The Golden Lycans (Ella) novel Chapter 92

<Is This What I Think it is?

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Is This What I Think it is?

**Ella***

I push open the doors to the sports hall, Freya right on my heels, and immediately come to a halt, eyes widening at the bizarre spectacle before us.

I had not been expecting to walk into what looked like an obstacle course from hell-nor was expecting to see a supersized Atlas soaring between two towering vault boxes like some kind of L ycans’ Got Talent audition.

“This is… different,” I mutter.

“Amazing! Just amazing! That’s nine meters already!” Leo Landry’s voice booms across the hall, and-was that happiness in his tone?

Leo finally turns, spotting us, and to my utter shock, waves us over excitedly. I don’t think I’ve ever

seen him look this… elated.

“This, my darling daughter, is a wonder to behold!” he declares with almost boyish enthusiasm as two people I don’t recognise, shove one of the vault boxes another meter further away.

Leo claps his hands together.

“Once more, Atlas!”

With coiled power, Atlas launches himself, closing the gap between the boxes. This time, it’s not

quite as effortless-but he still lands it.

Leo grins.

“Happy to call that ten?” he calls up.

Atlas responds with a low, approving howl before leaping off the stack and disappearing behind the equipment. Half a minute later, Austin emerges from behind the vaults, wearing only navy joggers, his chest and abs glowing with sweat.

Good grief….

The second I see him, something inside me clicks back into place, like a piece of me had been mis sing for the past ten hours. I close the distance between us, pressing into his embrace, inhaling his familiar scent as he breathes in over my mark-a greeting that’s quickly becoming a habit of his.

“Are you okay?” I ask softly, still half-worried that last night’s cosmic energy overload might’ve scrambled his brain.

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Austin pulls back slightly, looking down at me with a mix of amusement and confusion.

“feel amazing, Ella,” he says, his voice tinged with something almost reverent.

“The things Atlas can do now-it’s astonishing.”

Relief washes over me.

“So the lunar juice had its desired effect, then?” I tease, smiling, “it certainly solved my little

problem, so it’d be great if it did us both some good.”

His expression shifts, something deeper flickering across it-a cascade of emotions I can’t quite place. Then, finally, he speaks, voice lower now.

“You have no idea how honoured I am to be bonded with you,” he murmurs, “what you did last night … allowing me to mark you… it was a gift.”

His lips press gently to my forehead before he pulls me into a tight embrace, and I melt into it.

A throat clears behind us.

Leo steps towards us and he regards me with an awkwardness I hadn’t expected to see in him. I

look back at him a bit dubiously.

“I know that I owe you an apology, Ella. I admit that I misjudged you. Gravely,” he begins to say, looking into my eyes, “it is clear that our pack could indeed be stronger without a she-wolf as it’s future Luna. But regardless of your growing list of abilities and strength, I can see the effect you have had on my son, how much happier he is since his birthday…how much more grounded and su re he is in his role, now. For that, I am truly grateful.”

I hadn’t expected an apology from Leo at all, nor was I expecting a compliment and a heartfelt

thank-you.

But…it felt good.

I wipe my astonishment off my face and replace it with a smile instead, then nod in acknowledgement of his apology.

“Austin has changed me too, it goes both ways. My abilities are only what they are because of our bond and the way we feel about each other. I would still be wandering around in life believing I wasn’t human, yet not knowing I was anything else, had I never Austin. Meeting him and discovering our bond has changed my life for the better.”

Leo smiles properly for the first time. It was a little unnerving but I was relieved and grateful that

he was now trying.

“Welcome to the family, Ella,” he says before turning to Austin, “Austin, we are all done here.”

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The two people I didn’t recognise immediately start moving the equipment to their normal storage

areas.

“So…how did we do? Atlas is chomping at the bit,” Austin enquires eagerly to his father as he looks

at a few things on his electronic tablet. Leo chuckles for a moment.

“Completely outstanding, to be honest. Perhaps you can be more? Who knows. You far surpassed even my highest expectations across the board….and now you have a baseline for what you can do with Ella by your side. Should you wish to train harder to increase your performance, that is up to you. But for now? You’re absolutely in fine physical form to lead the pack should something

happen to me,” Leo replies.

“Careful Dad, that sounded dangerously like a compliment,” Freya piped up.

Leo turn to Freya now.

“Should’ve left the equipment out for Freya,” Austin says jokingly.

“Oh yes,

that would have been interesting,” Leo agrees. Freya makes a face.

“I don’t need to do this, I’m not the heir,” she says with a smug expression.

“Well, actually Freya, I was going to have a word with Ollie about doing strength training with you,” Leo replied. The colour drains from Freya’s face.

“Why? And why Ollie? I mean he’s pretty busy with Aus, Dad. No need to bother him,” she says. I knew why she was being awkward, but Leo definitely doesn’t.

“Because until you bond with someone from another pack and therefore change packs, you are still my daughter and a valued alpha of our pack. You’ll be seventeen in June and you’re done growing. You need to start stepping up too. Next year your younger sisters will be joining and I expect you on top form. Austin will have graduated and you’ll be taking over his classes,” Leo says with a stern

look.

“I’m more than happy to spare Ollie fo-” Austin begins before Freya interrupts him sharply.

“I’ll train myself, it’s fine. Ollie is used to training Aus anyway, not a she-wolf. We’re a different game,” she days stiffly, crossing her arms defensively before turning around and exiting the sports hall with her shoulders hunched. Austin looks a little perplexed by his sister’s behaviour but says

nothing.

After lunch, I manage to pull Freya away for a walk around the grounds. The air is crisp, the kind of cold that feels fresh rather than biting, and the sun hangs low in the sky, casting long shadows

across the grass.

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“This is our bench-Austin’s and mine,” Freya says as we reach the swing bench by the pond. She

gestures toward it before sitting down, her gaze fixed on the water, “we’ve always met here when

we needed to talk, ever since we were kids.”

We sit down quietly for a moment, watching the ducks glide effortlessly across the pond, I take a

breath before turning to her.

“Freya, what’s really going on with Ollie?” I ask gently, “I feel like there’s more to this than you’ve admitted. He’s about to come of age, you’re an alpha… and you recently told me you’ve had feelings for him….I’m putting two and two together. Is this what I think it is?”

Freya tuts softly, letting out a long sigh.

“Ollie’s been in my life for as long as I can remember,” she says, still staring at the pond, “this…shift … it’s a lot to wrap my head around. Not for Mira, though. She’s all in. Artemis too. They haven’t known us the way we have. They haven’t been in our world for as long.”

I tilt my head, studying her.

“So… it is what I think it is?”

Freya exhales slowly, finally looking down at her hands.

“I’m… ninety-six percent sure he is, yeah,” she confirms, her voice is barely above a whisper, “Oliver Woodward is my destined mate.”

A single tear escapes, rolling down her cheek before she wipes it away. But then, to my surprise, she lets out a small, choked sob.

I frown.

“I don’t understand… shouldn’t you be happy about this?”

Freya laughs weakly through her tears, shaking her head.

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