Chapter 25

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"You're going easy on her," Ares called out, pausing from her assault on the punching bag.

It certainly didn't feel like Lucas had been going on easy on me during the training. I had been pinned numerous times, and hit even more. However, he didn't seem to be as rough as Axel had been.

I groaned. "Say that to my bloody lip and bruised ribs." Lucas held out his hand, pulling me up from the ground.

"Sorry," He apologized lowly. "I didn't mean to hurt you. You're just so... delicate."

I shrugged, surprised by his sincerity. "It's okay, I'm used to it by now."

A week had gone by since Cain, Axel, and Gwen left Blue Moon. Ares had been pushing me harder than ever before, and my body had definitely been paying the price, even though Lucas was not as rough as Ares would have preferred.

"You two keep sparring for awhile, I have to go," Ares abruptly left the training center.

"Where'd she go?" I asked Lucas, who I had grown significantly closer to over the past week. He seemed much more gentle than his Blood Lake counterparts.

"Her wolf needed to be let out, she's just going to go for a run," Lucas answered. "We can end training now if you want, we've been at it for five hours, I'm sure you could use a break."

I smiled gratefully, bending down to pick up my water bottle, ignoring the soreness of my muscles as I did so. "Let's get out of here then, it's a nice day outside."

Lucas nodded, following me outside. Instead of going back to the pack house, I walked to the field of flowers that had become my favorite place in Blue Moon.

I plopped down on the ground, hissing in pain. "Are you sure you're okay?" Lucas asked, sitting across from me.

"I'll be fine. The training is just a lot," I admitted. "It's starting to take a toll on me."

Lucas nodded in understanding. "Do you feel ready for the challenge?"

I sighed. "I'm not sure. Ares seems to be confident that Brenna won't be as prepared as I am."

"And Thane?" He asks.

I wince. "Thane doesn't like to talk about it. Which is so frustrating, you know? He acts like I'm not about to either kill someone or get killed." The truth is, Thane and I had been going through some what of a rough patch the last week. He was hardly present, always busy with pack stuff or with Ares, the latter of which had begun to invoke deep feelings of jealousy in me.

"Have you come to terms with it?" Lucas asked, his voice soft. "Killing someone?"

I flinch, and look down at a flower I had picked from the ground. "If I'm being honest, no. It doesn't... feel right. Having to kill someone, even if they want to kill me... It feels wrong. It's not me."

"So don't," Lucas simply says, and it feels like his hazel eyes are burning through my soul.

"I don't have a choice."

"There's always a choice," He replies softly.

"Not with this. Thane and Ares say-" I start, but he interrupts.

"Thane and Ares only know violence. There are other ways of life than simply killing your enemies," Lucas responds, and I'm surprised that he doesn't hold their views. "If you get the shewolf to submit, you've won the challenge, taking her life is optional. While it is true that most challenges end in the death of a wolf, that's only because they don't want someone who wants their mate alive."

My mouth dropped. "Are you saying I shouldn't kill her?" I asked.

Lucas shrugged. "I'm saying, if you take a life, you're the one who has to live with that. Not Ares, not Thane, not me. You. If your wolf is okay with the shewolf's submission, and you don't want to kill her, then don't. It's up to you."

"You're not like most Blood Lake wolves," I remark.

Lucas shrugged. "I'm not from Blood Lake, originally. In the pack I grew up in, we favored peace over war, always strived to reduce death instead of perpetuating it."

"What pack are you from?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Wind Walker. Its unlikely you've ever heard of it, the pack became extinct many years ago," Lucas said, and he looked away, but the sadness in his eyes was obvious.

I couldn't help pressing him for more information, I was intrigued by his origins. "What happened to it?"

Lucas sighed. "It's a long story, the typical story for how pack's crumble. A group of rogues attacked the Alpha and Luna, killing them, leaving the pack in devastation and chaos. While the pack mourned the loss of their Luna and Alpha, the rogues were able to release prisoners from the prison. Once the prisoners were released, they wreaked havoc on the pack, slaughtering every wolf in sight. Only a few wolves survived, including the son of the Luna and Alpha, who the remaining Wind Walkers protected with their life in order for him to escape."

"Where's he now? The son," I ask, completely immersed in his story.

Lucas gave a small, sad smile. "I am the son of the Alpha and Luna of the Wind Walk pack."

I gasped. "You- You're an Alpha?"

He nodded, looking at a flower he picked from the ground. "By blood, yes. I was 14 when my pack was slaughtered. The Wind Walkers that survived took me to Blood Lake. Cain was a new Alpha, barely an adult himself. Blood Lake and Wind Walk were close in proximity, and longtime allies, especially since Wind Walk was anti-war and didn't have bad blood with any of the packs, including Cain's. Alpha Cain took us in, allowing us to join Blood Lake. I'll never forget the kindness he granted us that day, I owe him my life."

"Why are you only the Gamma then?" I questioned. "Surely if you have Alpha blood, you're strong enough to be the Beta, no offense to Axel."

Lucas sighed. "I don't like pack politics. I wouldn't even be the Gamma if it weren't for Cain asking me to step up after all of the turmoil his pack leaders went through a few months ago. He needed strong wolves, and knew that I would be more than capable of handling the Gamma duties. Most Blood Lake wolves don't know my true origins."

We sat in silence before I finally spoke. "So why are you telling me all of this, even if many of your own pack mates don't know?"

"I know how you feel," Lucas quietly said. "Feeling out of place in your pack. Feeling like things like violence are out of your control. I want you to know... that it doesn't always have to be like that. When you become Luna... You don't have to be like that."

I hadn't realized that tears were falling from my eyes until Lucas reached over to wipe them from my tears. "Don't cry, Nyx. Here, let me cheer you up."

I looked at him in curiously. He held his hand over a patch of grass, and suddenly, a bright red poppy sprung from the ground. He picked it, and handed it to me.

"How'd you do that?" I gasped, looking at the flower, completely amazed and entrances by its beauty.

"It's my Gift," Lucas replied, and his eyes were bright with a happiness I hadn't ever seen in him before.

"It's beautiful," I murmured. "My Grandmother would have loved it. She appreciated nature more than anyone I've ever met... From a young age, she allows taught me to value it, to revere it above all else. I miss her a lot," I admit, and wiped more stray tears from my face.

"Shh, please don't cry, Nyx," Lucas begged. "I didn't know..."

I smiled slightly. "They're not sad tears. The flower is beautiful, Lucas, thank you. I'm glad... I'm glad to know that there's wolves out there like you."

Lucas smiled as he stood up, offering his hand for me to take. "Let's get you back to the pack house, I'm sure your mate is looking for you."

I was sure he wasn't, but took his hand anyways, taking the poppy with me.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Just as I suspected, Thane was gone for the rest of the day, not arriving back at the pack house until late.

"Hey, little one," Thane said casually as he walked into his bedroom. "Sorry I was so late tonight, I was-"

"I don't care," I interrupted, my voice sounding strangely harsh and not at all like my own. "It's not like I've been waiting up for you or anything."

Thane looked shocked by my outburst. "Onyx, I'm sorry. Ares was-"

"I don't care about Ares!" I yell, and I know I'm about to have severe word-vomit, but I can't stop the flow of anger I feel towards my mate. "You're supposed to be my mate. Not hers. Mine. I could potentially die in a week, and instead of spending my last few days with my mate, he's off doing Goddess knows what, leaving me all alone."

Thane's mouth was hanging open by the time I was done yelling. "Little one... I'm so sorry-" He begins to say, but I'm sick of hearing his empty words.

"Get. Out," I say quietly.

"Onyx," He starts, a completely broken look on his face. I could feel the mate bond tugging on me, begging me to be with him, to forgive him.

"I want to be alone tonight, Alpha Thane," I say formally, and his face falls, sending daggers into my heart. "That shouldn't be much of a problem, considering you seem to love being away from me so much."

I know my words were harsh, but when his mouth tightens into a flat line and he turns around to leave, I desperately want him to protest, to beg for my forgiveness, to insist to let him stay.

"Goodnight, Onyx," He says quietly, and leaves the room, closing the door behind him.

I shoved my face into the pillow and cried myself to sleep that night, unable to shake the feeling that I am completely, utterly alone.

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