11

CARLA'S POV

It had been weeks now and we hadn't said a word more to each other than we had to . Our union had quickly developed into one of clinical efficiency. We attended functions together and I did all my Luna duties save one.

SMACK! The blow came at me so fast it was all I could do just to see it and just like that I was in the ground tasting dirt for the one hundredth time.

"Get up"! Said a familiar voice , "as Luna you have many enemies and you have to learn to defend yourself if you don't want to end up dead"

I spat out a bit of grass and soil and used my palm to wipe my face and mouth and resumed my stance as I faced off against Smith my trainer

He still hadn't talked to me since the 'incident' as I had taken to referring to the absolute Carnage if a fiasco that was my ascension announcement as Luna.

Luna…. In all my daydreams and nightmares I never could have even dared to conceive of such a fantasy and yet here I was living it out .

"Keep changing your position and stand on the balls of your feet" Smith barked at me. He didn't want this, to train me but I wanted……no needed to mend our friendship so I kind of made him . Disgusting? Yes I know I was becoming Dawson .

The position of Luna wasn't all what I imagined it to be. Here I was for example being knocked into the dirt because I had to learn to 'defend myself' I never realized that a Luna would have people who hated her enough to kill her. Rival packs yes but not within her own home. The image painted of a Luna to us when we were Young pups of the pack was that of a beloved monarch, a wolf who cared for and healed the pack. She was safe and she loved us all.

Well I sure was not safe and neither did I love all my subjects. Joyce had managed to earn a very special place in my heart reserved for the worst of the worst , my dislike for her had gradually transformed into hate .

The corner of my eyes catching a bird atop one of the many trees that lined the training griunds,as it unfurled it's wings about to fly and—- SLASH! across my ribcage , blood squirting out of the wound like a freshly popped juice box.

"Aaaaaarrgghh" I screamed in fresh rage as anger coursed through my veins at the thought that my momentary distraction had allowed Smith an opening to attack.

There was a small 'sssftt' sound as he retracted his claws.

"You're distracted today…..fix it " he said coldly , not an ounce of sympathy to be found.

"Oh yeah , I hadn't noticed" I said gritting my teeth and I had no idea if it was just my imagination fueled by hope but I coud have sworn he smiled in that cheeky way he was wont to do when about to crack a joke, but it was immaterial, he stifled it and his face became resolute once more as he gave me time to catch my breath while he readied to attack.

As my wound started to hea---one of the few werewolf abilities available to me, my thoughts moved once more to Joyce .

She had gradually and steadily wormed her way to stand beside Alpha Dawson, she was being called his mistress now. Alpha Dawson took her with him everywhere — except his hunts– she had even been moved to his Chambers and I assumed that more than a copius amount of sex was involved.

Sex, one of the duties of Luna was to produce an heir for the pack and kingdom as a whole. But we hadn't yet slept together not even once , I expected that after a while he would at least try but he hadn't. Not that I wanted him in my bed anyway . His exploits with Joyce were the last straw as far as he and I were concerned.

"We could call it quits if you're too tired we've been running combat drills all night and the sun's already coming out" Smith said "I wouldn't want to harm my Luna after all" he added in a mocking tone

"No", I said trying to stand , "we go again" I add , " besides it's already healing" thankfully I added silently. Smith pulled no punches. I always knew he could fight though his scrawny frame belied that fact. No surprise that he was the castle official trainer. Though in all our years of friendship he had always refused to tell me how he had come to acquire such abilities.. especially as I heard on the grapevine that his wolf form was especially vicious.

I felt as the wound healed itself. The injured flesh melding itself together, the pain reducing, the blood flow abating.

"One more round before morning" I said as we both prowled around each other , Smith grey eyes stared at me cold and predatory as we circled.

Though I hadn't yet awakened my inner wolf and couldn't fully transform, I could still access some abilities though nowhere near it's full capacity .

My thoughts again diverted to Alpha Dawson . I didn't know how long both of us could keep up this air of indifference but I was resolved to not let him hurt me ever again . I had to become much stronger both physically and mentally. I needed to gain power to protect myself from being hurt ever again. Beatrice was a prime example that I could trust no one.

I switched to werewolf vision and let myself adjust to the change gradually as my eyes changed from a deep brown,into a bright emerald green . My vision broke , dividing itself into a kaleidoscope of colours which were force-fed into my brain faster than I could process , before reforming itself into a image that was coherent.

Everything became so much brighter and bizarre , especially things that have off any kind of hear which was pretty much everything, but right now the only thing I was interested in that gave off heat , was the scrawny man right in front of me.

I was going to fix my relationship with Smith no matter what but I needed a way to protect him first, I did in no uncertain way underestimate Alpha Dawson's threat towards his life. I needed friends….loyal friends, Beatrice had shown me that at least.

My curiosity about the weird smile she made as she told me about Alpha Dawson and Joyce's latest escapade after the 'incident' , a smile which seemed oddly malicious to me , lead me to the kitchens to investigate, where I found out that Beatrice and Joyce were actually chums to a certain extent and additionally, Joyce requested that part of her pay be given to Beatrice just prior to her coming to my room in the early hours of the morning.

No I needed people I could rely on, people I could confide in . I had to get Smith back.

I lunged! As fast as I could right at him, knuckles at the ready aiming at his midriff for a sucker punch to the gut, and just as I thought I had him…….he moved! Moved! My God did he move, all of a sudden even with superior wolf vision,he became a blur of pure speed as he easily sidestepped me and let me fall past him. I landed in a crouch barely avoiding planting my face in the dirt once more which would have guaranteed sure defeat. I turned my head around to see him coming right at me!

I would not lie some part of me worried that someday I could find myself in a situation such as this and that would be it . I would be done for. If ever I faced a full fledged wolf omega or otherwise, I would die.

The pack shaman a renowned former Alpha who relinquished his position in order to pursue the mysteries of the supernatural, tried everything he could to force my inner wolf out, attempts that were only partially successful as I was now able to harness in limited capacity, some of my abilities. The trick he discovered was to put me through intense physical and mental trauma , but it feared it would take a whole lot more pain to coax out my wolf form.

As Smith went straight at me , I didn't have time to think, all I could do was react instinctually, as a werewolf we were taught,all of us, to rely heavily on our instincts especially in fighting. To give in but never give out . We had to let the beast in because it was a part of us but it should never control us.

I sort of entered a mental fog , barely conscious of my movements at all but I was vaguely aware of whipping around,faster than I could possibly believe myself capable of, and threw myself in a flip to the side as I felt the cold wind of Smith's claws whistle past my tender cheek.

The wind that sounded like death. And if i were to resist it's claim over me I had to become more ruthless. To fully step into the role of Luna I had to be willing to step into muck like the others. Like Joyce like Alpha Dawson , I had to go get what I wanted , I couldn't afford to be naive anymore. I couldn't let anyone hurt me the way Dawson did, could not let any one else take away my choice and control my life with impunity in the manner in which he did.

To do that I needed power and lots of it I needed to be quick and fluid. As Smith put it in one of our many sessions, " a slow warrior is a dead one" . It reminded me of an old proverb I heard in passing ; The shark that does not swim drowns.

The adage fit my position perfectly . I was the shark, as Luna my opportunities and potential for destruction or creation were immense ,my presence expansive . I was a force to be wary of……dangerous.

And yet if I refused to swim…to act , to seek out what I wanted, to press forward and secure my position, I would die , surely as the day would break.

Speaking of daybreak, the sun began to peek out from the dark night sky it's rays hitting the dewy grass and surrounding vegetation in tentative streams .

As the sun's rise brought with it a golden warm glow that began it's debut from the horizon, I leapt at Smith with liquid speed, still in my state of half consciousness . I jumped and raised my arm against Smith to hit his unfeeling face , to batter his bones, to fee his l wet blood on my face , to tear his out out and eat it.

Oh God! What was happening to me? What were these thoughts of blood and rage, brutality and primal savagery that ran amok through my mind.

At the moment nothing was more important to me than ripping Smith apart and feasting upon his flesh, to break and maul him. To rend him limb from limb.

No! I thought to myself wondering struggling to subdue these abnormally strong urges, to bring them to heel and to exercise control over my thoughts again.

In the split second in which I had these barrage of thoughts that blazed through my mind, my hand fist outstretched had already moved straight for Smith's eyes aiming to rob them of light …. forever, when… SNAP!!!

"AAAARRGHH"!!! I screamed in raw pure pain as I realized that faster than I could see, Smith had grabbed and broken my wrist. Almost immediately he slammed his heel behind mine forcing me into the mud once again.

Almost immediately I felt the mental fog begin to fade as I became acutely aware of the pain I felt in my right wrist.

"Wha--what happened" I muttered as the bones in my wrist began to heal after he helped me up and we headed back inside.

"You tapped Into your primal side, you drew upon the power of your wolf's consciousness for the first time" he said . * Yours was the most savage I've ever seen" he said almost in awe " it's usually not supposed to be like that the first time" he added.

Speaking of power, I was beginning to awaken some . The thought made me smile.