We all stand in silence, watching the lycans leave one by one. My heart slows. All eyes turn toward their lord, awaiting orders, but all that follows is silence.
I need my warriors with me now. War is coming, and we must prepare — death is coming.
My breath hitches. This is happening because of me.
Yet the protection he offers me is unwavering.
Wait!
I grab his arm, locking eyes with him.
"They want me... so let's use me as bait."
"No."
"I will not allow that. That is off the table."
His eyes darken. The beta steps forward, glancing at his lord.
"Sir... we must. They want her. We can plan around that, figure out how to handle the rest."
Everyone waits in silence.
"Alright. If that's what must be done... but she'll need a weapon. And she needs to learn combat."
"Becca!"
A woman steps forward from the small group to my left.
"Yes, my lord?"
"You'll teach Rose combat. Show her how to use certain weapons. And know this — I won't hesitate to break your neck if she dies because she wasn't trained properly."
Becca breathes deeply, her eyes tense.
"Yes, my lord. I'll teach her, if I must."
She turns to me.
"Luna, I'm Becca. I'm the head warrior."
She stretches out her hand. I take it, and she shakes it gently, a half-smile on her face.
"Alright, everyone! Back to what we were doing — but train harder!"
He turns to me.
"My Luna, I must leave for a couple of hours. Becca will stay with you."
He walks off with his beta.
It's okay. He's stressed... but he's also an ass.
I laugh and look at Becca.
"So... when does the training start, if we're going to war?"
"Right now. Let's go!"
She smiles, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward a building.
Inside, I see punching bags, various equipment, and weapons hanging from the walls.
"Alright," she says, "we need to build your cardio. Run on this treadmill until you fall off."
I stare at her like she's lost her damn mind.
"I'm not joking. Let's get to work."