Adira was running. The pitch black of the night was merciless even as she tripped on roots and moss. She could feel the wolf behind her go faster, could almost feel his every step in the thumping of her heart. Looking back at him, she realized it was quite literally at her heels.
Adira, it snarled. She ran faster. Her feet hurt. A gash on her arm was bleeding.
"Adira. Adira!"
Adira woke up with a scream, her hand out, throwing a punch in the dark. Her fist connected with something solid. She started to scramble towards the headboard, terrified -
"Adi, it's me!" Cassie whispered at the same time as Adrian burst through the door with a growl, his nails descending into claws. His dark eyes roamed the room before he straightened up from his offensive crouch as he realized there was no danger. His snarl turned into amusement at a sleepy Adira who was still looking around dazed. Adira's bleary brain cleared as she looked around her room. Her eyes landed on the clock beside her bed.
"What's wrong, Cass? It's five AM. It's good-night time," Adira mumbled as she rubbed her tired eyes. She started to lie down on her bed again before jerking up when Cassie pulled her.
"You have practice, babe. Its time to wake up and start a-fighting. You desperately need it after the horrible punch you just attempted." Cassie replied casually opening the curtains to let the dawn light in. She looked fully dressed for a workout and seemed unfazed despite Adira's half-hearted scowl.
Adrian walked towards them and took a seat at the edge of Adira's bed, "Not today, Cass. I'm hoping to restart pack breakfasts. She'll be too tired for them, then." He patted Adira's legs.
"She's a Luna, she'll manage. It's more important to learn to not die in a fight, old friend. She's mine for the next two hours," Cassie grinned evilly. She seemed far too awake for someone who was clearly ruining Adira's sleep.
"Wait, what breakfast and what training? What's going on?" Adira interrupted before Adrian could reply. She slowly started to get out of bed.
Apparently she wasn't moving fast enough for Cassie who pulled her out of bed pushing her towards the bathroom. "Before you arrived, the pack always had meals together in the packhouse to foster togetherness. We didn't want to overwhelm you, but I think Ade thinks you're ready. So we're really on the clock here. I'll train you to fight for two hours, after which you get a half-hour to get ready. I'm sure Adrian can cook a dish as part of your submission for the pot-luck. Might I suggest a pasta, Ade? Adira, you go and brush, you have exactly five minutes before I pull you to the field."
Adira only had a second to take in Adrian's amused face before the door of the bathroom closed.
---
Adira shivered in the cool air as she stood opposite Cassie on the pack's training grounds. Early birds chirped as the yellow sunlight lit the woods. For the last hour, Cassie had Adira attempt to better her strength and stamina. Adira's body was sore from lifting weights and completing core exercises. She hadn't realized how long a minute could be until she had to do a plank for sixty seconds! When Cassie finally called a time-out for the exercise, Adira could have wept in relief. She collapsed on the ground and began to fervently thank every deity for stopping her torture before realizing that Cassie had gone back to the duffle bag she had carried to the field. Shit. It had only been one hour. She had another hour of fighting left to do. Fuck.
Cassie snickered at Adira's expression as she sat down next to her, dropping something on the ground behind her. Though Cassie had trained alongside her, she barely looked affected. "You do know that you've committed to training with the forces also, right? We're going to start training them in two days. I love you and I love that you want to fight but you're going to be seriously fucked. It'll be fun!"
Adira flipped Cassie the bird, which only made Cassie guffaw harder.
"Anywayyyyyyyy," Cassie stated, "you can't make claws so I brought you the next best thing. Granted, it's no frying pan but, it'll help." She turned around to pick something up from behind her. Adira watched in awe as Cassie unsheathed two wickedly curved shining blades. Both the blades glinted in the sunlight and Adira watched in awe as they reflected the green grass. At first glance, she recognized how lethal they were. Adira had never seen such knives before. From a thin hilt, the sharp edge continued forward before curving into a dangerous point. The other end of the blade was jagged, made for maximal damage.
"I'll teach you how to use them so that you can best any wolf in this whole country. Just you wait, you'll be the strongest human on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. Once you've gotten used to them, we can hold practice matches with Amor. God knows that girl could use all the help she can get. Never leaves her books, that one," Cassie stated as if flummoxed by the idea that someone would choose books over fighting. "Do you like them?"
"These are insane! Wow, I'm going to look so badass. I don't even know what to say, Cass!" Adira replied still staring at the blade as it glinted in the sunlight.
"Don't say anything. Get up and practice some moves with me," Cassie replied, securing both the knives to the holsters on Adira's legs. "Now, this is how you'd reach for them if a wolf lunged from the front..."
---
An hour and a half later, Cassie snuck Adira into the packhouse through the backdoor. Both of them had lost track of time, and Adira felt awful for making Adrian wait. She quickly showered and changed into the first decent dress she found. Alongside her, Cassie changed into a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt. Adira wore a sundress, yellow as the sun with details of white daisies across its hem and the halter neck. She kept staring at the mirror changing minute details. She fidgeted with her hair finally deciding to leave it open due to paucity of time. Adira hated being late and nervous. She finished the look with some lip gloss, then choosing to rub it off. She applied it again. Her hand shook smearing the gloss a little. Adira tapped her foot on the floor incessantly and ran a hand through her hair.
Taking pity on her friend Cassie spoke up, "Adi, stop worrying! It's fine. Be yourself. We have more good people than bad, I promise. Just withstand the initial five minutes and do not cower. Then it will be over. Also, there's something I need to talk to you about. Are you aware the Seb is Adrian's protector? Since we're a little unsure if there's another mole, and also as you're Luna, I'm taking up that position for you. Is that okay?"
Upon Adira's nod, Cassie continued, "If you even get slightly nervous or if there's a single bad vibe, make sure to use the word 'blue' in three consecutive sentences. I'll come to save you. BE careful. You can never be too sure during these attacks." Then she straightened her t-shirt and led them both down the stairs. Adira inaudibly squeaked in fear as she noticed the incredibly large number of people downstairs. The door of the lodge was open wide. Beyond the door, Adira noticed many chairs and tables kept to accommodate the pack. She could faintly smell a barbeque. However, it seemed as if no one was outside. Instead, it seemed that the entire pack was crammed into the living room. With a start, Adira realized that they were waiting to meet her. She gave another terrified squeak, alerting the pack of her presence. Suddenly, uncountable unreadable eyes stared at her as she walked down the last steps. Adira looked around, slightly nervous.
Almost immediately, she caught Adrian's onyx eyes. He was standing next to some pack members, dressed in a blue t-shirt and black jeans. Despite her lack of punctuality, Adrian didn't look upset with her. Instead, he gave her a once-over and a proud grin. His pride reinforced Adira's bravery and she stood a little taller. All at once, her stress melted away. The tension left her body and something deep within her re-settled. She marveled at the feeling of rightness his presence bought. With Adrian, things were easy almost as if they had spent lifetimes perfecting their routines. As the days passed, Adira had begun to instinctively understand him. She was attuned to him. Life with him brought easy grins and respect. Two things she had severely lacked previously. Watching him walk toward her, made her heart beat faster. The stupidly large grin on her face was genuine. For the first time in weeks, Adira didn't feel the need to hide it. It dawned on her that Adrian and her friends had truly begun to become her safe space. Before she could explore this thought further, Adrian reached her. His eyes smiled into hers, in their very own secret code.
A hush fell in the room as Cassie melted away into the background. Adrian took Adira's hand into his reverently, giving it a quick squeeze. Adira closed her eyes for half a second cherishing the sparks that ran up her arm. Then, Adrian's face hardened and his back straightened in a stately manner. He turned around to face the crowd. His beautiful features looked regal and slightly menacing.
His eyes shining with pride, Adrian declared, "This is your Luna Adira. She is my fated mate. She is my equal. Any disrespect to her is akin to disrespect towards the Alpha. I know that initially some of you were wary of her being a human. Despite your hostility, my mate has time and again shown her bravery and humility. She is as fierce as she is kind. Approach her with an open mind, and you will fall in love with her instantly. Not only is Adira my fated mate, but she is my choice as well. She is your Luna and your Alpha female."
Adira fought not to fidget as all eyes honed in on her. All pack members appeared to be examining her from head to toe. The hair on her neck stood up as she felt their gazes. She squeezed Adrian's hand causing gentle sparks to run across her body. In that moment, Adira made an important decision. Years later, she would claim that this was the turning point. There, in front of the pack, Adira decided that she was enough. Regardless of whether she deserved Adrian and the pack, they were hers now. She chose to believe that she was worthy of the pack. That she was worthy of Adrian. Adira stood taller under their scrutiny, proudly holding her shoulders straight. Heart filled with joy.
In the crowd, she spotted Cassie who gave her a full grin and a thumbs up. Adira grinned at her in response. Beside Adira, Eden and Amor silently materialized showing solidarity and support of the beta couple in front of the pack. From the left of the room, Sebastian winked at her cheekily. The support of her friends removed any residual nervousness. She looked back at the pack comfortably, easily looking them all in the eye. Her stormy blue gaze was as captivating as it was unreadable. It was majestic. She almost radiated a golden hue as she finally accepted her role.
Then, all at once, the tension lifted and smiles broke across the room. Though Adira could spot a few disgruntled faces, it seemed like most of the pack had accepted her. The pack moved on with breakfast, starting a hub-hub of conversation. Children squealed as they ran out of the door. Pack members swarmed towards them to congratulate the alpha pair. Many pack members made their way outside giving the room more breathing space. Eden and Amor squeezed Adira's shoulder as they walked outside with Cassie and Sebastian.
Adira turned to Adrian to see him looking at her. Her watery eyes met his shining ones. A gold haze settled. Adira's right hand tingled as shivers ran down her spine. Her core tightened. The grinned at each other like lunatics.
"Thanks for cooking. What did you make?" Adira whispered. Did she seriously just ask him about food after that sappy anouncement? Smart, Adira! She cringed internally.
"Ravioli. I'm glad you made it to breakfast, I thought Cassie would've demolished you at practice." Adrian replied.
Adira laughed, "She did. But I know this is important for you...." she paused. Taking a deep breath, she said in a rush, "Did you mean it? About the "choice" part?" The golden haze around them seemed to intensify. Tiny beams of electricity crackled in the air.
Sparks flew across Adira's right hand as Adrian pulled her close. He whispered in her ear, "Why would I lie? I'm glad you're starting to notice it now. Are you finally ready to see the truth? Are you finally ready to accept the truth?"
Adira looked up into Adrian's eyes as she looped her hands around his neck. Her eyes smiled into his. She opened her mouth to reply even as his onyx gaze smoldered into her ocean blue. Both of them jumped as a throat cleared and burst their private bubble. The golden haze cleared abruptly. The static vanished. Adira blushed fiery red.
Laughing Adrian turned to the grinning old man, "Adira this is Jonah. He lives in the west woods..."
----
Hi! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was a filler because I really wanted to showcase the slow journey of the pack's acceptance and Adira's strength. Do let me know what you thought of it! I hope you love all six of them as much as I do!