Lucien's POV Ashmoor Academy was nestled in the cradle of the northern highlands, its ancient stone towers wrapped in a steady mist that smelled of frost, pine, and old magic. The kind of place built not just to train warriors-but to forge legends. But as I pulled the car into the gated drive, my eyes weren't on the battlements or the looming archway that bore the academy's sigil. They were on the girl sitting beside me. Riley had been silent most of the ride. Not the tense silence of a girl plotting escape, but the kind of quiet that came from exhaustion-the bone-deep weariness of someone used to fighting alone. I didn't press her. Not yet. The moment we arrived, an attendant escorted us to the academy's medical wing. I'd called ahead. Told them Riley needed a full exam before we made any decisions about her training path. I might've pulled some strings. Technically, the chief combat instructor was semi-retired. But for me, she made an exception. She always did. "Lucien Duskgrave," said a sharp voice as we entered the white-tiled room. "Still dragging half-dead wolves through my doors, I see." I smirked. "You love the drama, Maeryn." Warden Maeryn Voss snorted as she stepped forward, her cane tapping with authority on the cold tile. Her hair was silver-white and braided back in a warrior's twist, her broad shoulders still carrying the posture of a frontline general. Despite the crow's feet around her eyes, the force of her presence crackled like live wire-old magic wrapped in a lifetime of battlefield instinct. She wasn't just Ashmoor's senior instructor-she was its legend. Her gaze landed on Riley, appraising and sharp. "You must be the Vale girl," she said, not unkindly. Riley shifted uneasily. "Just Riley." Maeryn gave a short nod. "Come. Let's see what the world's carved out of you." She led Riley into a side chamber.I waited in the hall, pacing. Minutes passed. Then nearly an hour. Finally, the door opened. Maeryn stepped out first, her expression unreadable. Riley followed behind her, eyes distant, face pale. Something in my chest tightened. I stepped forward. "What is it?" Maeryn looked at me with an intensity I hadn't seen in years. "You were right to bring her here. But it's worse than I thought." I tensed. "Tell me everything." She gestured me into her office. Riley remained behind in the waiting room, perched silently on the edge of a bench like a wraith made flesh. Once inside, Maeryn closed the door and dropped her usual steel facade. "She's bleeding magic," she said without preamble. "Or rather-her wolf is." My heart froze. "What?" She tapped a glowing diagnostic chart laid out across her desk. It shimmered with faint blue runes, a spectral image of Riley's wolf form projected in pale light. "She's unstable. Her wolf is severely weakened, barely anchored to her physical form. The reason?" She pointed to a faint distortion on the image's lower right quadrant. "She's missing a vital organ." "A kidney," I said grimly. Maeryn nodded. "Correct. Her human body has learned to cope, but her wolf? Her wolf is still bleeding. You of all people understand how spirit and body must remain in harmony for a shifter to function at full strength." I clenched my fists. "What does that mean for her training?" "It means she's not ready. Throw her into high-impact combat drills now, and she could collapse mid-shift. Or worse-her wolf could try to tear away from her, instinctively seeking safety."She paused, then added in a quieter voice, "And Lucien... even in this state... she still managed to summon her wolf." I looked up sharply. Maeryn's voice lowered in awe. "Do you understand what that means? I've trained thousands of warriors. I've seen Alphas lose their shift over emotional trauma. But Riley... she's incomplete, fractured-and her wolf still came when called. That kind of soul-bond doesn't just survive. It fights. She's rare, Lucien. One in a thousand." I exhaled slowly, her words landing like hammers. "She's meant to be on the battlefield," Maeryn said. "But not like this. She's fire wrapped in broken bones." "Is there a way to fix it?" I asked. "There is," she said, expression hardening. "Find the missing piece. Her wolf is searching for it. If we can locate the kidney-if it's still viable-we might be able to graft it back. A spirit-bound transplant. Difficult. Dangerous. Not exactly legal. But possible." My throat tightened. "Can I tell her?" "You should. But be careful with hope. If the donor was unwilling... or if too much time has passed, there may be no reclaiming it. If it was sold, altered, discarded-there's a hundred ways this could go wrong." I stood up, mind racing. Back in the hallway, Riley lifted her head when I approached. Her eyes were searching mine before I even spoke. "So?" she asked, her voice trying for steadiness. "Am I in?" I sat beside her, close but not touching. "There's a complication," I said quietly. "Your wolf... she's weak. That's why your shifts hurt. Why you're tired all the time. It's not just the trauma." Her lips parted slightly. "So I'm not strong enough." "No." I leaned closer, letting the heat in my voice do what my hands couldn't. "You're stronger than anyone I've ever met. But your wolf is incomplete. You had a kidney removed, didn't you?" Her expression crumpled. "I don't even remember when it happened." I swallowed the sharp sting in my throat. "That's part of the problem. But if we find the missing organ, there's a chance-a real chance-we can help your wolf heal."She stared at me for a long moment, silent, unreadable. Then finally, finally, she leaned into me. Not because she was falling apart-because she chose to. Because maybe, just maybe, she believed me. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, careful and steady. "I'll find it," I whispered. "Even if I have to tear the world apart to do it." And this time, she didn't pull away.