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His smile was genuine, and I could see a glint in his eyes that filled me with a wave of hope. Despite all the pain and struggle, he had found something positive in his transformation.

"I'm glad to hear that," I replied, gently squeezing his shoulder. "But we need to be prepared. We don't know what else might happen."

Kessler approached and placed a hand on Lucas's shoulder. "You have incredible strength, Lucas. But we must continue training and preparing. This is just the beginning."

Lucas nodded, his expression now more serious. "I know. I'm ready for whatever comes. I don't want to be a burden to you both."

"You're part of this family," I said, looking at both of them. "We'll face this together. No one is alone in this."

Carefully, we began to walk back to the house. The journey back seemed quieter, though we still felt the tension in the air. The presence of the she-wolf had been a reminder that we were not alone in this forest, and that there were more challenges to come.

When we