The Concealed Luna

Chapter 2

Training with Bruce was pure hell. He didn't hold back, despite Aly's newbie status. By midnight, she was a mess - dirt-caked, bruised, and drenched in sweat. Her body ached all over, her muscles screaming in protest. "That's enough for today. We'll meet again tomorrow," Bruce said, his voice firm but not unkind.

Aly nodded, her breathing heavy, and collapsed onto the ground. With a groan, she hauled herself up and waved goodbye to Bruce. He nodded curtly, his expression unreadable. The man was barely sweating, looking like he'd just stepped out of a refreshing shower. Meanwhile, Aly felt like she'd just run a marathon. Her legs wobbled as she trudged back home.

Reaching her room, Aly stumbled into the shower, letting the warm water wash away the grime and exhaustion. Afterwards, she flopped into bed, her mattress a welcome haven. The softness enveloped her, and she let out a deep sigh, feeling her tension melt away.

To her relief, her parents didn't disturb her much in the morning, with her mother checking on her just once. Aly woke up around 1 pm, feeling lazy, and brushed her teeth. As she tried to tame her unruly hair in the mirror, she noticed that all the bruises from the previous night's training had vanished. Perks of being a werewolf.

She headed downstairs to find her mother watching TV on the couch. "Good morning, sleepyhead," her mother greeted her with a warm smile. "Or should I say, good afternoon?" she teased, raising an eyebrow.

Aly yawned and plopped down beside her mother, resting her head on her lap. "Hi, Mom. Where's Dad?" she asked, her voice slightly drowsy.

"He's at a meeting with the elders," her mother replied, stroking her hair.

Aly responded with a distracted "Okay," her gaze fixed on the TV as she began to doze off again.

"There are pancakes in the microwave," her mother said, catching Aly's attention. Aly's eyes lit up, and she quickly got up from the couch and headed to the kitchen. She reheated the pancakes, plated them, and grabbed a bottle of chocolate syrup. Sitting at the island, she dug in. After satisfying her hunger, she returned to her room to read, spending the rest of the day there, only emerging for dinner.

Aly was careful not to raise any suspicions, keeping a low profile. As night fell, she waited patiently for her parents to fall asleep before sneaking out to the training grounds. And, just like the previous night, Bruce was already waiting for her, his presence a reassuring constant in her secret life.

This routine continued for months. Three times a week, Aly and Bruce would meet, and he would train her in various skills. As time progressed, Aly rapidly improved, quickly absorbing Bruce's teachings and growing stronger. He instructed her in hand-to-hand combat, weapon use, and fighting in wolf form, and she also became proficient in stealth.

One day, Bruce remarked, "At this rate, you might just surpass my best student soon."

Aly raised an eyebrow, her expression playful. "Your best student? You mean, not you?"

Bruce scoffed, "Maybe in a few years."

Aly shrugged, acknowledging the gap between her few months of training and Bruce's years of experience.

After a gruelling session, Bruce said, "Okay, I think we're good for today. Nice job."

Aly beamed with pride, noticing that she had managed to make Bruce sweat for once. "Your age is catching up to you, old man," she teased.

Bruce defended himself, "Hey, I'm not that old. I'm barely 31."

Aly retorted, "Meh, sounds like you're halfway to 60 to me."

Bruce playfully pushed her, and she laughed, saying, "See ya, Grandpa," as she jogged away.

Bruce yelled after her, "I'm gonna get you back for that on Monday!" as her silent giggles faded into the distance.

Aly climbed up the tree and entered her room through the window, just as she always did. But as she stepped inside, the light flickered on, making her yelp in surprise. Her heart racing, she saw her father sitting in the chair, his eyes fixed intently on her.

"Dad," she gasped, her hand flying to her chest. "You scared me!"

"Where have you been?" he asked, his voice low and calm, but with an undercurrent of fury.

Aly stuttered, "Uhm...I...I..."

"Where were you?" he repeated, his voice louder this time, his patience wearing thin.

"I went out for a run," Aly said, trying to sound casual despite her racing heart. "I needed to let my wolf out." She hoped her father wouldn't detect the lie.

Her father's gaze pierced through her, searching for any signs of deception, but Aly's expression remained neutral. After a moment, he closed his eyes and flared his nose, his anger slowly simmering down.

"You know it's not safe out there, Aly," he said, his voice firm but controlled.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Aly replied, her eyes cast downward, her voice barely above a whisper. "My wolf was becoming restless."

"That's understandable," her father said, his expression softening slightly. "But from now on, you're not to leave the house without me or your mom accompanying you. Are we clear?"

Aly nodded meekly, "Yes, Dad."

"Good," he said, his voice firm once more. "And you're grounded."

Aly's head snapped up in surprise, her eyes widening in protest. But she bit back her argument, knowing better than to push her luck. She figured she'd gotten off easy, considering the circumstances. If her father knew where she'd really been, the punishment would likely be much harsher. So she simply nodded, accepting her fate.

After her father wished her goodnight and closed the door, Aly collapsed onto her bed, exhaustion and disappointment washing over her. She knew it was too risky to sneak out again, so she'd have to put her secret life on hold for now.

Without a cell phone, she relied on her laptop to reach out to Bruce via email, filling him in on the situation. Bruce understood and told her to let him know when they could meet again.

With a sense of resignation, Aly drifted off to sleep that morning, knowing she'd have to return to her mundane routine. She longed for the thrill of her secret life, but for now, it remained on pause.
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