Chapter 28 - 27. Training And Waiting

Lying on the floor of the dark room, Eden was catching his breath. The werewolf had been training without a break. He stroked his fur and smoothed it absentmindedly. Without moving from his position, he opened his dashboard and displayed the information that interested him.

[Glen Red Creek, fated mate

Level: ???

Race: Werewolf

Blood rank: Alpha

Type: ???

Class: ???

Name: ???

Stats: Strength: 1000/10000

Speed: 1000/10000

Agility: 1000/10000

Intelligence: 9889/10000

HP:???

Skills: Healing (Passive) Domination (Passive)

Stats are blocked. The subject has been cursed.

Current debuff: Shifting to werewolf form and wolf form is impossible. Time before death 81 days 06 hours 42 seconds.]

According to his system's countdown, it had been over six days since the young werewolf was stuck in this room for further training. The place seemed to have its own rules. Since he arrived, Eden felt neither hunger nor fatigue nor pain. At least that was the case when he was in the dark room.

Each time he was transported to what he called the training ground, it was another matter. Pain and injury were indeed possible to his greatest misfortune. He had escaped death more than once in a deadly real wolf game, and he could no longer count the number of wounds he had covered once back in the dark room. Without his healing ability due to his werewolf nature, he would already be dead meat.

The scenarios of his training sessions were diverse and designed to test and push him beyond his limits. After his first training session which he had barely succeeded in, Eden had begun to understand how the system worked and he had no doubts that magic was involved. Little by little, his doubts had been confirmed. The omega had watched closely at the werewolves chasing him or assaulting him on the training ground. As soon as he eliminated them or when he completed the mission, they disappeared like smoke.

During the whole training session, their bodies seemed as alive as he could tell. At least in appearance. Eden also noticed that each time he leveled up, his opponents' strength increased as well. Undoubtedly a way for the system to keep him getting stronger. He could see the effects of his increasing stats, but the teenager felt neither joy nor satisfaction. Anxiety was gnawing at him.

He changed the information and scrolled through his own data.

[Eden Bloodhood Level: 78

Race: Werewolf

Blood rank: Omega

Type: ???

Class: ???

Name: The Chosen One

Stats: strength: 4457/10000

speed: 8102/10000

agility: 6571/10000

Intelligence: 9042/10000

HP: 680

Skills: Perception (Active)

Strength of the Ancients (Active)

Blessing of the Goddess (Active)

??? (???)]

He closed the panel and sighed. He had leveled fourteen times since his arrival and he was progressing well. Truth be told, much faster than he thought it would be, but still too slowly for his liking. Being away from his mate was more than difficult. Even more so that after their brief meeting in the Dean's office, he felt their connection. An attraction more than magnetic which affected every inch of his body. The distance was painful to bear. His instincts demanded to be near him in the comfort of his pheromones. He put his hand on his neck and closed his eyes.

He remembered the tingling feeling when his alpha scratched his teeth on his skin and the blissful feeling that enveloped him when he was breathing the scent of cocoa and cinnamon mixed. A slight blush spread on his cheeks and a gentle heat swelled in his chest just before he remembered what threatened them.

"A curse", he mumbled underneath his breath.

Eden straightened up and walked a few steps then materialized the screen again. The goddess' messenger or whoever had given him access to this system hadn't returned despite his many calls, cries, and provocations. The werewolf needed information. He opened his mate's data panel to the part mentioning his curse. Used to the silence in which he had lived for several days, he appreciated being able to interact with the system without having to speak.

He asked again for clarification of the curse that was befalling his alpha. After a second, a screen appeared, and Eden started to read. His chin was wedged between his bent index finger and his thumb. His eyes jumped word to word, a crease between his eyebrows.

[Curse 'Blood of the Witch'

The curse prevents the subject from shifting to their werewolf or wolf form and reduces their physical abilities. The curse is slowly killing the werewolf side inside the subject.

Depending on their class, the affected subject may be able to partially or totally negate the effects of the curse with some damages. HP: -3 per minute.

To lift the curse, the werewolf must fight his bloodlust after a transformation before his HP reaches 0.]

Eden dismissed the holographic board and sighed again. The word curse had already told him everything, but after reading the description, he couldn't hold back the shiver of fear that had descended his spine.

Blood of the Witch. A witch had cursed his alpha. Werewolves and witches didn't interact. That's all the statement he could make. While each of the two races recognized the existence of the other, the number of contacts was low. But Eden started to doubt that a witch had cast a curse on his fated mate without further intentions. He assumed it had to do with the fact that he's the Chosen One but he couldn't put his finger on how important it would be for witches to want to provoke a goddess.

Witches were in contact with many deities, including their goddess, and it was in no way profitable for them to attract Her thunderbolts.

In the past, the only time witches and werewolves interacted was during the Big Bloodshed. Seeing the various packs of werewolves killing each other over land and power, the most powerful clan of witches, the Blue Moon, stepped in. Threatening to go to war with them if the massacres continue and a treaty is not found.

Eden was thinking, trying to find connections between the different things he had in mind. The messenger had told him that when he was ready, the enemy would reveal themselves and he didn't want to reach level 100 without having devised a plan to defeat what threatened them.

[To lift the curse, the werewolf must fight his bloodlust after a transformation before his HP disappears.]

He read the last sentence in his head over and over again. A scenario had formed when he first read the description and specifically the part about how to break the curse. The idea that had germinated took hold in each of his training sessions and he decided, once again, to put it aside. Whatever happens, he will have his questions answered when he finishes training.

The panel popped up to suggest a new training session and Eden went back to a previous menu to select one of his daily quests. He had noticed that his stats increased more easily when he completed them within the allotted time.

The omega chose a duel confrontation and didn't fight the sensation which gripped him towards the now familiar place. He stared at the man who came in front of him and shifted before showing his sharp fangs. Eden transformed as well and a smirk appeared on his face.

________

Glen walked down the hallway to the male omega's cave. It had been several days since he arrived in Bloodhood's territory and his fated mate had passed out. The young werewolf hadn't woken up once. Even though his condition no longer showed any outward sign of suffering or pain, his condition worried those around him.

Silver Bloodhood had ordered his son to be examined by Trinity Rivers, the head of the healers but the dominant couldn't find any symptoms or reasons that could explain Eden's state.

While nothing could say for sure that his rejection was the reason for the omega's condition, he firmly believed it and he wasn't the only one. He pushed the curtain aside and froze when he saw a white werewolf with a red tail curled up in Eden's nest. He stood on the threshold of the cave waiting for the werewolf to notice his presence. Cherry's ears twitched and the female omega turned her head to Glen. Seeing who was standing in the hallway, she glared at the alpha and was about to bare her teeth when Dante admonished her. The young beta was sitting in front of the desk, books and notes opened as he was studying. He gave the alpha a weak smile as an apology. Glen smiled back and stepped back, not without a glance at his omega he didn't want to leave already. He walked out and left Eden with his two childhood friends. When they were alone in the cave, Cherry linked her fiancé.

[Why is he still here?]

[What are you talking about? He is Eden's mate. His place is here.]

[He is not. He's rejected him. That's why Eden he's in this state. He hurt him. I want him to leave!]

She let out a whimper and her dominant put his pen down. Dante strode to the nest where he settled next to his mate. He stroked her fur gently to comfort her and the sub calmed down.

[You know he has his reasons. Don't be like that. You were their first supporter.]

[I don't like him anymore. He's the worst mate ever! How could he reject Eden?]

[Alpha Silver told us that he didn't want to hurt him. He was trying to protect him.]

[From what? They expect us to gulp down whatever they say without a proper explanation. I won't! I can't bear seeing Eden like that. What if he never wakes up?]

[He will. I also don't understand why he thought that rejecting Eden could protect him but I'm sure is that he truly cares about him. Alpha Silver knows what's going on and I trust my Alpha, so let him be for now. You know he needs to be with Eden. Don't bully him like that.]

She growled lowly and snuggled to his omega friend without answering her dominant. His the backyard of the pack's cavern, Glen was sitting, thinking, when he heard some noises behind him. Connor appeared with one arm in a splint.

"What are you doing here, all alone? How is your mate? "

"I don't know. I could get through… the guards " He said with a slight hesitation in his tone and Connor chuckled.

"Did Cherry threaten you again?"

"Are the books all lies? I thought the omegas were the bottom of the hierarchy in a pack and didn't dare to even look at dominants. " The alpha was taken aback by the sub's strong reaction.

The young woman rarely left his mate alone and didn't hesitate to show him a ferocious animosity whenever he had the misfortune to meet her. In the six days that Eden was unconscious, he hadn't been able to spend much time with him. The WIA agent patted him on the shoulder to encourage him.

"Bloodhood has its own rules. Bear with her. She'll eventually let her guard down when she sees your good intentions and that you only wanted to protect your mate. "

"Yes. I hope and I want him to wake up soon to explain everything. " He gazed down at the chestnut-haired man's splint.

"What about you?"

"Me?" The man asked with a bright smile. "I'm fine. I'm still alive and currently on an extended and paid holiday. I can witness my best friend acting like a wimp in front of a cute omega as well as a docile puppy each time he's with his mate. Man, it's paradise!" Connor retorted and leaned on his good arm to settle on a laid-back position.

"I swear, you've got the worst personality ever." Glen glared at him and he received a wink in return. "Did Alpha Silver manage to talk with the WIA?"

"Yup! He negotiated my presence as an exclusive liaison officer. You know Bloodhood is the only pack that was completely sealed off from the influence of the organization. They were above the moon that I succeeded in making contact even if we didn't tell them any detail about you. They are going through the contract and other stuff, and in the meantime, I am allowed to stay there, sprawled in my laziness."

"So… you used me to work your way up?" Glen noticed with an eyebrow rose.

"Nope! They offered and I approved. I'm not that dumb or noble to refuse such an opportunity, and it also allows me to have a prime place for your sentimental drama. "

"Thank you."

"What? What's wrong with you? Are you sick? " He asked, wrinkling his nose.

"Asshole! I'm just grateful! "

"Well, that's weird. I'm used to your annoyed tone, please don't act out of character, it's creeping me out."Connor said, faking a shiver.

"How did you know about him being my fated mate? I didn't believe it at first. I heard that it's something like a miracle for werewolves… "

"Well, I guess we have known each other for a very long time. When I saw you like that and when you told me about him, I could tell it wasn't the typical alpha's attraction toward an omega. "

Glen looked at his friend who was enjoying the scenery in front of him.

"Also, you kept moaning and crying every night, that was so lame! "

"Ok, I'm leaving. Bye! "

Connor burst into laughter and followed the back of his friend until he disappeared inside the cave.