His Luna’s Already A Luna
Chapter 43

Nick POV

He was annoyed all morning by her behavior. Braidy hadn't taken it personally, he thought she had fought well, caught him off guard and was mean. Which according to him was always a good thing in a real fight. His bruising had been healed by his wolf, who also wasn't looking for retribution apparently. "Trains like she's in a real fight" he'd shrugged it off. The man didn't seem to feel humiliated in the least bit.

There had been a nice bruise on Nicks neck for most of the morning, which he'd finally managed to talk Rip into clearing up for him. Nick felt a little bit humiliated, his pride had taken a hit. It had been a long time, since anyone had brought him down and so close, to passing out like she had.

When he trained with just his unit it was only Jeremy who could take him down one on one, which didn't surprise him the man was observant and learned peoples weaknesses. He wondered what he'd gleaned from Lucinda today. Nick was actually really proud of Lucinda's fighting skills. He had never wanted a useless Luna.

He certainly had gotten one that was more than capable. But she was indeed hard to handle. Unpredictable and it seemed used to doing what she wanted. Alpha Corey had clearly been lenient with her, on more than one occasion it seemed.

He'd left her alone for the entirety of the morning, she had not attended breakfast in the pack-house dinning room. Probably ate in their suite, now that she had a fully stocked kitchen. It was now lunch time and she was not here again. He needed the pack to start seeing them together. Wolves were also naturally social creatures, he was surprised that she spent so much time alone.

He sighed and tugged on the link that was her thread in his mind. Close by, so in the pack-house somewhere. A relief. 'Where are you?' he asked trying to sound casual, it was instantly severed, still not willing to talk to him it seemed. He got up from the table and headed for his suite without a word, he felt Jeremy, Kevin and Braidy's eyes on him. Ignored it.

Not in the suite, couldn't even scent her, so hadn't been here for a long time. 'Lucinda, please. Where are you! he tried again, only to have it severed yet again. He closed his eyes and counted to ten, was she trying to test his patience.

'Rip, go find your Mate! he knew it was something Rip would do without hesitation, even if he was still annoyed with Nick. His Mate was important to him and he would want to know where she was, not to mention want to see her.

Rip pushed forward without a word and he tracked her lingering scent something much easier for his wolf to catch when old and stale. It didn't take long, 5 minutes of walking about. She was in the pool swimming laps. Rip receded the minute he recognized her. Nick frowned her stokes looked slow and she looked like she was tired to him, struggling in fact. He walked over to her lane and watched as she got closer, noted the red of her outfit.

Oh no! She didn't come here directly after training, she'd had a bloody concussion to recover from, and he had, sent her upstairs to shower and calm down. It looked like she had outright ignored him, and gone off to do her own thing.

He glanced at his watch, it was just after 12, and he'd sent her upstairs just before 7 this morning. That was a good five hours. His eyes turned to the lifeguard.

'How long has she been here?'

'About two hours boss. Getting slower by the minute, but want stop it seems, I did try. Was told to, shove it!

Just great, he thought to himself, no breakfast and she'd been out cold for dinner last night as well. At the rate she was going, she would waste away to nothing. That would not go over with their new Mother, Lindy. How was Ky'ra allowing this. Surely she could have taken over and forced her to stop by now.

Nick waited for her to touch the wall, and reached down and grabbed her by the arm pits before she could turn for the next lap, lifted her up and out of the water, put her feet down on the ground before him. Her eyes lifted to his and still there, in them, was anger "I don't want to talk to you." she snapped up at him.

"Fine." he simply nodded. Then picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder and walked out of the pool area. He was a little surprised that she didn't hit him or resist at all, just dangled upside down. Perhaps she had learned from yesterday there was no point in arguing with him, that he would only put her down, when he was ready too.

He walked all the way to the elevator and waited for it, he didn't care who saw them at this point. She wasn't fighting him at all, so it wouldn't look that bad. He'd seen Kevin carry his mate around when he couldn't cajole her in to compliance, perhaps it would look normal. Actually Kevin's Mate often propped her face on a hand that was propped against Kevin's back made herself comfortable mostly.

Nick thought with a half smile. That man maybe able to charm any she-wolf but not his Mate. They had all seen him try only to have her stand there defiantly with her hands on her hips and state "don't you dare try that crap, I'm immune to your charm." which it seemed she was, the only one probably. Only ever seen him do it once. The only other time he'd seen Kevin use his Gamma Charm was on Lucinda, and it had worked a treat. Even Kevin had enjoyed it.

Nick carried her all the way into their suite, didn't say a word to her, if she didn't want to talk, then that was fine. Keyed into their suite and walked her right into the bathroom, put her down gently on the closed toilet seat lid. She didn't move, just glared up at him. "If your going to eat nothing and train yourself for endless hours. There will be no training at all." he said simply.

"You can't stop me." she shot right back.

"I can actually." he replied "As for your actions this morning. Attacking pack members, when you're angry with me, taking it out on them...I am disappointed that you would do that. I thought you as the Luna would know better...Unfortunately I will, as the Alpha of this pack, have to punish you. I do not want to...I do realize it's me you're mad at, and why...there will be no shifting unless I am with you, till further notice, this is because Ky'ra play a part in attacking pack members, we don't use wolf strength in hand to hand training." he stood watching her.

She just sat there, said nothing for a full minute, so he stepped out of the bathroom and headed downstairs for lunch. It was not a nice thing to have to lay out a punishment for her, his Mate and the packs Luna. But he could not, would not, stand for her hurting pack members in his stead.

'I'm not like you or your slack warriors. Who only train 2 hours a day! her voice came down the mind-link, at least she was using it he thought, of her own free will 'I have always trained six hours a day, sometimes more!

'That was in your old pack. Here will be different. Till further notice Lucinda. There will be no training. Until I know you will not hurt other pack members. when after a minute passed and he got no reply, but could still feel the link was connected 'you do understand you were in the wrong this morning don't you? During training!

It took another full minute but she finally replied 'yes'

'Good' he said softly 'please eat something' he closed out the link.

A little progress was better than none. It seemed his calmly spoken admonishment of her behavior and the careful way he'd worded it had sunk in. he had spent the entire morning trying to figure out what to say to her and how to deliver it.

Training six hours a day was to excessive. He would have to get to the bottom of that. Why on earth she felt she had to train that hard? There had to be a reason, he had to know what it was. Had something happened to her when she was younger. When wolf-less and she'd been unable to defend herself. That scar on her inner thigh popped right into his mind, it was very high up.

Had she trained long and hard afterwards to make sure it would never happen again. It was a possibility. But not knowing her history and her not willing to talk about it either, made things more difficult.

He glanced around the dinning room he had to get her to make some friends, he thought absently. It couldn't be good for her to be alone all the time. He was going to have to try and sort that out. Though any of the she-wolves he'd bedded prior to meeting her were likely going to have to stay away, and unfortunately there were quite a few of those running around the pack.

'That's why we wait for Mate.' Rip had snorted.

Hmm, probably the very reason some waited. He now realized. His eyes fell on Kevin. Who was actually looking right at him. "What?"

"Curious about your thoughts boss, you look...pensive."

"Any chance you could introduce your Mate to Lucinda, I think she needs to make a few friends."

"Sure thing. When she calms down though."

Nick nodded "fair enough."

Lucinda was asleep on the couch in the living room when he turned in for the night. Not going to happen my dear. He thought. She'd made herself comfortable, a pillow and a blanket, all snuggled up. He shook his head. Showered changed, the bed was already turned down, which meant Samantha had been here. Probably where Lucinda had gotten that blank from.

Nick walked out to the living room, and scooped her up, she didn't even wake up to his complete surprise, walked back to their bedroom and put her in the middle of their bed. Likely she was actually exhausted from all her training and nothing to eat. As angry as she was. He was not letting her sleep alone and put distance between them.

He was not sleeping alone either. He did not want to. Didn't think he'd be able to fall asleep knowing she was out there and he in here in their bed.

Lucinda could pummel him in the morning if she liked. But he wanted her next to him, always. Even if she was angry with him.