VIOLENCE IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE LAST RESORT

4 FEBRUARY, THURSDAY, NIGHT

I needed to help the little human learn to live with wolves. She was supposed to be the future Luna of Night Forest, not some human omega!

"Okay, the first thing you need is self respect. From now on you are Sabre." I told the little human.

"Sabre? But that's not cute." Savy complained.

"It's not meant to be." I said.

Ben snorted. I decided to ignore him.

"How do I get self respect?" Sabre asked me.

"Well, you step up tall and proud of who you are, and if anyone tries to tell you otherwise, you pummel him into the ground." I explained.

Sabre frowned, "Mrs McHoney says we shouldn't hit other kids."

"And violence is the last resort, remember?" Savy prompted.

Oh right. Sigh... When did pre-school get so complicated anyway?

"It's okay, Sam." Sabre sighed, "You won't understand."

"Why won't I understand?" I demanded.

"You seem like someone with a lot of friends." Sabre told me.

Did I? I looked at Ben who shrugged his ignorance.

"Okay, I got it." I said, "Ben come here, you're Taylor."

Ben came over to the center of the living room with me. There was still shopping everywhere, but I kicked aside enough of it to make a small clearing.

"Here's the game plan, Sabre. Tomorrow when you meet Taylor at the playground, and he comes over to push you, you show some self respect and scream in his face, 'Don't push me!'"

"You have a very unique idea of what self respect is, Sam." Ben smirked.

Savy covered her mouth to keep from cackling out loud.

"Shut up, Taylor." I turned my attention back to Sabre, "If Taylor doesn't back off..."

I nodded at Ben who immediately reached over to grab me by the shoulders, "You will have to resort to..."

"Let me guess, violence?" Savy asked.

"No, violence is the last resort. Your second resort would be your feminine charm." I said.

Ben blanched at that, "You're kidding, right?"

"Sam, Sabbie is in kindergarten!" Mum protested. I ignored it.

"Watch me, like this, Sabre." I instructed. I looked back at Ben who was still holding me, but now somewhat gently, "Ben, from the top - with feeling!"

Ben released my shoulders, and then attacked. He even growled for effect. He was very quick, grabbing me by my shoulders, but I was ready. I gave reign to Boo, because I figured if she could tease Bell, she could tease Ben.

Boo surprised me by leaning forward just so that Ben's face was way too close! Back up! Back up! But Boo only smiled, "Ben, be gentler."

She slid one leg between his, "You're too close, Beta."

And who's fault was it that he was too close? Grrr...

Ben's lips twitched upwards, but he didn't move back. So I took back control and kneed him in the stomach, because I was merciful like that.

Ben made a chuffing sound, "Sam, you're killing me!"

"Don't lie." I shot back, "I can feel you're all hard underneath!"

Dad and his betas looked up sharply from their discussion at the dining room table. Dad growled.

"She means my body armor." Ben was quick to clarify. I'm not sure why he would need to clarify something like that. What else could I have meant?

"I don't think that would work on Taylor." Savy said. She was definitely enjoying the show.

"Of course it would work." I said, "Boys are scared of being screamed at by girls, and cooties, and pain."

Sabre shook her head then, her copper colored curls bouncing around her face, "But Sam, Taylor is a girl."

And then more softly, "I just want to be friends with her."

Oh.

Oh. (Still processing)

"Oh! Then it's easy." I decided.

"It is?" Sabre looked up hopefully at me.

"It is?" Savy looked up dubiously at me.

"I can't believe you did that, Sam." Mum seemed to be having trouble processing the earlier demonstration.

I guess maybe it was a little too complicated for a kindergartener to execute. Luckily, Taylor turned out to be a girl.

"Just bake some cookies, bring them to school and say you accidentally baked too much and ask your classmates to help you eat them." I smiled, "It's kinda roundabout, but it works!"

Well, it worked for Janice.

"Really?" Sabre asked me.

"By the end of the day, you'll make lots of friends." I promised.

Ben raised a brow at that, but he had the good sense to hold his tongue.

"Can we bake cookies, Mama?" The little human asked.

"It's past your bedtime..." And then Mum caught sight of Sabre's puppy dog eyes, "Maybe just a very quick one with cookie mix."

Mum was a sucker for puppy dog eyes. Let's hope Eddy grows up to be the type of guy who would be weak to these things too.

I wondered what type of girl Bell would be weak to? Was there such a girl? I wondered what she would look like. Speaking of Bell...

"Oh no! We're late for training!" I realized.

"The alpha is never late." Ben drawled with a smirk

"Well then, you're late for training." I grinned at Ben.

Ben held the front door open for Savy and me. Savy paused, "I'm going to stay home and help with the cookies."

"Why don't you want to go?" I stopped at the door.

"I like to avoid excessive suffering." Savy answered with a shrug.

I hate it when she goes cryptic on me like that. What suffering?

"Ben, you're late. Run 8 rounds on HIIT. Time yourself." Bell called out the moment we stepped into the training hall.

"Yes, Luna." Ben answered and he was off.

Right. That suffering.

"Alpha is here." Harvey announced on his behalf.

The hall stopped and shifted into attention, "Good evening, Alpha."

Woah. I nodded and lifted a hand in greeting, "Yo."

It was an automatic reaction, I didn't know why I did that. It was a shock automated response.

Okay, that was new. Were they practicing this for the past 20 minutes? And did I mention that everyone was soaked? I noticed buckets of water lining the hall. What the heck was happening here?

"Permission to resume, Luna." Ki called out.

"Resume." Bell answered.

Immediately, the trainees were back in position. They stood in two rows, facing each other. Bell and Ki stood behind each row. Harvey was at one end of the line. Keith facing him on the other line. And then Link... who looked far more serious than usual. Oh, they were lined up facing off in order.

I saw the girls sitting out on the bleaches and walked over.

"Hi, Sam." Lola smiled, "Savy didn't come?"

I shook my head.

"Probably for the better." Marissa said.

"Our Luna is intense." Jessica told me.

"At least he let us choose to sit out." Lola said.

Sit out from what?

"Charge!" Harvey ordered and suddenly the two rows clashed. There was no hesitation. They went for it at full power.

There were sickening sounds and then Ki called out, "Halt!" Everyone stopped and then stepped back, well at least those who were still on their feet pulled back. There were a few on the ground, groaning. Dean was at the end of one of the lines, lying face down, sobbing.

"Man up, Omega." Bell called out to him, "If you don't stop crying, I won't heal you."

Dean's sobs stifled into quiet whimpers.

Then Ki and Mate went down the lines pouring water over the injuries, popping back sockets, and healing up whatever got broke.

What the heck was going on?

"You won't die from getting hurt. You die from holding back!" Bell was saying as he worked his way down the lines. Ki was smiling and glowing.

"If you want to survive the war, you need to fight. When your beta calls the charge, you charge. When your beta calls halt, you halt. Those orders are absolute." Bell continued.

"If you want to win the war, you need to charge harder and faster than your enemy. You need to strike for the kill. Every hurt you inflict, is one less hurt on you."

Finally, Dean was up on his feet again. He face was tear stained. Poor Dean!

"One more time." Bell decided.

"Please... No more, sir. I don't want to do this anymore..." Dean pleaded so pitifully.

"Run 8 laps on HIIT." Bell said.

"But the girls didn't have to run..." Dean whined.

"Are you a girl?" Bell asked lowly, but still audibly for the rest of the trainees to hear.

"No, Luna." Dean hung his head.

"Do the rest of you gentlemen feel this is unfair? Should we invite the ladies to join us for a round?" Bell asked.

"No sir!" The guys answered very quickly, protectively even. Wow, I hadn't expected this from them.

But it was almost as if Bell did. He did an almost-smile.

"With each charge you make, you protect the ones you love from being charge at by the enemy. Remember that. It's either you or them." Bell threatened gravely.

And then he waved his hand to signal the trainees into position, "Back to your lines, one more time. Show me what you got."

The guys resumed their start position in their rows without a single groan or complaint. There was silence. Their expressions were strained. They were going to fight, and they were going to hurt, but there were determined to go through with it.

"Done, Luna." Ben said. He was breathing heavily from the run.

Bell considered him for a moment, "Face off Harv."

Ben nodded and the row moved down so that Ben was now in Keith's position, and Keith was facing off Link now. None of them said a word, but their expressions betrayed their flickering of various emotions as they faced their new opponents.

When the lines were set, there was a silence. Jessica covered her eyes, "I can't watch."

Lola looked regretful, "Luna said that anyone who sat out of this training isn't ready to step into the battlefield."

Marissa sighed, "At least we tried."

They tried?

"Ah, it was scary." Lola said, "I don't think I ever felt so scared before."

I looked at the two rows, the air around them so heavy in the shroud of suffocating silence.

"Me." I raised my hand, "I want a go."

"Sam, no!" Jessica cried out in alarm.

"If they are doing it, then me too." I said. I wasn't going to let my men suffer without me.

"Princess, it's going to hurt." Bell warned me.

"Huh! I'm not afraid of pain." I answered.

Actually, that remained to be seen. I don't think I've ever suffered any actual terrible pain before.

Bell's face was stoic, but I could feel a mixture of reluctance and regret seeping out through our mating bond. Hahaha.

"Ki, get on the mat. You'll face off the princess." Bell said finally. You wouldn't see it on his face, but somebody was feeling torn and emo.

Ki smiled, "Very well."

So I knew he absolutely did not want to do this either.

"Ki, you better not hold back." I warned. And then I thought better of it and alpha commanded, "Fight me properly."

"Understood." Ki nodded a bow in submission. Poor Ki, but you need to protect yourself.

"Ben will call the charge, I will call the halt!" Bell instructed.

Okay, on charge! I've got this!

"Charge!" Ben called.

And I was off!

I actually hadn't planned any moves, which in hindsight was dumb. If this was a war, I would be running straight to my death, but in the split second, I saw Ki all aglow lunging forwards, I sidestepped and used my shoulder to charge into his side.

I felt my shoulder smash against his ribs. Aruggrrr... But was rewarded by the way Ki stumbled at the force of my impact. I hope I broke something in Ki, because I'm sure from the sharp pain in my shoulder when I moved my right arm that something was broke in me.

Ki was quick to regain his footing but I was already positioned to throw a kick at his head. Suddenly, I realized that the drills, no matter how I had dissed them before, really helped. My body moved on its own to shift myself to dodge while pulling up my fists for the next punch.

Unfortunately, Ki beat me to it, and I caught his fist with my face. Everything when black for a few seconds. I felt like I was flying. There was a soft ringing sound.

"Halt!" I heard Bell call. I could feel his panic. Jessica screamed. Did something go wrong? Was someone hurt?

I forced my eyes to open and found myself off to one side of the mats. I blinked. Mate was propping me up growling lowly.

Ki came over, still glowing, with a bucket of water, "Oh f***, oh f***, oh f***."

What happened to 'pop'?

He threw the water over me, wetting Mate in the process, but Bell didn't even seem to notice.

The girls on the bleaches were moving over, so were the guys from the mat. That's right, Bell called for the halt. Was it break time?

"Stay back. Give some space." Ben ordered. "Sam will be fine."

Will be? But I was fine now, right?