William's POV
School was about to reopen, and I felt a mix of nerves and quiet confidence. I had spent the entire holiday with Ethan. Those weeks had been some of the best of my life. We trained almost every day in the quiet room at the back of his house. At first it was hard. My body and mind fought against the pheromones he released during practice. My breathing would break, my legs would feel weak, and sometimes I wanted to stop. But Ethan never pushed too hard. He stayed patient and steady beside me.
Slowly, things changed. I learned how to control my breathing, slow in, hold, long out. I learned how to create a small space in my mind when the pressure came. By the end of the holiday, I felt stronger. I still wasn't perfect, and strong scents could still make my heart race, but I was no longer helpless. That feeling meant everything to me.
