Calliope's Wolf - Book 1
Chapter 9

A few months pass from Gianna's memorial. Calliope was outside in the hot summer heat, running laps around the pack house with Nova. She finally came to a stop, huffing and struggling to breathe. She wiped the sweat dripping down to her eyebrows.

"I think you made better time today than yesterday!" Nova commented as she looked up at the sky. "Not bad, little Luna."

"My lungs are on fire," retorted Calliope as she sat down against the wall of the pack house. "I'm tired of running."

"Good! Because I'm going to teach you to hit today." Nova replied with a smirk. "But if you're tired, I guess I can wait another time."

"No!" Calliope panted as she quickly stood. "I'm not tired anymore."

Her heavy breathing would say otherwise, and it made Nova laugh. She walked away, followed by Calliope.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, I swear, Great Luna!" Nova answered with her hands in the air.

"You're annoying," huffed Calliope.

Nova continued to laugh. She led Calliope to the training grounds. It was a large, flat area with soft sand instead of the grass.

"I've wanted to learn to hit for weeks; why now?" Calliope inquired as she looked around. It was hot, and the training grounds were empty, except for them.

"The Great Alpha told me to train you like we would a young wolf," Nova responded as she fanned her face with her hand. "That means you start with the small things. You are running to build up your lung strength. Weights and floor exercises to build up your inner strength. Hitting requires more than just your hands. You need muscle to make it hurt. But now you must learn to hit accurately with the proper technique."

Nova looked at Calliope. She took her shoulders, straightened them, and pushed in on her back, making Calliope stand up straight.

"I know you're tired, but how you hold yourself matters. How your feet move matters." Nova said as she stepped back. She stepped so her feet were shoulder-width apart. "Mimic me."

Calliope followed along as Nova pointed her right foot slightly inward. She shifted her weight to the front of her feet. Nova then instructed Calliope to do some quick pivoting and rotating, watching and showing how she needed to position herself to be fast with her punches.

Calliope struggled some with moving her feet correctly. Her legs were sore to the point of cramping. She stiffened her legs, trying to concentrate on the precise movement of her legs and feet. She had to work through the pain and push it to the back of her mind.

Once Calliope had some handle on the footwork, Nova showed her how to hold her hands. Her left hand was up higher, in a defensive position protecting the cheekbone. The right hand was in a lower position, beside the chin.

"If someone goes to hit you, you need to use your forearms to protect your face. Now, lower your chin. You should feel the muscles in your stomach tighten up. That keeps the inner strength active. Lastly, relax your shoulders."

Calliope listened and tried to comply. But her muscles were now actively fighting against her. She ended up stumbling to stay in the correct positions.

Nova sighed and looked back up at the sun.

"It's too hot, isn't it?" she asked, not really expecting a response. "Let's rest for a bit and then start back up?"

Calliope nodded with a weak smile. She walked with Nova to a shaded area and sat on the ground. After drinking some water and resting, Calliope looked at Nova curiously.

Nova was in her early 30s now but still had no mate. It saddened her a bit to see someone she was close to without a partner. She watched as Nova rested against a tree, eyes closed. She was a strong woman, but she had her beauty. Her dark red hair, the freckles on her face. She stood out amongst a crowd. But from what Calliope could see, no one sought to take her.

"I can feel you staring at me, little Luna," Nova said as she opened one eye to look at Calliope.

"All these years, and you have no mate. Why?" Calliope inquired.

"Goddess knows why," Nova sighed as she closed her eyes again.

"You haven't been rejected or anything before you met me?" Calliope continued her questioning. "Or you rejected someone?"

"Nope, no rejections from either me or my mate, wherever they are," Nova answered. She looked down at her hands on her lap. These are questions she has asked herself hundreds of times. "It happens sometimes that you never meet your mate. It could be they died before you met them. Or they are so far away."

"But that's why the Greats hold the Moon Festival so that single wolves can find their mates." Calliope interrupted.

"It is, but that isn't the case for me," Nova countered. "Being destined to be with one person doesn't always end well."

"I wish you'd find your mate so you could know love and happiness, so you could know how I feel," Calliope said softly. She moved and sat next to Nova. Calliope rested her head against Nova's shoulder while Nova wrapped an arm around her.

"I know love; I know some of what a mate bond feels like," Nova blushed. "Humans don't have mate bonds, but yet they can love too. I have loved, I do know it."

"Wait!" Calliope gasped as she looked up at Nova's face. "You've loved a human?"

Nova choked on air as she began to laugh. Calliope moved from Nova's arm and turned to look straight at her.

"What is so funny?"

"I haven't loved a human; I've loved another wolf," Nova explained.

"Well, who is it?" Calliope questioned with eagerness. "I need to know everything!"

"This must stay between you and me, though. Wolf relationships without the mate bond are greatly frowned upon." Nova said with seriousness. She looked hard at Calliope, gauging her reaction and answer. Calliope gave a solemn nod.

"As the Great Luna and your friend, I swear what you say stays between us," Calliope answered with a hand to her heart.

Nova sat back against the tree and motioned for Calliope to return by her. Nova took deep breaths, trying to calm herself before she spoke.

"His name is Conner," Nova started to explain. "He lives not far away in the Crimson pack. Unlike me, he was rejected by his mate. He is an omega; he isn't super strong or very smart. But he is funny and sweet, and he sees me. I can't explain it, but I do love him."

Calliope was silent; she listened and thought to herself. She felt something in her hands but saw nothing and felt nothing else. She looked back to Nova.

"Why isn't it allowed for you two to be together?" Calliope asked.

"Well, there isn't anything saying it isn't allowed, but it is frowned upon," Nova answered. "It's seen as going against the Moon Goddess. She creates someone just for you, and you choose not to be with them. And worse, children born of these relationships are often banned from packs. If you look into a rogue pack, you'll see many families who were banished because they loved someone else."

"So why isn't rejection seen as bad? I mean, the ones who choose to reject?"

"When you reject someone, it is seen as the rejected person's fault. They didn't live up to the potential the Moon Goddess gave them. They are seen as weak or lazy."

"So what happens to those who reject? Do they go their whole lives without a mate, too?" Calliope questioned.

"That's complicated," Nova explained. "Sometimes the Moon Goddess creates second chance mate bonds. Sometimes, within the same year, you come across your second chance mate; sometimes, it takes time. So, just because you reject someone doesn't mean you are mateless. Connor's original mate got a second chance mate."

"It seems unfair for you and him. Why not just let you two be happy?" Calliope whined as she wrapped her arms around Nova. "I just want to see you happy, see everyone happy."

Nova smiled and kissed the top of Calliope's head. "My little Luna, I am happy. Don't you worry."

"When I am the Great Luna, I will change things. I will make it so you two and others can be together. I'll make a law if I need to!"

"I'm sure you will change so much of this world to make it better," Nova whispered, holding back a tear.

The two held each other, comforting one another. After some time, Nova and Calliope return to the training grounds. As the sun passed across the sky, Calliope learned her foot positions, her hand positions, and how to maneuver herself to throw a punch. It wasn't much; her punches weren't very hard, but these things take time, especially for someone who is still a child.

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