How to Bleed Like a Luna

Sable's POV 

"The council won't recognise a Luna they consider unfit. And if Kael loses his position, I doubt Crestwood will welcome you back with open arms." Delan looked at me, his expression almost sympathetic.

"You have two days to learn how to be a Luna." He added and nobody said anything after that.

The four brothers eventually returned to their respective vehicles. Four black cars pulled away from the mansion one after another, their headlights disappearing beyond the gates.

I watched them leave, feeling as though I had just survived an examination I hadn't prepared for. Jax approached Kael.

"This is bad, Alpha." Kael didn't look at him but I could see the strain on his face. 

"How bad?" Kael asked, finally sparing me a glance before looking away again. 

"She's not ready. Two days isn't enough to prepare someone for a council succession ceremony, especially someone without a manifested wolf." I swallowed hard and turned towards them.

"Thank you for the reminder," I muttered as Jax looked slightly uncomfortable.

"That wasn't an insult, Luna." He tried to pacify me but I knew what an insult was. 

"Well, it sounded like one." I fired, folding my hands as Kael finally turned towards me.

"Go inside, Sable. We have work to do." Jax nodded and walked away, leaving us alone in the courtyard. I folded my arms, suddenly aware of how cold the night had become.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kael raised an eyebrow. "Tell you what?" He asked and I scoffed. 

"That I had only two days! You told me seven." I spat vehemently, shaking my head from side to side. 

"The council changed the date."

"And you couldn't have mentioned that before sending me downstairs to meet four men who clearly want me dead?" My voice came out harshly but I didn't care about it. Right now,my insides were raging mad yet his expression remained annoyingly calm.

"You signed a one-year contract. Two days changes nothing." I stared at him.

"It changes everything! I can't become a Luna in two days. I don't even know how to behave like one, and your brothers are already looking for reasons to get rid of me." Kael stepped closer.

"Then stop worrying about what my brothers think."

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one they're calling a half-breed." His gaze dropped briefly to my neck,his fingers brushed the mark, and an unfamiliar warmth spread through my body.

My wolf, usually restless around unfamiliar Alphas, fell strangely quiet. "Listen carefully, Sable." He said and I looked up.

"You don't need to become someone else to stand beside me…..You need to learn how to survive in a room full of people who will do anything to see you fall." I didn't quite understand what he was saying but I nodded. 

"And how exactly am I supposed to do that?" I asked and his expression turned almost predatory.

"I'll teach you." He said calmly, “At five tomorrow morning." My mouth fell open.

"Five?" I asked, surprised by the time. It was too early for such but I didn't say a word. If I want to survive I'll need to face whatever comes my way.

"Don't wear that robe. Wear something you can bleed in." He turned towards the mansion, apparently considering the conversation finished while I remained where I was, watching his broad shoulders disappear through the entrance.

Tomorrow morning, I would begin training with a man who had built his reputation on ruthlessness. This wasn't a fairy tale,it was boot camp.

The banging on my bedroom door nearly sent me falling out of bed. "Wake up, Luna!" I groaned, dragging the blanket over my head.

"Five minutes!" I yelled back, growling as I tried to find a more comfortable spot. 

"You have zero minutes. The Alpha is waiting." I opened one eye and stared at the clock on my bedside table. It was five in the morning.

I had barely slept. Between the unexpected visit from Kael's stepbrothers and the terrifying news about the council, my mind had refused to settle.

With a frustrated sigh, I climbed out of bed and reached for the leggings and oversized shirt I had laid out the previous night. My silk robe remained hanging behind the door, a reminder that my life had changed considerably in less than twenty-four hours.

Kael was already there, dressed in black training trousers and a sleeveless vest. His hair was slightly dishevelled, and his expression suggested he hadn't slept either.

Jax stood a few feet away, holding a stack of books. I looked between them. "Are we actually doing this?" I asked and Kael glanced at his watch.

"You're three minutes late." He said, ignoring my question. I rolled my eyes.

"Good morning to you too." I said and he ignored my sarcasm.

"The council doesn't care whether you're a half-breed. They care whether you flinch when they look at you. Rule number one, Sable,a Luna never flinches." I folded my arms.

"And what if she wants to sleep?" I asked, trying to weigh his reaction but I got nothing. 

"Then she should have chosen another husband." He said calmly but I could see Jax trying to hold back his laughter.

 I glared at Jax before looking back at Kael.

"Come here." Kael said and I approached reluctantly, wondering what sort of punishment he had planned for me.

"Stand straight,chin up " I adjusted my shoulders, and I raised my chin.

"Walk across the courtyard" He said and I frowned. Just then,Jax placed a thick book on my head.

"Seriously?" I asked, rolling my eyes. " You're acting like it"

"Don't drop it," Kael instructed, cutting my statement short. I took my first step and the book slipped almost immediately, landing on the floor with a loud thud. Kael didn't even blink.

"Again." He instructed and I picked it up and tried once more. This time, I managed several steps before it fell. Jax calmly added another book to the stack.

"Are you trying to kill me?" I asked.

"Not today, Luna," he replied. By the sixth attempt, my neck was aching, my patience was gone, and my knees had acquired a painful scrape from stumbling over my own feet.

I sat on the ground, breathing heavily while Kael approached and looked down at me. "Pick it up." I glared at him.

"My knees are bleeding."

"Then you'll remember to walk properly next time." I couldn't believe him. He offered no hand, no sympathy, nothing.

"Queens don't stay on the ground waiting for someone to feel sorry for them," he said and his words irritated me enough to make me stand.

I picked up the books and placed them back on my head and this time, I completed the walk.