Chapter 23 Run

Run

Avalyn

"I have a lot of questions, Nikolai," I told him as I placed a stack of pancakes in front of him.

"And I have one; where is my chocolate?" He frowned.

"Right here." I chuckled as I opened the Nutella jar and removed some using a butter knife. I smeared it over the pancakes just as he liked.

"I wasn't talking about that." He said before he took my hand and swiped my finger over his chocolatey pancakes and I yelped.

"Mmm." He exaggerated his moan as he licked the chocolate off my fingers.

I blushed as I looked around to see no one was around. Nikolai woke up in a playful mood and I was either joining in on the fun, giggling, or blushing. I loved this Nikolai. It wasn't very often that he sat next to me and let loose. He was always either thinking about work or worrying about me.

He winked at me and then started eating his breakfast.

"What did you want to ask?" He asked after some time, oblivious to my ogling.

"About yesterday. Why didn't you take the pregnant woman and the man who saved his mate? But you took a man who didn't want to follow the rules." I frowned.

"Do you know about Vladimir's gift?" He asked.

I nodded. Sofiya had told me about it.

"We had crafted scenarios for every werewolf according to their reasons. They are such that only a good wolf or one who repents their mistakes will pass the test." He told me.

"What was her scenario?" I asked.

"Vladimir had whispered 'love or child' in her ear. Love here would mean something she loves the most in the world or her baby. She chose love- love for power. She slept with the Alpha and gave him a condom in which she had poked a hole, hoping that having a child together will increase her chances of him choosing her as his mate." He rolled his eyes.

I gaped at him. That was cruel. She spoilt her and her child's life for a title. But somehow, it didn't shock me. People have done much more for power.

"And how did you know all this?" She said her reason and was given her scenario hardly a minute later.

"Simple. Everyone is required to fill out an application in which they state their reasons. And I have enough experience to judge people and craft the scenarios accordingly." He smiled.

"What about John? He had killed someone to protect his mate." I asked.

"He is a liar. The girl wasn't his mate. He wanted to mate her. And the man whom he killed was the girl's mate." He said softly.

My lips parted. That girl must have been through so much. I can't even imagine what would happen to me if someone even tried to harm Nikolai.

"And you'll make him the next time if he repents it?" My heart thudded.

"I killed him, Moya Lyubov. I decide the fate of the ones who enter my court. I don't forgive liars and the rules are written in the application, it was his mistake that he didn't follow. He neither regretted his mistake nor tried to correct it when he was given a second chance." He said. There was underlying anger in his tone.

I was satisfied with all the answers he had given me.

"You are an amazing Alpha, Nik." I smiled as I leaned over the counter to kiss him.

"And you will be too. I expect you to sit next to me in the court hearings from now on and stand with me during pack meetings." Master told me.

I nodded hesitantly. I wasn't sure if I would do a good job. But if Master wanted, I'd do my best.

"Don't worry, you'll do great and I'll be right next to you." He smiled.

"Thank you, Master," I said giving him a small smile.

"Also, why did you use the cup to mix our blood but just join hands with the rest?"

"Our blood can't be mixed in our bodies before we mate." He simply replied and I nodded.

"I have some work to do and I need you to help me out." He said as he got up from his seat.

"Sure," I replied. He took a hold of my hand and started leading me towards his office.

He opened the door for me and closed it after I entered. Then, he sat in his seat and motioned me to take a seat before him. I sat and looked at his desk which was stacked with papers neatly.

"Here are the applications for mates who want to adopt the twins, I want you to choose the couple whom you think is perfect." He told me.

"And where are they staying right now?" I asked as I picked up the papers and looked through them. There were about twenty couples.

"In the packhouse. That's the mansion where the court hearing took place. The people living there are taking care of them but they need a constant parental figure."

I nodded.

I looked at the first couple and saw that they already had two pups. I kept it aside. I wanted someone who couldn't have pups so they would love the twins like their own. Most of them had pups but three of them didn't.

Out of the three, the first and the third couple seemed like a suitable candidates. The second couple was both warriors and I didn't think they would have enough time to nurture the twins like they needed, considering how much they had been through.

"I'm done, Nikolai. I have shortlisted two couples and I think they both would be good candidates. But then we should let the twins decide whom they want as their adoptive parents." I told him.

He looked at me with those intense grey eyes of his which seemed to see through my soul and then nodded.

He picked up the papers of the mates I had narrowed down and read through them.

"They would be perfect. Good job, Luna." He smiled at me and I blushed again.

I didn't know why I blushed at that. Maybe it was him calling me his Luna or the way he said it.

"Can I help you with anything else?" I asked eyeing the other papers.

This was too much work. No wonder he spent most of his time in here.

"Nope, you are good to go. I want you in the gym at 5 pm sharp." He told me.

"Okay. See you later." I got up and kissed his cheek. But he grabbed me by the back of my head and kissed me on my lips, thoroughly.

"Now that's a 'see you later kiss." He murmured when I broke the kiss to breathe again.

My lips were tingling and I gave him a shy smile and nodded. I left his office and greeted Vladimir who entered after me.

~~~

"I'm sorry I'm late!" I said as soon as I ran inside the gym.

"I know. I want to know the reason." Master said as he got up from a chair.

"Sofiya and I were hanging out and then we fell asleep. I woke up just five minutes ago." I whispered. I was half an hour late. I kept Master waiting for me for half an hour!

"Start your warm-up." Came his impassive voice.

I was about to ask for punishment but I shut up when I remembered his rule. Instead, I did as he said and started my warm-up. I was done in five minutes.

"Get on the treadmill." He ordered.

"Yes Master," I whispered as I got on.

He let me start slow but he increased the speed every minute. I was running when he finally stopped increasing the speed.

"You will not touch any buttons, not until I say so." He ordered softly as he walked away.

I turned my head a bit to see where he was going, only to see him stand in front of the punching bag and start his practice.

I blew a breath as I continued with my run. Master had ordered me to do cardio with Sofiya every day before the usual aiming practices with different weapons and that had increased my stamina a lot. This was going to be easy.

A half-hour later.

I was panting hard and was completely drenched in sweat. I didn't think I could run anymore. From the pounding noise that hadn't faltered a beat, I knew Master wasn't done with his practice either. I couldn't do this anymore.

"Master," I whispered through my shallow breaths but he heard me anyway.

The noise stopped and a second later, he appeared in front of me.

"Tired already?" His eyes darkened. I nodded.

"The practice has just begun. You were supposed to run for thirty minutes only but since you made me wait for half an hour, you will run for another half an hour." He informed me as he increased the speed again.

And this wasn't even the normal treadmill. This was a treadmill made especially for werewolves and was much, much faster.

I looked at him with wide eyes as I ran harder.

"You should be able to run this much easier. You have been practicing with Sofiya, or have you been slacking?" He narrowed his eyes.

I knew we had been slacking. We didn't run fast enough or as many laps around the field as we were required to.

"I'm sorry." I huffed between my breaths. My lungs were burning and my head was getting lighter.

"You are not as strong as the other werewolves Avalyn. There is a reason I told you to focus on cardio and aiming. You need to run fast. I don't joke around with safety." He said, his voice hard.

I winced. I deserved it. He was doing all of this for me and here I was, not even following simple orders.

"I'm sorry." I breathed.

I missed a step and was about to fall but caught myself. I forced my legs to move faster. All the muscles in my legs were protesting and I looked at Master pleadingly.

"You will not stop." He gritted.

"Please, I."  pant! "can't." pant! "run." pant! "anymore." I pleaded.

My lungs were on fire.

"What the fuck is your wolf doing? Bring her forward. Tell her to be useful for one goddamn time Avalyn." He growled.

My eyes watered.

He knew I didn't have a wolf. Or rather, I couldn't contact her. His words hurt.

"Are you Alpha Javier Alverez's daughter? I knew him. He was one of the strongest Alpha I have ever known. How can his daughter not have a wolf? How shameful." His eyes darkened further. "It's pathetic."

The tears fell down my eyes and my legs gave out beneath me. I flew off the treadmill and fell. I sobbed on the floor. His words hurt me more than my fall.

"Stand up," Master ordered.

I looked up at him with my teary eyes and saw his furious expression. I jumped to my feet and wiped my tears.

"Continue running." He said.

A heart lurched. He didn't care that I fell. Was he that angry at me because I made him wait? Of course, he was. He probably had many things to do rather than wait here for me. I messed up.

"Get on the fucking treadmill Avalyn." He growled.

I jumped a bit at his voice and stepped on the treadmill with shaky legs. He immediately increased the speed to what it was and I started running again.

"You begged me to be your Master, didn't you? You wanted me to punish you to correct your mistakes, didn't you little Ava?" He said sardonically.

I gave him a short nod, actually scared of him for the first time.

"Then run. I command you to run. Use your wolf Avalyn. Imagine your wolf running. Be one with your wolf and run. Move your legs Avalyn. Run." He ordered.

I closed my eyes and ran. I tried to imagine my wolf.

Suddenly, everything was pitch black and I saw a white spot far away. That was my wolf. She tried coming toward me but she couldn't move, it was like a glass wall blocked her path.

"Arrgggg," I shouted in frustration at my wolf.

"Run Avalyn." I heard a voice. Master's voice. With a beep, the speed of the treadmill increased again.

'Come to me!' I told my wolf. I could see her cocking her head to the side, as if not knowing what was saying or what to do.

"Move your goddamn legs."

And I did. I ran, I ran to my wolf and as I got closer to her, I could see her now. She was pure white and her blue eyes were calling out to me.

"Run, my Ava."

I shattered the invisible glass as I ran to her and my body collided with hers, making us one.

Run. Run. Run.

That was all I could hear as I ran. I ran harder than ever before, and unyielding energy had surged into me.

I opened my eyes and looked at Master who was looking at me with wide eyes. They went to their normal size and there was a hint of pride in them.

He increased the speed again and I kept up easily. My breathing became normal and the ache in my legs dulled too. I could easily keep up with the speed now. I looked at Master and he nodded at me.

He stopped the treadmill. I slowed down my running and then came to a stop.

I got off the treadmill and then suddenly I felt the ground move and then everything blacked out.