinning, I thought, “The curse..”. It was far worse than I could have ever guessed. The world suddenly became dark.