A Luna's Flame

Chapter Thirty-Six

The following days were quiet. After that, the Alpha never barged into our room, sending only the Beta or a fleet of warriors to guard me. The mate bond was nothing more than a weak thread, ready to snap between the wolves. Enyo had retreated into the far recesses of my mind, only coming forward to half-heartedly train Diona before returning to the darkness. Diona was making great strides with her training. Her strength and basic combat skills were steadily increasing. She still struggled with sensory training, but I was confident she would get it soon. I fell into a weirdly normal routine as Diona and Rhea often visited my room under the ruse of taking care of Nox, but instead, we would share meals as I listened to their stories. That stubborn brother of mine was enjoying his rest a bit too much as he made no inclination of waking up. Diona, Rhea, and I tidied the devastation that was my room over the last few days. The Alpha's warriors eventually replaced all of the damaged furniture. Rhea's nagging must've finally worn down the Alpha.

I was mostly disinterested and undisturbed by others, that was until I watched a small group of warriors usher a rather large group of scared-looking wolves into the pack lands. A large man stood shackled before the group, looking more angry than annoyed. His dirty blonde hair glistened in the unrelenting rays of the sun. I rose to my feet as I looked closer at the wolf. He froze for a second, as a shudder went down his spine, before looking around with his bright green eyes. A warrior roughly pushed him forward, and a nearby woman pleaded with the man to be gentle. I saw the blonde man grit his teeth as he continued to look around. Suddenly, his head snapped up, squinting at the windows before his eyes found mine. His eyes widened with shock as I looked at him in disbelief.

"Alic," I whispered.

His unwavering gaze told me more than words ever could. A low growl rumbled from my chest as I looked at his battered face. The warrior yelled at him to keep moving as he poked his back with the sharp silver tip of his staff, but his eyes never left mine. I slowly shook my head no at him as Enyo flashed in my eyes. He set his jaw before subtly nodding, returning his attention to the warriors surrounding him closely. He walked out of my range of sight, my hands balling into fists as he went.

"It's almost time," I told Enyo as she stalked back to her shadows, despair poured off of her in massive waves.

My door cracked open, and Diona shuffled in, carrying a brown paper bag with a large smile.

"Hey, Nyx! I brought you something exciting," she said, a bit too energized.

She placed the bag down on the new dining table and sat.

"You're here earlier," I said as I sat opposite her.

"I wanted to have more time to train. I'm so close to finding you in our sensory sessions. I know I'll succeed today," Diona said with unexpected determination.

I nodded. The girl began to rummage through the bag, pulling out a wrapped sandwich. The enticing smell of grease, spices, and saltiness entered the room, calling to my wolf.

"I remembered you said that your wolf has been tired lately, so we can't train as long as usual. I was hoping this would give her some energy," Diona explained as she unwrapped the meal.

A thick piece of shiny meat was sandwiched between two slices of soft brown bread with a crosscut on the top piece. There was curly-edged lettuce and long strips of bacon peeking out from atop the meat. I inhaled deeply, inviting the mouthwatering aroma to bring Enyo out of the darkness again. The sandwich was cut in half, and Diona grabbed her piece. I watched as she bit into the large portion with a smile, her eyes sparkling with delight.

"Mom did really good this time," she mumbled as she wiped an unknown sauce from the corner of her mouth.

I picked up the other half, not wasting any time before taking a big bite. The flavors exploded on my tastebuds as Enyo purred in delight. When I was younger, I vaguely remember watching the young pack members eat meals like this one with their friends. They would laugh as their bellies were full. I used to long to join them to taste a small bit of their lives.

"That kid is my favorite," Enyo mumbled as she sat back on her haunches.

"My wolf thanks you," I said with amusement before taking another bite.

After our meal settled, we started training again. I watched from my window as she did her cardio around the pack house, sweating profusely. Diona ran around the house daily, determined to get stronger even when I could not train her. We moved to modified strength exercises next, using the nearby chairs to our advantage. She worked until her arms trembled. She stood alert in the center of my room, confidence burning in her large, doe eyes. Enyo's grey circled the hazel of my irises as I tied the blindfold over her eyes. I had upgraded my tactics to throwing light hits whenever she failed to locate me.

"Focus," I said before silently moving away from her.

Enyo slipped our scent into the air to start her off, and Diona found it immediately. Her movements were sharper as she quickly closed in the space between us. I sidestepped her before she could graze the fabric of my clothes. My scent was muted, my steps silent. She moved her head around, trying to grasp the dying wisps of my smell. When she looked to the right, I landed a soft blow to her left ribcage. She tried to grab my wrist before I moved away, but I was much quicker. I smirked at her attempt. Each time I struck a part of her body, her frustration grew as she failed to reach me before I pulled away. Sweat rolled down her forehead, soaking into her blindfold, as she pushed her body. My strikes were quick, and she challenged her speed.

"Reacting to my strikes is not enough! You have to anticipate my movements! You have to know where I am! How will you save your pack members if you never knew where your opponent was to begin with? Reign in your emotions and focus, pup," I reprimanded as I kicked her legs from under her.

She fell with a thud, her eyebrows creasing. She got to her feet with a huff. I watched as she took a moment to compose herself, her mind firing plan after plan. I silently walked close behind her, leaving enough space so she couldn't sense me. I allowed her time to figure it out. I slowly began to feel a shift in her as her brain found the pieces to the puzzle around her. She took a deep breath before turning around to face me. Before she could reach out, I leisurely walked to her right. Shockingly, I felt a soft tug on the end of my shirt as a smile broke out on her face. Enyo howled with pride as the pupil finally learned the lesson.

"What did you look for, Diona?" I asked as I folded my arms.

She removed the blindfold from her wet eyes, proud tears pooling in their corners.

"Your heart," she said confidently.