Luna Catalina (ENG)

Chapter 9

All of us, but Cas, arrived at the training camp at 6.45am so that we could go and study the people. There were a lot of werewolves. I should have expected it, after all, Blood Moon is the largest pack in the United States. But even so, the number of people gathered here never ceased to amaze me. There were somewhere between 1000 and 2000 people gathered here. Miguel and I were discussing strategies on how to divide all these people, when Cas finally showed up. She was grinning from ear to ear and seemed to be floating on a cloud. 

-“I thought you weren't coming,"- I said when she arrived at my side. 

-“Come on, I wouldn't miss the first day for all the money in the world,"- she replied cheerfully. 

The first day's training in a pack was always difficult for us. People didn't like an outsider coming in to give them orders. Werewolves were a proud race and having someone come to tell you that you weren't training the right way or that there were things to improve didn't usually sit very well with them. The problems tended to be especially bad with the higher-ranked warriors, with whom we always ended up having a confrontation. I had no doubt that there would be some trouble today, especially when they saw that I was going to be the one leading the training. 

-“I see someone has lived up to his expectations in bed," I said, looking at Cas's gawking smile. 

-“He’s amazing. I'll tell you in detail later," she said, winking at me. I really didn't want to know the details, but I knew I didn't have a choice, "Besides...". Cas moved the collar of her shirt, revealing a mark made by two fangs. 

-“Oh my God, you've marked each other! Congratulations, Cas! I'm so happy for you, I'm really happy for you,"- I gave her a big hug. I couldn't have been happier for my friend.

Every werewolf had a partner who was the other half of his soul. The Moon Goddess did not differentiate between men and women, she simply chose the person who completed your soul. When werewolves meet their mate, they must mark them, as a sign of bonding and acceptance. Once a couple had marked each other, their bond became unbreakable. They could never be separated. The bond is so strong that often when one person in the couple died, the other died hours or days later. Very few people managed to survive the loss of their mate after they had marked each other, and those who did, were never the same person again. When you marked another person, the two souls became one, and you could hear everything the other person was thinking and feel all their feelings as if they were your own. Deciding to mark your mate and accepting that he marks you means accepting that he is the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. 

Kayden and Ian arrived at that moment. Everyone quieted down and stood around them in a circle. Miguel, Cas, Luis, my brothers and I stood next to him. I had sent the other 12 warriors out on patrol, with the goal that almost all of Kayden's men would be at this training.

-“As many of you know, Blood Moon is facing a difficult time. Our power and well-being has generated great envy in other packs, leading three packs to declare war on us. In addition, in the last month we have received a large number of rogue attacks, which have claimed the lives of nine members of our pack. I cannot allow this to continue, nor do I wish to lose anyone else."- Kayden took a breath and let his warriors digest his words before continuing. –“Therefore, I have been compelled to turn to the warriors of the Full Moon Pack for help. I have seen with my own eyes that the Full Moon army is composed of excellent warriors, from whom we can certainly learn many things. Therefore, for the next two months, the best warriors of that pack will be in charge of training you to ensure that our pack emerges victorious from the battles ahead. "

There was a fair amount of murmuring, and I could see the warriors closest to us studying us up and down. Kayden gestured to me, yielding the floor. I stepped forward, accompanied by Miguel, and took a deep breath before I began. 

-“Good morning Blood Moon. My name is Catalina, and I will be in charge, along with my partner, Miguel, of leading your training, patrols, and attack and defense strategies for the next two months.”- I paused a little, took a breath, and continued - "I understand that many of you already have some training, and that there are others who have never fought before. Therefore, Miguel and I have decided that it would be best to divide you into 4 groups: the first will be made up of people who lack any knowledge of defense and attack. They will be trained by María, Jacobo, Íñigo and Hugo, warriors who are not here right now. Tomorrow, during training, we will make the necessary introductions.”

"There will be three other groups: the elite corps, the high-level warriors and the mid-level warriors. The warriors Casandra and Luis," I said, pointing at them, "will be in charge of leading the mid-level. The warriors Nicolas and Juan," I said pointing to my brothers, "will be in charge of training the high-level warriors. And Miguel and I will train the elite corps.”

-“The rules are simple," said Miguel, taking the floor, -"Always be on time for training and never disobey an order. 5 minutes late will be punished with 15 minutes running. The minutes late will be accumulated. If someone misses training unjustifiably, 3 hours of extra training will be added for every day of a whole week. Today, we will do different exercises. You will be evaluated according to your performance in these exercises. At the end of the day, you will be informed of the group you will be training in, as well as the time and location of the training."

Everyone was silent, staring at us. All of us were standing, body completely straight, arms behind the body and face completely expressionless. We had to show authority and earn their respect.

-“Any questions before we start training?" I asked in a neutral voice. 

-“Yes. I would like to ask a question. More than a question, I think it's an obvious statement that many of us are thinking.”

I turned to look at the man who had spoken. He was clearly one of the elite warriors in Kayden's army. He was tall, black hair, brown eyes, and very muscular. He was about 25 years old. The exposed parts of his body were covered with scars, including his face. 

-“What's your name?" I asked commandingly. 

-“Caleb," he replied, undeterred. 

-“All right, Caleb, tell us," I said, inviting him to speak. 

-“I'm one of the best warriors in this pack. I've been training since I was 12 years old and I've never been defeated. We are the biggest and most fearsome pack in the country. No offence, miss, but I don't think we have anything to learn from you. This training is pointless."- His look was defiant. Stupid, I thought. 

I noticed Kayden's eyes fixed on me, expectant to see how I would resolve the situation. 

-“You're right, Caleb,"- I said calmly. There were sounds of surprise in the crowd. –“There's no point in us training you or any other warrior if you're better than us. However, I hope you understand that I can't claim you're better if we don't have a chance to face each other."- Caleb nodded, beginning to understand what I intended-"Therefore, I want to give you, and anyone else who wants it, a chance to get out of training."- The murmurs began to grow, -"You may choose any one of us for a hand-to-hand confrontation. If you win, you will be exempt from training."

-“I accept," Caleb said. A smile of triumph covered his face. How I wanted to punch him in that stupid face. 

-"Very well. Pick your opponent," I said without moving an inch of my body.

-“I'm very clear, I choose you," he said, pointing at me. 

I smiled to myself. I couldn't wait to face him.

The crowd parted, leaving plenty of room for the fight. Caleb and I stood facing each other, and Miguel stood between the two of us. 

-“There is only one rule,"- said Miguel, raising his voice for all to hear, -"Killing is strictly forbidden. Otherwise, there are no rules. Anything goes in combat, including weapons. It will be conducted in the same manner as a fight in a real battle. If Caleb wins, he will be excused from training. If Catalina wins, Caleb will have 3 extra hours of training during the two-month program. If there are no questions, the match will begin on the count of three."

When Miguel counted to three Caleb lunged at me without waiting a second. His fist went straight for my face, but I managed to dodge it with ease. I let him make several attacks, analyzing his weak spots, and finally decided to go on the attack. Caleb clearly didn't expect the ferocity and speed with which I attacked him. I kicked him in the stomach, and when he cowered to protect himself, I kneed him in the nose. I heard it crunch, it was broken. 

Caleb bellowed in pain and glared at me as blood dripped from his nose. He was about to lose control, and that's what I was looking for. I smirked at him. Seconds later Caleb had transformed into a huge grey and black wolf. He was much smaller than an Alpha or Beta, but still a good size. Caleb lunged at me again, this time with his claws and fangs aimed at my neck. He was so furious that he seemed to have forgotten the one rule: don't kill. I dodged as best I could, taking a good bite in my right arm, which began to bleed. However, I didn't let the pain I was suffering show, and I tried my best to keep my face neutral. 

Electra wanted to take control and tear him apart, but I didn't let her. I wanted to prove that I didn't even need to transform to beat him. I watched him, studying how to defeat him. This was going on too long and I was getting tired of playing games. Time to end this. I ran straight at him, and he prepared to attack back. What Caleb didn't expect was my last-second move to the right, dodging his claw as I pulled out one of the daggers I kept in my boot. In one swift motion I jabbed it into the side of his back to make sure I didn't cause irreparable damage. I had also taken the dagger that wasn't silver, to make sure it healed quickly. 

Caleb howled in pain, but I didn't give him time to react. I charged at him from the side where I had plunged the dagger, knocking him down. I pulled a silver dagger from one of my pockets and pressed it against his chest, while pressing his neck with my other arm to keep him from moving. 

-“You are dead," I said, staring into his eyes. I stood up and put the dagger in my pocket. “Someone else wants to see if they can skip training?”. I scanned the crowd with my gaze, but no one spoke. I met Kayden's gaze. He had a half-smile on his face and nodded slightly, as if congratulating me. I ignored him. –“Well, that's it then. Someone get Caleb to the infirmary or the hospital." -A tall blond boy came over and helped Caleb, who had regained his human form, to his feet. –“I want you back for the rest of the training,"-  I said to the blond boy. The boy nodded and walked away, taking Caleb with him.

Miguel pulled some bandages out of his backpack and I made a quick bandage on my arm to stop the blood from the wound Caleb had given me. In an hour I would be perfectly healed.

The rest of the training went smoothly. We grouped the people into pairs and analyzed them for three hours. The pack had very good warriors, at least 100 of them were chosen to be part of the elite corps. The problem was the large number of werewolves who had no combat skills whatsoever. Mark had given me a list with the names of all the people we werw going to train. So, one by one, we called all the werewolves present, assigned them to their group, and informed them of the place and time where they would be training for the next two months. 

As people started to leave, we packed up and headed home. I was looking forward to taking a shower and washing off the dried blood that had been left after the confrontation with Caleb. As we started to walk, Ian and Mark approached us, accompanied by a short, red-haired girl. Cas and I approached them while Miguel and my brothers stood a few feet away. Ian kissed Cas affectionately and smiled at me: 

-“I'm glad to know I'm not the only person in this pack you've humiliated in combat," I smiled at him in amusement, I like Ian. 

-“That was spectacular, Catalina,"- said Mark, also smiling. – “Caleb is one of the best warriors in Blood Moon, and you defeated him with little effort. I think you're the best warrior I've ever seen, congratulations.”

-“Thank you very much, Mark, that's very kind of you.” - I gave him a grateful smile. 

-“I wanted to introduce you to my mate, Kate," Mark said, looking tenderly at the red-haired girl. 

Kate held out her hand and I shook it politely. She was a very cute girl, short, with very white skin, beautiful red hair, green eyes and cheeks full of freckles. She looked like a very delicate and sweet girl, contrasting with Mark's dangerous appearance. It was a curious contrast.

-“Thank you for letting us women train,"- she said politely, looking intimidated. – “I've always wanted to know how to stand up for myself, so Mark would worry a little less about me.”

-“It's nothing, if you ever need help with anything, don't hesitate to come to me,"- I said with a polite smile. 

-“Hey, what about Kayden, didn't he stay to watch practice?" Cas interjected, looking at me as she said it. I didn't say anything, but I thanked her inwardly. That question had been on my mind since we had finished training. 

-“Kayden left a while ago to take Lily to school," -Ian replied, looking at me, and not Cas. He knew his mate hadn't asked her question out of her own curiosity, but mine. –“Kayden tries to drop Lily off and pick her up from school whenever he can, like other parents do, so that Lily doesn't feel any different from the other kids.” 

 Affection and admiration for Kayden invaded my body. He was Alpha feared and respected throughout the country, constantly busy leading such a large pack, but he still made time morning and afternoon to drive his 7-year-old sister to and from school. Maybe Kayden wasn't the bad man he tried to make himself out to be. That thought was quickly shattered as I remembered what had happened between Kayden and his parents. I couldn't be fooled.

I said goodbye to the group and went back to the packhouse with Miguel and my brothers. At home I washed off the blood, had a quick bite to eat and went back to my room to organize all the papers Mark had handed me the day before. I spread them all around my room, hung the most important ones on the walls and spent the rest of the afternoon studying them. I had a bad feeling about the attacks and the declarations of war, but I couldn't figure out what it was, and it was getting on my nerves. A soft knock on my door brought me out of my thoughts. 

When I opened the door, I was met with Lily's huge eyes.

-"Hi." -She said smiling at me from ear to ear. –“Do you want to go play with me?”

I decided to join Lily, and we spent the rest of the afternoon playing. As the sun began to set, Lily told me to come with her, she was going to show me her secret spot. We took the lift to the top floor, which led to a huge hallway. As I understood it, Kayden slept on that floor. I started to get nervous, I didn't want her to catch us there. Lily went to a door, which she opened with some effort. I followed her. The door led to a flight of stairs. Lily started to climb them happily. When we got to the top, I was speechless. Lily's secret place was a rooftop terrace with lots of plants and a few armchairs overlooking the sea. Indeed, from that rooftop you could see the sea. The sun was beating down on the sea, covering the sky with spectacular shades of pink and yellow.

I sat in an armchair to watch the sunset. Lily sat on top of me and hugged me, resting her head on my chest. I grabbed a blanket I saw lying around and covered her so she wouldn't get cold. I rested my chin on her head and hugged her back. I don't know why, but I felt a huge attraction to this girl. I had only known her for two days and already I felt a huge love for her. Nothing like this had ever happened to me before. Lily was pure love and affection, and she had filled a hole in my heart that I didn't know existed. I knew that the relationship I was creating with her was dangerous. The day I rejected Kayden and went home, I was going to have to say goodbye to Lily and never see her again. Just the thought of that moment was breaking my heart into pieces. 

Lily and I stayed in each other's arms for a long time, enjoying the sunset. The sound of the door opening interrupted the moment. Lily and I looked up at the same time and found an irritated Kayden. He was staring at us and seemed anything but pleased to see Lily and I standing there together. Who knows what was going through his mind at that moment, and what he was thinking about me. Finding the woman you've rejected and who won't accept your rejection, hugging your little sister. He must think I'm trying to win her over or something. Or rather he's going to think I'm crazy and hate me even more, if that's possible. 

-“Kay!!!" exclaimed Lily cheerfully waving at him. 

-“Lily, I've been looking for you. It's time for dinner.”- Kayden said seriously, not moving from the doorway. 

-“Five more minutes please.” -Lily made an irresistible pity face. –“I've shown Cat our secret spot and we're watching the sunset. Only five to see the sunset please."- s**t, this wasn't Lily's secret spot, it was Kayden and Lily's secret spot. I instantly regretted coming here. 

-“Ok, fine," -Kayden agreed, unable to resist her sister. -"I'll meet you downstairs for dinner in five minutes, not one more."

-“Noooo Kayden,"- said Lily, getting up and running to her brother. –“Stay and watch the sunset with us, pleeeease."- Lily grabbed Kayden by the hand and pulled him close. Kayden resisted at first, but eventually gave in and sat with Lily on a couch next to mine. 

My heart began to pound. His delicious smell filled my lungs. Every time he was near me, his smell and his presence generated reactions in my body that I couldn't control. I had to hold on to the couch to resist the urge to run my fingertips up and down his muscular arms. I took several deep breaths, trying to control my wild feelings. Lily was animatedly recounting her day at school, but I couldn't seem to pay attention to her.

-“Hey Cat,"- Lily said, addressing me directly, her eyes full of curiosity. I gestured to her, encouraging her to speak. –“Do you have a mate?”

The question caught me completely off guard. I didn't know what to answer. How to tell this little girl that I had not only had one, but two, and that both had rejected me. One of them being her brother. 

-“I've told you a thousand times, Lily, that you can't go around asking people these questions,"- Kayden told Lily, scolding her. 

-“It’s fine, don’t worry," I said, smiling at Lily. –“I did have a mate, I met him a bit after my 18th birthday.”

-“And where is he?" -asked Lily. She was so surprised that her eyes looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets. I noticed Kayden's gaze on me.

-“I don't know,"- Lily frowned, not understanding my answer. –“He rejected me, and I accepted his rejection. I don't know where he is or what he's doing.”

-“I don't understand," Lily said, still frowning, "Why would he reject you? You're so pretty and nice. It doesn't make sense.” Her words brought a huge smile to my face. How could I not love this girl?

-“He was a very bad man, and before he rejected me, he hurt me a lot. His rejection is the best thing that ever happened to me, don't worry," I said, smiling at her. Lily nodded, smiling at me too. 

-"My brother doesn't have a mate. Maybe you can be mates," Lily's eyes were as excited as a child's on Christmas Day. 

-“I'm sorry, sweetie, but it doesn't work like that, you don't get to choose your mate," I said, smiling tenderly at her. If only she knew. –“I doubt your brother would want a mate anyway, Lily."- Without waiting for either of them to answer, I stood up quickly. -"Come on, let's go to dinner, it's getting late," I said. 

Lily and Kayden followed me.  Lily grabbed my hand and smiled warmly at me, I smiled back. 

"I'm your second chance"- I heard Kayden's voice in my head. Our eyes met for a few seconds. 

I decided not to answer him. I broke eye contact and kept walking.