Chapter 23: Chapter 22

“Fucking pig. Did he think he could take me? Has he lost his mind or something?” I felt my ponytail swaying behind me as Thelma held up her hand and I clasped with pride as a cheeky grin mustered up on her face.

“You go girl. Who is the little bitch now. I loved that! Whoop. Whoop. My girl has got her powers.” Thelma broke my serious face as she pretended to have a lasso above her head as if we were at a rodeo. I shook out my hands and cricked my neck.

“I didn’t even break a sweat. I don’t get what’s up with him lately. He’s been aggressive for real. He’s worse than Dane, maybe he had a fight with Gina or something.”

Thelma and I walked stride for stride as I shook my head. “I don’t think that’s it at all. Didn’t he turn like you? I don’t think he’s handling his turning like you are. Girl you are a bad ass. Your training has got you looking amazing out there on the training ground.” The corners of lips rose in a worthy smile, finally I was getting my just dues.

As we walked I heard the soft pitter patter of feet behind me, and I turned to see who it was. One of the new trainees who had been watching on the sidelines approached. She had a long messy honey colored braid and earnest eyes. She took off her training gloves and tapped me on the arm.

“Excuse me. Vera right?” I kept walking but glanced sideways at her, there was still a surge of electricity and fire from throwing punches at Reily running through my veins.

“Yep. That be me, and you are?” I was always skeptical of the newer recruits because Gina and her reckless crew got in their ears and tried to coax them to the wrong side and have them doing all kinds of fucked up shit. It was what they called ‘wolf hazing’ in the first year. To me it was a whole granola bowl full of bullshit.

“I’m Paige. I saw you fighting- and wow, just wow. I wanna be like you as a wolf. You’re so powerful. How often do you train? I want to know your schedule! How can I gain your strength.”

I stopped and turned to look at her as several of the other wolves who ignored me on a regular basis stared and pointed to me as I walked off.

“Are you asking me that honestly Paige?” My emerald eyes didn’t waver from hers as I got ready to tell her the real story.

Her head bobbed as she shifted footing waiting for my answer. “I took years of beatings from the same wolves, swallowed my pride and trained every day for three hours plus, endless chores and oh- turned into a wolf on my 18th birthday.” I smiled at her long and hard before I carried on. “I don’t recommend taking that route to be honest, but the benefits are if someone punches me I don’t feel it as much. Try doing more sparring, there’s nothing like the real hand to hand combat. Practice your counter moves religiously until they become extensions of your hands that way when you are faced with the situation the move is automatic and you don’t have to think about it.”

Unblinking and standing 5′5 she reminded me of Thelma who nodded her head in approval at my advice. “That’s solid advice Vera,” Clive had caught up after I guessed after giving his brother a serve and chimed in.

“Thanks. Whoa. That sounds like a lot. There’s been a lot of talk about you around the barracks and most of the other wolves said you were nothing and couldn’t fight. I don’t think they’re saying that now,” she said with a cheesy grin.

Smirking in all my glory I claimed my victory with a smug smile. “I don’t suppose they are. I’m glad I gave them an entertaining show to watch.” Clive high fived me as I felt on top of the world. All the energy peaking inside of my body though made me want to run. I had to change and let my wolf run free. The forest woodland behind the training ground was reachable and all I had to do was shift and roam for a while. I still had eyes on me and I didn’t want to shift right in front of them knowing I was a Lycan. I wanted to keep that to myself until I fully understood all my powers, but every day my inner strength, physical power and eyesight where improving. When I attended my medical examination which all new wolves had to do the examiner studied me for quite a long time.

“I don’t understand where all the scarring is. The last time I saw you, there was a lump on your scapula from the beatings you’d taken. That should have taken months to heal. It’s here anymore and didn’t I write down on your form that you had a coyote bite mark? Where has it gone? Can you please explain?” I’d shrugged my slender shoulders and pleaded the fifth.

“I have no idea. I guess my body has healed up from it.”

I returned my running thoughts to the battlefield and Paige. “You sure did give them something to look at. I can’t wait to do more training. I just have to put in the work right?”

“That’s right. You got it. Good luck Paige, and don’t let Reily and his crew run you over.” I winked at her as Clive stared at me with his mouth open.

“You’re a completely different person now your wolf has stepped into the picture. As you should be by the way. You are moving in leaps and bounds in so many ways. It’s incredible.” Clive praised me and I still felt I owed a lot to him for training me.

“Thanks for believing in me Clive. I know Reily’s your brother and it must be hard to be placed in the middle of everything between us.”

“He’s in the wrong Vera. It’s as simple as that. He needs to pull his head in and stop being the prick of the century. He’s always had a chip on his shoulder. It’s one of those things he acquired from birth. It’s kind of like the same one Grant has on hers. Or is it a pole for her?” Clive pretended to sniff something in the air as both Thelma and I broke into laughter.

“Your royal highness, or so she thinks Dane doesn’t plan on giving that throne away to anybody else. He is a tyrant through and through.”

“You got that right. He’s a bloody old pain in the ass. I don’t understand how he still has all the wolf strength. Shouldn’t he be on his downward spiral by now?” I wanted it so desperately to be true, but I knew Dane had plenty of life left in him and wasn’t going anywhere.

“Unfortunately Dane is one of those type of wolves that will hang on to the bitter end.” Thelma deplored as she transferred her gun from one side to the other.

“I would have to agree with you.” I tightened my lips as I stared off into the distance wanting badly to enter the forest woodland. I had to run. I had to get my blood firing again and run out some of this tension from the fight. I could feel my teeth grinding as I needed more. My body had to shift. Clive was staring at me and I could feel his liquid brown and golden eyes penetrating my back.

“Yes?” I asked as Thelma preoccupied herself with her weapon.

“You need to run don’t you?” I tweaked my neck from side to side unlocking it with a crack.

“How did you know that?”

“I’ve been in your position before right. You have to take a run. You should go now. Get into the forest and blow off some extra heat. That fight probably amped you up and you’re ready to pounce on everyone aren’t you?”

“You are too good Clive. I’m new to this wolf thing. Yes, I have to run.” Thelma heard me as she stood back up and slid her gun back into its holster. She quickly turned to see where the rest of the trainers and wolves were.

“Go now. Hurry. Clive and I can cover you for an hour. Get going.” Thelma and Clive stood side by side and faced the crowd as I shifted and slipped off into the forest as fast as my wolf would carry me. I loved the feeling of my the wind through my fur as I stretched out my limbs. I brushed past the evergreens as my paws hit the ground and exhilaration filled me as I sped through the trail with my heightened sense of smell allowing to inhale the earthy dirt beneath me. I tested my speed and ran even faster daring myself to run at top speed. I decided since I had the opportunity to run then going to my old thatched house in the woods was possible. It would take me less than half hour now. I hadn’t been to my old house since that fateful day when I followed my parents. I hoped the house was still there and that Dane didn’t have it burnt down which was a high possibility.

Dane had been beside himself with grief and overwhelming rage and it wouldn’t have surprised me if he had the thatched cottage burnt down to a crisp. The river that divided me from the other side of the lush woodlands still run deep and true. I wondered if my wolf could swim? It was a Lycan after all and I’m sure it had a few tricks up its sleeve. I soon found it was well capable of swimming as it dipped its toe in the bubbling, crystal brook and we crossed over to the other side of the river.

The water was cool and inviting just what I needed after a hard training session, an ass kicking and now a good run. The water lapped at my underside but didn’t come up past that as I crossed over and shook the water off and kept running. I reached the house, and found it still standing there. It was a mess and part of the roof had been taken away and there were birds nest sitting on top of them. Through the golden eyes of the wolf I saw one of the windows was cracked and I found myself howling loudly to the gap between the trees.

Once I let out the sorrowful cry for my parents I studied the shell of my childhood home once more. Not to be. I trotted back to the river’s edge and crossed back over to run back through the forest to the training ground. As I picked up speed with the air flowing easily through my white fur I stopped short of the field to check if it was safe for me to shift back. I saw on the lip of the entry to the field my clothes had been laid in a neat pile for me to put back on.

Thelma must have done that. She’d left them sitting there. I placed my clothes back on and found my ebony hair was a tad wet from the river. I planned to dry it out and finish the rest of my chores as if nothing happened. The electric surge of energy housed in my body had dissipated and had been replaced with a feeling of revitalization. I was ready for anything.

Reily

How could she have humiliated me like that? How was it even possible that she beat me in that fight and why did she look good? Why did my wolfness react so strongly to her? I was busy licking my wounds and trying to avoid my crew who’d been heckling me all night.

“What the fuck was that Reily? You let Vera beat you!”

“Shut up. I let her get her rocks off, she’s not going to get away with it. There’s a round two.”

“You were way off your game today,” Gina stamped out as I cut my eyes at her.

“Don’t you start with it as well. I did the best I could. It is what it is. I haven’t been training as much and she got a few licks in. I’ll get her the next time don’t worry about that.” I let the portrayal of the cocky one roll out, but deep inside I felt ashamed that she beat me. The laughter from the other was hurtful and I wanted to throw them through the mess hall window as payback.

I peeled myself out my training gear as I looked down at the round, angry red circle on my abdominals were Vera had punched me. Damn she was good and so much stronger than I wanted her to be. How had she become this strong? What happened to scrawny Vera who hung her head in shame and guilt for the death of her parents and mine?

I’d managed to sneak away from Gina and the crew feigning tiredness and vowing to see them all in the morning. That’s not what it was. I was licking my silent wounds and wanted to be alone to plot how I would take Vera down. I had to study the new version of her more.

Nightfall had come to Mount Hunter and the moon sat up high with only half of herself showing as I traveled home letting my mind take me on its course. After a few steps a calling creeped into my body. A call so wild, so savage it almost ripped me apart on the inside. My pulse spiked, my mouth dried up and my face flushed hot and cold. A desperate feeling of lust swam in my system as the urge to go to my mate took over my being.

My blood was boiling and I had to do something about it. A smell so clear, crisp and distinct attached itself to my nostrils it cleared my path to it. It was my mate. They were close as I felt the pounding in my chest. This was the time, this was it. I was about to meet my mate. My gut tightened as I jogged letting my keen sense of smell take me towards the promised land.

Oxygen coursed through my lean body as I let my arms pump and the sweat dripped from my forehead as I charged forward. I was close as the volcano forming internally was rising and rising. I could smell the pheremones of her, the essence of the wolf who was to bear my children and run side by side with me. Wait... The smell had led me to the country main house, was it Grant? Was it her? She was a little too snooty and brattish for my liking, but if she were to be my mate it would suit me well in a lot of ways. It would bring me closer to being the king of the Mount Hunter pack. That in itself was powerful enough and then we could do away with the pitiful rogue and Vera. Doing away with my brother was a mute point, but if I could have seen him back out on recon I would have.

I dropped low behind a bush as I anticipated the sight of my wolf, but what I saw made me want to rip my own arm off. In front of me and transforming into the most spectacular sight I’d ever seen was Vera. A glorious large white wolf with a long, regal snout, exquisite fur and a powerful stance and golden eyes that shone ten times brighter than the moon. I groaned at the sight, it brought me such pleasure I had no chance. I had to reveal myself. The pull was too great, and I was being swept away like a boat at sea. I had to go to her. Vera was my mate.