I woke up pissed off.

Like... I wanted to punch something.

I pulled on my training clothes, and I could see from outside of the window that the sun had barely begun to rise.

When I was finally downstairs, I cringed at Thane sleeping on the couch. There had to have been a billion empty rooms in the house, he could have at least slept in one of those. Especially since I was not ready to deal with him yet.

As if sending my presence, Thane bolted upright as he woke up. "Onyx, you're up early," He said as he gathered his bearings. "I can make you something to eat, maybe pancakes? Waffles? Whatever you want," He offered.

"Not hungry," I muttered. "Which room is Lucas staying in?"

"Third floor, second door on the right," Thane answered his eyebrows raised. "Why do you want to know where Lucas is?"

"Training," I mumble, already turning away from him and heading back upstairs.

I follow Thane's directions, and knock on the door. After a minute, Lucas answers, his light brown hair disheveled, only wearing flannel pajama pants. I tried not to stare at his large chest.

"Onyx? I asked if you needed something?" Lucas asked, an eyebrow quirked up.

"Oh- right. Sorry," I apologized. "I was wondering if you would maybe want to start training. I know it's a little early and I totally understand if you want to sleep in. I mean who wouldn't? I just couldn't sleep and so I thought maybe if we-"

Lucas cut me off with a deep chuckle. "Relax, motor mouth. Just give me a second, I'll be downstairs in a minute."

I nod, smiling slightly as I turn around and head back downstairs, where Thane is pacing, although the stops when he sees me. "I took the day off. I thought maybe we could spend some time together," He said, his eyes pleading to make amends with me.

"Sorry, I have training," I shrug him off, looking to the side awkwardly. "Maybe Ares wants to hangout with you."

Thane sighed, running his hand through his hair in exasperation. "Onyx, it's not what you think. I promise that I do not have feelings for the Blood Luna. You're my mate, I would never-"

He stops speaking when Lucas reaches the bottom of the staircase, his hair pulled into a man-bun. He kind of reminded me of Thor, from the Marvel movies.

"Lucas! Let's go," I say, thankful that he arrived at the perfect time.

"Are you sure?" Lucas asks, looking at Thane, who's glowering at him. "If you want to go train with Alpha Thane, I don't mind."

"Thane's busy," I say shortly, pulling Lucas hand and practically dragging him outside, leaving Thane standing alone.

"Jesus, Onyx," Lucas said, and pulled on my wrist, stopping me. "What the hell is going on? You hate training."

"Not today I don't," I mutter, and continue my speed walking to the training center.

We reach the building in a record-breaking amount of time, and I sit on the floor, stretching my legs out, wincing as I try to ease the pain of the soreness from the prior day.

"What's got you down, blue-eyes?" Lucas asks me as he stretches from across me.

I roll my eyes at the nickname, but it does make me crack a smile. "It's nothing."

"If it makes you upset, it's not nothing." He says, and he makes everything sound so simple.

I sigh as I switch legs. "It feels... wrong to say bad things about my mate."

Lucas shrugs. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but bottling your emotions up is just begging for an outburst of epic proportions."

"He's just..." I struggle to find the words. "I feel so distant from him. And it's like, why the hell does my mate feel like the person I know least in the world? Do you think he's pushing me away?" I ask, and I realize that Lucas has become the neutral friend I've desperately needed. There was no way I could talk to Ares or Gwen or Clover or Leo about this.

Sighing, Lucas finally answered. "I know this probably isn't the answer you want to hear, but you just need to talk to him, Nyx. If he's pushing you away, he probably has his reasons. You'll only know if you ask. He's probably just stressed."

"Not too stressed to talk to Ares," I mutter, even though I know how petty I sound.

Lucas narrows his eyes at me. "That's what this is about? You think there's something between Thane and Ares?"

I don't answer, and Lucas is howling in laughter. "Don't laugh at me!" I whine.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Onyx," Lucas says through laughter as he tries keeping a straight face. His laughter is nice, it sounds like the wind chimes that used to hang outside my grandmother's cabin.

"It's not that much of a stretch," I point out. "They're together all of the time."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Onyx, you know Thane would never cheat on you. And Ares would never cheat on Cain."

I sigh and look away. "I know that... Logically. I just don't like how much time they spend together. Like he's her priority. I know it sounds selfish... I just want to be his priority."

"Hey, look at me," Lucas says, and my eyes snap back to his tanned face. "I don't think you're being selfish. I think you're... lonely."

"That's an understatement," I mumble, trying not to cry thinking about last night.

"Onyx, talk to him," Lucas pleads. "Don't just ignore him, it'll only deepen the divide between you two. I'm sure if he knew how you were feeling, he would try harder."

"I just don't understand why he has to try so hard to like me," I whisper, and I can't help the tears that fall down my face.

"Oh, Onyx," Lucas says as he pulls me into a hug. "Let's not train today, okay? Want to go to the flower field again? Maybe that would cheer you up."

I nod and Lucas says, "Good girl. Now wipe your tears or no more poppies for you."

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

I giggle as Lucas grows a cactus. "Really? A cactus? I was promised poppies."

"What do you have against cacti?" Lucas asks, offended.

I shrug. "Too prickly."

"I'll have you know, my dear Onyx, that cacti are arguably the best plants to own. Low maintenance, come in all shapes and sizes. Best of all..." Lucas' voice trails off as his hand hovers over the small cacti. Instantly, small pink and yellow flowers bloom from it.

I gasp. "I didn't know they did that."

Lucas smiles at the plant. "The desert isn't always the best place for all flora... but the cactus thrives in the right environment. Enjoys the heat, doesn't despair from it."

"Are you thriving in Blood Lake?" I ask softly.

He gives me a half-hearted smile. "I survive," He says simply.

"Don't you want more than that?" I ask, knowing I'm being far too intrusive.

Lucas sighs. "There's... not much more out there for me. My mate... she passed when the rogues attacked. We were young, but... our wolves recognized it. My wolf felt it when she died."

I grabbed his hand and squeezed tightly. "I'm sorry, Lucas."

"So to answer your question... Do I want more than to survive? Maybe. But for now, surviving is enough." He answered, and flicked his hand. In the direction he waved to, half of the field turned from sunflowers to poppies.

"You have the coolest Gift ever," I say in awe. "I used to use my Gift to make flowers too."

Lucas' head cocked to the side. "Your Gift? Used to?"

I winced, knowing now I would have to explain my loss. "My Gift was black magic. I know it... sounds evil. But I wouldn't... I didn't use it for bad things."

"I didn't think you did," Lucas said gently.

"It... got taken away. When I was kidnapped, which sounds scarier than it actually was, yknow, considering I can't actually remember any of it," I tried making a joke out of it, but failed miserably.

Lucas frowned. "I'm sorry you went through that, Onyx. Losing your Gift... I'm sure that was horrible."

I hesitate before speaking. "I think... I think part of me blames Thane. I felt much safer as a rogue than I do here. I had everything I wanted as a rogue. Freedom, my Gift..."

"You had a boyfriend," Lucas says in surprise.

I glare at him. "Greyson was not my boyfriend. We were just friends."

"But you wanted to be more," Lucas grins and I scowl.

"Being nosy is a horribly unattractive trait," I tease him, and he snorts.

"You are literally the most nosy person I've ever met in my whole life. Watch your mouth or I'll turn the flowers you're sitting on into cacti," He warns, but can't keep a straight face as he does so.

I laugh, and he joins me, and soon we're both laughing hysterically in the field of flowers.

And as we freely roll around laughing in the poppies, I felt my heart begin to mend.