The Darkest Star

Ch. 10 A Push

"Get up." Melisande snarled down at the boy. She was becoming annoyed with his attitude towards her training. Salem rolled onto his side and spit out blood before wiping his mouth. "You asked me to train you. Are you giving up already?" The small boy had tears running down his red cheeks but he did push himself off the ground. Although he just stood there sniffling and holding his side.

The two had walked far into the forest behind the pack house, far enough so that no one could see or hear them. Melisande had found the clearing by the small creak with enough even ground and space for her to train the boy. The two had both been training at the Center but Salem realized that everyone was treating him differently. They were all scared they'd hurt the Human the Alphas considered their own. So he asked Melisande to teach him everything she knew and to not hold back on him. He said he trusted her to know how much he could handle.

Melisande was always up for a challenge and she wanted to know how skilled a human could actually get paired against Wolves. So she had agreed, obviously.

This was their second week of his personal training but something had to give. The boy wasn't learning as fast as she knew he could, he didn't want it hard enough. Melisande had tried talking him into it, tried encouraging him, she even tried beating the will to fight into him. It wasn't working. Melisande had one last resort and she knew what she was about to do was low of her but it was the only thing she could think of that she hadn't already tried.

"Do you think my brother would actually mate with a weak Human?" She hissed, Salem's eyes widened meeting hers. She could see the pain her words caused but she pushed on. "Azrael will be an Alpha. The protector of the pack, our leader. He will choose a Mate who can do the same." From the look on the boy's face, it was clear he'd already thought about this but actually hearing it was another thing. "You're not that person. Now are you going to become strong enough to lead a pack of Wolves or are you going to give up?" Her last words were said with a growl. She was no quitter and she'd agreed to teach the Human everything she knew. It was up to him now, was he willing to learn?

She knew that no matter how strong Salem was, It'll be a female who helps lead the pack. Only a female could birth an heir. Her heart crumbled a little as the boy's expression become determined and he got into the fighting stance she'd taught him. She knew this would weigh heavily on her, setting him up to be crushed the way she had.

After that day Melisande spent hours everyday training Salem in hand to hand combat. When he wasn't with her, he was learning everything he could about shifters and pack dynamics with the Alpha who was delighted to have someone who wanted to learn from him again.

In only months, Salem was fighting other Wolves in the training center, older Wolves who should have been more experienced. The most shocking part was that he was actually beating them. A tiny Human was taking down Wolves twice his size.

Jared, the pack enforcer that trained the warriors and kept everyone in line, had become suspicious. Salem was using techniques he hadn't yet taught the boy, most of which were taught to the females. After Jared questioned them about it, Salem stopped combat training with the others because it was against the rules to train ahead of your age rank without permission. He instead relied on Melisande to teach him at their spot in the woods. The more her skills grew, his did too. When he was scheduled to train at the Center, he stuck with target practice, the compound bow becoming his favorite.

Salem took what Melisande had said that day in the woods to heart and no matter how many bruises he came home with or how tired he became, he didn't give up. Melisande feared the day her brother returned. She feared that Salem had taken his childish crush too far and she'd unintentionally encouraged it. She thought he had become obsessive, thinking a couple kisses more than what they were. Azrael was in college and staying with their uncle's pack. The male was surrounded by women and females that no doubt threw themselves at him. There was no way her brother even thought of the boy back home who he kissed a few times.

It was Christmas Eve when they got their first call from Azrael. He'd been gone for a little over a year and was only allowed one call. It was apart of his Alpha training or something. Melisande wasn't really sure why he couldn't call and her parents were very vague about it.

Their parents talked to him for awhile before calling them into their father's office to talk to him. Melisande snatched up the phone before Salem could and ignored the boy's pouting. Azrael never answered any of her questions about training and he kept the conversation mostly about her, how school was going and what their uncle's pack was like. Until he brought up one specific Human.

"How's Salem?" Azrael asked and Melisande eyed the boy waiting impatiently for his turn.

"Fine, I think you may have brainwashed him though." She said quietly enough the Human couldn't hear her and lightly enough so her parents thought she was joking. They chuckled before leaving, having already said everything they needed to their son.

"That bad, huh?" He sounded tired.

"Worse." Melisande said. Azrael was silent for a moment but then he switched the conversation back to her. They talked a little more before saying their goodbyes and then he asked to speak with Salem.

The little Human tried to hide his excitement when she handed him the phone but he was doing a bad job. He was practically bouncing in his chair.

"Hi! What's it like there? Have you seen the ocean? I miss you!" Salem screeched, making Melisande wince. She pretty much droned out whatever Salem was yapping about with a goofy smile on his face.

One thing Melisande had learned about Salem during their time training, was that nothing ever made him angry. Ever. No matter how many hits he took or how many insults were thrown at him, he kept a steady head. Always dusting himself off and coming back for more. Melisande was the complete opposite and it was something she was trying to get under control. Getting angry while fighting made you sloppy.

Melisande noticed immediately when the conversation took a different note. Salem stopped his stupid giggling abruptly.

"What?" The word was whispered and then after a minute of silence from her end, Salem stood and walked out of her father's personal office. Melisande sat there confused and not knowing what to do, although she had a suspicion as to what was happening.

Melisande jumped when the human let out a wordless shout that was followed with a crash. She rushed out the office to see Salem fuming and the phone in pieces. Seeing the Human's heavy breathing and balled fist worried her, the angry tears running down his red cheeks added to that worry. Their mother stuck her head in the hall to see what was wrong and Melisande went to Salem to see what was wrong and to try to calm him down.

The little Human who had started shaking seemed to explode.

Before Melisande could really understand what was happening, Salem had locked his eyes on her and attacked. Her instincts and training had her deflecting his hits and kicks, and her own bad temper had her fighting back. Their mother was yelling at them to break it up but she went ignored.

One minute Melisande was blocking a punch to her ribs and the next, the Humans foot was connecting with the side of her face. She tasted blood and it was enough for her wolf to take control.

The Human was no longer throwing the punches but avoiding the sharp claws she now fought with. Her wolf didn't care that this was her best friend, basically her brother now, all that she could think about was eliminating a threat.

The Madam Alpha was growling at them but no longer tried to put an end to the pointless fight. Melisande slashed at the Human's neck, her middle claw nicking the skin and drawing blood. Salem backed away and touched the wound, pulling his hand away to look at his bloody fingers.

The sight seemed to ignite a rage Melisande had never before seen in a Human. Salem used a move she had never taught him, running straight towards her and ducking beneath the blow before launching towards her face, feet first. His thighs locked around her neck and he used his weight and her surprise to send her falling onto her back.

The Human was off her before her head smacked against the marble floor, disappearing down the hall as her vision blurred. Groaning, Melisande sat up, her mother instantly beside her checking the back of her head.

Melisande didn't know what her brother said to Salem but whatever it was, it changed him.