The Wolf in the Mirror

The clearing was deep in the woods, far enough from Mystic Grove that no one would stumble across them — not unless they wanted to be hunted.

Moonlight spilled through the trees, and the air was thick with pine, moss, and tension.

Scott stood with his jacket off, shirt damp with sweat, watching Derek toss a blade into the dirt between them.

"No," Derek said flatly. "Again."

Scott growled, low and frustrated. "I'm not a soldier."

"You're a wolf. Learn fast or die faster."

Scott's hands clenched. He launched forward, aiming a punch at Derek's side — but Derek twisted effortlessly, catching his arm and flipping him flat on his back.

Pain shot up Scott's spine.

"Use your instincts," Derek barked. "Not your temper. You want to survive? Fight like something that was built to hunt."

Scott lay there for a second, chest heaving, muscles trembling with too much energy and not enough direction.

His nails were half-shifted, teeth aching again. But the control kept slipping.

Derek crouched beside him. "You feel it, don't you? The pressure in your chest. The way your body wants to rip something apart just to let the heat out?"

Scott's jaw tensed. "Yes."

"That's the wolf. It's not a curse — it's a weapon. But if you don't own it, it'll own you."

Scott sat up slowly. "And you've got yours figured out?"

Derek's expression didn't change, but something dark flickered in his eyes. "I born with my wolf that give me an advantage I learned how from the day I could walk,You don't get that luxury."

He stood, stepping back. "Now get up. Again."

Scott rose, this time slower. He could feel his body responding. His breathing synced with the earth. His hearing sharpened — every rustle in the forest, every snap of a twig behind them.

Derek moved.

This time, Scott blocked. Low. Precise.

Then struck. Fast.

Derek grunted, staggered slightly — impressed.

"You're getting it."

Scott wiped his brow. "Does the rage ever go away?"

Derek shook his head. "No. But the trick is… making it listen to you."

They stood there, tension pulsing between them like two storms circling.

"Why are you helping me?" Scott asked.

Derek hesitated.

"Because you remind me of him," he finally said. "Of my brother. The best parts of him."

Scott looked down. "He didn't mean to bite me, did he?"

"No," Derek said. "But something led him to you. A trail. A reason."

Scott stared into the dark woods. "What if that reason comes looking again?"

Derek's voice was quiet. "Then you'll be ready. Because I'll make sure you are."

---

As they walked back through the woods, side by side, something rustled far off behind the trees.

Not animal.

Not human.

Derek paused. Head tilted.

Scott looked at him. "What is it?"

Derek's eyes flashed. "Trouble."