Chapter Ten: Training

The next several days are hectic around the Crescent Moon pack. Shortly after we hang up with Alpha Xavier, Uncle Marc calls a Level Three emergency, signaling the pack to prepare for another possible attack. Patrols are doubled with fighters stationed all along every inch of the borders. Every day pack members, such as cooks, teachers, and maintenance workers, attend hardcore training with Uncle Marc and his Betas every morning. Due to the pack being so large, they have been broken up into groups and trained at different times. This way every member can be trained equally. With the threat of the rogues taking another crack at kidnapping me, as well as the several fighters that are still recovering, he refuses to take any chances.

I wasn’t allowed to train, much to my dismay. I know Uncle Marc and Dr. Wynn wanted to be cautious, to make sure I was completely healed. However, my body was the very next day. Neither one would listen to me. Leah pointed out that this battle wasn’t one I wasn’t going to win, so I relented and stayed cooped up in my room like they wanted.

During those days, my phone began to blow up again. Mom, Dad, and Michael would take turns checking in on me. Alpha Xavier called a couple of times, much to my surprise. I know I would eventually have to sit down and talk with him, apologize for leaving like I did. Alyssa called as soon as she was told I was released from the hospital.

My fiery, stubborn red head was in tears the moment I answered. The sound broke my heart, considering she never gets emotional like that. After we sobbed and I apologized for disappearing, we settled back into our normal banter and caught each other up to speed on what’s been happening.

She spoke about how both Jonathan and Benjamin were restless, asking about me constantly. “They are being civil to each other, but there’s definitely some tension there,” she had told me with a laugh. I briefly mentioned my short conversation with Ben, which of course she already knew. Apparently, the entire pack felt the moment Felix snarled, and she ran to him in panic, only to hear the end of our conversation from outside the office. She told me that she was happy that I was at least trying to talk to him.

“I know you are waiting, but when exactly are you thinking of coming back home?” she had asked me at one point. I told her about the parts of the conversation she missed and that I had planned to wait a while, until it was safe. She was sad but understood. We said our goodbyes, promised to talk soon, and hung up, causing my heart to feel a little lighter.

Word started to spread around the pack. The official story was that I went to Uncle Marc’s for a birthday trip. Only a select few know the truth. Once news came out that I was injured in a “random rogue attack”, more and more people started calling to check on me, Dr. Vega and Luna Enora to name a couple. I was starting to find myself getting homesick, much to my surprise. To go from thinking about staying in Crescent Moon to missing home in just a few short days was shocking, but it was comforting to hear everyone’s voice. It made it a little bit easier.

Then, I heard one voice I wasn’t expecting to hear for a while.

*Flashback: Two days after the attack*

“Is there anything else you need?” Aunt Crystal asks as she places a tray of food next to my bed. She made me grilled cheese with french fries for lunch, along with a pile of fruits for me to snack on.

“Spring me, maybe?” I pout at her with puppy dog eyes from behind my book. Per Dr. Wynn’s request, I am laying down with my “injured” right arm propped up.

She chuckles, “Oh, no ma’am. Don’t give me that look. If it was just your uncle, maybe. Endure Dr. Wynn’s wrath? No, thank you.”

I groan, closing my book, “But I’m fine! A little sore, sure, but Leah is saying we are back to normal. I need to be training, preparing myself for when Damen and/or his boss shows up for round two.”

She sighs, taking a seat next to me, “You’ve literally been out of the hospital a day, Annie. Allow your body to recuperate from this whole ordeal. There will be plenty of time for training. Until then, just rest and let us protect you.”

“Fine,” I grumble. “How’s Hope?”

“Physically, she’s fine. She’s still beating herself up over you getting injured,” she admits as she plays with my hair.

Using my free arm, I sit up a little bit to lean against the headboard, “Still?” I huff. “I told her this was beyond her control. I nor Leah blame her.”

She nods, “I know, but her and Susie are having trouble accepting that. They feel like they should have done more.”

Shaking my head, I let out an exasperated breath, “I’m going to talk to her again once everything calms down. It’s becoming painfully obvious she won’t listen to me right now.”

Aunt Crystal chuckles, “That’s probably a good idea. How’s Alyssa? Marc said she called you after you were discharged.”

“She’s okay, rightfully upset with me but also happy that I’m coming back at some point,” I say with a sad smile.

“How does she feel about all of this?” she asks curiously.

I sigh, “She’s torn. She knows more than anyone about my past with Benjamin and how he treated me. I think that was the reason she pushed me to give Jonathan a chance, to help me get over the stupid crush I had on him. It worked a little too well.”

“And now?” she pokes gently.

“Deep down, I think she is absolutely ecstatic, even though she acts like she isn’t. I know her and Benjamin have had conversations over the last several months. She’s adamant that he has changed, and I’ll admit I’ve seen the growth. Or, well, heard the growth considering I haven’t laid eyes on him since the party. My guess is she knows something I don’t and is not her place to say. I won’t lie and say that it doesn’t make me curious, but I just don’t see how that reason, whatever it is, can erase years of disdain,” I admit, looking out the window.

There’s a moment of silence before my aunt speaks, “It doesn’t erase it, Annie. It doesn’t give him an excuse, either. A reason, sure, but not an excuse. He did what he did and nothing can change that fact. What it does is give you insight into his behavior and the choice to decide if that reason is enough to try to forgive. If it is, then it opens the door to go further with him if you choose to. If it doesn’t, then you get to walk away.”

Looking back at her, my eyebrows furrow, “I thought you would want me to…?”

She smiles at me, “I want you to be happy, Annie. That’s what we all want. You deserve it more than anyone. Do I think you could have true happiness with Benjamin? Yes. Do I think you could with Jonathan as well? Also, yes. I would love for you to be Luna, so I can pass on my wisdom and help you, but if you would be miserable, I’d rather you be with Jonathan.”

As if the words are laced with magic, my phone starts ringing. Glancing down, I see Jonathan’s name flashing on the screen. My heart races as I suck in a shaky breath. She quickly presses a gentle kiss to my forehead and quietly leaves the room. Mustering all my strength, I accept the call.

“H-hello?” I stutter out.

There’s a pause then a soft voice, “Hi, Annie.”

I swallow the lump in my throat, “Hi, Jonathan.”

“It’s really good to hear your voice,” he confides with a small sigh.

I sadly smile to myself, “It’s good to hear you, too. Are you okay? How’s the pack?”

“I’m fine. Just a couple of scratches, nothing major. A lot of the others weren’t so lucky. Those rogues put up a hell of a fight,” he reassures as he continues to walk, the sounds of birds in the background.

“I know. Alyssa said Peter had a broken leg but was okay,” I groan.

“Yeah, he healed by the next day. Here’s hoping that some of our other, more injured fighters will heal just as quickly. Speaking of rogue attacks, how are you feeling?” he asks.

“A little sore, but nothing I can’t handle. Bedridden, by Dr. Wynn’s request but honestly, I’m fine,” I reassure.

I hear him sigh, “And…emotionally?”

Leaning my head back against the headboard, I question, “How much do you know?”

“Everything. Michael and Alpha Xavier told me,” he admits.

I take a deep breath, “I’m…terrified, but determined. Maybe a little angry.”

“Understandable. A lot has happened over the last several weeks. I would have called you sooner, but I didn’t want to upset you. I wanted to give you some space, but then once you called your family, I figured it would be okay now. Then, you were attacked,” Jonathan mutters.

“In all honesty, I probably wouldn’t have answered. I was trying to distance myself as much as possible from…it all,” I confess, playing with the edge of my blanket.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers.

“Don’t. Don’t do that,” I fuss, holding my tears back. “We…both agreed to this.”

“Did we? I don’t feel like I gave you much of a choice. I just…ended things,” he says frustratedly. I hear the sound of a door opening and shutting. He must have just returned home.

“But, I agreed to it. If I didn’t and would have fought you on it, you would have caved, right? Maybe we would still be together, but maybe it would make this all the more difficult. We wanted to give each other a chance with our mates, so that’s what we’ll do,” I try to say confidently.

The creak of a couch sounds in the background as he sits with a huff, “Speaking of, I heard that he’s been trying to reach out to you.”

“He has,” I confirm.

“And?” Jonathan presses.

“I’m…trying to keep an open mind. There’s definitely differences in his behavior than I’m use to. He’s actually being very kind, almost tender when we’ve talked. Understanding and compromising in things I never thought he would be. The bond is definitely one strong and compelling pain in my ass, and affects you in ways that you can’t even imagine,” I sigh.

There’s a drawn out silence, and I start to think he hung up when he speaks again, “He doesn’t deserve you, Annie.”

“Jonathan…” I start to say, but he interrupts.

“He doesn’t. I know what I said and what we agreed to, but these weeks have been hell. I can’t do this for two more years. Please, come home. I…love you. I miss you, and I don’t want to live this life without you,” he whispers.

Tears escape from my eyes as Leah whimpers in the back of my mind, “Annie, they deserve to find the bond, too.”

“I know,” I tell her.

I cannot believe I’m about to do this, but there’s this feeling that his mate will be wonderful and I cannot interfere with that. Just because I may end up rejecting Benjamin and living this life alone, doesn’t mean I should take Jonathan’s happiness from him. I love him too much for that, even if he hates me for it.

“Jonathan, I love you too. I do, with everything in me, but it’s like you said the day we broke up. There’s this voice that says we need to try. I know it hurts, but I need to see what this bond is about and you still need the chance to meet your mate,” I ramble out.

He scoffs, “There’s no one who could compare to you, bond or no bond.”

“You don’t know that,” I argue. “She could brighten your life in ways you can’t imagine right now. In order for that to happen, we need to continue as we have been.”

“Annie-” he begins, but I gently interrupt.

“Listen to me. I swear to you, if we both choose to walk away from our mates when this is all said and done, I will be with you. I will choose you. Until then, I don’t want us doing something we regret,” I plead.

There’s a moment of silence before he gives a small chuckle, “Leave it up to us to change opinions at the most inconvenient times.”

“Wouldn’t be us if we didn’t make things complicated,” I lightly tease, ignoring the ache in my heart. I can feel him slipping away, and I convince myself that it’s for the best for him and his future.

*Present Day: Four days after the attack*

After days of begging, Dr. Wynn finally clears me to participate. My eyes pop open just as the sun begins to rise. I sit up with a smile on my face.

“Leah! We finally get to train again!” I scream out to her in excitement.

Leah jumps up and down in my head, “Thank the Goddess! We were getting restless.”

Rushing out of bed, I throw on my workout clothes and my hair into a bun before grabbing my phone and earbuds. I race down the stairs. Uncle Marc is already in the kitchen, cooking away.

He smiles upon seeing me, “Good morning Sunshine. I see someone’s anxious to train.”

“If you were forced to rest for days, wouldn’t you?” I ask, reaching around him to steal a piece of bacon.

“Fair enough,” he chuckles. “You want a fried egg?”

“I’m good. I’m gonna head out and do a quick run before heading to the field,” I state as I make my way around the kitchen to grab a water bottle.

Uncle Marc raises an eyebrow at me, then glances at the clock, “The first training session doesn’t start for another hour. You have time for breakfast.”

“I know, but I have barely moved in days. I need to get my body going before the intense training starts,” I argue.

“At least eat a pancake,” he scoffs.

“Uncle Marc, I’m-“ I start but the look on his face stops me, the same stare that would melt me as a child. Who would have thought a big, bad Alpha would resort to puppy dog eyes and pouting to get his niece to do whatever he wants. As much as I want to be stubborn and remind him I’m not a child anymore, I don’t.

“That’s because after all these years, it still works,” Leah snickers in my head.

“Shut it,” I huff, to which she laughs.

Groaning, I walk over to him and grab a pancake before eating it in three bites.

“Thank you. Now, go enjoy your run,” he smirks at me.

I stick my tongue at him as I walk out the kitchen. Exiting the back door, I find someone waiting for me, leaning against the porch railing.

“Morning cuz,” Harry greets.

“Hey, morning. What are you doing out here?” I question as I put one of my earbuds in.

He smiles, “What do you think? I’m going running with you.”

I look at him confused, “Okay, what’s up? You have never run with me before. Ever.”

He sighs, folding his arms, “Yeah well, you weren’t attacked by rogues back then. So, yeah, I’m coming with you.”

“Harry-“ I begin.

“No, Annie. No arguing,” he interrupts as he walks down the porch stairs.

“I get it, but you guys can’t spend all day, everyday being my babysitter. I’ll go talk to Uncle Marc,” I say as I turn to walk back into the house.

He stops me, “Dad doesn’t know. He didn’t tell me to. I’m choosing to.”

I turn back to face him, “I appreciate it, but you have a life and duties. The future Alpha can’t spend his days protecting his perfectly capable cousin.”

“You honestly think I am, or any one of us, are just going to let you go anywhere by yourself right now? Whether you’re capable or whether the territory is well guarded or not, someone can still sneak in,” he scoffs, walking back up the porch stairs.

I go to speak but he cuts me off, “I’m not arguing this. You either follow me back down these stairs and we run to the practice field together, or you can turn around and go back inside the pack house to walk there with Dad later. Your choice.”

We stare each other down for a moment before I let out a deep breath. Handing him my other wireless earbud, I press play on my phone and stick it in my pocket.

“Lead the way,” I relent, motioning with my hand. He gives me a relieved smile and a quick hug, before running back down the stairs.

I follow him, keeping up with his strides and running side by side. It’s been so long since it was just the two of us, without Hope or his parents, that we spend the next hour just talking about anything and everything as we run.

The time zooms by and suddenly, we are arriving at the training field. The sight causes my eyes to widen. There are easily over a thousand members spread across the large, open field.

“Sometimes I forget how large the Crescent Moon pack is,” I admit to Harry as we make our way over to Uncle Marc.

“I think the last time I saw the official number it was around ten thousand. Not much more than Lunar Eclipse, though. You guys are sitting around seven thousand,” he reminds me.

“Still. That’s a lot of wolves,” I say, glancing around the field.

“Makes me nervous sometimes. A lot of souls that will be looking to me for guidance and protection in a few years,” he admits.

I bump him with my shoulder, “You are going to make a great Alpha. You’re strong, relentless, but also kind and gentle. Understanding, but a firm hand when needed. You’ll do a fantastic job. Uncle Marc couldn’t ask for a better successor.”

He offers me a small smile, “Thanks, Annie. I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but the same could be said about you. They couldn’t ask for a better one, either. ”

I tilt my head, “What do you mean?”

“Your pack. I know things are complicated, and you may decide to walk away from it all, not that I, or anyone really, would blame you. However, if one of the things holding you back is the idea of not being good enough, then allow me to take that burden off of you. It simply isn’t true. Your pack is lucky to have you as a member to begin with. To have you as their Luna, they should all be dropping to their knees and thanking the Goddess. If my mate is half the woman you are, then Crescent Moon will be set,” Harry tells me genuinely.

The words hit a nerve, and I hastily blink the tears away before he can see.

“He’s right,” Leah whispers in agreement. “You are an amazing person, Annie.”

Of course trying to figure everything out with Benjamin is the biggest hurdle, but deep down, there’s this fear lingering in the back of my mind. I was always confident in myself and my skills as a healer, a fighter. I tried so hard every day to be a great daughter, sister, and girlfriend.

When things began to change, so did my confidence. My mental health took a hit, and I began questioning myself. Maybe I wasn’t a good enough person, so Jonathan had to be with someone else. Maybe I will not be as great of a doctor as I should be. Maybe I’m not worthy of being Luna, regardless of what happens. I thought I had hidden my worries well, but for Harry to say that, he must have sensed it.

Before I can respond to either one, Uncle Marc calls out to us, “Hey, you two. We are about to begin. Harry, I’m putting Annie with your group. Annie, don’t overdo it.”

I sigh, but nod in agreement. I wouldn’t be able to go all out yet, but I’ll take being allowed to train to begin with. I feel someone hook their arm in mine. Turning, I see Hope smiling brightly next to me.

“You’re with us?” she squeals.

“Yep, and I am SO ready,” I laugh.

She nods, “Good, because I want you to be my partner and give me pointers. I want to be better able to defend myself should something happen again.”

I internally sigh at that, but give her a confident, “You got it.”

Time begins to fly as we learn technique after technique. We are deep in training, about thirty minutes in, when all the fighters that are instructing around me tense up. I glance at Harry who I’m assuming is mind-linking Uncle Marc, who is across the field, with his eyes glazed over.

“What’s happening?” I whisper to him.

When he comes to, his eyes are a little panicked, “Someone is approaching the main gate.”

“Everyone, continue with your training. Harry, Marcus, and Bethany, come with me. Your groups can continue training with the rest,” Uncle Marc orders as he approaches us. The wolves begin to scatter and I start to follow Hope to another group when he stops me.

“Annie, you’re coming too,” he says, causing me to get a little concerned.

“What? Dad, these people could be a threat. We can’t bring her,” Harry argues in disbelief.

Uncle Marc shakes his head, “It’s not a threat. It’s something else entirely, and I need her to come.”

I glance between the men, “O...kay. Do I at least get to know what’s happening?”

“You will,” he sighs. “Just follow me.”

We all hop into Uncle Marc’s truck and head towards the gate. As we approach, I see several of his fighters blocking the entrance. Looking between them, I see a familiar set of hair and begin realizing why I’m needed. I don’t wait for the truck to stop completely before I jump out. Pushing through the fighters, I come face to face with a set of excited and worried hazel eyes.

“Jonathan?”