One Night

Chapter 172

Audrey

Edwin led me back to the house and instructed me to change into something appropriate for exercise. I threw on a pair of leggings and a sweatshirt and a pair of sneakers.

Then, hand in hand, Edwin led me down a narrow staircase to the basement of his estate. His shoulders were tense, his jaw clenched as he fumbled with a set of keys in front of an unmarked door.

“What’s this?” I asked, shivering and wrapping my arms around myself in the cool air of the basement. A home gym, I figured. But the taut line of his jaw made me wonder if that was all it was.

Edwin didn’t respond right away. The lock clicked, and he pushed open the door, turning on a fluorescent light that flickered harshly as it came to life.

“This is my old training room,” he said, stepping aside and gesturing for me to enter.

My mouth hung open as I stepped past him. Whereas the rest of the mansion had been neat and tidy thanks to Hadley’s hard work, the room that Edwin revealed to me was large and dusty. It had clearly gone unused for years.

Equipment was **ed around the rubber-matted floors-weights, punching bags, a small sparring ring, mats stacked high in one corner, and a couple of treadmills. One wall was purely mirrors, smudged and dusty with time. Baskets of equipment sat piled in the corners, everything from jump ropes to ankle weights.

I looked like he had poured a good amount of money into this room, but it had gone sorely neglected as of late. Even the air was stale, and I could smell the faint scent of old sweat and leather.

I walked around, running my fingers along the various pieces of equipment. A thin layer of dust came away on my fingertips, and I grimaced, wiping my hand on my leggings.

Finally, I came to a stop in front of a particularly beat-up punching bag. The leather was cracked and dented from years of hard use, and a pair of worn old boxing gloves sat discarded on the floor beside it.

Frowning, I bent and picked up the gloves. They obviously hadn’t been used in a very long time, but they still smelled like Edwin. I’d recognize the sweet scent of his sweat anywhere.

“You once told me you used to fight,” 1 murmured, turning to face Edwin, who was leaning against the door frame with his arms folded across his chest. “Why did you stop?”

Edwin’s expression tightened as he saw the gloves in my hands, and he looked away. “It’s… complicated”

I opened my mouth to ask what he meant, but I decided not to press in the end. Whatever the reason, it was clearly a painful memory for him-just like the belt from that memory I’d stolen from Peter.

Instead, I focused on exploring the room, taking in the details of this hidden part of Edwin’s life.

Edwin cleared his throat. “We’ll start with the basics,” he said, moving to the center of the room, where the little sparring ring was positioned. “I’ll teach you how to block and dodge”

For the next hour, Edwin guided me through basic defensive moves. He showed me how to block a punch, demonstrating the motion slowly at first, then at full speed. His hands were gentle but firm as he positioned my arms.

“Like this,” he said, adjusting my stance. “Keep your elbows in, protect your core.”

We practiced breaking holds next. Edwin’s arms wrapped around me from behind, and I had to suppress a shiver at his closeness. “Now, use your hips,” he instructed. “Shift your weight and break free.”

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Chapter 172

By the end of the session, I was sweaty and sore from using muscles that I’d never used before, but feeling a touch more confident after that incident in the woods. At least now I knew some basic maneuvers if anyone tried to grab me again, and i wouldn’t be completely defenseless.

But as we took a water break, a thought came to mind and I asked, “Why is it so hard for me to shift? If I’m the Silver Star, shouldn’t it be easy?”

Edwin shook his head, taking a long drink before answering. “It’s not that simple. Most werewolves’ wolves emerge in childhood, but they can’t shift until puberty. Since yours emerged late, it might take more time and effort. Silver Star or

not.

I frowned, feeling a bit frustrated. “But I want to shift now. I need to be able to protect myself”

“I know,” Edwin said gently, placing a hand on my shoulder. “We’ll start trying as soon as we can, but the effort will be wasted if your wolf isn’t ready. For now, let’s just focus on what you can do in your human form.”

Over the next few days, we fell into a steady routine. Every morning before breakfast, we would head down to the training room, and Edwin would teach me more defensive moves. I picked them up quickly, my body seeming to remember the motions even when my mind struggled. It seemed that my wolf helped my muscles to adapt and recover faster, allowing me to learn more and more by the day

But as the days passed. I started to grow restless. I was always defending and never attacking. On the fourth morning, as Edwin demonstrated yet another block that we’d already gone over a thousand times before, I couldn’t hold back anymore.

“When are you going to teach me how to fight back?” I asked, wiping sweat from my brow. “I want to learn how to take down an attacker, not just avoid them.”

Edwin sighed heavily. “Audrey, I told you that you’re not ready for that yet. Defense is crucial-

“But what if defense isn’t enough?” I interrupted, my frustration showing in my voice. “What if I need to fight off multiple attackers, like in the woods the other day?”

“That’s why we’re training for defense,” Edwin said patiently. “So you can hold them off until help arrives.”

I crossed my arms, feeling the ache in my muscles from our training. “And what if help doesn’t arrive? What if you can’t come to my rescue? What if Peter doesn’t show up next time?”

Edwin’s jaw clenched at the mention of his brother, a flicker of pain crossing his face. “I’ll always come to your rescue. I won’t let you go so far again. So there won’t be a ‘next time

“You can’t promise that,” I said softly, stepping closer to him. “And I can’t stay tethered to your side forever. Please, Edwin. Just teach me a few basic punches. I can handle it.”

He shook his head, his expression hardening. “No. You’re not ready, Audrey. Trust me on this.”

Frustration surged through me, hot and insistent. I thought of the rogues in the woods, of how helpless 1 had felt. I thought of Linda and Max and the scissors that had snipped at my hair, at my clothes. I thought of Fiona’s outstretched hands just before I went careening over the balcony.

Before I could think better of it, I lashed out, aiming a punch at Edwin’s arm. “I can-do it, see? 1-”

In a flash, Edwin’s hand was around my wrist, stopping my punch mid-swing. His grip was firm but not painful, his reflexes lightning-fast. His eyes flashed yellow, a mix of surprise and something else -fear? Anger?-flickering through them.

“Audrey, don’t- he started, but his words were cut off as we both felt a familiar pull

Suddenly, I was no longer in the dusty training room. The world around me blurred and shifted, colors swirling like paint in

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Chapter 172

Π

And it was in that moment that Edwin’s memory of a day twelve years ago-one that he had not only kept hidden from me. but also from himself-suddenly formed around me..

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