Chapter 31: The Alpha Trains His Luna

[Dove]
“What the hell, Dove!”

His voice thundered through the forest air, shaking the spectator trees.

I slowly straightened and turned to him, furious. “Stop yelling at me!”

“I’ll stop yelling if you start doing it properly.” He stomped over with an exaggerated rage.

“I’ll do it properly if you start giving me clearer instructions, you ox!”

This was a bad idea, I thought. Isn't he mighty and skillful? Why can’t he give better instructions? Stamp here. Strike here. Punch here. How can anyone remember all that without explanations?

He closed his eyes and drew in a large deep breath. Exhaling, he opened his eyes and stepped behind me.

“Alright, listen.” His voice was calmer.

“I’m listening.”

“Stop talking back. Listen,” he warned.

I rolled my eyes at the tree I broke yesterday.

His hand came on my shoulder and he said, “If someone sneaked up on you from behind.” He paused to clear his throat and then continued, “First, you grab his hand.”

I grabbed his hand.

“Then you turn and face that idiot.”

I turned and faced him.

“And swipe at his feet. Knock him off the ground.”

I tried and he said no and shook his head. He motioned me to step aside and showed me what he meant.

With his left foot stepped back, he lowered himself, twisted his body and swung his right foot in a crescent moon curve.

“The second you grabbed his hand, you moved fast. Like flipping on a switch. Step back and swing your leg hard like your life depends on it. Don’t let go of his hand. The aim is to twist it as you break his fall. Be fast, swing hard.”

“Be fast, swing hard,” I recited, feeling more motivated to get it right.

I had my back at Cole again. Once his hand went on my shoulder, I grabbed it, turned around and swung my right leg hard. He didn’t budge.

But my shin hurt like crazy.

I fell on the ground, wincing in pain. “Damn it!”

“You have to hit the leg at its weakest.” His firm voice instructed above me. “And you have to be faster than that.”

I nodded as the pain subsided. Swiftly, I got to my feet and let out a strong exhale to steady my nerves. I need to make it work. I don’t want to disappoint him.

Without a cue, I felt something on my shoulder. In a breath, I grabbed the hand, spun around and swung hard, making a deep crescent moon curve, aiming for the attacker’s shin and he was flung to the ground.

Breathing again, I opened my eyes and Cole was on the ground. He lifted his upper body and leaned on an elbow, chuckling softly, his face radiating with his sunshine smile - the one that I loved.

Without a second thought, I lunged at him, swung my arms around his neck and took his lips. His arms came swiftly around my back. With no support, he fell onto his back, bringing me on top of him. His tongue drove me senseless as I held dearly onto him. When the kiss ended, I was limp all over again.

“What was that for?” He breathed, rubbing his thumbs on my flushed cheeks.

“Did I do it right, this time?” I asked instead, in between quick, shallow breaths.

He squinted briefly as if giving my question a hard thought and then said, “You need to tilt your head a bit more so that I can go deeper.”

With scalding cheeks, I hit my fist on his large shoulder and hid my face in the crook of his neck. His Adam’s apple bobbed furiously as I cried, “I meant the kick - did I do it right? You ox.”

He chuckled, wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. “Yes, it was good. You did well. I’m proud of you.”

After a brief silence, he whispered, “A battle is coming. You need to toughen up, cub." He drew in a deep breath and then added calmly, "I’ll train you personally.”

I lifted from him and faced him. Studying his solemn expression, I gave a serious nod.

“My training will be tough.” He grinned.

“Bring it on.”


******


[Abe]
Abe looked calmly at Dan Summers and silently cursed him.

The world is truly unfair, he thought. Why should a Beta like him get everything? Good looks and impeccable fighting skills.

“They need to do sparring, Abe,” the sweaty olive-skin werewolf explained in between deep breaths.

Abe was unimpressed. “Then, do it properly. I want to see blood!”

Dan stopped breathing, and was wide-eyed. “But they are still cubs, Abe.”

“Aren’t they wolves, Dan?” Abe said innocently.

Dan turned to the new warriors who had just started their training and returned to Abe with an unwilling look, “They’ve only started training a week ago.”

Abe stepped closer to Dan and snarled in his ears, “Listen, you mutt! I’m the Alpha here. You do as I say. If I said they spar with blood, you bow your useless head and get them to spar with blood. Do you understand me?” Without waiting for a response, he pulled back and resumed a benevolent smile on his face.

“Dan, old friend,” Abe raised his nose with a smug face, “your daughter sacrificed her freedom to get you back in here, surely you can do a better job than this.” He smiled when he noticed Dan balled each hand into a tight fist, the knuckles turning white.

With a sympathetic smile, Abe added, “I hate to return you to the fields but many members have come to me vying for your job.”

Immediately Dan loosened his grip, bowed and muttered, “Sure, Abe.”

“Yes, Abe.” Abe reminded with a bright smile.

Dan inhaled quietly and breathed in defeat, “Yes, Abe.”

Abe gave a wave of dismissal to the worn-out werewolf and watched quietly as he returned to the group of panting cubs. He saw the frightened looks and smiled approvingly.

Dan turned back as if waiting for approval and Abe nodded. Then, Dan bowed and returned to his work.

Yes, Abe smiled, the world is truly unfair, but if you lived longer, you can make it a fair place. He inhaled deeply with the air of a royal and strolled off.



******


[Cole]
His wife is a natural.

Dove started her training after breakfast and by lunch, she had already mastered three of Cole’s special defense moves. Of course, he didn’t tell her they were uniquely his.

“Come on, Dove. Any damn wolf knows this,” he threw a flat tone at her.

She was drenched in sweat and stained with dirt and soil, panting hard and pushing herself harder. Cole thought she looked beautiful, but he kept the thought to himself.

The fourth move was the hardest to grasp but it was also the most important. He wanted her to master all of them so she could save herself before he got to her. What the rogue wolves did to Dove, he wouldn’t let it happen again.

Losing his parents was hard enough for him. He couldn’t imagine losing Dove too. She has become… important.

“Again!” Cole barked at Dove, who was sprawled on the ground, panting wearily. He smiled silently at the glint of determination in her eyes as she flipped to a stand, ready to have a go at it again.

A loud incessant booming shook the air around them.

Cole turned to the village. Fear was spreading throughout his body but he faced his surprised wife with calmness.

“What’s that?” She whispered in apprehension, as if she understood the meaning of the drums.

“Let’s head back,” Cole muttered and strode towards the B&B with Dove hurrying closely behind him.

From the sound of it, someone had gotten hurt really bad. At the thought, a familiar cold streak of terror ran up Cole’s spine.