Damien
“Thank you for coming, Alpha Michael,” I said as Liam, Michael, and I headed to the training grounds. “I appreciate your help.” Michael had agreed to come before our attack on Warwick to see if he could teach me anything useful. Liam thought it was a viable strategy, especially with a weapon-fighting expert like Alpha Michael. Quinn was excitedly urging Michael to come while we were on the phone.
“No worries,” he said, waving dismissively. “I’m happy to help. Teaching is my passion, and Quinn wanted to visit anyway. She’s quite fond of Blood Eclipse and your Luna.”
Liam laughed. “Azalea tends to have that effect on people.”
“Alright, show me what you’ve got,” Michael said, intently watching me.
“These aren’t professionally forged—I had the idea too late, with the battle approaching—but I think they’ll work. I can refine them later,” I said, pulling my bag onto a table near the training field.
I laid out the two cloth-covered weapons and unwrapped them. Michael smiled. He looked at me and reached for one. “May I?”
“Of course,” I replied, eager to hear his opinion. He held one of the two axes I’d had built.
“What’s it made of?” he asked, turning it over and practicing swings.
“I got large carbon steel rods and had a machine shop shape them into oval axe handles, after talking to Felix. Then they added carbon steel blades and welded them on. The last part was crucial. Vampire skin is hard to break, and I figured regular weapons would dull quickly. We’ve used stakes, but that’s a one-time thing. I talked to our vampire expert, who said vampires have historically used enemy fangs for weapons, so it should work.”
Michael brought the blade close to his face. A thin line of blood welled up, spilling onto the blade. “I should have asked if there’s venom, but I assume not?”
“No,” I assured him. “We gathered many fangs from the battle where we rescued Luna and Missy. We dried and cleaned them, then shaped and attached them to the blade with an adhesive. Theo said they should stay sharp long after I’m too old to use them.”
Michael picked up the second axe and swung them through a series of strikes. Then, in a blur too fast to see, he threw one axe. It pierced a tree trunk and sank into the one behind it. The handle vibrated violently.
“These are incredible, considering your lack of experience. May I make a small modification?” he asked.
“Absolutely!” I replied, eager for improvement.
He raised an eyebrow. “You don’t even want to know what it is?”
I shook my head. “I trust you if Liam and Felix do.”
“Noted,” he replied.
Alpha Michael retrieved the axe and placed it beside its twin. He took out a large bag, placed it on the table, and unzipped it.
“There you are!” he exclaimed, pulling out a simple wooden box engraved with a moon and stars.
Inside were two white rolls of fabric that shimmered like moonlight. I watched breathlessly as he carefully wrapped each axe handle, covering the weld. He tucked the ends in and laid the axes down. He took a small vial from the box, uncorked it, and poured half its contents onto each wrap. A bright rainbow shimmer spread across the fabric, settling into a soft inner glow. He then retrieved a dagger with a similar wrap, this one a sparkling blue. Holding his hand over the axes, he chanted softly and then cut his hand with the dagger. Blood welled up, and he let it drip onto the wrapped handles, which seemed to absorb it. The fabric turned into an ethereal shimmering silver.
“What the hell did you just do?” I asked, completely bewildered.
He held up a finger. He picked up an axe and threw it; this time, it pierced multiple trees before stopping nearly a hundred yards away, completely still.
“I performed a pack-specific ceremony. You tried to make them unbreakable with human tools, but there are limits without magic. My heritage involves this type of weapon enhancement. This is a blessing from the Moon Goddess, making your axes virtually indestructible. You won’t feel vibration, the balance is perfect, and the weld is protected. The protection’s strength is proportional to the wolf performing it, so yours is as strong as my pack can make it.”
“I don’t know what to say…” I said, awestruck by his generosity.
“You don’t have to. I can’t imagine what you’re going through, and your pack has been kind. I wanted to return the favor.”
I picked up the axes, marveling at how much better they felt. Michael had transformed them.
Liam grabbed Michael’s hand. “Thank you, Michael. On behalf of the pack, you and your Luna are part of our family.”
Michael nodded. “And you’re always welcome in ours.”
I pointed to the dagger. “Why are they different colors?”
“Oh,” he said, as if it were obvious. “Quinn blesses mine. I take her into every fight.”
After Alpha Michael blessed my axes, we trained. He produced rubber axes similar in size to mine.
“These are training weapons,” he explained. “We heal faster, but there’s no need to injure your pack. These let you practice techniques without hurting anyone.”
He put me through rigorous training. I thought I was in shape, but I doubted I could have handled this at my strongest. We trained in normal grip, short grip, parrying, striking, throwing, and more. I felt overwhelmed—I’d never felt so pressured in my Beta training. As the session ended, I knew the training would be invaluable. Liam, who’d been my partner, had been a huge help. His support meant as much as the Alpha’s.
Michael sat down. “These are perishable skills. You don’t know what you don’t know, and we’ve only scratched the surface. Remember you’re not an expert, and if you don’t continue training, you’ll lose what you’ve learned.”
“Understood,” I said. “I’ll continue practicing. And you and Quinn are always welcome at Blood Eclipse. I might visit you for further training.”
“We can arrange something,” he said, clapping my shoulder.
Luna Quinn had packed a lunch for all three of us. Michael pulled out wrapped food and containers. We ate, talking about our kids and wives. Quinn had made chicken subs with maple bacon, homemade ranch, cheese, rotisserie chicken, and leafy greens, seasoned cracker chips with onion dip, and a special tea. For dessert, there were chocolate peanut butter brownies.
Liam ate. “Where did she get all this?”
Michael, mouth full, said, “She made it yesterday knowing we’d be training all day.”
I tried the tea. As it went down, a warmth spread through my body, relieving my soreness and fatigue. I felt completely refreshed.
“What is this?” I exclaimed. Liam hadn’t yet drunk his.
Michael apologized. “Sorry, I forgot. Quinn makes a tea that refreshes you after training. It won’t heal you physically, but it eliminates fatigue. It’s handy for our warriors. We don’t readily share it with other packs.”
Liam took a sip, surprised. “Wow,” he whispered. Michael laughed.
I checked my watch. “The kids should be out of school. Your mom was picking up Delilah and Lucas, right?”
“Yes,” Liam replied. His eyes changed, indicating a link to a problem. I readied myself.
“We need all the warriors!” he said urgently. “Vampires are in pack territory. Two just broke through my mother’s fence.”