BLOOD MOON SYSTEM

First Lesson

Theo woke to sunlight streaming through his window and the smell of bacon cooking.

He sat up, momentarily disoriented. His mother hadn't cooked breakfast in months, she'd been too weak to stand at the stove for more than a few minutes.

He rushed to the kitchen and found her at the counter, humming softly as she flipped eggs. She looked better than she had in weeks. Her skin had color and her movements were steady.

"Mom?"

She turned with a smile that made Theo's chest tighten. "Good morning, baby. I hope you're hungry."

"You're cooking."

"I found the money." Her eyes were wet. "Theodore, I don't know what you did, but....."

"Don't ask," Theo said quickly. "Just... use it. Get the treatment. Please."

She crossed the room and pulled him into a hug. "I already called the clinic. I have an appointment this afternoon." She pulled back, studying his face. "Are you in trouble?"

"No mom... I promise." It wasn't entirely a lie. The debt was paid, Blake had been scared off, and Grimm was helping him. "Things are getting better."

His mother searched his eyes, then nodded. "Okay. I trust you." She returned to the stove. "Now sit. You look like you haven't eaten in days."

Theo sat and let her fuss over him, serving eggs, bacon and toast with butter. As he ate, he pulled up his status screen mentally, making sure she couldn't see it.

[Daily Quest Available]

Quest: Morning Training

Objectives:

 Complete 75 Push-ups (0/75)

 Complete 75 Sit-ups (0/75)

 Run 5 Miles (0/5)

 Practice Partial Transformation (0/15)

 Meditate for Bloodlust Control (0/30 minutes)

Reward: 10 EXP, +1 Endurance, +1 Willpower, Bloodlust -5

Time Limit: 24 Hours

The requirements had increased since Level 2. The system was pushing him harder.

After breakfast, Theo completed the physical exercises in his room. The push-ups and sit-ups were easier now with his enhanced strength. He saved the run and meditation for later, knowing he'd need to be sharp for training with Grimm tonight.

His phone buzzed with a text. He didn't recognize the number.

Unknown: heard u had a rough night. u ok?

Theo frowned, then realized. Raven. The girl he exchanged numbers with at The Pit.

Theo: I'm fine. Thanks for checking.

Raven: vance said u won all 3 fights then disappeared. impressive for a fresh wolf

Raven: also u almost lost control after. not so impressive

Theo grimaced. How much had people seen?

Theo: It was handled.

Raven: by grimm? yeah i heard. u got lucky. old man doesnt help just anyone

Raven: if u need advice on bloodlust management, hit me up. been dealing with it since i was 12

Theo: Thanks. I might take you up on that.

Raven: cool. also, stay away from the pit for a while. word is the council is watching it. too many new wolves fighting = attention

Theo's stomach dropped. The Midnight Council. Grimm had warned they'd notice him eventually.

Theo: Got it. Thanks for the heads up.

Raven: np. try not to die, fresh meat 😉

Theo pocketed his phone and spent the rest of the day helping his mother prepare for her clinic appointment and completing his daily quest objectives. The five-mile run burned off some anxiety. The meditation was harder. Sitting still while his mind raced with questions about tonight's training.

By the time evening came, his bloodlust had dropped to 54/100, and he'd gained another 10 EXP, putting him at 105/200 toward Level 3.

At 11:45 PM, Theo left his apartment and headed for Grimm's shop.

The streets were busy despite the late hour. Theo's enhanced senses picked up everything from drug deals in alleys, a vampire feeding in the shadows three blocks away, the distinctive scent of shifters moving through crowds.

The supernatural world operated at night, and now Theo could see it clearly.

He reached Grimm's Curiosities at exactly midnight. The shop lights were on, and when Theo entered, he found the old man waiting behind the counter with two steaming mugs.

"Punctual.....Good." Grimm slid one mug across. "Drink."

Theo sniffed it cautiously. Herbs, something bitter, and underneath it all, raw meat.

"What is it?"

"Something to help with bloodlust management. It won't taste good, but it'll settle your wolf." Grimm took a drink from his own mug. "Down the hatch, pup."

Theo drank. It tasted like dirt and blood, but warmth spread through his chest immediately. His bloodlust dropped from 54/100 to 48/100.

"Better?" Grimm asked.

"Yeah, actually."

"Good. Now come." Grimm led him through the shop to a back door Theo hadn't noticed before. It opened to stairs leading down. "Your education begins in the basement."

The basement was very massive and by far larger than the shop above it. The walls were bare concrete, and the floor was covered in thick mats. Training equipment lined one wall: weights, punching bags, what looked like claw-resistant dummies.

In the center of the room, a circle had been painted in silver.

"First lesson," Grimm said, moving to the circle's edge. "Control. Everything else...strength, speed, power, they mean nothing if you can't control yourself." He gestured to the circle. "Step inside."

Theo entered the circle. The moment he crossed the silver line, he felt a pressure against his skin, like walking into water.

"Silver paint," Grimm explained. "Diluted enough not to burn, but concentrated enough to suppress your werewolf abilities. Inside this circle, you're closer to human than wolf."

Theo tested it. His enhanced senses dulled. His strength felt diminished.

"Why?"

"Because you need to learn to fight the beast when you're at your weakest." Grimm crossed his arms. "Your bloodlust is below fifty...right. I'm going to provoke you, insult you, make you angry. Your job is to keep it from rising above sixty. If it hits sixty-one, you lose."

"That's it?"

"That's it." Grimm's smile was predatory. "Begin."

What followed was the most frustrating fifteen minutes of Theo's life.

Grimm started with insults. Calling him weak, pathetic, a disgrace to Luna's legacy. Theo gritted his teeth and endured. Bloodlust: 50/100.

Then Grimm got personal. He talked about Theo's father, the gambling debts, how Theo had let his family suffer. Bloodlust: 52/100.

"Your mother's dying because you're too weak to help her. You're running around playing wolf when she needs real support."

Bloodlust: 55/100.

Theo's fists clenched, claws trying to extend but suppressed by the silver circle.

"And that girl, the human. You think she'll want you when she finds out what you really are? A mutt. A bitten wolf. The lowest of the low."

Bloodlust: 58/100.

"Stop," Theo growled.

"Or what? You'll lose control and prove me right?" Grimm circled him like a shark. "Luna wasted her legacy on you. You're nothing. You'll always be nothing. A victim who got lucky."

Bloodlust: 59/100.

Theo's vision was tinting red. His whole body shook with the effort of control. The beast inside screamed for release, to make Grimm pay for every word.

But Theo breathed. In through the nose. Out through the mouth. He focused on the truth—Grimm was testing him, not attacking him. These were just words.

The bloodlust held at 59/100.

Grimm continued for five more minutes, each insult more pointed than the last. But Theo held firm. When Grimm finally stopped, the old man was smiling.

"Well done, pup. Most wolves crack in under three minutes their first time." He stepped back. "Exit the circle."

Theo stepped out, and his abilities returned in a rush. The relief was immediate.

"What did you learn?" Grimm asked.

"That you're an asshole?"

Grimm laughed. "Besides that."

"Words can't hurt me if I don't let them." Theo rubbed his temples. "And controlling bloodlust is about choosing what to react to."

"Exactly. The beast responds to everything....every insult, every threat, every challenge. The human decides what matters." Grimm moved to the training equipment. "Most young wolves think control means suppressing the wolf. It doesn't. It means integrating it. Becoming one being instead of two fighting for dominance."

He tossed Theo a pair of training gloves. "Now we work on combat. Show me your stance."

For the next hour, Grimm drilled Theo on fighting forms. How to move as a werewolf, lower center of gravity, using claws as weapons not afterthoughts, incorporating inhuman strength without losing technique.

"You fight like a human trying to use wolf abilities," Grimm criticized. "You need to fight like a wolf who remembers being human. There's a difference."

He demonstrated, transforming his hands partially. His movements were fluid, natural, each strike flowing into the next. Claws extended at precisely the right moment. His body weight shifted to maximize power.

Theo tried to mimic him and stumbled.

"Again," Grimm said.

They drilled until Theo's muscles burned despite his enhanced endurance. By 2 AM, he could execute basic combinations without thinking, his partial transformation becoming second nature.

[Training Session Complete]

[+15 EXP]

[New Skill Learned: Werewolf Combat Forms - LV1]

[Current EXP: 120/200]

"Better," Grimm finally said. "You're a quick learner. Luna chose well in that regard."

Theo collapsed on the mat, breathing hard. "Tell me about her.... About Luna."

Grimm was quiet for a moment. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything. Why she chose me. What the Royal bloodline means. What I'm supposed to do."

Grimm sat across from him. "Luna was the Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack...one of the oldest and most prestigious packs in North America. Her bloodline traced back to one of the five original werewolf progenitors. That makes you potentially one of the most powerful wolves alive."

"Potentially?"

"The Royal bloodline is dormant. It awakens gradually as you grow stronger. At full awakening, you'll have abilities that normal werewolves can't even comprehend." Grimm's expression was grave. "But that kind of power attracts attention. Other wolves will see you as a threat or a prize. The Council will want to control you. And there are things...ancient things...that will want to destroy you before you become too powerful."

Theo's throat was dry. "Why me? I was nobody. Just some kid getting beaten in an alley."

"That's exactly why she chose you." Grimm leaned forward. "Luna didn't want someone born to power who'd take it for granted. She wanted someone who understood suffering, who'd fight to protect others because they knew what it meant to be powerless. She saw potential in you that you don't even see in yourself yet."

"I don't feel powerful. I feel like I'm barely holding on."

"Good. That means you're not getting arrogant." Grimm stood. "Come. One more exercise before you go."

He led Theo to a corner where a full-length mirror stood against the wall.

"Transform. Partial, full claws and eyes."

Theo focused and felt the change ripple through him. His eyes glowed amber, claws extended from his fingers, and he could feel his canines lengthening slightly.

"Look at yourself," Grimm commanded.

Theo looked in the mirror. The creature staring back was both familiar and alien. Human features with predatory enhancements. Strength and danger radiating from every line.

"What do you see?" Grimm asked.

"A monster."

"Wrong. Try again."

Theo looked harder. Beyond the claws and glowing eyes, he saw himself. Theodore Cross. Scared, determined, trying his best.

"I see... me. Just different."

"Better. Now remember this image. When your bloodlust spikes, when the beast is screaming for control, remember that you're not becoming something else. You're not losing yourself to the wolf. You're integrating both parts of who you are." Grimm placed a hand on his shoulder. "The monster isn't the wolf, pup. It's what happens when you forget you're still human."

Theo retracted his claws, and his reflection returned to normal.

"Same lesson, tomorrow night," Grimm said. "And every night until you master control. After that, we'll work on your other abilities."

"How long will that take?"

"Depends on you. Some wolves never master it. Others do it in weeks." Grimm walked him to the stairs. "Go home. Rest. And Theo... When the Council summons you, probably within the week...don't panic. I'll be there."

Theo climbed the stairs and emerged into the shop. As he headed for the door, Grimm called out.

"One more thing. That girl, Raven. She's right to warn you about The Pit. Stay away for now. The Council's attention is the last thing you need while you're still learning."

"How did you...."

"I know everything that happens in my territory, pup." Grimm's eyes gleamed. "Including every text message sent by young werewolves who should know better than to use unencrypted phones."

Theo left the shop shaking his head. He'd have to ask Raven about that.

The walk home was quiet. His body ached pleasantly from training, his mind was full of new information, and for the first time since his transformation, Theo felt like he was actually making progress.

He checked his status one more time before bed.

[STATUS UPDATE]

Level: 2  

EXP: 120/200  

Bloodlust: 45/100

New Skill:

 Werewolf Combat Forms - LV1

Quest Progress:

 Daily Quest: Complete (Reward claimed)

 Learn About Supernatural World: 75%

Next Training Session: Tomorrow, Midnight

As Theo lay in bed, he thought about Grimm's words. The monster isn't the wolf. It's what happens when you forget you're still human.

He'd have to remember that.

Because somewhere out there, the Midnight Council was watching. Other wolves were circling. And if Grimm was right, things far more dangerous than Blake Morrison or vampire gang bosses were going to come for him.

But tonight, he'd learned to control the beast.

Tomorrow, he'd learn to fight.

And eventually, he'd learn to survive.

Author's Note: Theo's training begins! He's learning control, combat, and the truth about his Royal bloodline. But with the Council watching and greater threats looming, how long can he train before the supernatural world comes knocking?

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