Scribbled in Blood

Nora's pov

"Faster" Ronan shouted as I landed a blow on the punching bag.

"Is that the best you can do?" He taunts me as I land several more blows to the punching bag.

"You are getting your stance wrong" he said and I widened my stance, placing my closed fists in front of my face.

"Do you really think anyone would feel threatened by you?" He quirked a brow at me but I ignored him as I kept on punching the bag.

"Whatever negative energy you have, I need you to channel it into your core and use it to propel the strength of your punches" he instructed. I closed my eyes and willed all the painful memories of Selene and Cassian's betrayal to come to the forefront of my mind and then I punched the bag with all my strength. One punch led to another then another and before I knew it I was picturing myself punching the hell out of Selene as I demanded for answers. I wanted to ask her what I ever did to deserve her betrayal, I wanted to ask her why she framed me and what she had against me, I wanted to ask her if-

"Nora" Ronan drags me away from the punching bag, ripping me away from my thoughts.

He holds onto my shoulders with both of his hands staring into my eyes as my breath comes out in gasps.

"What was that?" He asked after a moment of silence.

"You were the one that advices I'd channel any negative energy I had" I reminded him.

"That wasn't mere negative energy. That was pent up anger and hurt" his eyes searched mine and I looked away, unsure what he was looking for.

"Who hurt you?" He whispered to me, snapping my gaze back to his.

"You don't have to act like you care" I muttered and tried to shrug his hands off me but he didn't bulge.

"Your path is now intertwined with mine so I have to care" he responded.

"Of course. Everything about me has been reduced to some stupid prophecy" I hissed in annoyance.

"I know it's hard for you to come to terms with things as they are now but you will eventually" he said.

"Let's keep going" I tighten the band on my knuckles but Ronan doesn't bulge, he keeps on staring at me intently.

"Using your pent up emotions to fight might give you the strength you need but without proper training and technique you would lack coordination and your opponent might have an upper hand. While channeling that energy you have to keep your mind present on your opponent and masks your emotions" he explained but all the while he was talking, my gaze was trained on his chest which held many tattoos but one in particular caught my eye: a bleeding wolf lying helplessly.

Without a thought I raise my fingers up and lightly graze his skin. He sucks in a breath as my fingers make contact with his skin and I immediately jerk my hand back as if I was burned when a jolt passes through me.

I look up to find him already staring at me with those deep black orbs that seemed like an endless pit. I wondered if he could feel the tension as clearly as I did. I wondered if my touch haunted him the way his did to me.

"Why a bleeding wolf?" I whispered.

"Because although we act like strong unbreakable wolves, we are all bleeding inside" he explained, the low rumble in his chest reverberating between us.

"What is making you bleed?" I shakily rose my hand and placed it on top of the tattoo.

"An important message just came in for you Alpha" Jason's voice boomed in the room and instinctively I jerked away from Ronan.

Jason's gaze met mine and he scowled at me.

"I thought I told you not to barge in on me during training" Ronan growled.

"This was urgent and from the looks of things you weren't training" Jason quirked a brow.

Ronan growled threateningly and Jason lowered his head in respect before leaving the room.

"I'll try to improve my technique" I said as I hurried towards the door, unsure how to face him.

"Nora?" Ronan called out to me, stopping me in my tracks.

"Work on your restraint as well" he muttered angrily after a few seconds, almost as if he changed his mind about whatever he wanted to say.

I made my way back to my room without giving a response, falling into my routine for the rest of the day and just when I plopped down on my bed to get some rest, there's a heavy knock on my door.

"Emma I'm fine you don't need to check up on me" I shouted from my place on the bed.

"Open up Nora this is important" she said, her voice laced with urgency.

I open the door for her and she immediately drags me out of my room and down the stairs.

"Where are we going?" I asked her.

"To the pack borders" she replied and I jerked my hand out of hers.

"Why?" I demanded as she turned to face me.

"Alpha Ronan just asked for you and he seems to be in a mood so it's best not to keep him waiting" she said.

"Is he throwing me out of the pack?" I questioned wearily.

"I don't know but he didn't sound happy" she responded.

We walk in silence and I kept wondering whether my time at the pack had come to an end or if it was a little inconsequential meeting Ronan wanted to have. I released a shaky breath as we got to the border where Jason stood beside Ronan.

Ronan stared coldly at me, his eyes unreadable as I stopped mere inches from him.

"You sent for me?" My voice came out as nothing more than a squeak.

He took a few steps to the side and I gasped at the sight before me. Two wolves, no doubt members of Ronan's pack, were killed and their insides were dragged out to spell out a name, not just any name...my name.

I turned to Ronan and he silently held out a piece of paper to me. 

"Ronan-"

"Read it" his steel voice commanded me.

With shaky hands, I took the note and read the words scribbled in blood.

'Return my mate or be ready to go to war' 

My mind blanks as I looked up from the note.

"You have a fucking mate?!!" Ronan growled.