Chapter 2. Time Flies

** Ten years later.........**

Ava's POV

The clashing of swords, and shields against shields echoed around the training ground as every man and female warrior swung their swords against each other for superiority.

I clashed my sword against my opponent sending his flying to the other side of the training ground.

I grinned. "Not so tough now,  Fernandez," I mocked.

He raised a brow. "Always leaving your opponent defenseless I see," he replied, reaching into the scabbard on his back for another weapon.

"Good thing I always carry an extra," he was cocky as he swung his sword toward me.

I leaped aside as the swords clashed again pushing him backward.

He succeeded in placing the sword underneath my chin few inches close to my neck, my back against him.

"You have been defeated, Ava," he said with a sound of victory in his voice.

"You seem to forget, I don't accept defeat easily, "I smirked and with a backward kick, I had him staggering on his feet.

In a blink of an eye, I spun around giving him a double kick on his chest and he fell to the ground.

I placed my sword a few inches in between his brows and grinned.

"You're no match for me, Fernandez,"

"That's enough for today," I heard uncle Phil say. Everyone stopped training and picked their opponents from the ground congratulating them on a good fight.

Heaving, I pulled away from Fernandez placing my sword in its sheath.

"A new technique?" Uncle asked coming towards me.

I beamed a smile as we walked along sides. "Been working on it, "

He smiled. "Very impressive. Your mother will be proud of you," he said with a pat on my shoulder and walked away.

I stopped and looked into the heavens and muttered. "She will be proud of me."

••••• ••••• ••••• ••••• •••••

The crescent pack wasn't known for violence and had been the weakest among other packs in this part of the North side.

But since the death of the Queen, my mother, it had changed history.

We were no longer submissive and weak to our enemies.

War and fights were only done when there was no choice but now, any slight threat from any pack, war was taken to them.

These few years we've emerged among the strongest. Gone was our fear of other packs and it was all thanks to uncle Phil.

After the war ten years ago, many of the crescent pack had gone into hiding for fear for their lives.

Uncle had been able to trace them and brought them together. He united the pack and gave them the morale to stay and conquer all that stands against us. That also had an impact on me.

After watching my mother die, I had nothing but hatred in my heart. All I sought was vengeance. Mother was too loving and kindhearted to have died that way.

And my father? I didn't even know him. Never seen him before.

I remembered as a child growing up I had asked my questions about him from mother and she had just held me tight to herself, kissed my forehead, and said she was my mother and at the same time my father.

She made me promise never to bring up the topic again and I didn't.

The water ran down my back as I stroked my hair letting it run down my shoulders. Uncle had been managing the pack till I was old enough and now that I am, he was ready to ordain me as the Queen.

The crescent pack has been ruled by women centuries ago. No man, either married to the Queen was to lead the pack. It had always been women as alphas.

I was nineteen and already a warrior and the next Alpha Queen.

I've won over five wars since I turned seventeen.

Mother didn't train me for this. I was usually dressed up for fancy teacup parties and ballet classes. The ballet classes had come in handy when nailing a perfect two point two kick.

She wanted a normal life for me, attending human schools forgetting that we were never normal from the start.

I got out of the shower wiping my hair with a towel as it was dripping of water.

Circumstances had changed everything. A few years back, I won't have imagined or believed myself holding a sword and slaying both men and women.

The blood moon pack was responsible for this. It was all their fault. Using the crescent pack for slavery wasn't enough for them, they decided to go for murder.

And this was all because a man from the crescent pack had decided to protect the honor of his mate.

I've heard about the blood moon alpha. A man seen as a demigod before men. I've not seen him in person but I hoped to and on the battlefield to show him a woman could beat him up to a pulp.

I didn't just want to beat him up, I wanted to murder him. I had found out from my uncle that his father was responsible for mother's death.

His father was whom I saw tearing my mother to pieces.

~~~~~~~

I was there again in that fire. Mother's voice echoed through the forest and urged me to run.

The smell of burnt trees and blood was still fresh in my nostrils.

I fell on my knees beside her and saw her smile for the last time with my name on her lips.

Her eyes closed and her hand fell beside her.

"Mother!" I screamed.

I screamed out of my sleep panting. I raked my fingers through my hair trying to control my breathing.

Ten years. It's been ten years and I couldn't forget that day. Many of my pack died including my mother.

Innocent lives were fallen that day. In a rage, I threw the glass of water on my table stand away.

The anger, the rage. This wasn't me but it was what I had become and it was all because of the blood moon pack and I swore with my life they would all pay for it.