Chapter 51

ANSEL POV

Ansel tilted his head and waited patiently for whatever excuse Karin would give him.

“I-I—”

“You…”

“I figured you were busy.”

“I’m always busy.”

“Yes, but you looked extremely busy. I didn’t want to be a distraction to you.”

“Well, it’s a little hard for you not to be a distraction when your pheromones are floating through my nose during training.” He moved a piece of hair from her face. “You’re always welcomed into my space. It may be bloody and gory, but you’re still always welcomed.” She gave him a smile that left him fighting the urge to carry her off to bed.

“I’ll let you get back to it. I’ll be inside if you need me.”

“Actually,” he said, grabbing her hand. “This is perfect.”

“What do you mean?” Not replying, Ansel led her back to the training grounds.

He motioned for his men to join them. “You can all shift back. You’re on break.” The gammas cheered as they shifted. Ansel waved them off. “Alright, alright, settle down. Your break won’t be that long.” He looked down at Karin. “I think it’s time to test out the B squad, don’t you think fellas?”

“B squad?” Karin asked, and he nodded.

“When I was placed in charge of the gammas, I decided that one of the many things I would implement is that all Blue Moon members are trained in combat. Nothing on the same level as the gammas, of course, but enough so they could protect themselves if needed. This training is required for all Blue Moon members and by count there is only one who hasn’t completed it.” He grinned at her, and Karin shook her head feverishly.

“I can’t do anything like this. I’m not a fighter.”

“That won’t stop an enemy. You need to have the skills to protect yourself. That is the rule of Blue Moon and is not up for negotiation.” He turned his attention back to his men. “Bring in the members of B squad.” Karin watched as several female Blue Moon members shortly arrived.

“Sir Ansel,” one said as she batted her lashes. “You’re looking well today.”

“As are you, Lady Gwendolyn,” he replied. He pulled Karin closer to him. “This is Karin. She will participate in her first round of training today. Karin, this is the B squad. Made up of some of the strongest women in hand-to-hand combat, B squad is used to train other women pack members instead of my gammas. Any of these ladies is equipped to train you and be your mentor.”

Karin shifted her weight back and forth. “I really don’t know about this. I understand the rules of the pack, but I am not made for the battlefield. And everyone is watching. It’s a lot.”

“You’ll be fine. I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.” Ansel said. He called out, “So, are any of you ladies up for the challenge?”

“I am!” Gwendolyn shouted. She looked Karin up and down. “I’d love to teach her a thing or two,” she said with a sneer. “I know some ladies prefer not to get their dresses dirty, but I promise to take it easy and not mess up her manicure.”

“Lady Karin,” Karin retorted, cutting her eyes. “My name is Lady Karin, and I accept your offer, Lady Gwendolyn. By the way, I don’t mind a bit of mud on my dress.” She smirked. “And a broken nail will be fixed in less than an hour by the graciousness of Sir Ansel.” She leaned her head on Ansel’s arm and he could feel the heat radiate from her body.

“Okay, perhaps this wasn’t the best idea after all,” he said to Jeff.

“Yes, Ada is going stir crazy and the other wolf’s aggression is making it worse. I think you should call this off and have Maggie train her instead.”

The women squared off , but he could tell that Karin was still nerve stricken. “Lady Gwendolyn, on second thought, I think we’ll leave Lady Karin’s training for another day.”

“Really?” Gwendolyn replied with an exaggerated pout. “I was hoping to allow my wolf to stretch her legs.” She faced Karin. “You sure you don’t want to take me on?” Karin remained silent, and she smirked. “I guess not. No worries, I wouldn’t want to cause more harm than already done. Recovery was a bitch the first time, wasn’t it?”

“That’s enough!” Ansel roared, causing the whole training grounds to silence. “Your way out of line.”

Gwendolyn lowered her head. “Forgive me. I don’t know what came over me.”

“It’s fine,” Karin said through ragged breaths. “You’re right. Blue Moon loves to talk. Why would we think what happened to me would have remained a secret?” Karin removed her jacket and handed it to Ansel. “I would like to still take you up on your offer. Maybe not as a mentor, but I think this could be a start.” Her body contorted, and she shifted into her white wolf. Patiently, she waited for Gwendolyn to join her. She sat on her tail as the other wolf circled and continued to throw taunts. “If you’re finished, I’m ready,” she said, taking her stance.

There was something about her movements and the raspy tone in her voice that made Ansel uneasy. Looking around, he made eye contact with Henry, who seemed to pick up on the same thing.

“Something’s wrong.”

“I know.”

He’d seen Karin angry—irate, even—but this was something else. It was almost as if she was no longer there and something much darker had taken over. His eyes widened. “Ada don’t—” He didn’t finish his statement. Completely in control, Ada lunged at Gwendolyn with precision. Her jaws clamped around the wolf’s throat, and she shook violently until Gwendolyn collapsed to the ground. “Let her go!” Growls erupted from Ada and she dug her teeth harder into Gwendolyn’s neck. The crack of bones pierced the air along with Gwendolyn’s whimpers. “Shit!” Ansel shouted as he shifted into his wolf. He raced to their side.

“Talk her down,” he said to Jeff.

“I’m trying, but she’s not listening. She wants to kill her.”

“Ada, listen to Jeff,” Ansel said low. “Give Karin back control. You know it’s a symbiotic relationship. If you take completely over and do this, Karin will never forgive you.”

Ada exhaled sharply through her snout, then released Gwendolyn. “Karin is not weak…we are not weak.”

“I know. But prove it in a way that leaves you both in sync and not a way that will destroy your bond forever. Listen to Jeff.” Ansel could feel Jeff’s power flow through him, and Ada lowered her snout in submission. She shifted and Karin laid in a fetal position in the middle of the training ground. Nudging her gently with his snout, Ansel exhaled in relief when she shivered. “Little Wolf, hey. It’s alright.” Groggily, Karin sat up and peered around, noticing everyone was watching her as if she were on display. “What happened?” She wiped the corner of her mouth. “Why am I bleeding?”

“It’s not your blood,” Ansel said cautiously. He nudged his head at the wolf, who remained on the ground.

Karin covered her mouth. “I did that? No, no, I would never do something like that. I would remember if I did something like that.”

Stumbling, Gwendolyn rose to her feet. “You tried to kill me,” she whispered, backing away. “If Sir Ansel hadn’t stopped you, you would have killed me.”

Ansel shifted and sat with Karin on the ground. “Ada took control,” he said evenly. “I think there are some things you two need to settle.”

Her bottom lip trembled, and she quickly stood. “I’m so sorry,” she said through tears before she ran away.