187: Distractions Are Deadly (Lucky's POV)

187: Distractions Are Deadly (Lucky's POV)
The next day, I had a training session with Eros. Reika was separated from me, lying on the sidelines and scanning the various groups surrounding us. I’d grown more accustomed to her and I being apart from each other, and was getting a lot better at both hand-to-hand and weapons training in my human form.

Today, however, was not my day.

My head was back in the bedroom with Wyatt, listening to him say the words “I’d like more pups in the future” on repeat. He’d returned to the room a few minutes later and climbed into the bed, going to sleep without another word. I’d still been standing at the door, completely frozen in shock. It had taken me quite a while to shake it off. Even then, it took me a number of hours to fall asleep. All I could think about was how I didn’t even know if it was possible. Desmond had said the bloodline would die with me? Was that different now that he was dead? Had something changed since I’d broken the curse?

These thoughts were intrusive now. They were seriously impacting my ability to focus.

Eros swung at my head and I narrowly dodged it, but somehow tripped over my own foot. I stumbled to the left. I barely pivoted in time to avoid the blow he attempted to land on my back. Reika’s eyes were now focused on our interaction as he sped up his assault, sending me into a quick web of defensive maneuvers. I ducked, slid, and spun out of his reach several times. But then I saw Wyatt walking through the training grounds with Kelley at his side.

My mind was immediately filled with his voice saying, “More pups in the future.” I froze, my eyes locked on Wyatt. He barely spared me a glance before turning his back on me. My chest ached, and I squeezed my eyes shut. How could I possibly talk about something I didn’t know if I could provide him? Why was he bringing this up now? This was hardly the ti—

There was a thud as Eros tackled me to the ground. My head smacked against the hard concrete, and I blinked against the pain. Before I could recover, Eros had my legs pinned beneath his body weight. He used his left forearm and pressed it against my larynx. I attempted to reach up and grab his arm, but he leaned forward. All oxygen was cut off. My fingers scratched at his skin, my eyes bulging. While I was distracted by his arm on my throat, Eros delivered several blows to my left side with his right hand.

Sharp pain shot through me. I winced as tears built up, pain ricocheting through my side and chest with each of his blows. Right as my vision started to darken around the edges, Eros released my throat and hopped up off of me. I gasped for air, rolling over as I coughed roughly. A scream escaped my lips as blinding pain came with every breath I took.

Reika approached me, the rubber band snapping back into place as I blinked and her presence returned in my mind. She stayed absolutely silent. I looked around the training grounds, not finding Wyatt anywhere. Where the hell had he gone? Why hadn’t he stopped Eros?

Eros cleared his throat, “If you’re looking for your mate, I warned him of what I was about to do. There was a lesson you needed to learn.”

I glared at him over my shoulder, slowly lifting myself off the ground. My breathing was shallow. My hand pressed against my side, and I limped over to Eros, “And what lesson was that, Uncle?”

“That it doesn’t matter what’s going on in your life,” Eros shrugged as I approached, “Being distracted in battle gets you killed. And that thought that you had?” he cocked his head to the side and crossed his arms over his chest, “The one about 'why Wyatt didn’t come to stop me?'” I glowered, confirming his accusation. Eros clucked his tongue, “You’ll get him killed if that’s your expectation. The goal of this training is to make it so that you can protect yourself fully. Not so that you can hold on just long enough for someone to come rescue you, Lucky.”

The growl that escaped from between my lips was low, “Today wasn’t a battle, Eros. You broke at least one rib.”

“Three, if my blows were accurate. I may have also bruised your liver,” my uncle grinned at me, “Some lessons are better learned with pain. You’ll certainly remember it in battle now.”

I hated to admit that he was probably right. My healing had kicked in the moment Reika had reconnected with me, but it still didn’t feel great. In actual battle, this could have been a lot worse. Eros and I started to walk toward the exit of the ring we were in, and I lowered my voice, “How do you shut it all out?”

He grabbed a bottle of water from one of the drink stations we passed by, “Depends. What’s on your mind, Lucky?”

My hand grabbed Eros’s wrist, and I pulled him along with me quickly. Not a word was said until we had made it all the way to my office and the door was shut firmly behind us, “Wyatt said he wants to have pups with me in the future.”

Eros smiled softly, “Are you surprised? You two are mates and the Alpha King and Luna Queen of the Dominion.”

“It’s not that I’m surprised,” I answered quickly, but found myself unable to continue.

My uncle narrowed his eyes. He gave me a slow nod, “You’re not sure it’s possible.” I shook my head, and he sighed, taking a seat on one of the couches, “Ask Vincar. It doesn’t hurt to see,” he insisted when I opened my mouth to argue, “Unless the problem isn’t really that you’re not sure you can give him that.”

“What do you mean?” I furrowed my eyebrows.

Purple eyes met mine and rolled. Eros sighed and shook his head, “Well, Lucky. Maybe you should think about whether or not the problem is actually that you don’t want any more pups.”

Just as I was about to open my mouth to argue, the door to my office swung open. Kelley rushed in, eyes locked on mine. I jumped to my feet, only wincing slightly against the ache that remained in my side, “What is it?”

“They’ve attacked the Carolinas,” the Beta shook his head as he jutted his thumb over his shoulder, “Wyatt needs us all in his office.”

Eros climbed to his feet, “We were anticipating this. I understand it’s urgent, but what—”

“Finn just showed up out of nowhere,” Kelley blurted out, already turning on his heel. “He was traveling through North Carolina and had stopped to see Nadine.”

My heart sank. I darted after Kelley, grabbing his elbow, “Nadine?”

“Not the problem,” he pulled his arm from my grip and continued.

“Then what is?” Eros questioned as he followed.

Wyatt was leaning against the doorframe leading into his office, “The problem is that the Elder Council had Reawakened with them.”