Chapter 42: I Don't Need Their Love

Chapter forty-two: I Don't Need Their Love


Elena

"Well, I am useless when it comes to fishing." I said to Jack.

"I could teach you some time if you would like that. There is a lake just a little further into the forest and it is a nice spot to chill and hang out." He responded and then came another opportunity for me to get to know the Pack very well and to know the inside view of other Pack members. It would be lost on me as I would be taking the position of the Pack's Luna soon and I had no training when it came to things like this. It is something that I needed to learn.

"I would love that." I replied.

"Great, I will come and fetch you when I am going to the lake."

"That sounds good. Now, may I have my keys so I can get some sleep?" He threw the keys to me and I caught them easily. We said our final goodbye and I entered my room.

Thankfully, I made my bed and organized everything before I headed out to meet Veronica. I walked to the window since that overlooked one side of the forest from my room and I could see the far mountains on the horizon and the edge of Bernard's house. How quickly Bernard had become such an important and permanent fixture of my life.

I am deeply and madly in love with him, I think I fell in love with him that day in the emergency room when I first arrived. It was just I that delayed what was only inevitable. I wanted to run away from this place but now, l couldn't even fathom the thought of leaving. I am slowly making a home for myself here and I have gained friendships that I didn't even think were possible to have a few weeks ago. All it took was the split-second decision to cross those borders.

I closed the curtains and moved away from the window so I could get ready for bed, I only needed a few hours of sleep and I would be okay for the rest of the day. I took off my sweat and put on a big T-shirt that I found in the drawer. It smelled like Bernard which means it was probably his. I settled under the sheets and allowed the distance to take me deeper and deeper into a drunken sleep.

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Nicholas

I stared out of my window that overlooked the eastern part of the Pack. The news about Bernard's attack has traveled through the Pack, I didn't know much about his current condition except that he is stable. Liam barred me access to the Alpha's wing after my little run-ins with that stupid Elena girl.

Seeing as my brave and shining Alpha was currently out of commission, that means I am left to lead the Pack. It is only temporary but I would not miss this opportunity. I am always a man who plays the long game. I earned everything in my life through patience and hard work, I waited and planned meticulously for what felt like my entire life.

I was not born into power like Bernard and Liam, I had to earn every promotion I received. I had to claw my way up to the top, I needed to be smarter than everyone else, stronger than everyone else and hungrier than everyone else. Some said that it made me callous and cold but I believe it made me lethal. The ambition of one day becoming Alpha is one thing I shared with anyone, for reasons best known to me. The Pack loves Bernard, they love his whole ethos of compassion, kindness, and goodness and it was disgusting for me to have witnessed all that. They adored and respected Bernard but to me, their respect is out of fear. Just as Machiavelli stated, it is better to be feared than to be loved. I don't need their love, I only need their respect and soon I will gain their love.

"The time is fast approaching." I said to myself and I will use it as my dress rehearsal. The practice before I made this my reality. Of course, in my reality, Bernard would either be dead or somewhere very far away.

My eyes were surveying the area when I saw a group of adolescent wolves that were supposed to be in training at the moment but they were busy messing around. I felt my anger flare at their laziness. I needed my warriors to be in their best form at all times. The laziness they were displaying was unexpected and intolerable. I let out a low growl as I walked out of my room and headed towards the eastern training ground for young wolves.

As I walked through the halls of the Packhouse, the people parted like the red sea. I was not oblivious to their stares or their whispers, I thrived off their fear. It only fueled me. I only descended the stare when one of the little children rammed into me. She fell backwards and slammed onto the ground, she glared up at me as she got up dusting off her horrendous sundress.

"You hurt me, say sorry." She said and I glared at the little girl. Who were her parents? Had they not taught her any manners?

"Juli!" A young woman came running after her and when she saw me standing beside the girl, her eyes grew wide with fear.

Sissy, he hurt me and he won't say sorry." This little girl dares to point at me. The woman's face turned from afraid to petrified. She ran to the girl and pulled her to her side, she bowed her head in submission.

"I am sorry, Beta. She is only a child, she didn't know." My eyes flicked between the two. If I had been in charge of the Pack, these girls would be disciplined enough to know never to step out of line like this.

I grunted and continued walking towards the training ground. When I arrived, I saw the young warriors joking around and laughing with one another. They were yet to notice my presence so I simply observed them. Like wolves, we were blessed with good physiques but that didn't mean our bodies don't require training. Like a sword, we needed to be sharpened to be our most effective.

The male warriors were mocking, sparing, and imitating one of their trainers. The girls were sitting under the tree completely absorbed in their stupid gadgets. This is the future of my Pack? That's pathetic.

I walked to one of the trees that had a weapon set up close by it. They were bowed and arrows, swords, daggers, and spears. I picked up a spear and aimed it, my eyes zeroed on my sweet spot and I let the spear fly through the air. It landed just above one of the girls' heads, she screamed at the sound and everyone around her turned in her direction.

"What the hell! Who did that." She squealed.

Her eyes looked around the area angrily until her eyes finally landed on me. Her eyes widened before she bowed her head and others turned to what she saw and similar expressions of shock painted on their faces.

"Beta, Nicholas." They said in unison.

"So, this is how you train?" I walked up to where they were all standing.

"Look at me!" I yelled and reluctantly, they raised their heads to meet my gaze. I could see the fear swimming behind their eyes, I could hear their hearts beating rapidly in their chests. Sweat gathered on the foreheads of some of them and I even smelt the pungent smell of urine coming from one of the boys in the back.

"Who are you meant to train with today?" I asked.

"Alpha Bernard." One of them responded.

"Well, he is unavailable. So, who is meant to be his replacement?" I pointed to the girl to whom I had thrown the spear.

"Speak!"

"We….we…we…"

"Speak up!" I yelled.

"We don't have any replacement, Beta Nicholas." She squeaked.

That's Bernard for you, he never plans ahead. Unlike me, I ensured that I had my things laid out down to the last details. This is my chance to implement some of the training regimens that I had been trying to add to our training program. With no one to block my decision, this is my perfect time.

"Then, I shall train you. We start with two hundred push-ups for warm up and the last one to finish will repeat it again. Now go!" They all dropped to the ground and started doing the exercise. I couldn't help the small smile that threatened to creep onto my face. This is power and I was born for it.

We stayed out in the training ground for the next three hours, running drills and sparring. By the time I was done, they could barely stand and some of them threw up and others nearly passed out from fatigue but the important thing was that they made it to the end. I had a vision for my warriors and it was for them to become some of the most feared and lethal warriors in all of the Western shore.