Chapter 159

Hours later I could still hear his roar in m y ears , trickling down my spine in wave after wave of

crippling pleasure . His face was painted in my head , eyes black with need and jaw carved from stone

even though the promises he whispered were soft and sweet . It played in the background of my mind

and along the swollen , tender bits of my skin as Rowena’s delicate voice threaded words together in

small notes of conversation .

” I’m not sensing any magic attached to him . ” She said with an encroaching frown , her lips painted in

a new shade of lipstick – one with a nude undertone that reminded me of a caramel latte . Her dainty

hands moved swiftly , weaving around one another in a graceful dance that was made mysterious by

the jade glow they emitted . A scowl coated Asher’s face in harsh lines and angles when she dropped

them abruptly . ” … just a great deal of stress , and quite a bit of anger .

” As I thought he would , Asher stood from the leather chair the moment a wilting note of sympathy

laced itself within Rowena’s voice . ” With the pressure you’re both under , no one can blame either one

you for acting swiftly . You’re both so’young , with such little time to enjoy it . ” The stubble across his

jawline rippled from the tensing of his muscles as he grunted , ” There will be plenty of time to enjoy

youth once the people murdering our pack members are brought to light .

” ” Yes … well , with that attitude you’re bound to succeed . ” She replied , aiming a tight – lipped frown

in his direction . It mirrored one a teacher might make when an unruly child spoke out of turn . Her eyes

, the same jade green as the treetops outside , slid over the stony expression on my face and stalled . ”

Will I still be seeing you at training today , Lola ? ” ” She’ll be there . ” Asher answered first , his voice

curt and attention placed solely o n me even though the witch he replied to was standing a few feet to

his left . I didn’t break my stare from his , and instead listened to the ominous beat our hearts made ,

counting each note until Rowena cleared her throat and said , ” I’ll leave you both to talk , then …

” ” You’ve gone fully insane if you think I’m letting you out of my sight . ” I told him only after the thud of

the heavy office door swinging shut faded from our ears . My words hung in the air between us and

were much truer than either of us could’ve known . As his eyes narrowed and head tilted , I shifted on

my feet and nearly bumped into the bar cart and coffee maker I stood beside – both of which I knew

were unused because Asher didn’t drink coffee . ” I may be called insane in tomorrow’s papers , but

what this article is calling you i s much worse . .

” Both his baritone and the tiny ink of the newspaper clipping traveled the short distance to pelt me with

the truth . He spun the page around and stopped it with a finger . ” I’ll spare you the specifics , so you’ll

still be surprised once you read it yourself , but it paints a pretty little picture of your life this past year .

Tyler’s birthday , returning home , meeting me , the murders . The wolf that wrote this , the web of lies

that they’ve spun –

It’s more than convincing . It’s already begun to turn heads , and not just ones in our pack . ” ” Whose ,

then ? ” I asked and instantly regretted it when his fists clenched , and irritation flashed within the pits of

his eyes . His laugh was as dry as the air I sucked into my lungs , swirling with dust particles that made

my throat constrict . ” The ones surrounding ours know , and the news is spreading by the hour . Within

a month every pack in the world will know someone else’s version of your story . They’ll have more

reason than ever to hate you and every witch or vampire they stumble across .

” His eyes softened at the sudden rush of my fear , but he didn’t move from where he stood . I wasn’t

sure my stomach could plummet any further , but as always Asher lived to prove me wrong . I could

practically taste the wicked promise on his tongue when he said , ” I wish I could tell you that were it ,

but it’s not . Our old friend Alpha Bran …. he’s already campaigning against you . ” ‘ You’re joking . ‘

Cassidy hissed , narrowing her eyes in a way that reminded me of Breyona .

I had mind linked my best – friend during the fifteen – minute drive to the training center and told her

everything that happened after our peaceful morning turned tumultuous . Part of me needed a second

opinion on what happened with Asher , while the other side wanted to shove his vicious glassy – eyed

stare deep within the depths o f my mind , buried so deep I’d never have t o hear the empty tone of his

voice again , a Half an hour later I found myself sitting beside Cassidy , stretching on the padded mats

that lined the classroom we met in every weekday for training . With over a dozen other students doing

warm – ups around us , talking wasn’t an option .

‘ I wish I were joking . ‘ I sighed out loud , leaning forwards to touch my toes . Cassidy followed my

movements and together we stared at the floor , our ponytails grazing the sweaty , bloodstained mat . ‘

I mean you saw him . H e was he was feral or something . How does that just happen to someone ? ”

… maybe it is an Alpha thing . ‘ Cassidy’s baby blues were reluctant as they , flitted over to meet my

own . When I turned my head in her direction and the burn in my muscles faded into static , she

swallowed and quickly explained . ‘ What I mean is there’s still a lot we don’t know about Alpha’s .

They’re stronger , faster … they have bigger wolves . We know they have rage and possessiveness

down to a science , but maybe this is what happens when an Alpha gets overwhelmed … ” ‘ You don’t

seem convinced of that , and you’re the one that’s known him his entire life . ‘

I pointed out the obvious , returning to a standing position in time for Emilia to begin today’s lesson .

Even though this was the second time I’d seen her sweep into the room and claim the attention of

every student , the awe that followed hadn’t lessened . There was something incredibly feminine about

her delicate eyebrows and slender nose . Even her wide – set mouth and plump lips were symmetrical

and gave her a softness one wouldn’t associate

with a warrior . Those qualities paired with her rippling muscles and broad shoulders highlighted her

unique form of beauty . ” Alright , class . I know we’re all a bit amped from what happened to Devin

Armstrong- -and may he rest in peace , but this is when we need to settle down and focus . You’re here

to learn how to defend yourself , to master your weaknesses and turn them into strengths .

That , my students is how you stay alive . ” 15 Emilia walked the length of the room , eyeing us like we

were soldiers prepping t o step onto the battlefield . Her soprano voice bounced off the brick walls ,

sharp like the commands of a general at war . I was immediately grateful she hadn’t taken a side ,

unlike some of the students i n the room who felt the need to tell me they supported Clint Armstrong

and the mess he had made .

As her speech came to its conclusion , she came to a stop at the center of the room . For a moment

she stood there , hands clasped behind her back as she stared us all down . More than half the wolves

began to shift on their feet , averting their eyes in favor of the floor , ceiling , or their athletic shoes .

Even Cassidy’s jaw began to clench , but I knew from the stubbornness written across her face that

she’d never submit to Emilia .

It was my position in this pack which made staring into her champagne tinted eyes all too easy . ” How

many of you know the ten core fundamentals to Krav Maga ? ” Emilia asked , holding my stare as

though she were waiting for me to raise my hand . No one else in the room responded , except for

Cassidy who let out a disgruntled huff under her breath . As my hand inched into the air and the curious

and condemning of the other students fell on my face , I felt a rush of Maya’s stubborn strength fill my

bones . eyes ” Luna , if you’d be kind enough to tell us the first three … ” Emilia said , gesturing to the

room to show that everyone was waiting for me to speak . I stepped forwards and met the eyes of the

students staring me down , the word murderer ‘ written across the tense muscles in their faces . ” The

first is to aim for your opponents ‘ weak points . ” I said loudly , plastering my attention on a she – wolf

who at the beginning of class felt the need to snarl the word traitor as I walked into the room . My words

were directed at her and her alone . ” Shifting weight to a particular side could mean a childhood injury

that didn’t heal correctly .

” Without waiting for the blood to rush to her face and embarrassment to claim her features 1 pivoted

my head in the direction of another student , this one a muscular guy who promised I’d receive my

comeuppance soon enough . ” The second and third go hand in hand . Quick and powerful responses

are what will save you in battle . You have to be ready for the situation to go from 0 to 100 … but

strength will only get you so far . Speed and technique are crucial .

They’ll win you any fight , no matter how big the H meathead you’re up against is . ” One by one I ran

through them all , using each fundamental to pick apart the weaknesses of the students who decided t

o stand against me and Asher . As I recited each one by memory , courtesy of Chris who pummeled

me into the dirt until they were etched into the back of my skull , Emilia’s smile seemed to widen . ”

Wonderful .

” She exhaled , speaking only after I’d finished shaming half the class . I f she noticed their

embarrassment and anger she didn’t let on . Her eyes darted from face to face , ” … now that is a

warrior . Someone who not only memorizes every single aspect of a fighting form , but also uses those

moves in a way that turns them into art – into a dance where one lives and the other dies . ” Once she

finished making the rounds , her attention returned to me . ” Luna , would you mind sparring with me ?

I’d like to give the class a demonstration of a few of those fundamentals . ” ” Of course . ” I replied

instantly and without a hint of hesitation . … good luck , she punches hard . ‘ Cassidy’s voice trickled

into my head , and I glanced back to see her eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed in the direction of our

trainer .

I made sure to take my time approaching , using those valuable seconds to scan Emilia from head to

toe . Her widening grin told me she knew what I was doing and was thrilled to see me respond

accordingly . As I watched her walk a few feet to her left , I noted no imperfections i n her long stride

nor in the way she bounced on the balls of her feet .

” This might actually be challenging …. Maya murmured , impressed even though we’d yet to begin . ”

Can anyone here tell me what our Luna just did ? ” Emilia asked the class once I stood at her side .

When no one raised their hands she continued , ” She sized me up and took in my movements ,

posture , and the way I distribute my weight .

This i s what a warrior does . They see the fight i n their head before it even begins , and that way

they’ll always be prepared . ” ” The man who trained me always said preparing is half the victory . ” I

said both t o Emilia and the class , thinking back to simple days in Grandma’s cottage , where training

with Chris was the most strenuous thing I had to deal with .

Emilia’s eyes twinkled pleasantly.when she asked , ” And what is the other half , Luna ? ” ” The other

half is earned . ” I told her , this time turning away from the class to stare into the eyes of the she – wolf

Cassidy claimed long ago tried to win Asher over .

There was no malice I could detect whether it be with my eyes or what strange sense unlocking my

magic had given me . Either way , right now she was a n opponent . With that reminder swirling i n my

head , I squared my shoulders and sank into my fighting stance . ” Through blood and sweat , it is

earned . ”