ONYX✔️

Chapter 25

"You're going easy on her," Ares called out, pausing from her assault on the punching bag.

It certainly didn't feel like Lucas had been going on easy on me during the training. I had been pinned numerous times, and hit even more. However, he didn't seem to be as rough as Axel had been.

I groaned. "Say that to my bloody lip and bruised ribs." Lucas held out his hand, pulling me up from the ground.

"Sorry," He apologized lowly. "I didn't mean to hurt you. You're just so... delicate."

I shrugged, surprised by his sincerity. "It's okay, I'm used to it by now."

A week had gone by since Cain, Axel, and Gwen left Blue Moon. Ares had been pushing me harder than ever before, and my body had definitely been paying the price, even though Lucas was not as rough as Ares would have preferred.

"You two keep sparring for awhile, I have to go," Ares abruptly left the training center.

"Where'd she go?" I asked Lucas, who I had grown significantly closer to over the past week. He seemed much more gentle than his Blood Lake counterparts.

"Her wolf needed to be let out, she's just going to go for a run," Lucas answered. "We can end training now if you want, we've been at it for five hours, I'm sure you could use a break."

I smiled gratefully, bending down to pick up my water bottle, ignoring the soreness of my muscles as I did so. "Let's get out of here then, it's a nice day outside."

Lucas nodded, following me outside. Instead of going back to the pack house, I walked to the field of flowers that had become my favorite place in Blue Moon.

I plopped down on the ground, hissing in pain. "Are you sure you're okay?" Lucas asked, sitting across from me.

"I'll be fine. The training is just a lot," I admitted. "It's starting to take a toll on me."

Lucas nodded in understanding. "Do you feel ready for the challenge?"

I sighed. "I'm not sure. Ares seems to be confident that Brenna won't be as prepared as I am."

"And Thane?" He asks.

I wince. "Thane doesn't like to talk about it. Which is so frustrating, you know? He acts like I'm not about to either kill someone or get killed." The truth is, Thane and I had been going through some what of a rough patch the last week. He was hardly present, always busy with pack stuff or with Ares, the latter of which had begun to invoke deep feelings of jealousy in me.

"Have you come to terms with it?" Lucas asked, his voice soft. "Killing someone?"

I flinch, and look down at a flower I had picked from the ground. "If I'm being honest, no. It doesn't... feel right. Having to kill someone, even if they want to kill me... It feels wrong. It's not me."

"So don't," Lucas simply says, and it feels like his hazel eyes are burning through my soul.

"I don't have a choice."

"There's always a choice," He replies softly.

"Not with this. Thane and Ares say-" I start, but he interrupts.

"Thane and Ares only know violence. There are other ways of life than simply killing your enemies," Lucas responds, and I'm surprised that he doesn't hold their views. "If you get the shewolf to submit, you've won the challenge, taking her life is optional. While it is true that most challenges end in the death of a wolf, that's only because they don't want someone who wants their mate alive."

My mouth dropped. "Are you saying I shouldn't kill her?" I asked.

Lucas shrugged. "I'm saying, if you take a life, you're the one who has to live with that. Not Ares, not Thane, not me. You. If your wolf is okay with the shewolf's submission, and you don't want to kill her, then don't. It's up to you."