The Training
"Anything cracked will shatter at a touch."
― Ovid
Solomon woke up and does his morning routine. Today was the start of intensive training.
He went to kitchen and saw Pearl – Beta Nicholas' Lifemate cleaning something in the sink. He sat at the wooden high chair in the kitchen island counter putting his arms in the table.
"Where's everyone?" he asked her looking around hearing nothing from the entire pack house.
A gasp snaps his head to look at Pearl. Pearl looked at him with wide eyes while her hands were in her chest trying to calm her heartbeat.
"Oh, sorry." Solomon sheepishly smiled. "I didn't mean to startle you."
Pearl closed her eyes and takes a deep breath. "You don't need to apologies." She open her eyes, "just promise me next time at least make an audible foot step so I'll know you're coming"
Solomon nodded, "Yeah, I promise"
Pearl turns her back to him and put some food in the plate before she serves it to Solomon. "Everyone is in training ground right now" She crossed her arms in her chest and lean in the sink looking at Solomon.
"Training ground?" He frowned. He glanced at his wrist watch, "They are already training this time? I mean its 4:30 in the morning, the sun haven't rises yet."
"I think they started warming up around..." She looked at her watch, "...4 am" then she looked back at him, "It was a sudden changes. Alpha Slade suddenly shouted in the mind link..." pointing her head, "... waking everybody, telling that we need to train now. He said that we need to be ready in unexpected attacks from the unknown pack."
Solomon nodded and started eating his breakfast then he keep stealing glance to Pearl as if he was hesitating.
Pearl laughed as she caught him stealing glances. "You can ask me anything" she can feel his hesitation.
"well.. um..." Solomon cleared his throat while Pearl just smiled encouraging him. "Where is she?"
Pearl frowned a little thinking who is this she Solomon is talking a about. A minute or two she finally realizes it. "Oh!... err, She went home yesterday and went straight to her room. I think she's still sleeping right now."
"Thank you" he mumbled disappointingly, he was hoping that she was already in the training ground.
"Everything will be alright son" Pearl said to Solomon with a motherly looked in her face.
Solomon smiled back, he suddenly missed his mother. If his mother is still alive, she could give him an advice how tame a woman's heart. Solomon sighed and finishes his breakfast.
He stood up and put his plate in the sink. He was about to wash it when Pearl stop him, "I'll take care of that. You are needed in the training ground."
"Thanks again" Solomon smiled gratefully at her before he left.
+++
It was seven in the morning when Paige decided to show up in the training ground.
The wolves were already sweaty and exhausted. They were training for two and a half hour.
Everyone stops as they saw Paige went to Alpha Slade' side, crossing her arms in her chest and was looking around bored. They were all anxiously watching her as they couldn't see her eyes.
"Why is she wearing shades?" Solomon whispered to Eaton that was beside him.
"You don't know?"
"I wouldn't ask if I know."
"Oh... um" Eaton sheepishly looked at Solomon, "Sorry..." Solomon just nodded. "Well, her eyes couldn't tolerate the light. She's a nyctophilia."
"Is that the reason why she's always hiding in the forest every morning?" Solomon asked.
Eaton nodded and looked at Alpha Slade as he called him. "Excuse me" he said to Solomon and went to Alpha Slade.
Alpha Slade called another werewolf from another pack to be Eaton sparring partner. "The first one who was pin down loses" Alpha Slade nodded to them to start the fight.
They all watch the fight. Eaton was winning. It took ten minutes for Eaton to securely pin down his sparring partner.
Alpha Slade looked at Paige, "what do you think?"
Paige looked up in the sky watching the clouds almost hiding the morning sun, "weak" she whispered.
Alpha Slade chuckled and also looked up in the sky. He realized that Paige was waiting for the clouds to shield the sun. He looked back to her, "I guess, it's time for you to take charge of the training."
Everyone groaned in protest. They thought that the training is finished. They were all nervous around Paige, they saw how she fights.
Alpha Slade spoke looking at everyone silencing their protest, "You all should know that the battle is not finished when you get tired or exhausted, it is only the beginning" after that he left the training ground.
The training ground was quiet. Everyone was looking weary, tired and nervous at the same time.
Eaton looked at everyone with pity. He knows how Paige trains. He experienced it himself. It was dreadful. He even cringed just by remembering his training days under her.
As soon as the sun was hidden by the clouds, Paige took off her shades and releases her power. Everyone stood frozen as they watch her black hair turn to silver white and her violet eyes glows. Her power mixed in the air with fears from everyone.
"Get a partner" she said. Everyone frantically chose their partner and wait for her next instruction. "Stay in the human form. No one is allowed to shift." Everyone gulped. "Then fight to the death" she commanded.
Everyone was shocked and their bodies were shaking trying to fight the command from her.
It was cruel. They couldn't kill their sparring partner but her command is absolute.
"What do you think you're doing?" Solomon grab Paige arm turning her to face him.
Paige looked at him in shocked. She didn't realize that he was also here. She stared at his eyes flicking to silver and gray. "I'm training them" She answered when she finally regain her posture.
"You're commanding them to kill each other" Solomon corrected.
"That's how I train and it is none of your business" She tried to pry his hold on her arm.
"Oh, it is my business" he tightens his hold in her arm without hurting her.
She moved so close to him leaving an inch between them earning a shocked face from him as he didn't expect her to do that. "This is how we fight, we fight to kill"
"You're wrong" He looked her right in the eyes. "We fight to protect the ones we love"
"You're too naïve" She shook her head and successfully freed her arm from his hold; she turns her back to him. She needs to get away from him. They were touching too much. It will be harder for her to control her urges to be in physical contact with him.
Solomon got distracted for a second as he heard a groaning in pain and smell blood. He looked around and everyone was killing each other like what Paige has commanded them. He clenches his hands into fists as his wolf was clawing inside his head. He needs to do something, to stop this. He couldn't bear to watch the chaos that supposedly training.
"Enough!" His voice boomed in the training ground with a power that surpasses Paige's command as he looked around.
Everyone halted and kneeled in his voice. They were all panting trying to catch their breath.
Paige shuddered hearing his voice and she snapped to look at him. He was not facing her but she could clearly feel his power radiating from his body.
She took a step back when he finally looked at her. His eyes were no longer gray but it is now fully glowing silver.
She never saw anything like that and it scares her especially now she knows that he can overpower her.
"Paige" She literally shivered hearing his voice calling her.
She put her hand in her heart that is rapidly beating in her chest causing her to pant. She frowned, 'What's happening to me' then she looked back at him.
Solomon worriedly watches Paige as she was panting and hearing her heart irregularly beating in a fast phase.
In a blink of an eye, Paige dash straight to the forest leaving everyone in the training ground.
"All of you can go home and rest" Solomon said before he went to follow Paige. He'll be damn if he let her get away again.
+++
"You should rest." A blonde hair woman with blue eyes says while adjusting the blanket in the lap of the man sitting tiredly in the chair.
"Ah, my light" he said saying his endearment to her. Even though the room was dimly lit, he can clearly see her as if she was his source of light in the room. "Come here"
She sat beside him and grasps his hand gently.
He took her hand in his cheek feeling its softness against his skin. He didn't waste any second to let her know how much he love her and she can clearly see it in his eyes.
They were exchanging their love with each other in silence by staring right to the eyes and a light touch in the skin when the door opens.
A man entered lowering his eyes as he noticed the lovers doing. "Everything is set" he bowed.
He nodded, and stood up. His legs were shaking a little bit but he can manage to stand up without any support. "It is time to visit our Alpha"
The man looked up and nodded before he left.
The blonde hair woman's eyes followed the man as he left then looked back at him, "But you're still weak" She said worriedly, "you haven't regain all your strength"
He smiled at her, "you need not to worry" he kissed her forehead reassuring her.
+++
Paige stops from running as soon as she saw the Wolfsbane flower. She inhales deeply knowing that scent of the Wolfsbane will calm her.
She knew that the wall she build around her to protect her from experiencing that pain was slowly cracking.
She was focusing in letting the scent enter her system that she didn't notice Solomon arrival.
Solomon looked horrified as he saw Paige near the Wolfsbane flower. Alpha Slade word about Paige committing suicide keeps replaying in his mind. "What are you doing?" he keeps his voice calm but he was panicking inside.
What if she eats the Wolfsbane flower again? And this time she didn't survive.
She looked back and saw him watching her every move. He took a step towards her while she took a step back away from him.
"Don't" she said looking at his feet.
Solomon couldn't hide the pain in his face but he was surely Paige didn't saw that as she was looking down.
"Are you rejecting me?" Solomon couldn't control his emotion now that he couldn't bear seeing her running away from him.
Paige looked up and saw his face that makes her heart squeeze in pain but she keep her face void. "Rejecting you was not an option" She looked away.
"Then why..."
"I'm denying it" She cut him off.
"It's the same thing as rejecting." Solomon gritted his teeth. He couldn't believe he was hearing those words from her.
Paige keeps her mouth shut and couldn't look him in the eyes.
"You're scared" Solomon said in the matter-in-fact tone.
"Scared of what?"
"Of love" Solomon answered, "You're scared of letting people in, in your heart again. You're scared of loving people."
"I'm not scared of anything" she lied. No matter how much she lie about it, her mind couldn't deny how much it scared her terribly. She didn't want to be hurt again. She's scared that if she let people in again they'll just hurt her again. She's scared to feel the pain again.
'Love makes people weak' she thought.
The walls she built around her were starting to cracked
"Then looked at me and say those words properly" Solomon challenged her.
Paige firmly pushes her lips together forming a thin line closing her eyes. She knew he was challenging her to say those words of formal rejection.
She couldn't do it.
Solomon moved right in the front of her before she could realize it. He put both of his hands in her cheeks both sides moving her head to look at him in the eyes. "Look at me" he gently whispered seeing she closed her eyes. "Look at me please" He begged.
Paige slowly opens her eyes and greeted by soft gray eyes of Solomon.
"Just let me in" Solomon begged, "Please don't fight this bond between us." He leans to touch her forehead with his. "Let me in. I'll never hurt you; I promise you that with my life."
Paige was having a second thought of trusting someone again and Solomon could see that in her eyes.
"Don't be afraid to love 'cause people love you Paige" Solomon said, "Alpha Slade, Beta Nicholas, Pearl, Eaton, everyone in the pack loves you..." he reassured her, "... and me. I love you"
"Why me?"
'Because were Lifemate. The goddess of fate brought us together.' That's what Solomon wanted to say but he knew better that he loves her not because they are Life mate. He felt it and it grew in his heart not in the bond between them.
"Telling you the reason why I love you is like describing what the water taste like." He answered. "I just love you and I'm happy every time I'm with you even though you always ignore me" He added.
Her eyes soften.
"I'll never let you feel that pain again" Solomon caresses her cheeks with his thumbs. Unceremoniously, he leans in meeting her lips with his.
The moment their lips touch the walls around her crumble into pieces.