Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Unedited

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I smash my fist straight through yet another fighting dummy.

I've been taking my pent up anger from the last few days out in the training room, leading to me breaking multiple pieces of equipment. When I'm angry, Shiva tends to fuel it by adding some of her strength, allowing it to flow through my human form. I max out the weight machines, deadlift every weight plate and like just now, spar with unsuspecting straw dummies.

It's the third one I've broken in two days.

It's Saturday, five days since I asked Kaden to leave after his outburst, and I have not seen him since. As scared as I was of him that night, and no matter how angry his words made me, I'm itching to see him again, the mate bond making me feel far more lonely than I thought possible. I know that I'll see him tonight at the Luna ceremony, but I want to make amends before we stand on the stage set up in our back garden and announce I am the new leader of the pack.

I know that he misses me too, because I've smelt him walking up to the front door and standing there, almost as if he deliberates on whether or not he should enter his own house, before he walks away. He's respecting me asking him to leave, but now it's driving me insane. I always get to the door too late, his strong back walking sullenly away, finding a little gift left on the steps. He's left me roses, chocolates, little bits to let me know that he still cares for me, each with a hand written note telling me he's sorry and whenever I'm ready he'd like to come home.

Today he left me a dress.

I've been on house arrest since Tuesday, with two of his pack members sitting in the living room, stopping me from leaving. Olivia has come round a few times to finalize the little details about what's going to be happening tonight, and Jasper has brought around his little bundle of evilness for me to babysit whilst himself and his mate are at work.

'Essie', who I've now found out is called Esmerelda, has been a welcome distraction for me, but I still had a lot of stuff to do before the Luna ceremony.

Buy a dress was one of them.

I'd pulled every piece of clothing from my wardrobe, rummaged through every fancy dress I own, only to find I didn't like any of them. That fuelled my growning frustration, and was the first time I broke a fighting dummy. By ripping it's head clean off.

So I figured I was screwed until I opened the door and found a box sitting outside the front door. Kaden had left a little note saying that Sophia had picked it out and he figured I'd like it, and I did. I loved the dress, and the second I tried it on I knew it was perfect for the ceremony.

I knew Sophia had impeccable tastes, based on her fashion sense, but she's definitely outdone herself on this one. The dress is short, ending just above my knees, but it isn't tight. It pinches at my waist before flowing outwards. The straps are thin and vest like and the neckline slopes slightly to reveal a small amount of my cleavage.

The fabric is pale blue with almost floral patterns built into the fabric, small white dots dancing across the dress looking like stars.

All I could think about whilst staring at myself in the mirror was how much I knew Kaden would like it.

Which led to me being angry again so I found myself once again beating equipment senseless.

I breathe heavily, sweat drenching my figure from head to toe, as I let go of a handful of straw that I grabbed from the chest cavity where his heart would be. I stalk over to my water bottle and guzzle most of it down in under ten seconds, before pouring the remainder of it over my head. The cool water soothes my burning skin and throat, a welcome aid. I grab my towel and wipe the sweat from my face and chest, only to feel a presence closing in behind me.

I heard them take a step down the stairs as one of them creaks, only for the creaking to quickly stop, like they didn't want me to know they're there.

I'm on alert, because the scent doesn't belong to Jasper, definitely not Kaden, and I've been around Olivia enough to figure it isn't her.

It's fast approaching, and I can feel my eyes glaze over as Shiva takes the reigns on this one. My muscles buzz with the adrenaline coursing through my veins and I spin round quickly, grasping the person behind me by the throat and slamming him down into cold mats below.

My eyes are so fuelled with anger that I almost don't recognise him, until my fist is millimetres from his chest, my fingernails scraping the cotton of his shirt.

"Lola stop!" He chokes out, and my eyes finally come into focus. Lyle is laying with a look of impressed terror on his face, his already dark skin flushed with the lack of oxygen I'm giving him due to the tight grip I have on his throat.

I scold myself for not remembering his scent, but I haven't seen him in a long time, and even Shiva didn't recognise it.

"Jesus Lyle what the hell are you sneaking up on me like that for?!" I shriek ripping my hand away from his throat like his skin burns me, and jump up from my attacking position on top of him. "You of all people should know not to do that!"

He holds his finger up for me to wait a second, and I watch as the bruises around his throat disappear with his healing. "I think you winded me, give me a second."

I chuckle to myself as I grab his hand and haul him up from the floor and wrapping him in a bear hug. "I've missed you Lilo."

I feel the vibrations of his chest course through my body as he laughs, wrapping his strong arms around my waist. "I haven't heard you call me that in years. I've missed you too Lolly by the way."

I breathe in his once familiar scent, only to discover it's different. I mean it's the same, but there's something different to it, like something has been added. I hold his face out in front of me and psychoanalyse him before coming across a small mark on his neck, the mark of the crescent moon pack proudly scarred onto his skin. "You didn't.."

"I did." He grins like a lovesick puppy, going into his back pocket and pulling out his wallet. He pulls out a picture of him and a girl that looks a bit younger than him, and my heart melts at the adooration on his face. "She's called Emily, and she's definitely the most beautiful girl I've ever laid eyes on."

She is beautiful, I'll give him that. With pale skin and dark hair that falls just above her shoulders, she looks at him with such adoration. Her eyes are a remarkable blue colour, just like Kaden's.

"The second prettiest girl." I tease, punching him lightly on the arm. "You want something to eat or drink? I'll get Tom the guard to whip you something up whilst I'm getting ready...."

I pause, looking at Lyle as an idea sprouts inside my head, and the slow grin that spreads across my face has him looking almost worried. "What?"

"You don't happen to have a suit, do you?"

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I can hear the party downstairs is in full swing, but I can't seem to find it within me to go downstairs. I know that the second I step foot downstairs all eyes will be on me, watching my every move. I can already smell the overpowering scents of pack members, and the thought of soon having their thoughts inside my head, scares me. I knew that I'd have to do it at some point, especially with being the daughter of the alpha in my last pack.

Still, the nerves are there.

A gentle knock at the door startles me out of my thoughts, and I see Lyle stick his head around the door, a smile on his face. "Are you ready Lola?"

He looks super smart, with a snug fitting black suit and white dress shirt, the top few buttons undone, exposing his broad chest and newly marked neck. He's slicked his hair back and tied it into a high bun, his beard neatly trimmed, his eyebrows still their signature messy state.

I breath out a long sigh, wiping my clammy palms on my dress. Kaden is probably downstairs waiting for me, and I don't want to have to fight with him anymore. I want him to come over and hug me, and allow me to apologise. He always seems to be the one doing that lately.

"Yeah I'm ready." I smile and walk over to Lyle, my heels clicking against the floor. He holds out his arm, and I loop mine through and rest my palm on the crook of his elbow. We walk steadily down the stairs, and I start to catch the attention of the pack members, until all eyes are on me. I smile broadly, hoping to set both myself and them at ease.

I see Olivia striding forward, her whole get up the definition of elegance. Her hair is in a stylish bun, her dress a dark emerald green with a slit down the leg. Her lips curve into an apporving smile, and she nods when she sees I'm wearing a half decent dress that I can tell she wishes she picked for me. "Looking good, Luna."

"Thank you." I say, as she curtsies jokingly. "Where is Kaden?"

"He's outside talking to the elders." She purses her lips as she takes a look at Lyle. I know she's been filled in on our friendship because she's a member of the council and Kaden will want her to keep a close eye on me. "It would probably best if you stayed with me." She grabs his suit jacket and hauls him into my kitchen, leaving me by myself, the door to our back garden wide open in front of me.

I can pick out his scent long before I see him. It overpowers every wolf at this party, his alluring mixture of pine, musk and his natural manly scent. It's has my cheeks warming, my stomach knotting, my nerves decreasing. It leads me straight out of the patio doors to where he's stood talking to a group of elderly pack members. He looks striking, with a tight fitting navy suit over the top of his muscular body, his hair slicked back neatly and his beard neatly trimmed. He's smiling, and shaking hands with people before his eyes wander and latch onto me.

He clenches his jaw before politely excusing himself from his companions and making his way over to me, stopping a few inches from my body. I can feel his heat radiating onto me, warming up my skin until goosebumps ripple across my flesh. I still can't decide whether its that or the intensity of his gaze as it rakes across my body.

"Lola." He breathes out, his hands moving forward, before pulling back, like he's afraid to touch me. "You look absolutely beautiful."

I feel my cheeks warm at his compliment, and I find my eyes falling to the floor. "Thank you, you don't look half bad yourself."

I feel the soft pressure of his fingers under my chin as he forces me to look up, a gentle smile on his face. "Can we forget that this week ever happened please? I hate fighting with you."

"I don't want to forget everything that happened this week." I smile coyly, looping my arms around his neck. "I can think of one, maybe two occasions worthwile of remembering."

He smiles his signature captivating smile, before capturing my lips in a gentle kiss. "God I've missed doing that."

I kiss him again, more forceful this time, before releasing his lips from mine and sending him a sly grin. "Could you get me a drink please, I'm suddenly thirsty."

"Of course, Luna." He grins, kissing me softly on the cheek before disappearing to the drinks table.

I straighten out my dress, smooth my hair, play with my nails, but I can't seem to remove this stupid smile from my face. I can blame the mate bond for forgiving him so quickly, but I have feelings for him that are too strong for me to hold a grudge.

"You don't deserve him, you know." I hear a voice spit cruelly from behind me. I spin to see Carrick leaning against my garden fence, an ugly sneer twisted on his face, making his scar look even worse than it already is. His face is pale, his ginger hair looking on fire in the afternoon sunlight.

"And why is that?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest, feeling uncomfortable of the threatening glare Carrick is sending my way. His eyes feel so hateful, so disgusted, it makes me feel like I shouldn't be here. "You know someone who is more deserving?"

"Anyone but you." He snaps, pushing himself off the fence and stalking towards me like a predator. "The hell you've put him through these last few months, the shít you've pulled!" His voice is raising now, grasping the attention of a few onlookers from the party. "I've had to watch his angry outbursts over you falling out with him, I've had to stop him from throwing up all over himself when he got blind drunk because you left!"

"Couples fight." I almost snap, trying so hard to keep my anger in check, despite wanting to shove his head through my wall in hopes that it messes his face up more than it already is. "You think that because you've seen him in his bad moments, you have some sort of claim over him, like you're better than me."

I see his eyes darken to black pits, my words having a serious effect on him. His fists clench and unclench by his sides, as his face twists into a morbid smile before springing forward and wrapping his large paw around my bicep. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about it."

I smirk, much to his annoyance, and raise an eyebrow his way. "You have feelings for him don't you."

"Shut up."

"You know if he had any sort of feelings for you, the moon goddess would've paired him up with a guy, hell she would've paired him up with you."

"Shut up!" He hisses, the grip on my arm tightening. I look around to see many people mumbling to each other, their eyes captured with the scene that is unfolding around them. I send them a reassuring smile before looking back to Carrick.

"He's chosen me." I glare at him before roughly wrenching my arm from his grip. "Start accepting it as his friend or I will tell him you're threatening me and have you kicked from this pack."

He snarls, his eyes turning yellow before he sprints forward and grabs me by the throat.

I can't breathe for a few second before he coughs on me and blood covers my entire vision, Carrick dropping like a fly. I gasp, both for air and because there's a silver tipped arrow protruding from his neck, blood gushing from the open wound like a waterfall. A scream tears from my mouth, and suddenly the entire pack is on alert, their eyes darting around to look for the assailant.

"Someone help him!" I shout, pressing my hand roughly against the wound. I watch as Carrick's eyes roll back inside his head, his breathing becoming laboured. "Jasper!"

And then I see them. A group of three people standing on the edge of the park, a crossbow held by the tallest and strongest of the three, his muscles rippling as he smirks. The second Jasper falls beside me and presses his hands on Carrick's throat do I stand up and push through the frightened crowds of people and out of my back garden, stalking across the grass in my heels.

The main man smiles, revealing his yellow teeth, and the stench of sweat and rotting eggs waft up my nose. The smell is so potent I almost gag, but I have to be strong for my pack, set a good example.

"Where are you?" I hear Kaden's panicked voice inside my head, but I block him out, feeling too much rage coursing through my veins. I don't want him to take this away from me, Shiva is itching for a fight, and I'm about to give her one.

"Well, it's nice to put a face to the much talked about name." He smirks, his breath smelling of rot and unbrushed teeth. His crossbow remains in his hands, but there is no bolt loaded so it's useless. "Our leader has told us a lot about you, just described you with less blood."

"Shame I still haven't got a face, or a name." I sneer, my fists clenched by my sides. I can hear my pack worrying over Carrick, worrying for me. I can hear Kaden asking if anyone has seen me, and it makes my heart hurt. Their voices so loud I can hear them from here. "Why doesn't your leader come and meet me?"

"He already has." The man to the left laughed, dirt falling from his clothes as he shakes with laughter. "Don't you get it. He knows who you are, where you are, he's touched you, left you messages."

"Our leader doesn't take kindly to people touching what's his, and Kaden wasn't around to get the crossbow, so I gave it to Carrick instead..." The man with the crossbow snarls and points to the crossbow bolts at his feet, and a blind rage took over me.

I punched straight through his chest and wrapped my hands around his heart. "You can tell your leader," I grin maliciously, squeezing his heart. He can no longer breathe, his face getting more red with the pressure I apply. "That if he lays a hand on anyone I care about, I will personally seek him out and rip his heart from his chest."

I glare at his two companions who look at me like they're terrified of me, my eyes no doubt glowing, before I pull out their friend's heart and let it drop to the floor with the rest of his body. "Take that message back to your fvcking leader."

"You're in for it now, Lola." One of the men screams over his shoulder. "Congrats! You've just killed everyone you love!"

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Well well haven't I done well. Bit of make up, a little bit of violence, drop dead gorgeous man gif for everyone to watch, I think I've covered all bases.

Unfortunately for you guys, things get darker from here on out so I've finished with all the fluffy airy fairy character charm. There will still be progression in the relationships etc but focus will be on story progression not relationship progression.

Sorry folks.

Please let me know what you guys think, and tell me in the comments what you think needs improving, or what you think might be good to add. Feedback is important and I want you all to remain readers, so if I need to make edits then I will

I've made a couple of accounts which are down below, as a way of you guys being able to get in contact with me.

I'd probably say email is the best bet because I'll be logged into my personal insta and Snapchat most of the time.

Lots of love amigos

Lauryn