Chapter 5 Luna's Training

• [Dorothy]
• “What are you doing, Alpha?” I yelled at Brohan in disbelief after he removed his hand from my mouth. He burst into laughter as he threw his weight on the sofa, hitting the armrest with his large hand several times.
• “You think it’s funny?” I was so annoyed and scared at the same time for him making fun of me that way.
• “You should have seen yourself, Dorothy. I’ve never thought you were easily frightened,” he continuously bugged me with his antics for a while. And though I protested, I can’t deny that he really scared me to death. I am new to this pack, and if it were really an intruder, I’d be gone by now.
• I have the necessary warrior training, but without River, any werewolf, let alone an alpha, can easily overpower me. Speaking of River, I noticed her movements in my head when Brohan and I had skin contact. With her presence, while being held by Brohan, the electricity crawled under my skin, giving me a different kind of high. She’s still not talking to me, but at least she already came out of hiding.
• “Who said I’m scared?” I lied.
• Suddenly, Brohan’s expression became serious. He narrowed his eyes on me as he took two long strides, stopping just inches away from me. His proximity made it hard to control my treacherous heart. He lifted his hand slowly, settling on my cheek; his deep gaze ignited a fire within. River whimpered almost the same time as a low growl escaped Brohan’s chest. He rested his forehead on mine, and my heart started thumping in my chest. I closed my eyes in anticipation of what might happen next. But it never came. Just then, two gentle knocks took his attention away from me.
• He squared his shoulders before turning around toward the door, and without looking back, he said, “Good night, Dorothy. Don’t worry; I will make you sleep early tonight.”
• And with that, he was gone. The sound of the door closing brought me out of my reverie. I didn’t even see who knocked on the door. Could it be Charlotte?
• I threw a barrage of expletives to Brohan in my mind. I will never get used to this stupid mate bond. I know it’s not right to question the moon goddess for her pairing, but really? Why, of all people, did she give me a jerk for a mate? What have I done to deserve this?
• Then I remembered something. What did he mean by saying he would make me sleep early tonight? Before I could process the information, the similar discomfort from last night haunted me again. I knew this feeling, this pain. My body stiffened as River started howling in my head. She is in agonizing pain again.
• “River?” I called her, hoping she would tell me how she feels. But her response startled me.
• “I’m sorry, Dorothy. I cannot bear to make you suffer this way. I will go for a while. Without me, the pain and discomfort will be more tolerable for you. Our mate is an indecent creature. Take care of yourself, Dorothy.” She quickly hid at the farthest corner of my mind before I could even react to what she just said.
• So that’s it?
• Without River, I am nothing more than a human. No heightened senses, no shifting, and no physical strength. Will it not put my life in danger? Too many things happened in the past twenty-four hours. Now, I even doubt if this mate bond is worth all the trouble. He may have brought me here and announced that I am the future Luna, but his actions were the opposite. Is he going to torture me for the rest of my life by bedding different women every night?
• I didn’t know how long I was standing in the middle of the room. By the time the discomfort in my chest eased out, I was already exhausted. I lazily marched to lock the door from the inside and went to bed without changing into fresh clothes. I was too tired from the day’s training with Luna, and Brohan’s post-dinner activity drained my remaining energy. This sucks.
• I woke up the following day feeling refreshed. So, I thought Brohan was telling the truth after all. I freshened up and changed into new clothes. I have to get ready for my Luna training with Luna Amelia. Yesterday went well, and I sincerely thought we were bonding well.
• I went to the kitchen for breakfast and surprisingly saw Brohan sitting alone at a corner table. I never expected him to slack. Ranked members typically spend their mornings training with the warriors and afternoons doing pack business and other tasks. I approached him and pulled a chair just as a pack worker served my food.
• “Morning,” I greeted him with a forced smile. He slowly lifted his head and nodded to acknowledge my presence.
• “Morning,” he said while scrutinizing my face, looking grumpy.
• I furrowed my brows at him. “What?”
• “You slept well?” he asked. His expression was unreadable.
• “Yeah, I slept alright. I will not ask you, though. I’m sure you did. " Without waiting for his reaction, I lowered my gaze to the plate in front of me and started eating. As much as I wanted a little chatter to familiarize myself with him, disgust kept flashing in my mind. Right now, River is hiding in the farthest corner of my mind, and I blame him for it.
• It was merely my second day in the pack, and I already had more reasons to avoid my mate than to be close to him. I sighed inwardly and focused on my food.
• We finished our meal in silence. Just as I put my cutleries down, Nanny Adel approached us from behind. She bowed her head, and Brohan and I nodded our heads in unison. I was in a hurry, so I spoke first.
• “Nanny Adel, I will go to Luna Amelia today. She will teach me about the tasks and pack-related matters,” I casually mentioned my itinerary, not only for the middle-aged woman but also for my mate. He did not tell me anything about pack management and how I would get involved in the future, so I had to prepare myself for it.
• After the last word fell from my mouth, Brohan lifted his head, his forehead wrinkled, and his face darkened. His gaze was fierce. “Stay away from that woman. If you want to learn anything, I will be the one to teach you,” he blurted angrily.
• “But, Brohan, I already promised her yesterday that I would come today,” I explained nervously. I couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t let me go to her mother for training.
• He slammed his ripped hands on either side of the table and bent forward. His face was inches away from mine, looking like a predator stalking his prey. His breathing grew heavy, and I could feel the heat emanating from him. In a low, icy tone, he glared at his mate and muttered threateningly, “I said, STAY AWAY FROM THAT WOMAN.”