Chapter 22 Twenty-Two
The following week passed in a blur of training and preparing for a journey to visit Nigel and Ash once more. After Danica confided in Mason about the dark being within her, he suggested they visit the shaman and his apprentice to see if they knew anything about what was going on.
After that day, Danica hadn't seen Mason very much as reports of more rogue attacks had begun to string in from pack members that were spread out throughout the entire state. With the attacks increasing, Mason had been forced to call the entire pack together for a meeting to discuss what was to be done about the attacks.
Danica found herself feeling extremely nervous as the time of the meeting grew closer and closer, as the future Luna, as Mason would say, she was required to attend and be part of the discussion. Even if she wasn't even a full-fledged wolf and wasn't able to change, she still had to present herself.
With two important events looming on her shoulders, Danica threw herself into her combat training in order to escape from everything that was weighing down on her.
"You're open!" Bella called, lunging forward. "Focus on what's going on in front of you."
Righting her defenses, Danica barely dodged Bella's attack.
"Nice try," she smirked.
After two weeks of working with Bella and Chris, Danica had begun to be able to hold her own against even the best of the best warriors. Where she used to have her world rocked in the beginning, she was now able to even win quite a few of her matches.
"Look who is getting cocky," Bella teased as she began to circle around Danica, trying to find a fault in her defense.
"Only because I am being trained by the best," Danica cooed back sweetly.
"Flattery will get you nowhere, pup." As she spoke, Bella moved forward, ready to attack, only for Danica to catch her and strike out instead.
As her fist connected with Bella's chest, Bella went flying backwards, slamming into the ground. Shocked by the force that was behind the punch, Danica looked at the woman now lying on the ground with wide eyes.
"I'm so sorry!" She said shakily, rushing over to help Bella up.
"It's ok," Bella responded, coughing. "That was some force you got there."
With confusion running through her, Danica looked at her own hands as if they would shift into someone else's entirely right before her eyes.
"I didn't mean it."
Even though Bella had said it was okay, Danica couldn't stop the panic that was rising within her.
"That's enough for today," Chris ordered as he came bonding over. "Bella, are you okay?"
Smiling Bella nodded, "I'm not that easily hurt, you know."
"That was one hell of a hit," Chris noted before eyeing Danica. "Where did that even come from?"
Still bewildered, Danica shook her head and said, "I don't even know."
Furrowing his brows, Chris fell deep into thought as Danica tried to ponder where the strength she had used came from and whether or not it was a good or bad thing.
"Could it be that thing you've been having issues with?" Chris asked, coming back to reality.
"Thing?" Danica asked, as what he meant dawned on her. "I don't know."
"I think we should speak to Mason," Chris suggested.
"Isn't he busy preparing for the meeting?" Danica asked, alarmed. "Do we really need to bother him with something trivial?"
Chris frowned, "I wouldn't call anything involving you trivial to him."
"But right now, with everything else going on, it would be trivial." Danica argued.
"Quit being stubborn, pup," Bella piped in as she wrapped her arms around Chris' arm.
"Come on," Chris ordered. "We're going to speak with Mason right now."
Danica opened her mouth to argue but stopped when Chris and Bella both glared at her. Snapping her jaw shut, she gave up and followed behind the mushy couple as they headed to where Mason was.
"What brings you here?" Mason asked as they arrived at the armory, where he was once again practicing sword fighting.
"Wanted to discuss your girlfriend's super strength with you," Chris responded, looking at Danica.
Raising an eyebrow, Mason looked at Danica. "Super strength?"
Feeling uncomfortable with so many eyes on her, Danica bit her lip.
"I wouldn't necessarily say super strength," she tried. "Just a really strong hit."
"Strong hit?" Mason repeated.
"She sent Bella flying," Chris blurted. "I figured maybe it had something to do with that thing we discussed and thought you should know."
"I could have told him later," Danica insisted indignantly.
"Tell me how good of a job you did telling me things before," Mason challenged.
Bristling, Danica crossed her arms across her chest and turned away from Mason, who was smiling in amusement.
"Don't be mad," Mason chuckled.
Danica could hear the sound of a chair being pulled and footsteps heading her way.
Warm hands touched her shoulders as heat began spreading throughout her entire body.
"I'm sorry, okay?"
Despite Mason insisting he was sorry, he still sounded amused, but Danica found herself beginning to deflate.
"Now that you're aware of what happened, can we go?"
She hadn't wanted to come in the first place, and she was already ready to get back to her dorm.
"Chris and Bella can go," Mason responded, fixing his gaze on Danica. "I'd like you to stay."
"Why?" Danica whined. "Aren't you busy preparing for the meeting?"
"I am, but I have something to discuss with you."
Taking in Mason's words, Danica found her curiosity peaking at what he had to discuss with her. She knew it could be one of two things, one, it could involve their upcoming visit to Nigel, or two, it had something to do with the meet.
"Fine," Danica huffed as Chris and Bella turned to leave. "But make it quick; I'm smelly from practice."
"It won't take up too much of your time, I assure you."
As he spoke, Mason grabbed hold of Danica's hand and began leading her towards the armory's office.
"What do you think you're doing?" Danica asked as she tried to stop Mason's pulling.
"I don't want someone to walk up on us. Come on, I won't do anything to you," Mason assured.
Letting out a long sigh, Danica allowed herself to be led inside and into an old office with books and papers all over the place. Looking around, she couldn't help but wonder what exactly the office was used for.
"Seems whoever used this last didn't know how to clean up," she noted as she began picking up random papers.
Mason chuckled, "It hasn't been used in ages. It used to be my father's office; he was head of the armory."
"Was?" Danica had never heard Mason mention his parents. "Past tense?"
"Yeah, he died when I was about ten." Mason admitted looking uncomfortable.
"Oh," Danica could feel herself flushing, "I'm sorry."
"It's all past," Mason said while waving a dismissive hand. "Anyway, we didn't come here to talk about my dead father; we came to discuss our visit to the darklands."
Perking up, Danica ran forward, grabbing Mason's hands.
"Did you just say what I think you said?"
Were they finally going to go to the dark lands? Would they be able to find the sorcerer who cast the curse on her? Unable to control her excitement, Danica found herself hugging Mason.
"This is serious, right?" She asked, nuzzling her face against his chest. "You aren't lying, right?"
"No, I'm being serious." Mason promised. "We will go as soon as the meet is over; that way I can bring some of my best fighters along with us."
"You can't take it back!" Danica pointed out, smiling from ear to ear.
Finally, after all this time, she was going to end up getting somewhere, and she couldn't be more excited.