Chapter 8 Start Of Training

• Title: Start of Training
• Janelle’s Point of View
• "Being with me means certain death. My curse will take your life,” Lucas echoed the warnings I’d heard from others in my pack about him.
• If I didn’t know him better, I might let fear creep back in. But honestly, I didn’t buy into that idea.
• “When we first met, your curse freaked me out,” I admitted, “but now, I won’t let it control my life. I refuse to be held back by something that might never happen.”
• I stared him down, determined to show him I wasn’t scared anymore. His expression was unreadable, but I could sense the turmoil brewing inside him.
• “What do you mean you don’t care?” he shot back.
• I took a deep breath to steady myself before responding. “What I mean is that I’m choosing to live life my way. If I end up facing my fate, so be it. At least I’ll have lived fully, free from fear.”
• A thick silence filled the space, and I could sense the intensity of his stare. Still, I stood firm. I had made my choice, and I was prepared to confront whatever came next.
• "I think I might be cursed too," I confessed to Lucas. As soon as the words slipped out, it felt like a shadow had descended over us, darkening our conversation.
• "Since my mom passed away, it seems like everything I hold dear has vanished. I've been through a lifetime of challenges and disappointments. Maybe my bad luck can somehow balance out your curse," I proposed, even though I knew it was a flimsy way to make sense of the chaos surrounding us.
• The truth was, I had been through a lot. Years of mistreatment, rejection from my mate, and being dragged here against my will. Wasn’t I just the poster child for misfortune?
• "No matter where I find myself, I know my fate is sealed," I said, my hands growing heavy as I let them drop. I bowed my head, feeling completely defeated. “If I have to go, I’d rather do it as a fierce wolf.”
• I glanced back at Lucas, hoping he understood the seriousness of what I was saying. I spoke with complete sincerity, wishing he could sense that. He looked confused, but I caught a quick flash of intensity in his eyes before it faded away.
• Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself for his response.
• "Eat," he finally replied.
• It wasn’t what I expected, but it was not bad.
• "Finish your meal," he added as he stood up.
• Thinking he wanted me to rush so he could send me off, I snapped in frustration.
• "Lucas! I’m not kidding; this is important..."
• He interrupted me, saying, "If you want to be strong, you need to eat a lot."
• He picked up a new spoon, and it hit me that he had bent the last one during our conversation and couldn’t use it anymore. And that's why he stood up to pick a new one. I watched him in his chair, grabbing the new spoon to keep eating.
• As he chewed, he looked at me and said, "You really should eat meat every day. You seem weak and thin. To build strength, you need to stay healthy."
• His words took me by surprise, and I coughed in shock.
• With a rush of excitement, I asked, "Does that mean I can stay and train with you?" He didn’t respond or even look my way, just kept eating the breakfast I had prepared. But he didn’t turn down my request either. Overjoyed, I exclaimed, "Thank you so much! I promise to make you lots of delicious meals!"
• I sprang back to my seat like an energetic rabbit and grabbed my spoon.
• "I'm definitely planning to eat a ton, Sir. Maybe I should think about an exercise routine to keep up with your training..." I started to say, but he interrupted me with a sudden remark.
• "You're really loud," he said, making me pause. "Can you just keep it down?"
• Even though his words were a bit harsh, I couldn't help but feel excited. I nodded eagerly, zipped my lips, and savored my breakfast in blissful silence, my grin stretching wide.
• Once we were done eating, I tackled the dishes while humming a little tune.
• Lucas offered to pitch in, but I insisted I could handle everything on my own.
• He went out to patrol the pack's border and warned me not to wander outside since the rogues are cautious of my curse. I took his advice to heart and focused on cleaning, which I’m pretty good at.
• My mom always told me that as female wolves, we need to know how to stand up for ourselves. I didn’t really get that before, but now I’m all in on training hard to keep my promise and stay safe.
• While Lucas was away, I stuck to the basics—squats, glute bridges, and reverse lunges. I decided to skip the push-ups for now.
• On my second day at Lucas's place, I was feeling pretty good. He suggested I work on my stamina before jumping into combat training, so I started my workout routine after my first day there. Today, he had me running for 50 minutes around the house.
• "Ugh, I’m so wiped," I said, pausing to catch my breath. I wiped the sweat off my forehead and glanced up at the overcast sky. At least it wasn’t as scorching as yesterday.
• "Where’s my water?" I looked around for my bottle, only to remember I had left it inside.
• As I turned my head, I caught sight of Lucas doing push-ups with just one finger. My heart raced as I watched him, totally mesmerized by his strength and poise.
• 'Wow. He’s really something,' I thought, unable to tear my eyes away.
• Even with sweat dripping down, Lucas was seriously attractive. His scent, a blend of mint and earth, floated toward me on the gentle breeze, making my heart race.
• I didn’t realize how long I’d been staring at him until he caught me red-handed. I froze up, feeling like a thief caught in the act. But Lucas didn’t seem fazed at all. He just picked up the water bottle I had left lying around and tossed it my way. I totally missed it as it flew past me. The bottle rolled off, and I quickly chased after it, picking it up and brushing the dirt off my shorts.
• “You really need to sharpen those reflexes,” he said with a smirk.
• Feeling a bit embarrassed, I shot him a glance, biting my lip. He had a point; for a werewolf, my reflexes were pretty pathetic.
• "Stop overthinking and get going. You’ve got ten minutes left," he said.
• I watched him settle down and start doing curl-ups, his muscles flexing with every move. His dedication fired me up, sparking some motivation inside me.
• Lucas had been at it for three hours straight. He was definitely someone to look up to, I thought.
• "Yes, Sir!" I shot back, giving him a playful salute.
• Lucas looked a bit taken aback by my unexpected show of respect, but I caught a glimpse of pride in his eyes. He frowned and turned away, getting back to his usual routine.
• I popped the lid off my water bottle and took a cool sip, relishing the refreshing feeling as it went down. With a few minutes to spare, I dashed around the cozy cabin nestled in the woods.
• "He was always so quiet," I said to myself while jogging.
• Even after three days, Lucas hadn’t changed—still calm, collected, and a bit distant. I tried to chat during meals, but his icy demeanor was tough to crack. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was a good guy. After all, he let me crash here for three days and...
• "Grrr!"
• A loud growl broke the peacefulness of the forest, sending a wave of fear through me.
• "Grrrrrrrrrrrr!"
• Lucas and I exchanged glances. Without a second thought, he jumped up and took off, his red eyes scanning the surroundings, checking every shadow.
• "Do you think there are any rogues nearby?" I asked, gripping my bottle tightly.
• Lucas moved closer, signaling for me to stay put as he raised his hand in front of me.
• "Stay inside the house. Don’t move," he said firmly.
• My heart raced like crazy as Lucas sprinted toward the source of the strange noise. I wanted to follow him, but he vanished from sight in an instant, leaving me behind.
• Even though I was aware of Lucas's strength, I worried something might h...
• No.
• Lucas is strong. He can take anyone.
• Nodding my head, I followed his orders and made my way to the creepy house. Out of nowhere, I heard something rustling behind me.
• Krrksss...
• I spun around to see someone stepping out from the bushes. "W-Who are you?" I asked.
• Moments later, a shadowy figure appeared right in front of me. It was a guy with brown hair, pale skin, and piercing blue eyes. I had no clue who he was, but something told me getting mixed up with him would be a bad idea.
• “Janelle from the Dark Moon Pack. You're even more stunning than I heard," he said with a grin.
• I tried to back away, but it felt like my feet were stuck. His friendly demeanor only made my nerves spike.
• “What do you want from me? How do you know my name?” I managed to ask, my voice trembling.
• I looked toward where Lucas had disappeared, wishing I could call out to him. But this guy was too close, too menacing.
• “I’m the Alpha of the Red Blood Pack,” he announced, stepping even closer.
• My hands turned icy as I realized I was face-to-face with one of the most powerful werewolves around.
• "I just want to chat," he said, but there was a creepy undertone to his words. "However, since we’re short on time, I need to take you with me."
• I spun around to flee, but he was faster. In an instant, he was right there, pressing a cloth over my mouth and nose.