Chapter 13: Chapter 13

Running in human form is almost as fast as running in werewolf form, their speeds are quick and lethal. The only downside is that running in human form, a werewolf can get exhausted easily if they weren’t trained for this, but Katana and the rest were trained every morning and night. They could run in their wolf form, but they would risk exposing their large group to any supernatural creatures and humans.

The speed to them was slow and steady, but to a human eye it was almost invisible - a blur before they could recognize what was going on. The air was quiet and tense. It was clear everyone was anxious about going to the frontline, but no one spoke.

Katana broke the air with an old military tune her old man used to sing to her. Her father told her it was a song he sung to himself before a battle. It was a song that reminded a soldier of the many reasons they fight - their loves, their land, and their kind.

Katana’s mind was filled with resilience, but at the same time sorrow. She didn’t want her last time with her father to be their argument before she ran away, but at the same time she felt that she had something to prove. It shouldn’t be males only. This fight was to prove that females are not inferior.

The morning sky turned to night and soon darkness fell like a blanket around the woods. The soldiers were tired from lack of rest and food, but no one uttered a word to Xavier or Kieran who were running in the front. Katana glanced up at the moon and guessed that they were well into midnight when Kieran finally put a stop for them to rest for a few hours.

“Good job everyone. We have another day to hit and we are more than halfway there already.” Kieran announced.

The soldiers grumbled their replies and collapse onto the ground. Katana was one of them. She fell down next to Troy and Isaac, who fell down next to her. She threw her arms over their chests as she tried to catch her breath.

“Holy crap, this was hard.” She muttered.

Troy and Isaac chuckled and she tried to move, but found it was too much of an effort.

“We have to eat, Kenneth.” Isaac said.

“I can’t move.” Katana replied.

Troy laughed and helped her up into a sitting position. Her legs felt like jello and so she resulted in crawling to her pack, where she slipped out her share of food that was placed into her pack. She didn’t even bother looking at the package to see what it was. She crawled back to her friends and leaned against a tree as she attempted to tear open the package of her food. Unfortunately, her mind was not communicating with her hands and she ended up staring at the food as if it will open up by itself.

“I’m too exhausted to even open it.” She muttered and her food fell back into her lap.

“We ran all day.” Isaac remarked.

“I think it was enough running to last a lifetime.” Troy responded. “We didn’t even make a stop.”

“I know and I needed to pee really bad.” Katana said and her friends began laughing. They both opened their food and were already digging into their food, but she could only frown and stare at hers.

“Why aren’t you eating?” Her mate’s voice came from above her. She followed the shoes in front of her to her mate, who was staring down at her.

“I’m too tired.” She replied.

He crouched down and grabbed her food, ripped the top off for her and handed it to her with a spoon inside. She smiled thankfully and took it from him. She began eating and when Kieran saw that she was, he stood up and walked around to check on the other soldiers.

“Sometimes I wonder why he is so nice to you.” Isaac said.

“Me too.” Troy said with his mouth full of food.

Katana shrugged. “I don’t know. Let’s eat and get some sleep because I am pretty sure we will be up before the sun.”

Isaac and Troy seemed to take this seriously and quickly finished their food before pulling out their sleeping bags to spread underneath the tree and slipping inside to sleep. It didn’t take long before she heard snoring coming from the soldiers around her. Katana finished her food before running into the woods and doing her woman’s business. She came back to the camp and pulled out her sleeping bag from her pack. She rolled out her sleeping bag between her two friends, eager to get some sleep.

A harsh growl got her attention. It came quickly, but it was enough for her to catch it, as well as send a shudder down her spine. Her eyes found her mate staring at her from across the camp.

He was jealous. She wanted to ignore him, but she knew he wouldn’t like it either way. Huffing she dragged her sleeping bag over to him. He helped her fix the bag and she was too tired to fight him off anyways. She slipped inside and curled up into a ball as she allowed sleep to fall over her quickly, but before she did, she felt her mate’s arm wrap around her waist.

**

Katana was jarred awake by Isaac and Troy. She blinked several times to remember where she was at before she turned to see if Kieran was behind her. When there was no sight of him, she stood up and rolled up her sleeping bag.

“Is it time?” She asked sleepily.

“We have to move now.” Isaac answered her. She rubbed her eyes and face from any sleep before running to her pack and threw her sleeping bag inside. She slipped out another pack of army food and ripped it open.

“Did you guys eat already?” She asked and they nodded.

The sun was barely peeking over the horizon. It could be no more than four to five in the morning. She dug into her food quickly. When her mate appeared beside her, he leaned down enough for her to hear.

“How did you sleep?” He whispered.

“Ok, I would have liked more sleep.”

He smirked at her response before it quickly disappeared and he turned to face the soldiers again. She sighed and wished so much that she had a coffee pot, or something to brew her some nice coffee - never again will she under-appreciate all the little things in life.

“Alright, if we do today as well as we did yesterday, we will make it to the frontlines before the sun hits the highest point in the sky. If we hit there before then, I will allow you all to rest until you are fully rested before we enter the warzone. This should be good motivation to keep you all going.” Kieran ordered.

And indeed it did. Everyone picked up their speed, eager to get to the frontlines now. They passed many valleys and many mountains. The air was again tense, but with the anticipation of getting some sleep.

Isaac and Troy were awfully quiet throughout this time. No one spoke a word and Katana knew it had to do with remaining hidden. She didn’t mind it though. She took the time to eye her mate’s back as he ran. The sweat drenched his army shirt and now has his shirt clinging onto his skin. It was perfection.

There was something about men running - or should she say her mate running. She likes running behind him to just stare at his back. He does have a really nice butt. She wondered if it was a muscular or soft butt.

Her mate turned around while running to face the soldiers, but his eyes were on her. She blushed and looked down at the ground. She was caught eyeing her mate. His eyes twinkled amusedly before he turned back around and continued running.

They made it before the sun reached the highest point in the sky. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and many soldiers came into view to look at the new soldiers that arrived. Kieran and Xavier walked over to another Captain and General, where they exchanged some friendly greetings.

Kieran appeared back in front of them. “As promised, you get to rest the rest of today. Tomorrow we will head to the warzone.”

Everyone nodded and hurried to set up their place in camp. Katana was about to follow Troy and Isaac, but Kieran grabbed a hold of her elbow. Tingles spread from that one touch, giving her stomach flutters. She looked up at him.

“I want to show you something.” He said. “Meet me on the north side of camp.”

She nodded and dropped her pack where Troy and Isaac stood. Kieran left right after speaking with her. She wanted to follow, but was stopped by Troy. Troy pulled her to the side.

“Honestly, what the hell is going on between you and the General?” He asked.

She chewed her lip as she thought about telling him the truth. He has helped her through so much already. If it wasn’t for him, she would be kicked out. She could trust him, leaning into him, she whispered the truth.

“No way.” Troy eyed her suspiciously after.

“You have to keep it between us.”

“This is crazy.” He looked like he was still trying to believe the truth.

“I know.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He asked.

“I didn’t exactly know how to tell you. The situation is so complicated. He thinks I am a boy.” Katana muttered.

Troy chuckled. “Well, he is in for a surprise. Did he accept you yet?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Troy nodded, not wanting to prod further. She gave him a soft smile before turning and walking in the direction that Kieran disappeared to. She wondered what he wanted to show her.