Arise

It had been days. He had been gone for days and I was going out of my mind.

I had been staying at Caleb and Val’s house ever since he left. They didn’t trust me to be alone and thought their company would make me feel better. But I wanted to be alone. I wanted to wallow up in a hole and never leave. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs.

I wanted Logan.

I didn’t leave the guest room. I had only gotten up to use the bathroom and change my clothes. Valerie brought me food, but I was never hungry.

Logan had left and taken a part of my heart with him. All that was left was a gaping hole of pure emptiness and despair.

A knock from the door didn’t bring me away from my thoughts.

“How are you feeling?” Val sat at the edge of the bed and patted my blanketed thigh.

Logan had lied to me. Had left me. How did she think I felt?

I didn’t answer.

She set a plate of food in my vision. The thought of it made me want to gag. “Eat, Rosie.”

I stared at the wall. She pushed the plate closer. I turned around and curled further into the bed.

I missed Logan. I missed his warmth. I missed the feel of his arms around me. I missed his security. The smell of winter and the taste of mint. His beautiful gray eyes. His dimple. The way he laughed. The way his chestnut hair fell effortlessly on his face.

She nudged me. “Say something.”

I didn’t miss the arguments. We had fought almost every day. We never resolved them. We brushed them under the rug. Then he lied to me. Had made me trust him. Made me fall in love with him. Then ripped me apart. He didn’t love me. He never did.

It was all a lie.

“Listen, I know you’re angry. I understand how you’re feeling but you can’t do this to yourself.”

I whipped my entire body in her direction. Blood boiled. My ears rung. My words sharp as the knife Logan stabbed me with. “You do not understand what I am going through Valerie. My mate lied to me and left! He betrayed his Alpha. He betrayed his pack. And he betrayed me. I am his mate. He ruined me.” Venom and vehemence. “He tore me apart and left my bones to dry.” Tears had begun running down my heated face. “So, do not tell me that you understand me or that I can’t do this to myself, Luna, because you don’t get it.”

Her face held remorse. “Rosetta. . .”

“Leave me the hell alone!” I turned around and threw the blanket over my head, letting the tears silently fall freely down my face.

I heard her feet quietly pad away and she closed the door behind her.

I gasped a breath and my shoulders shook as sobs racked my body.

Someone much more powerful entered the room an hour later. His steps usually carried power and dominance, but he came to my bedside quietly. Almost treading as if one wrong move and I would bite his head off.

“What do you want?” My voice raw from crying.

He sighed. “My mate might not know what you’re feeling but I do.”

I lowered the blanket from my face, so I could see his. Caleb, for lack of a better word, looked drained. Fatigue seen under his eyes. A shadow on his face.

Caleb had found out what Logan had done when he called Caleb as he left the pack borders. He admitted what he had done. He had been working with rogues, helping them gain information on our pack. The line disconnected, and Caleb came straight to me. All those messages and mysterious phone calls were from the rogues he was working with. All those times he left at night to ‘patrol the territory’ were times he met with said rogues.

He warned the pack a couple days ago. Caleb held a meeting and announced the news, and they were more than furious. They all felt deceived, but Caleb felt it more. He was furious and heartbroken. His best friend. His beta. He betrayed us all for a group of rogues with no explanation as to why.

It had become a burden on his shoulders.

“I lost my best friend. He lied to me too. Betrayed me. But I don’t lie around waiting for the world to end. I have been running around trying to find him, trying to protect my pack from attacks because of him.” His voice broke near the end and I rose up from my position.

“I can’t wallow in self pity because I am Alpha. The pack needs me. You are Beta Female. The pack needs you too.”

“The pack comes first,” I mumbled.

He nodded, shaking himself of his somber expression. “Always.” He ran a hand over his face. “Val is looking out for you. She is concerned because this isn’t healthy.” I looked away. “So, let’s look out for each other.”

My gaze returned to his in wonder.

“I watch over you and you do the same for me. Besides Valerie, Logan is one thing we have in common and we cannot let him hurt us. Whenever you want to talk, talk and I’ll listen. If I need to talk, you listen. We help each other out. Sound like a deal?”

I nodded and slowly backed my body against the headboard.

He smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Good,” he said as he reached over to the nightstand, grabbing the plate of food and setting it on my lap. “As your Alpha, I command you to eat.”

I rolled my eyes but picked up the fork and began eating.

He left with a parting look.

“That is, it! Get up!” Val ripped the blanket off my body. Cool air whipped my arms and legs, as my eyes were blinded by the lights being turned on.

Before Valerie had rudely entered the room, I was wrapped cocoon-style, with the lights off, watching a stupid romantic movie.

“You have been sulking around for a week, Rosie! I am sick and tired of it!”

I groaned in response and put my arm over my eyes.

She grabbed said arm and pulled me off the bed, making me land on the ground with a thud.

“What the hell, Val!” I got up with annoyance and sat back on the bed.

“Oh no you don’t.” Val pulled me back up. “Go change because we are going to get you out of this funk!” She pushed me towards the bathroom and threw me some athletic wear. I raised my eyes in question, but she shook her head and pointed to the bathroom door.

Shaking my head, I cleared my thoughts. No more thinking of Logan. Thinking of him would do me no good. I couldn’t continue to sulk.

With a huff, I got ready. I wore a loose tank top and leggings and then brushed my hair and tied it into a ponytail. I exited the bathroom and wore the tennis shoes Val let me borrow.

I followed her down the hall and out the house. The walk to the pack house was short. Like Logan’s house, their house was just a couple minutes away by walking, but it was in the opposite direction of the pack house.

“Val?”

“What,” she snapped.

“I’m sorry for being a bitch.”

“You had every right to be a bitch, but do it again and I will flay you alive.”

The sky was still dark, but dawn was arriving soon. There was a light breeze, and the only noise came from the sounds of our footsteps against the uneven ground. I stepped on a branch and heard it snap.

“What are we doing here?”

When we arrived at the training grounds behind the pack house, Val spoke. “We are going to train.” I raised my eyebrows at her. She sighed and pulled me further in.

There were so many people here. Men and women alike were fighting and exercising. They were all grouped in stations with trainers monitoring each station. It was loud from all the yelling and fighting.

“We don’t know this rogue group or what Logan is doing with them, but we need to be prepared—you need to be prepared.”

“So, you’re teaching me how to fight?” I rested my hands on my hips and looked at her in disbelief.

She shook her head. “Not me.” She turned her head and called out a name: “Sebastian!”

Sebastian, in his wolf form, trotted up to us and without giving me any time to cover my eyes, he shifted back into his human form. I shrieked and whipped my head around. I was still struggling to adapt to the pack’s nude comfortability.

He laughed. “It’s natural. You should be used to this by now.”

“Just put some damn clothes on.” My ears perked at the noise of movement. “Are you decent?”

“Yup.”

I turned around only to make direct eye contact with his brown-skinned chest. I clenched my teeth together and glared at him. “Put on a shirt.”

“Why?” He smirked, and his muscles started to twitch. I scoffed. He was moving his pecks up and down. “Are they too distracting?”

They were distracting but I wasn’t going to admit that. I narrowed my eyes and shoved him with a laugh. “You irritate me.”

He folded his arms over his chest, muscles rippling. “Do you work out?”

I shrugged. “Sometimes.” I only ever exercised if I felt the need to, which was not as often as it should have be.

He gave a disapproving expression and frowned. “That’s got to change. We need to be ready for whatever might come our way. Not just us, but you too.”

“Why me?” I thought I was safe within the walls of the pack.

A voice behind me said, “Because we don’t have intel on what Logan is planning. We need to be prepared. He could come back for you.” It was Caleb. In these past couple of days, he even made time to check up on me, and I him. We learned to balance each other out. He wasn’t so bad anymore.

“He’s not coming back,” I spat. Closing my eyes, I groaned and dropped my head. The wound in my heart was still fresh. Still expanding. He wasn’t going to come back. And even if he did, he would have to deal with the consequences of turning against his pack.

I was done feeling hurt. Logan did this to himself. I would not be there for him if he ever decided to return.

Caleb cleared his throat. “He’s with rogues. Rogues try to take over territory. It’s what they do.” His eyes softened as he looked at me. “You need to protect yourself.”

I rolled my neck. “I’d rather just steer clear from any conflict.”

“Rosetta, we cannot take any risks. If Logan was here, he would be the one to protect you—”

“But he’s not." No more relying on Logan. Logan was no longer a part of my life.

He nodded. Pointing his finger at me, he said, “Right. He’s gone so you need to defend yourself.”

I groaned. Might as well get this over with. “Fine. Where do we start.”

An hour later, and I had reached my limit. No scratch that. I was going into overload. I spent a few moments trying to regain my breathing. “I need a break.” I fanned my face.

“One more set.” Sebastian was the absolute worst.

My legs gave out and I fell to the ground, butt first. I clutched my stomach and wheezed. It’s not like Sebastian was doing anything. He was just watching and directing me. I was the one going through the painful exercises. “It physically hurts to breath, Sebastian!”

He scoffed. “Suck it up.”

I narrowed my eyes and stayed unmoving. He only rolled his eyes at my stubbornness. I huffed and resumed the position I was previously in. I continued doing the set of exercises with my labored breathing as he counted. “Three, two, one. And you’re done.”

I landed back on the ground and closed my eyes. My muscles screamed in pain. They would hurt like hell tomorrow. “Thank God.”

“Goddess.”

“What?” I opened one eyelid and peeked at him. He was scratching his elbow.

“The Moon Goddess.”

I rolled my eyes. Now was not the time to learn about werewolves. I needed a nap and food, and a shower. “Stick to your beliefs and I’ll stick to mine.”

He nodded and then took a seat on the ground next to me. He folded his legs, knees in the air and rested his elbows on his knees, wrapping his arms around his legs and clasping his hands together. “We need to build up your endurance. Your regimen is child’s play.”

“Well, I’m only human.” I practically inhaled the bottle of water. My thirst finally quenched.

“Exactly. Humans can’t fight like us. You can’t rely on shifting.” He looked at me, determination in his eyes. “Do you know why they asked me to train you?”

“Because you love seeing people suffer?”

He rolled his eyes and elbowed me. “I used to be human.”

“What?” My jaw dropped in disbelief.

He nodded. “I was a human living in the town next to the territory. Last year I met Joann,” he pointed to a girl monitoring a group exercising and she waved with a smile. “I was working at the library when she came in with her grandma. She turned me into a werewolf a couple months later.” He got up, dusting his hands off before helping me stand. “I’m training you because I trained as a human before I turned. Which means we’re going to keep up with this routine every morning, build up your strength.”

I internally groaned. I would soon hate mornings. “When do I actually learn how to fight, or I don’t know, shoot something.” A series of fighting movie montages flashed through my mind.

“As soon as possible. We don’t know what the rogues are planning. Our trackers are looking for intel. The faster you learn how to fight, the better.” He rose up and dusted off his pants. “Also, no guns. Guns equal bullets and bullets can be made of silver and silver is—”

“Deadly.” I finished for him.

He gestured to the pack house. “Good. You’re catching on. Breakfast doesn’t start for another hour so go take a bath. You stink.”

I smiled. “Wolfy senses tingling?”

He ruffled up my hair. I yelped. “Anyone within five miles can scent your stench.”

Back to glaring at him. “Hilarious,” I deadpanned. I eyed him in wonder. He didn’t seem human at all. The way he looked, the way he carried himself.

He noticed my staring. “What?”

“Is it still weird to be a werewolf?”

He nodded. “Sometimes. Sometimes I forget I am a werewolf and sometimes I forget I was ever human. The shifting doesn’t hurt anymore.”

I drank my water. “Was it painful when it happened.”

He stretched his arms back and rolled his shoulders. “It hurt like hell, but I got through it just like you will.”

I laughed and shook my head. I was going to be human for the rest of my life, and I wasn’t planning on ever changing that. “That’s not happening anytime soon. Or at all, for that matter.”

“He’ll be back.” He sounded so sure of himself.

“I doubt it.” I untied my hair, pulling the knots out.

“You guys are mates. He’s coming back.” I glared at him again. Logan made his choice and decided to leave. I wasn’t planning on welcoming him with open arms.

With both my hands, I flicked him off and proceeded to walk away until he called my name.

“And another thing.” He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “Since I’m doing this, I need something from you.”

“Luna asked you to do this out of courtesy.”

“That’s why I’m asking you for something and not Luna.”

I fell right into that one. “What?”

“As you know, we always host a bonfire the night of a full moon.” I remembered. Every time the full moon was approaching, most of the young pack members held a bonfire party, to relax their nerves. People didn’t shift until they turned eighteen, so shifting into wolves was much more painful as a teenager than an adult. “Care to be the entertainment with me?”

I smiled knowingly and waved goodbye.

After breakfast, I walked back down the familiar path to Logan’s place. The key felt hot in my hands. As did the tears burning my eyes. I hated him. I really did. But I loved him too. Loved him too much to let him leave the way he did. But he left anyways.

I wasn’t enough for him.

I fisted my hands tightly.

He didn’t deserve me.

I turned around when my phone rang in my jean pocket. “Hey.”

“Rosie! How’s everything.” The sound of Dylan’s cheery voice made me grimace.

“Doing better than three days ago.” I headed down the path I always took.

“Bounced back pretty fast,” she stated. The morning after it happened, I called Dylan and told her everything trying not to cry, but that was impossible. She knew how I was. The last big breakup I went through had taken a lot out of me. It took me months to get over it. I couldn’t stand to let myself be vulnerable that long anymore.

“They’re making me train.”

“Why?”

“They don’t know what to expect now that he’s with rogues. Are you okay? Are mom and dad okay?”

“We’re under pack protection. It’s a good thing Jordan is my mate.” I heard the smile in her voice. At least her relationship was going well. “Jordan is here all the time so it’s not suspicious. Any progress with CeCe and Shaw?”

I laughed. CeCe visited me yesterday and updated me on her love life. She was still hanging out with Travis, and Shaw still followed her every move. Things still hadn’t changed, but she claimed they were making progress. “Still the same, obviously.”

“Update me when Shaw finally comes to his senses. Orientation is in a half hour. Got to go!”

“Bye, Dylan.” I ended the call and put the phone back into my pocket.

I could do this. I could train. Learn to protect myself. I was doing fine before I met Logan, and I could do it again. I turned away from the lodge and walked back to Val and Caleb’s house, determination clear in my footsteps.