Reed thought about all the times he’d shifted without meaning to. Every single time, he’d been fighting it. Resisting the shift with everything he had.
“What’s the difference between accepting and surrendering?” he asked.
“That’s what practice is for.” She stood, offering him a hand. “Let’s try again.”
Siren reloaded her Glock and walked about twenty feet from where Reed was standing. He held the blanket around his shoulders, feeling ridiculous and exposed.
“This time, don’t fight your bear.”
She raised the weapon and fired two shots. His bear surged, but Reed let it come. His hands tingled. The shift wanted to happen, but he didn’t fight it. He held his ground while Siren fired off another double tap. The surge passed through him like a wave, and he remained human.
“Good,” Siren said. “Ready for the final test?”
He nodded. She raised the Glock, took a breath, and emptied the magazine. The noise was overwhelming. Shot after shot, filling the air with sound and fury. The smell of cordite and the memory of chaos.
Reed’s bear roared inside him. He listened to the inner beast. Acknowledged it’s fear. He chose to stay human. The shift pressed at him. His hands started to change, and he let it come. Just a little. Then he pulled it back in. Gently. Not fighting it. Just redirecting.
When the last gunshot faded, he was still standing. Still human. Claws gone, vision clear.
Siren lowered her weapon.
“That’s it,” she said, pride in her voice. “You’ve got it. You’re ready.”
Reed was exhausted down to the bones. But underneath it he felt something he’d been searching for from his earliest memory. Control.
For so long, he’d felt like his bear was a curse. A monster living inside his skin that could destroy his life at any moment.
Now, it felt like something he could work with. A true partnership with his inner animal. He could feel the bear inside him, deep in his chest. Finally relaxed enough to rest.
Chapter
Twenty-One
They went backto the van after the gunfire training. Reed put back on his clothes and rested on the bed while Siren studied Diana’s files in the front seat. His entire body was one giant, sore muscle, but it was worth it. He finally had control.
One of Siren’s phones rang, and she answered it.
“What do you have?”
Reed leaned up on his elbow and watched her profile. Her expression sharpened.
“A friend of Carl’s reached out to you?”
She paused, listening.
“Where is he?” Reed watched her, his stomach tightening. “How do we know it’s not a trap?”
“Send me the details.” She waited. “Understood.”
Siren ended the call and looked back at him.
“What was that about?” Reed asked.
“A friend of Carl Unger reached out to Dom. He has evidence that Carl sent him before he died.”
“Carl said he had insurance in the recording. The handler thought he’d scrubbed it.”
“Apparently, he didn’t. The friend wants it off his hands. He’s in a small town outside Columbus. But we need to be careful. It’s possible Vanguard already knows about him.”
