The Unwanted: Embracing Fate

Chapter 11

After the incident with Actaeon, she had felt unsettled, unsafe in her own room but the truth was he could get her anywhere he pleased showing up like that just proved it. A power play that this was his home, his kingdom and she was just living in it. That only felt further correct when the announcement about her coronation came about and the Lycan King wanted to officially introduce her, organising she was meeting with more nobles Alpha’s and Luna’s who were close allies and basically branches of the kingdom, the Beta’s and Healers, unfortunately, they didn't shine to kindly to her treating her like an outsider. She had always grown that her place would be Luna, they would just accept her however that was further from the truth, with their distant, untasteful looks and disgruntled words and the obvious distance between Actaeon and herself didn't help, he had grown up amongst these people and spoke with them with ease which only made Kaia with out of place. Her mate was still gone and not a word heard from him not that she expected it even if he was back he would only treat her with indifference as he always did anyway. The only ones that warmed up to her were the servants. Kaia was feeling disheartened.

It had been almost a week since Actaeon broke into her room when Kaia decided to make a move from the constant self-pity she had been letting herself sink into. The light of the sun was barely reaching across the hills, the sky was still dotted in disappearing starlight as it slowly turned to its blue when she got up. It wasn't a change really she had barely slept but this time Kaia pushed to leave the comforts of the soft king-sized bed, it was far too lonely anyway. Making her way down the still quiet halls only some bustling of servants passed with a polite nod as she hurried down the hallways. Shadows still cast across the marble floors between the gaps of the crystal glass windows. Finally making it to the guest rooms and knocking at the finely white painted wooden door after at least five minutes the door opened with a half-asleep Gatlin on the other side, her unruly curls in a mess on her head “Kaia... The sun is barely up” she groaned leaning her forehead against the edge of the open door.

“Come on, Linz. I need help, I want to start training” Kaia explained.

Gatlin let out a long whine “up early morning to train... You're giving me flashbacks to my old pack... I don't like it” Gatlin turned her face to look at Kaia as she grumbled.

Kaia shuffled awkwardly she knew Gatlin was joking but at the same time, she knew the resentment she held for her old pack “please, Linz I wouldn't ask otherwise but it's important. I need to train, I need to be more prepared to lead this pack, to defend it.”

Gatlin stared at her for a moment taking in her pleading eyes “okay” she finally relented “wait here” she instructed before going back into the room.

“Thank you” Kaia called through the door.

“Yeah, yeah” Gatlin grumbled again.

:::

“I thought you knew how to do this?” Kaia questioned once they were on the training field. It was empty since some of the warriors were away so the rest were put on guard duty around the Lycan Kingdom. The sun had peeked higher from the thickened line of trees, a chill was still in the air especially with the morning breeze.

“I passed training to get out of the place I wasn’t a trainer, Kaia. Plus it’s been a few years that I did it” Gatlin explained with a shrug but sighed noticing the disappointment on Kaia’s face “I could show you the basics though” Kaia settled for that. Her mother had spent years teaching her how to behave properly it was all she was taught now in this situation she really wished there had been some sort of defence class talk. Especially after just an hour of basics with Gatlin, Kaia didn’t realise how unprepared she was for it which became more obvious when Bas approached watching the two.

“What are you doing?” Bas questioned before bowing in greeting directing his gaze to Kaia.

“Who are you?” Gatlin questioned instead of answering.

“Linz this is Bas, he’s one of the warriors here” Kaia introduced, Gatlin simply greeted with a nod “and we were training...”

“Training?” he seemed dubious. One of his thickened eyebrows raising “training for what?”

“I want to start training to fight” Kaia spoke as she stretched her arms above her head.

“Do either of you know what you're doing?” he seemed obviously doubtful.

“I know the basics” Gatlin shrugged. Bas continued watching them for a while in silence as they continued what they were doing.

“Are you going to just stand there the whole time?” Kaia suddenly asked when he hadn’t budged.

“You’re going to be Luna, why do you want to train?” he suddenly asked the curiosity obvious in his tone “I mean you will have guards” he further explained clearly not wanting her to take offence.

“I want to be able to defend myself, Bas” Kaia stood up straight her arms folding across her thin torso “I don’t want to have to have everyone to defend me...” she didn’t want to include she also wanted to defend herself from the current situation with Actaeon and not get caught off guard with him again. He was clearly a danger and she never knew when he would show up or what he would do.

Bas seemed to take her in for a moment contemplating her words “quite admirable of you future Luna” his words caught her by surprise. She thought he would be more hesitant but it was the next part that surprised her more “but if your serious about training. I will help you.”