ONYX✔️

Chapter 7

"Be gone, Satan! The power of Christ compels you!" I yelled at the Devil, as I held my fingers out in front of me in the shape of a cross as I kept my eyes shut.

"Stop being so dramatic, Onyx" Thane said in his typical dry tone, and I could almost hear his eyes physically rolling. "It's only 7 a.m. Usually people begin training at 6 a.m. at the very latest."

"I don't want to train," I whined as I pried my eyes open to glare at my evil mate.

Thane glared back at me, even though I could see the corners of his mouth fighting a smile. "I don't recall asking if you wanted to or not."

"Stupid Alpha!" I groaned as I threw the covers back over my head. What can I say, I'm not really a morning person.

"Excuse me?" Thane's voice was harsh, and I poked my head out of the covers to see if he was actually mad. Even though his eyes were narrowed, I could see traces of amusement in them. "How about a deal, little one?"

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. "What kind of deal?"

His lips turned up in a mischievous grin. "You don't ever have to train... If you can land one punch on me."

"One punch?" I perked up at his offer. "That's all? That's too easy."

Thane chuckled lowly. "Okay, mate, lets see what you've got then."

"What, now?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.

"Yep. Get up, little one. If I pin you without you landing a hit on me, then you have to go to training," His voice was slightly amused, as if he wasn't possibly entertaining the idea that I may be able to get a hit on him.

I shrugged. "Okay, Thane. Just remember that you were the one who suggested this."

Thane's response was sarcastic. "Yeah, okay, little one. Less talking more punching."

I rolled my eyes, and swung my legs out from the bed. Thane's shirt went well over my thighs, so at least I wasn't too exposed. I really did need to get my own clothes though.

I squared up in a fighting stance I had seen Greyson do many times, and Thane's grin broadened, his white teeth glistening.

Trying to have the upper hand by throwing the first punch, I swung my fist at him.

He easily caught it, and used it to pull me closer to him. He put his other arm around mine, so it was squeezed to my side. He didn't let go of my fist, despite me squirming to get away.

"We should spar more often, little mate," Thane winked at me as he smiled victoriously.

"No fair," I whined, my struggling futile. "I didn't stretch or eat breakfast and Mercury is in retrograde and-"

Thane cut me off. "No excuses, love. What happened to 'That's too easy'? Go get dressed. I had a pack member go shopping for you yesterday and get the essentials. After training you can go into town and pick out whatever else you want, but there should be training clothes in the closet."

"'There should be training clothes in the closet'," I mocked his voice in a high pitched tone to get on his nerves. He may be forcing me to go to training, but I would not make it easy on him.

Thane just rolled his eyes and released me from his grasp. "Cute, little one. It'll take more than childish mocking to get under my skin, I'm afraid."

I mocked him again as I went into the closet, turning my back on him. Much to my dismay, he just laughed loudly.

I got dressed in black leggings, a sports bra, a white tank top, and black and white running shoes. The outfit was a little bit too plain and tomboy-ish for my taste, but it would do for now.

Thane looked at me appreciatively as I stepped out of the closet. "Don't look so smug," I muttered as I put my dark hair up into a ponytail. My comment just made his smirk deepen.

"Let's go to the training center, little mate. You won't be training with the rest of the pack until after the Mating Ceremony," Thane grabbed my hand with his and guided me out of the room.

"Mating ceremony," I repeated, dazed. This was all happening rather quickly.

"Mating ceremony," Thane confirmed as we exited the Pack House. "Hopefully, I claim you, you become a part of Blue Moon, and you are officially the Luna."

"Hopefully?" I frowned, looking up at him.

Thane winced. "Ahh, yes. Hopefully that's how the Mating Ceremony goes."

My confusion intensified. "What does that mean?"

Thane sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as we continued to walk to the training center. His pack land was exceptionally green, with soft grass underneath our footfall at every turn. "Onyx, lets discuss this later, okay? Just focus on your training, and we will talk about it another time."

I narrowed my eyes. "That's real stretchy of you, boss. But sure, let's talk about it later," I surprised myself by letting venom seep into my words.

Thane also looked surprised, his usually emotionless face changed into one of shock as his eyebrows raised. "Umm- okay. Later, then."

Thane tried to prod conversation out of me for the rest of the walk, but I kept my responses short and polite, yet not inviting conversation. I could sense his frustration with me rising, but I was also frustrated. I hate feeling like something is being hidden from me.

We finally reached a large building, which was almost empty inside besides a few mats, punching bags hung up, and targets scattered around.

"Alpha," A female voice greeted Thane, and I almost had a heart attack at the sudden sound. I could have sworn we were alone, but the voice came from directly behind us.

"Clover, hello," Thane politely responded as we turned around to look at the quiet woman who startled me. "Onyx, this is my head warrior, Clover. She leads the trainings when my Gamma is occupied. After the pack leaders, she is the strongest wolf in Blue Moon. You are very lucky to learn from her."

I nodded, pushing the jealous thoughts out of my head as I inspected the she-wolf in front of me. Her face displayed no signs of emotion as I made eye contact with her. She was tanned and had dark brown hair, only slightly lighter than mine. Her most defining feature was her muscles, which were prominent and bulging. She nodded once at me and slightly exposed her neck towards me, a sign of respect and submission.

"Okay, have fun with Clover, little one. I'll be back to come get you in two hours or so," Thane kissed the top of my head, and I looked up at him in betrayal.

"You're leaving me?" I asked, panic seeping into my voice.

"Shh, it'll be okay, little mate," Thane bent down slightly so he was at eye level with me, and grasped my shoulders. "You'll be safe with Clover, she's one of my most trusted wolves, and one of the most competent. I can't stay."

"Why not?" I whimpered, not liking how weak I sounded, but also not liking the idea of being alone with this beast of a woman, who could likely snap me in half with one flick of her wrist.

"My wolf will be too upset by watching you fight someone and try to neutralize the threat. You don't want me to kill Clover do you?" He asked rhetorically, and I sighed.

"Okay, fine, see you in two hours," I grumbled, and he kissed my forehead one more time before ducking out.

"Erm- hi?" I said to Clover once Thane was gone.

She nodded once at me, but didn't greet me further. I got the sense that she wasn't much of a talker. "You have poor muscle definition."

My mouth dropped open. "Excuse me?"

Her dark eyebrows raised. "It's not meant to be an insult, just an observation. We'll have to increase your muscle mass if you want to stand a chance."

"Stand a chance against what?" I asked. Everyone made it sound like I was about to be in a war.

Confusion marred Clover's face. "He didn't- ah...Never mind, Luna. Go run 8 laps around the track and we'll see how well you do."

Whatever Thane and his little pack was hiding from me, I would find out if it was the last thing I ever do.