From the Ashes

Chapter 10

qotd: How old are you guys?

Gif to the side of Rena

The training continued every morning and night for the past week. I'd wake up at 5 in the morning, start with a jog through the forest with Danica and a few others, and then the conditioning and sparring followed suit. Training was usually 2 hours, and the night sessions were 3.

Over the small period of time, I began to notice the little things. My arms, legs, and stomach were fuller and seemed much more healthy than when I first arrived here. My senses were sharper than ever before. I never understood just how much a wolf relied on their senses until Danica forced me to. It was a real eye opener. I could hear things on a whole other level, along with smell. Shifting into my wolf became less and less painful the more I did it. My wolf's pelt used to be scraggly, patches of hair missing in clumps. My joints and bones used to burn when I used them continuously. Now the spots were growing back in, and my joints rarely ached.

It made me realize just how malnuritied I really was in my brother's pack.

Here, the pack supported one another. I never saw bullying, and when I did, it was between siblings who were teasing each other. Arguments were settled amicably by either those around them or even Damon.

Then there was the Devil himself.

Damon's worries about training never left. He often showed up to watch the night sessions at the gym with Danica and others. It was an understatement to say he was more than surprised when he saw how hard I could punch.

He's never pressured me into things I don't want to do, nor does he get mad. He doesn't order me around ever. He makes me feel okay to be me. He doesn't make me being myself feel so wrong, or like I should be doing it in secret. He's accepted me.

Damon's POV***

I crossed my arms and tuned out Aron. I was standing against the hallway across my mate's room. Her door was half way closed and she sat there on her bed, reading a book. Her legs were criss-cross apple sauce and her hair was in a messy bun as she hunched over and focused on the book. I smiled to myself at her.

Though she'd refused to give me any background information about her pack or her past, she was giving me her present. I'd gotten to know more about her for the past few weeks.

She hated fruit and liked vegetables more, when she was ever in a position where she didn't know how to respond or act, her face would redden and she'd play with her hands and look all around the room. She loved reading, especially historical fiction and when she was zoning out, she was always thinking about something. As to what she thought about in her head, I was clueless. Perhaps her past life, and all she'd gone through.

I've only kissed her once, and she's only kissed me on the cheek one time as well. It's obvious I crave more, but Rena held an aura of innocence around her. It was strange. You could tell there was something unforgivable that was done to her and yet through it all she still remained innocent and lively. The oddness of it all was that I found myself always wanting more of her.

I wanted to hear her talk more, laugh more, and give more. I wanted to know more about her and her past. I wanted more of her playful side. I wanted her brave side where she had the audacity to kiss me on the cheek. I always wanted more.

"Erm," Aron cleared his throat.

"Hm?" I asked, continuing to stare at Rena through the door creak. I crossed my arms and ripped my gaze from her to Aron.