~Avery's POV~
Christmas time had passed and the niceties along with it. We had a few calm and nice weeks where everyone was on their best behavior. But now, one week after Christmas, it was like a free pass for everyone to bring their shit back into the house.
I guess I couldn't blame them tho, it was after all me who had set the rule.
James was currently in his office catching up on pack business with Alex and Jackson. Amber was at practice and so wereTrish and Lisa. And me? I was in the library reading my second book of the day.
I didn't mind reading, I loved it in fact. Diving into a book was like placing a bubble around me where reality stoped for a while.
However I would've liked to have something else to occupy my time with as well. After 3-4 hours I got bored and just stared at the wall.
Also when I wasn't doing anything, my mind and thoughts spun around like crazy thinking about the barrier in my head and the wizard controlling it and on top of that, James seemed to be hiding something from me.
I asked if I could get a job in the village at a small cafe or something so I wouldn't be stuck in this house forever, butJames bluntly said no. He said that me having a job would be to risky seeing as we still don't have any information regarding the wizard or his plans.
I understood where he was coming from with that but I was going mad not doing anything all day.
I was walking down the hall on the second floor, on my way to the kitchen to grab something to eat. Once I reached the stairs I was met by the one person in this place that seemed to hate me.
"If it isn't James new toy." Sofia said, sounding a little to calm and happy.
"Excuse me?" I replied with one eyebrow lifted.
" You do know he doesn't really like you, right? Sooner or later he'll get bored of you and realize that there is someone much more suited to be the Luna and his mate."
"If I remember correctly, you don't get to choose your mate. And also," I continued taking a step forward to where I was standing right in front of her, only inches away.
" Do you think he'll get bored of me before or after we marry?" I said calmly with a sweet smile. Her face dropped and her jaw ticked.
" You what?" She yelled in a high pitch scream that could attract dogs.
" You didn't know? I am going to be James' wife and I think that also implies that I will be the Luna of this pack, including you. So if I were you I would butt out and stop putting my nose where it doesn't belong or you might end up with something much worse than a broken heart." I spat venom with every word and saw how she was trying to contain her anger. Her face was heating up and her brows furrowed. Her chest swelled and her breathing became heavier.
I liked the site but why the hell did I say those things? It wasn't me. I never stooped to someone's level merely to hurt them.
"YOU BITCH! You will never be my Luna! You're nobody!" She raised her fist and threw a punch. I closed my eyes and prepared myself for the impact. However her fist never made contact with my face.
I opened my eyes again to see Sofias eye wide as hell and staring beside me. Someone had a grip around her hand. I looked to my side and saw Alex staring at her. His eyes were pitch black and his nostrils were flaring.
" HOW DARE YOU TRY AND HARM THE LUNA?" He roared so loud that it echoed through the house, shaking the windows.
Sofia started shaking and tried leaning back away from Alex. Her eyes started glistening and it looked like she wanted to run away, but Alex didn't seem like he was going to let that happen.
Sofias mouth made an O-shape and I saw blood trickling from her arm. Alex had extended his claws and they were digging in to her arm. How did she not scream?
"ANSWER ME!" His eyes were now golden and glowing, which I had come to know meant his wolf was surfacing, or already had, I couldn't quite remember.
But by the looks of Sofia who bowed her head and didn't make eye contact, I'm guessing his wolf Cesar had made an appearance.
" I-i'm sorry, Beta." Was all Sofia said.
"You know the rules. Violence amongst pack members is not acceptable and you thought hurting the future Luna was?"
"No, Beta."
Alex held on a little longer before retracting his claws and letting go of Sofias arm. Her eyes were still on the floor.
"Do not let it happen again!" Alex warned.
Sofia nodded before walking past us and up the stairs.
I looked over at Alex and he was pinching the bridge of his nose.
He looked over at me and I awkwardly smiled. He was still mad and when our eyes met I wanted to run.
"You close your eyes when someone throws a punch at your face?" He yelled at me. I'm thankful he didn't roar.
"Wha-I-I-Yeah?" I stuttered, not able to build a sentence or speak at all for that matter. That's what he was mad at me about?
"Are you fucking kidding me? And then what? After they throw the punch you'll just stand there and let them continue the assault?" I honestly didn't have an answer for that. I don't know what I would've done because I've never been in a situation where I've had to know. It was a valid question though. I don't know myself why I closed my eyes.
"No of course not. Or at least I don't think so..." I said probably looking as unsure as I sounded.
"I don't know, Alex. I've never fought before." I shrugged and looked up at him.
He stood still and silent for a moment before grabbing my arm and dragged me down the stairs.
"Come with me." His voice was low and dark. Intimidating even.
"Wha-where are we going?" I asked him in shock as he kept dragging me and my body followed as I had no chance of stopping him, obviously.
" Out." Alex said.
"But, Alex, wait!" He stopped but his hand still had a grip on my arm.
"What?" He looked like he was on a mission and I was annoying him.
" I'm hungry..." I said in a low voice hoping we could at least eat something first.
" Your close youreyes when someone fights you. You can eat when we're done!" He said as if I had just told him that vampires exist. Oh wait, they do. Okay as if I had told him that aliens exist. Maybe they do too. Why was I thinking about this?
Alex continued dragging me out of the house and around the back to the fields where the warriors and members trained. He stopped by a shelf and grabbed a pair of pads and threw me a pair of boxing gloves. I looked around at the others who weren't wearing any and felt very, very human.
I held the gloves in my hand and waved them around as I waited for Alex to explain what we were doing here.
"Put them on." Why did he have to sound so mad?
I put on the gloves and he came to stand in front of me holding the pads up.
I raised an eyebrow at him and he sighed and shook his head.
"You're supposed to raise your hands and hit the pads." He said in a condescending tone that was getting on my nerves.
"I know what I'm supposed to do but why do I have to do it?" I asked him.
"You closed your fucking eyes, that's why. What if it hadn't been Sofia and what if it hadn't been in the house? What if it would've been somebody else, somewhere else were there is no one to protect you?" He had a point. But that didn't excuse his way of speaking.
I stayed silent which looked pleasing to him.
"Great. Now punch." I bit together and clenched my jaw. I raised my right hand and threw a straight punch at the pad Alex was holding. It didn't even move, he didn't bat an eyelash and looked just as disappointed in the lack of strength in my punch as I was.
I threw another with my right hand and then one with my left. Nothing happened. I continued throwing punches until I was out of breath before stoping. I looked around at the fighters who were training and saw how their hands were flying and the hits made impact.
I looked back at Alex who was looking at me with pity.
"You're human, they're not. Don't compare yourself to them." He said, this time he was actually nice.
"Here, hit with your right hand first and then when you hit with your left, put your entire body into the punch. Your whole body weight should lean in when you're hitting me. That way the hit will have more strength to it." He said as he showed me how he meant by doing it himself. I nodded my head and raised my hands again.
I did as Alex said and put my entire body weight into the left-handed punch and again, nothing happened. He didn't budge. This was pointless.
I took of the gloves and threw them on the ground.
" What do you think you're doing, Avery?"
"I'm leaving, this is pointless." I was aggravated. I couldn't fight. I was human, I could fight humans not werewolves.
"Put the gloves back on." Alex said trying to change my mind.
"Why? So that I can continue throwing weak punches and embarrass myself?"
"Avery, nobody learns right away. It takes practice and with practice you're going to do great. You'll become stronger. You can't just give up after twenty minutes."
"Watch me." I started walking away when I heard footsteps behind me and Alex grabbed my arm.
I jerked it back. He stared at me in shock.
"Why do you care so much?" I asked him.
"Because I care about you!" He retaliated.
"Well maybe you should stop!" I yelled. He frowned and shook his head as if in disbelief.
"What the hell is going on with you?"
"I don't know!" I honestly didn't know. Maybe I need some rest.
I turned my heel and walked away. Wanting to get back in the warmth.
Although the most of the snow had melted away and the grass was visible, the sun was shining and I was wearing warm clothes, it was still freezing cold outside.
===
Chapter 46
~James POV~
I was in my office catching up on the things I had neglected during Christmas. There was a lot to do but I didn't mind. This was the first Christmas since my parents died that I actually enjoyed and was happy. I was thankful for that.
A few of the neighboring packs were having problems with rouges and had asked if we were too but except for the rouges around the village a week ago, we hadn't had any problems. Not many would risk stepping onto our territory.
We weren't the ones to normally take hostages. The one we had taken back when the rogues were spotted here hadn't said anything. He was in his late thirties and looked like a hobo. He had the appearance of a harmless man but something in his eyes told a different story. He had been chained with silver ever since we caught him, pain that would get most werewolves talking within hours. But he didn't.
We had an alliance with most of the packs in the center of America. Out of ten, we had alliances with nine. People preferred to have us on their good side rather than their bad. There was one pack, however, the celestial pack three hundred miles away that didn't want an alliance. We hadn't had any problems with them so it was nothing that bothered me. They weren't very close to us either for that matter.
I heard a high pitch scream and realized that it was Sofia. Who was she with?
Avery. I quickly went to the door but before I could open it I got a mind link from Alex.
' I got this'
'Good. Make sure nothing happens to Avery'
'Will do'
With that, I could continue the work I had and be positive that Avery would be fine.
When I was done making some necessary calls and checking in on the rogue issue, I decided to find Avery and spend some time with her.
I walked to our room to find it empty and so was the library so I walked outside.
There she was, hitting Alex while he held his pads. She looked really cute when she tried to fight. I had heard their conversation, and the fact that Avery had closed her eyes when Sofia had thrown the punch angered me as well. First of all because Sofia had actually thrown a punch at her future Luna and secondly because it meant Avery was even more defenseless than I had thought.
I should be the one training her. I was just worried I'd hurt her.
'She's stronger than you think' Blade argued.
Maybe. But she's still human, she hurts much easier than us
'She may've been stripped of her powers, but she will never be human. Who we are is in our core. It can't be removed'
Are you saying that she has her wolf?
' I'm saying that she's not defenseless. She's special...'
And?
I rolled my eyes in frustration because I knew there was something that he wasn't saying.
'And we need to protect her and believe in her'
I am and I do
' I said we you dumbass. We need to believe in her. Regardless'
What do you mean?