The Heartless Alpha's Beloved Luna Novel

---- Chapter 133 Avery's POV The next day I dressed carefully and left the pack house before the sun rose once more. A low fog hung over the village, making the air damp and heavy. I breathed deeply and took off at a jog, letting the movement and my steady pace warm my muscles and waken my mind. Ihad put my new procedures in place as Luna, and now it was just a matter of waiting to see what results they produced. If I was doing my job properly, nothing would noticeably change, but everything would be strengthened so that it was less vulnerable to external meddling.

If Dierdra tried to disrupt things again, the results would be immediate and obvious. I hoped that involving more pack members would also help if I needed to prove to Gideon that her actions had malicious intent. More eyes on the problem meant more chances to catch Dierdra up to mischief. For now, though, I understood that she was still resting up in Gideon's room. At least the harm she ---- had self-inflicted had also restricted her own ability to sneak around causing trouble. Small blessings. Up ahead the training grounds of the pack came into view.

Surrounded by high walls and stadium-style seating, the hard-packed dirt had training equipment, a track, and several rings marked where wolves could challenge each other to any type of competition. As I approached at a run, a murky shape detached from the wall and walked towards me. A tall man, with broad shoulders and a well developed physique. I smiled and waved a hand in greeting. "Good morning, Luna," the warrior grumbled, "and damn you for making me get up early." "Good morning to you too, Ian," I laughed at his surly expression. It seemed out of place on his usual jovial face.

I noted that he had a few more worry lines than the last time I had seen him, when he had been upset at being rejected by his true-mate, Jessica. I supposed we both had been thwarted in finding true love. Perhaps it was that commonality that had made me send Ian a note asking if he wanted to help me with physical training. ---- My motivation was simple. My wolf had told me to get stronger, so I would. Additionally, I hoped that increasing my training would give me an edge if my mother and I had to leave in a hurry.

It was not unlikely that we would reach a point where I would be solely responsible for our defense, and it ashamed me to admit that in my current shape, I was barely able to defend myself. "Shall we begin?" I asked Ian as we entered the training grounds, "What should we do first?" "Well, I was going to make you run," Ian sighed, "but seeing as you jogged here, I assume you are warmed up, yes?" When I nodded, he gestured for us to proceed to an area of the grounds that contained several raised platforms, bars, ropes, and swinging tires.

"Your muscle tone will take some time to build up, so we will work on agility as your primary strength," Ian explained, "You are slender and light, which will give you an advantage against a heavier, more-muscled opponent, at least temporarily." At his direction I spent the first thirty minutes ---- hopping between circles on the ground, dashing across suspended beams, and dodging tires that swung from ropes across my path. "Your cardio needs work," Ian remarked as I collapsed on the ground, panting for air. I could only nod.

After some water and a bit of rest, we moved to the weight training equipment. I spent time throwing heavy rocks, dragging weights, and trying to slap heavy ropes against the ground. "Not like that," Ian laughed as I grunted and heaved, "You have to learn to work with the rhythm of your muscles. Here," he moved to stand behind me, grabbing my wrists in his huge hands, "step forward as you lift, it will allow you to engage larger muscle groups." I nodded in understanding as he guided me through the movements, shadowing me with his body.