Chapter 13

CARLA' S POV

Day after day I worked myself to the bone , I studied and trained learned and worked . With lessons every single day non stop i didn't have a singlet moment to myself to think or do much of anything else.

My training sessions with Smith had been mostly uneventful and nothing exciting like my previous rage episode had repeated itself again, he still treated me harshly and had not shown an iota of kindness or care towards me throughout any one of our training sessions and I hated it. I hated the fact that my favourite person in all the world had now become a total stranger to me.

Though I could definitely see it's effects on my training as I had progressed rapidly in my combat training, becoming more ruthless and detached as my movements transformed from that of a clumsy novice to that of an skilled apprentice.

"Good, always press your attack" Smith said as he used his left arm to deflect a kick which I aimed at his shoulder.

My arms jabbed at him in rapid fire movement, trying to pressure him, hoping to stretch him thin, to keep him off balance, but it seemed to be child's name for him as he wound in and out of potential blows he could avoid and deflected tthe blows he could not, weaving and bobbing like it was all a game to him, like he was—-.

"Dancing, that's all fighting is really" he said as he bent his upper torso to the far fight to avoid a left hook.

"A deadly dance between you and a partner that wants to end your life , and there's no room for mistakes" he said before grabbing the scruff of my hoodie and tossing me of to the side my body rolling in the earth not stopping till I hit a tree on the far end of our sparring circle.

"Ughhh" I groaned as my back ached from the hit .

"Get up" Smith said "we are going to switch it up this time around" he said as he turned his back on me heading to the other side of our sparring circle.

"I think I broke a rib Smith" I said clutching my side as I stood up squaring my legs.

"You can heal so deal with it" Smith said 'now prepare yourself cause I am going to come at you in force now and it is your job to defend against my attacks as best you can".

"Oh for fuck's sake " I moanec as I thought about how to defend myself against a ruthless trainer with a broken rib.

Long story cut short, he made a complete mockery of any pathetic defense I attempted putting up .

"Be mindful of your flank" he said as he landed three rapid fire blows against my ribcage, the opposite side being the one with rib damage thankfully, but with the way he was going, I was going to get matching injuries on both sides.

I leapt, and at once spring out my legs for a round house kick to the face but he back flipped away, came at me and threw sand in my eyes.

"Aaaargh" I shouted stumbling back a fair bit "no fair"! I shouted, trying to use the back of my hand to wipe the sand particles from both my eyes.

"No one cares" he said as he swung low and tripped me up causing me to fall on my butt. "Life itself is not fair" he continued and ad I lay on the ground , I saw from the little bit of eye sight available to me while I wiped my eyes, that he drew back his leg to step on me, which was characteristic of his training style.

Immediately I lay flat on the ground, rolled to the side and flipped myself upright before lashing out at his hips which were unbalanced and it worked! My foot connected and drove Smith to the ground with a grunt.

"Ughhh" he said before swiftly turning around and and catching my punch in his left hand, proceeding to sweep his right leg around intending on tripping me up a second time but I managed to Intuit that particular move before hand , prompting me to swing around to execute a reverse flip , twisting and angling my body to curl up and over Smith's head to land on the other side, I leapt forward to press my advantage.

WHAM!! The pain was instantaneous, and the trees, ground and sky spun all around me as I twisted in the air from the force of the blow before landing with a thud! On the hard earthen grass filled soil.

"You let your guard down which gave me an opening, don't give me openings" he said

"Fuck you" I said pain in my voice as I struggled to stand and I heard a sound I had not heard in a long time.

Smith laughing.

He laughed a deep and long laugh his head thrown back and the sound echoing among the trees, while I just stared at him in awe and frankly surprised.

"What"? He said as the laughter began to slowly die down and he looked at ne,his familiar smile on his face while my own mouth was open like a guppy.

"Nothing I am just surprised to hear you laugh is all " I said grimacing from my numerous wounds and bruises sustained during the course of our training session.

"Don't be ridiculous" he said "I still laugh".

"Not with me" I said my voice forlorn. "Not anymore" I added.

There was a beat as neither of us said anything for a while, we just stared at each other.

He walked up to me and helped me stand properly leading me to a fairly wide tree stump where we both sat .

"Are you o k " he said genuine concern in his voice, a refreshing change from the cold indifference I had tried to get used to these past few weeks.

"A few broken ribs and a sprained ankle* I said indicating each one of them.

"They'll heal you're a werewolf" he said giving me an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry for going so hard on you, especially at the beginning but it was the only way to help you advance quickly. It's how I learnt.

"No need to apologise" I said just grateful for the fact that we were talking again and not wanting anything to mar the moment.

"Right" he said looking up at the trees.

There was another beat……an awkward one

"Though we need to talk I will admit that" I said as we both watched the sun begin to set.

"I would like a little wine with that conversation" he said as he stood up to pick a bulging backpack which he reached into and pulled out a large wineskin before tossing it to me and walking up to our tree stump to sit.

"Drink it will help numb the pain while it heals" he said as he helped me undo the stopper in the wineskin.

I obeyed. Taking a swig of wine before passing it to him . "Smith about the Luna stuff i–"

"Let stop you there I'll lay everything out on the table" he said after taking a draught himself then passed it to me for a drink.

"I love you Carla" he said , the words dropping like a bomb on me

"And I'm not saying it to blindside you or anything, just to let you know. I've always loved you , you have been my mate for a long time"

"Why didn't you ever say anything"? I asked absolutely incredulous.

"I was too scared I did not want to up end the friendship we had together" he said averting his eyes .

"Oh Smith" was all I could say as I drank more of the wine the taste warming me up and burning the back of my throat.

"To an extent I believed that you didn't know about the whole Luna announcement but it was easier to hold on to my hurt and anger than believe you" he said his face becoming too dark to see as night fall approached and the first stars began to twinkle.

I took another drink.

"I'm sorry" he said

I hugged him then a few tears falling from my eyes, hugging him as tightly as I could I felt safe.

"We have to get back to the castle" he said as we finally decided to let go of each other. "It's getting late .

On reaching the castle, it was already fully night time and we had both finished the entire wineskin and I had already become slightly drunk.

We cracked jokes and reminisced till we reached my roomm door and I felt so giddy and happy (the wine night have contributed to that) he opened the door for me and bid me goodnight .

"Sharp and early tomorrow we start a new technique" he said before shutting the door.

I called for some servants and had my bath and got dressed for bed.

Entering under the covers, I closed my eyes but I couldn't sleep so I jumped out from bed while still in my night dress ; a bare backed silk gown with only two thin straps holding it up at the shoulders, I walked out from my room still feeling more than a bit tipsy .

For some reason I coui not begin to explain , I felt a need to see Alpha Dawson, to give him a piece of my mind . I opened the door and met him surprisingly asleep and alone well almost alone as I met Beatrice cleaning up the table he must have eaten on from the looks of it .

"My Luna"! she said startled almost to the point of dropping cutlery and plates. "I wasn't expecting you" she said struggling to adjust the load an her arms.

"Neither was I " Alpha Dawson said, causing both I and Beatrice to turn out heads from the surprise as he was just sleeping

"Apparently" I said with as much disdain in my voice as I could muster.

"Leave us" Alpha Dawson said, to which Beatrice scurried out with utmost haste locking the door behind her.

'what do you want" he said his voice high and cold.

"I just wanted to let you know what a horrible person you are" I said as he got up from bed drawing closer to me.

"Oh really" he said, "and what have I done that was so terrible " he said once he had reached me, his bare chest distracting me terribly.

"You are really asking me that question are you"? I asked as he backed me up against the wall, " you made me your Luna without my consent or choice then you proceed to ignore me for the rest of it".

"Thought you said you hated me " he said his perfect mouth making deep seductive sounds as he spoke.

"I didn't say I didn't" I said my thoughts scrambled by both wine and sexual attraction, aware that the pace of my breath and heart had significantly increased.

"Was that all you came to say" he said looking at me with those piercing eyes and suddenly I couldn't talk I could hardly even breathe as I was overwhelmed by sexual need.

Not thinking I grabbed him and kissed him…..hard, his mouth softer than I expected, sweet too. He wrapped his arms around me and we kissed violently as he carressed my entire body, undoing the straps of my night wear

My legs trembled with need as my belly went all warm and fuzzy either from the wine or from being horny I had no idea but the wetness spreading between my legs was unmistakable. I freed him and Drew a gasp at his length , while he picked me up and we both moved to the bed where he claimed me with thrust after thrust as I moaned uncontrollably from pleasure.

Somewhere deep in the recesses of my mind I knew I was drunk but I didn't care I surrendered my mind to the sex and groaned as we climaxed.

I snuggled up beside him and he wrapped his arms around me before we both fell asleep.