Training had given me a newfound sense of purpose. Instead of drowning in thoughts of loss, I began to focus on the possibilities of tomorrow. I kept waiting for fear to settle in, to overwhelm me with the realization that joining had been a terrible mistake. But when that fear never came, I was left surprised-and relieved.
With something else to focus on, the tears that had threatened to fall faded away, and I found myself enjoying the day with Chiara and Sofia.
“See? Nothing a good girls’ day can’t fix,” Sofia quipped, admiring her freshly painted nails with a satisfied grin. She held her hands out for me to inspect.
“They’re beautiful,” I nodded, taking a moment to follow my wolf’s advice and remain in the present. “But how do you even fight with fake nails on?”
“Very, very carefully,” Sofia responded with a dramatic eye roll. “You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve chipped a nail.”
“We’re werewolves, Sofia,” Chiara laughed, shaking her head at Sofia’s vanity. “We have claws; I don’t think we were meant to have fake nails.”
“That’s not going to stop me,” Sofia said defiantly, casting a bemused glance between us as if we were the crazy ones.
They dragged me into almost every store, pulling clothes from racks and loading them into my arms. I swear they were the only ones enjoying it. Every time I tried something on, I had to step out for their approval. Chiara and Sofia, with their aligned tastes, spared me a thousand more trips to the dressing room.
After what felt like hours, we headed back to Carlo’s house, surprised to find the others in the meeting room. It was an impressive space, dominated by a massive table at the center. A bar lined one wall, with rows of glass decanters filled with amber-colored liquor. Sunlight streamed through the large windows, making the room feel even bigger.
At the head of the table sat Carlo, flanked by his parents. Vito and his father, Beta Tommaso, stood to the side. Enrico lounged in one of the many chairs, watching as the three of us entered. I felt all their eyes on me, each one filled with concern. I gritted my teeth but managed to keep my expression neutral.
“Did you have fun, dear?” Carlo’s mom asked with a warm smile that made my heart clench painfully.
She didn’t look anything like my mom, with her brown hair pulled back in a neat ponytail, but that motherly concern in her eyes was the same. Her smile was kind but cautious, like she expected me to fall apart at any second.
“I did,” I forced a smile, hoping it looked genuine. “Some fresh air did me good.”
“Good, I’m glad,” she beamed, her entire face lighting up. Carlo’s dad wrapped an arm around her waist, and the joy on her face twisted something deep inside me. A reminder of the love and happiness I had lost. It had been almost a year since I lost my mate-and now, I’d lost my mom too.
‘Don’t go there,’ my wolf, Blue, murmured. ‘We can only make the best of what we have now.’
“You don’t have to stay for this, Ella,” Carlo offered me a sympathetic smile, his deep blue eyes filled with concern-and something else. Excitement?
Beta Tommaso watched me solemnly, shadows under his eyes betraying sleepless nights. Some bitter part of me noted with satisfaction that at least someone else was suffering. He had tried to talk to me after my mom died, but I’d shut him out. I didn’t want to hear about how much he’d cared for her. He hadn’t known her like I had-he hadn’t had a lifetime with her.
“I’ll have you know, Ella agreed to join training,” Sofia announced proudly, shooting me a grin. “She can sit in if she wants.”
“Really?” Carlo’s eyes widened in surprise. “Are you sure about this?”
“Hell yeah, Ella!” Enrico cheered, a wide grin spreading across his face. “I’ve been waiting to see what you’re made of.”
I took a steadying breath, forcing myself to meet all the surprised and concerned looks. “I’m sure. I need something to focus on, and learning to defend myself can’t hurt.”
“Take it easy on her at first,” Carlo frowned at Sofia and Enrico.
They were in charge of training the new recruits until the tournament in a month. The Blood Moon Pack had a three-tier training system: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. After each tier came a tournament, where the strongest warriors advanced, while the losers restarted at the beginner level. I didn’t have much hope for myself-I had no training, low pain tolerance, and terrible reflexes-but I was determined to try.
“I want to be treated like everyone else,” I said firmly, cutting Carlo off before he could say more. “If everyone stops treating me like I’m wounded, maybe I can stop acting like it.”
The room fell silent, every gaze on me. Slowly, a grin spread across Carlo’s face, and something inside me fluttered.
“Damn, Carlo,” Enrico chuckled, giving me a crooked smile. “I think Ella should be the next Alpha. She’d whip us all into shape in no time.”
For a moment, the aching in my chest eased, and I flashed him a real smile. “Don’t forget it.”
“You’ll be a force to reckon with if you survive this training,” Vito teased, pushing his hair from his eyes.
“Turning my own pack against me,” Carlo joked, his eyes twinkling with humor. “I’d like to keep my title, but there’s always another position open.”
The smirk on his face made his meaning clear, and my heart twisted painfully at the offer. He meant the Luna position. But instead of feeling flattered, it only reminded me of what I had lost. I forced a clueless grin and ignored the weight of his words.
‘He has a mate out there somewhere,’ Blue sighed. ‘We can’t take that away from him. He deserves to find her.’
‘I agree,’ I replied, sharing Blue’s sadness. ‘But maybe we’ll find our own happiness someday.’
‘I hope so, Blue. I really do.’
Carlo’s dad cast his son a sarcastic grin, the resemblance between them striking. “Before my son decides to give up his title, let’s get down to business.”
I slipped into the chair between Enrico and Sofia, hissing as Enrico poked at my sore eyebrows. Sofia had insisted I get them waxed, and now my skin was paying the price. I felt like I’d been slapped across the forehead.
“Did something hit you in the head?” Enrico whispered, ignoring Vito’s low chuckle.
“No, now shush.” I swatted his hands away, glaring as his face split into a grin. “Stop touching my face.”
“It’s a cute face.” He shrugged, unfazed by my annoyance. “But it does look like something hit you in the head.”
“She got her eyebrows waxed, genius,” Chiara snorted, exchanging a look of amused exasperation with Sofia.
Carlo cleared his throat. “If you all are done commenting on Ella’s cute face, maybe we can get started.”
My cheeks burned, matching the irritated redness around my brows. Enrico smirked at me, clearly enjoying my embarrassment, and Carlo’s eyes flickered to Enrico before a knowing smile crossed his own face.
“As you’re all aware, the attack on the pack was completely unexpected,” Carlo’s father said, his expression grim. Instantly, the room’s atmosphere grew heavy, thick with tension.
My heart pounded as he began to recount the attack, each word dragging me back to that awful day. My breath grew shallow as images of my mother flashed in my mind-her silver fur streaked with blood, her once warm eyes now empty and dull.
Enrico’s gaze found mine, lingering for a moment as I struggled to steady my breathing. There was no pity in his eyes, just a quiet understanding. His hand landed gently on my knee, and the simple squeeze somehow eased the panic clawing at my chest.
Carlo noticed the silent exchange, his lips tightening momentarily before a soft smile crept onto his face when our eyes met.
‘Breathe, Ella,’ Blue urged softly, her voice steady in my mind. ‘Think of tomorrow-think of training, what you’ll learn.’
Taking her advice, I forced myself to inhale deeply, focusing on the mundane details of the next day. I mentally mapped out my entire routine-what I’d wear, when I’d shower, everything. Slowly, the tightness in my chest eased, and air flowed freely into my lungs again.
The pain still lingered, but it was dulled, pushed to the background for the moment. I tuned back into Carlo’s father, pushing away the haunting image of my mother.
“Our Vampire liaison assured us they had no involvement in this attack,” he continued, “and most of them are currently occupied with new territory in Tuscany.”
“I wouldn’t put too much trust in what the liaison says,” Carlo cut in, his frown deepening. “Vampires don’t need to be physically present to stir up trouble.”
We all knew the basics about vampires-they couldn’t survive in the sun, but they had ways around that, using cars and buildings with UV-blocking windows to navigate the world during daylight hours. They were stronger, faster, and more perceptive than humans, and could control human minds with ease. But they couldn’t touch the minds of werewolves, or Fae-though no one had seen a Fae in years. Still, it wouldn’t take much to convince rogues to attack.
“You’re right,” Carlo’s father agreed with a nod, “but we’ve bought ourselves some time to investigate further. The rogues lost a lot of numbers in that battle and will need time to regroup.”
“I think it’d be smart to send out scouts,” Carlo said, his voice steady as he addressed the group. “We’ll pick some of our best warriors and have them survey the areas just beyond our territory. Stealth is key. I want to know where these rogues sleep, where they eat. If there’s any trouble, the Patrol will step in. Once we find out where they’re hiding, we’ll draw them out and lead them back to our land, where every trained warrior will be ready for them.”
“Vito, help Beta Tommaso organize the scouting teams,” Carlo instructed, nodding towards his beta and his son. “And leave Sofia and Enrico out of it-I need them focused on training the new recruits.”
Carlo’s father shot him a look of grudging approval before Carlo turned his attention to Sofia and Enrico.
“I want you both to ramp up the training. Extend the sessions by two hours, every day from Monday to Saturday. If any recruits need extra help, make them stay another hour. When the rogues gather their strength again, we need to be prepared.”
As I listened to Carlo’s words, the weight of what I’d committed to began to sink in. My throat tightened as I swallowed hard, wondering what exactly I had gotten myself into.