Alex awoke the next morning to the sounds of pots and pans being stirred in her kitchen. The smell that made it's way to her was so delicious that it could almost make her forget how groggy her head was and what an unpleasant taste she was experiencing in her mouth.

A quick wash and change into her training clothes and she skipped down the stairs to an awaiting Pete, acting as her personal chef. He greeted her with a big smile and a bigger plate of pancakes, sausages and eggs.'Pete, if you weren't already married to my best friend, I'd be so hot for you right now', Alex kissed Pete on the cheek in gratitude as she took the heavy plate from his hand.'Hands off lady', Nolan shouted loudly as he walked into the kitchen, stretching his arms over his head. 'I have enough trouble with all the young men who work on the farm checking out this guy from morning to night. I don't need to start worrying about women getting involved in the hunt'.Nolan snook his arms around Pete's waist, pulling his body towards him and planting a kiss on his lips. Alex watched as the adorable couple exchanged a few more kisses before breaking apart to sit down for breakfast. Alex's wolf gave a longing whimper inside her head as she thought of her own mate. Could they ever be as easy in each other's company as this pair?Over breakfast, Alex decided that she would seek out Aidan and sit down with him for a proper conversation. She had wallowed enough, presuming the worst and now was the time to have actual real interactions. Aidan may be present at this morning's training session. She could leave Nolan with the group and ask Aidan to go for a walk and maybe get to know each other a little. That all seemed very reasonable to her.It was a bright, clear morning as the trio set off from Alex's house. There was still dew on the grass and a chill in the air as they walked towards the training arena. Pete took his leave of them as they neared the turn for the farmlands.'Best of luck today' he called as he started to jog away.Alex could hear general chattering and laughter as she and Nolan walked into the arena. The sounds died immediately once the group had noticed her arrive. Some nodded respectfully, she heard others mutter 'Luna' quietly while others just stared blankly at her, looking unsure of what to do or say. She needed to address this so they could get started with the day's training. It was only Wednesday and they still had 4 days of training left to cover.'Ok everyone' Alex called to the assembly. 'We had a strange day yesterday, I think we can all admit.' There were glances and smirks shared around the group. 'But the goal of this week hasn't changed. We are here to provide Lunar Ridge with an education on our most effective battle strategies and on how to put these into practice. If you are willing to learn, you will come away this week with absolute confidence in your fighting abilities. Myself and your Gamma have had our differences..' There was open laughter at this remark and Alex smiled before continuing, 'But both of us are passionate about protecting our communities and that's what's most important here'.Nolan's eyebrows raised and he nodded his approval at Alex's respectful approach to speaking about her vanquished foe, Kit. The comment certainly seemed to have surprised some in the group and seemed to make them listen a little more attentively. Alex shouted an order for warm up and turned to Nolan.'I believe you have just made your first speech as an objective and well-balanced Luna', he teased. 'Very cool of you not to humiliate Kit in front of his men'.'He humiliated himself enough yesterday - what more did I need to say', Alex laughed. Kit would be spending the day in the hospital continuing to recover from Alex's beating so this day would surely be more productive than the previous two. They separated as they moved around the group giving orders and joining in for sparring.Aidan watched his mate from the top of the arena. He had walked in quietly as Alex spoke to the teams. She was clearly in her element here. She spoke enthusiastically and it was easy to see how respected she was by her own people. Even his pack members seemed to be paying attention to her today and were certainly impressing him with what they were learning.He watched her move around the groups, giving feedback to some of the individuals and demonstrating some of the moves herself with others. She was so graceful and moved with absolute confidence. He regretted his behaviour the previous day but he had gotten so aggravated by the situation and by Alex's reaction to their matching. He wanted to be near to her now. The pull was so strong. People had described the mate bond to him previously and, although he had always been sceptical, he now knew that everything he had been told was true. His heart literally beat faster when he saw or smelled her, or even just thought about her. The air he was breathing was sweeter because she was near. His skin tingled spontaneously and there was a warmth in his blood that he had never felt before. He wanted to look after her every need and also rip her clothes off and take her right here. His mind couldn't completely clear as thoughts of her came to him in waves and knocked his concentration.After his run the previous evening, he had hoped to fall into bed and sleep but he was tormented. Eventually, he had gone looking for her, hoping that the sight of her would calm his mind and his wolf. He had caught her scent and followed it to, what he assumed, was her house. It was a beautiful structure, set into the forest with many glass windows and walls, giving the house some stunning views. He watched as Alex's friends and family arrived throughout the evening. Aidan could hear Alex's voice here and there in conversation and it calmed his wolf. He had thought about knocking on the door and joining them but instead his wolf had curled up out of sight of the back garden and fallen into a content sleep, being near his mate. He would never share this information with anyone.Today was a new day and he wanted to make a better impression on Alex. Just as the thought entered his head, Alex turned her head and spotted him. Their eyes locked for a moment and a small smile crept across Alex's beautiful face. She spoke briefly to Nolan and gestured in Aidan's direction before motioning towards the door of the arena. Aidan stood immediately. A walk in the forest with his mate was exactly what he needed.