Chapter 3 - Meeting...

Zara's POV

"Levi, get up!" I yelled, snatching the blanket away from him.

"No! Leave me alone!" With a cry, he took the blanket from me and covered his head. "Let me sulk in peace!" He mumbled from under the blanket.

"No!" I snarled. "It has been three freaking days. You can't stay in bed. We have training to go to. You cannot miss one more day!"

"Who cares! My mate certainly doesn't!" he yelled.

I took a deep breath. I was going to snap, yank Levi by the collar, and drag him down to training because I had reached my breaking point.

"Levi," I said as I sat down on his bed beside him. "You are now taking this rejection way too far. Other wolves accepted it and moved on."

"Name one?" He growled, moving the blanket from his face.

Oh no. I was not prepared to break the news of my rejection to Levi.

"You know, other wolves," I said, getting to my feet.

With a roll of his eyes, Levi covered his head with the blanket.

"I saw that!" I growled. "Now, get up and go get ready for training. That's an order, beta!"

Levi ignored me, and that was enough to tip me over the edge.

I reached for the blanket and gave it a rough tug, bringing him and the blanket to the ground.

"Aww!" He hissed and massaged the lump on his head. "What was that for?"

"For ignoring your Luna!" I snarled. "Now, get your ass in the shower!"

Levi showed up fully clothed thirty minutes later, and we made our way to training.

"Ah," Beta John, Levi's father, said when he noticed us coming. "Did the future beta finally decide to peek outside his room?"

John is the Beta of the pack and my father's second in command.

At six feet nine, he was a towering darkheaded wolf with the palest blue eyes that gave me the impression that they could see right through me.

Beta John growled and rushed forward, infuriated at being treated disrespectfully, as Levi folded his arms across his chest, sighed, and rolled his eyes.

"You have been missing training," he roared. "I am very disappointed in you. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Levi brushed off the question and lifted his chin to meet his father's eyes directly.

"Beta John, morning," I said, moving between them just before John could explode and give Levi an ass whooping. "Uhm. I apologize for being late. Which training session is planned for today?"

Beta John squinted his eyebrows as he gradually turned to face me.

"Sparring and tracking," he growled through his teeth. "Ten miles in human form."

I shot Levi a warning glare as he huffed from behind.

Did he have a death wish? He is aware that his father would never back down from a fight.

"Excellent," I replied, grinning, and hurriedly nudged Levi in the direction of the ten-mile path.

"You should have let him give me a beating," Levi said when we were out of earshot. "Even if it was only for a brief period, it would at least make me feel something."

"You are being stupid right now," I snapped, cutting him off. "Let us finish this run before your father decides to add more training. I am already exhausted just thinking of it."

The fact that we had hardly covered ten miles in human form meant that I knew Beta John was intentionally punishing us.

We entered the sparring ring a little over an hour later, and it did not take me long to pin Levi to the training mat.

"I submit!" Levi called out.

"Do not give up so easily!" I hissed. "Fight!"

Levi and I would usually spar for a lot longer than two minutes. All I can hope is that Beta John was blind to Levi's poor performance this morning. He would inform my father, which might lead to issues when I assume Luna's role in the pack.

"As if you have any experience with rejection," he scowled and shoved me away. "Just let me be!"

"I can't do that, Levi," I said. "You are my friend and Beta. Your suffering is my suffering."

"Give it a rest, Zara," Levi said, getting to his feet. "I am leaving to go clean myself up."

Did his broken heart cause me to lose my friend forever?

"What's his story?" Kevin, one of the head warriors, asked when Levi hurried toward the changing rooms. "He appears to be depressed."

"He is just having trouble focusing," I answered. "He is going to be fine."

I headed to the changing room and had a quick shower.

As I was leaving, I noticed Levi and his dad arguing angrily in the hallway.

Oh, Goddess, what now?

"Beta John, is something wrong?" I asked, maintaining my composure, as soon as I got there.

"No," he said, giving his son a fierce look. "Everything is now in order."

"Alright," I said gradually as I noticed Levi maintaining his neutral composure. "Then we will be on our way."

I reached out to take Levi's hand, but he shook his head and retreated.

What the hell was going on?

"Zara," Beta John said, and my gaze snapped toward him. "The Alpha desires a meeting with you."

"I know," I replied. "We are meeting for lunch today."

My folks had returned last night from a trip to a rival pack where they were signing a treaty.

Beta John took a step forward. A blank expression filled his face. I detested it when he behaved that way—there was clearly trouble ahead.

"I want to clarify that he is currently waiting for you in his office," Beta John answered.

"As in right now?" I asked, surprised.

"Yes, right now," he answered, his normally icy, light blue eyes growing even colder.

"Very well," I responded. "Levi–"

"He is not coming with you," Beta John interrupted, pinning my gaze.

Shocked, I knitted my eyebrows together. Such a reaction from him is unprecedented.

Levi shuddered visibly as my eyes slid towards him.

Did Kevin say anything about Levi's performance this morning?

"He has no right to try and scare you," Kaya growled in my head. "You are ranked higher than him."

Kaya was right. I straightened my shoulders and regained my composure.

"I am sorry, Beta, but I need to have my beta by my side," I said. He opened his mouth to protest, but I held up my hand to silence him. "If my father, the Alpha, has rescheduled our meeting for earlier, then I, the future Luna, have the right to have my Beta by my side. This meeting seems important, and I am pretty sure my father would agree that Levi needs to attend."

Beta John's jaw tightened, and anger flashed in his eyes. He didn't expect me to pull rank on him.

He nodded stiffly to me and stepped aside.

I grabbed Levi's hand and dragged him along as I rushed past him. I knew whatever my father wanted me to talk about had to be important, but I had no idea it would permanently alter my course in life.

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