MAX
Today is the day I start my practical tests in training. Iâm with Alpha Frank from Quebec, and weâre the only ones not in classrooms.
Instead, weâre waiting for our escort to the water survival test. Weâve spent the quiet waiting time getting to know each other.
Frank has trained extensively for this, especially in Lake Michigan. I have a feeling heâs going to do well.
Heâs even scuba certified, which is impressive considering werewolves generally donât enjoy being underwater. Itâs just not in our nature.
Weâre up and about before the sun, loading gear into a van and setting off from Bardonecchia. We have a long four-hour drive to Venice ahead of us.
Once in Venice, weâll have access to a variety of water bodies, including the Adriatic Sea. Our tasks include swimming five miles, escaping from a submerged vehicle, holding our breath underwater for two minutes, and fighting off a man trying to pull us under.
And thatâs just the beginning. Theyâll then take us to a freezing body of water, where weâll have to submerge ourselves completely and recite any law the evaluator asks us.
These are all laws weâve learned in training, so we should know them. Once we complete these tasks successfully, theyâll decide if they want to give us further tests or not.
So, even though theyâve told us what to expect, they could add more tasks afterward to ensure their satisfaction. Iâm eager to get this over with and move on.
The silver lining is that the king has given me permission to stay in Venice for a few days afterward, to check on the Venice Pack for my father. Alpha Frank will accompany me, along with the guards weâre traveling with.
I can only hope for a warm reception. I allow myself a few brief moments to think about the next couple of days, then I lean my head back against the seat and promptly doze off.
A nap before we arrive seems like a good idea, considering we woke up so early. When we left, no one else was even out of their quarters.
The sky was a midnight black, filled with stars as far as the eye could see. The cool weather hinted at the onset of fall and the approaching winter.
***
Hours later, the van comes to a halt outside a fenced compound. It looks like a prison of some sort.
Itâs not exactly inviting, but maybe thatâs the point. The guards punch in a code into a keypad outside the gate and it swings open.
We drive in and the gate closes behind us. We stop again, a second layer of security waiting for us as the guards speak to someone on a speaker box.
A solid steel gate opens, and we drive through. On the other side, two warriors are waiting for us.
They direct our driver to the appropriate place to park and we unload our gear and follow them inside a cement compound. The levels of security we have to pass through are like nothing Iâve ever seen.
âWhat is this place?â I ask one of the guards whoâs traveling with us.
âItâs one of the kingâs training compounds. Itâs locked up tight so that humans donât get the idea they can come waltzing in here.
It also provides a stronghold in the event of war,â he tells me as we keep walking deeper into the building. We arrive at what can only be described as military-style dorm rooms.
A small bed with a thin mattress, a desk and television along one wall, small closet and private bath along the other. Nothing fancy, but certainly the bare necessities weâll need for our short stay here.
Weâre each given a room and the compound guards leave us, after telling us where to find the dining hall. We quickly unload our gear and head to the dining hall.
We havenât eaten since dinner the night before and itâs late morning by this time. As we walk down the long corridor, Alpha Frank asks one of the guards what the plan is for the rest of the day.
Weâre informed that weâll be meeting with our evaluators in the afternoon, and then theyâll take us out for our first test. The first test is submersion in a vehicle that we must escape from.
Tomorrow weâll move on to others, if we pass this one. Iâm not worried about this first one, and Iâm sure Frank isnât either.
I find Alpha Frank to be good company. We have the chance to discuss a great many things regarding the challenges ahead.
He seems like a very levelheaded alpha and one who will do well when he takes over his pack. I think we could build an alliance over the course of our time here at Alpha Training.
Laughing easily together as we make our way back to our rooms, weâre stopped dead in our tracks when two large men dressed in military style B.D.U. pants and combat boots approach us.
âAlpha Maximus and Alpha Frank?â one asks us as they stand in our path.
âYes,â we say in unison.
âWe are your evaluators for your water survival training. This is Gamma Dirk, and I am Gamma Ragnar.
We are the lead warriors from the Bjorn Pack in Norway,â the taller blond werewolf advises us. He reminds me a great deal of Brock.
Similar huge build and large tattoos. The difference is that both of these men have long hair, braided intricately down their backs.
Itâs not something Iâm used to seeing on a grown man, but I sure wouldnât make fun of these two, even on my best day. âVikings,â I state.
Both smile. âIndeed, we are. Come with us.â
With those words, we walk down a long dark corridor, to exit out into the bright sun. Itâs nearly blinding after having been in the dark building for hours.
The four of us wait for only a few minutes before our driver and guards show up and we all load into the van to drive to the location where our first test will take place. The anticipation is amped up, having just been basically grabbed out of the hallway with no warning.
Arriving at a long pier that extends far out into the water, we unload. Thereâs no sign of other people and two vehicles sit parked near the pier.
Itâs at this time that we learn that weâll be driving those vehicles down the pier and straight off the end into the water. Weâre instructed to keep it at top speed, for the vehicle to essentially slingshot out into the water and clear the pier.
The vehicle will then sink into the water. Weâre not allowed to exit the vehicle until itâs fully submerged.
We donât have to wonder how the cars will be retrieved, as a barge is anchored nearby with a large magnetic crane, ready to pull it from the sea. This is not exactly what I had expected.
Weâre literally driving ourselves off a pier as if itâs just another day. Frank is eager to take the plunge first.
Iâm indifferent about the order, but the anticipation seems to amplify the tension. I find myself pacing the sandy shoreline, eyes glued to the car as it speeds down the pier, launching over the water, and landing with a splash.
It takes a moment for the car to fully sink, and then weâre left waiting, wondering if heâs made it out. One of the evaluators stands by in full scuba gear, ready to dive in if Frank needs help.
I hold my breath, waiting. I sneak a glance at my watch, the longest two minutes of my life ticking away.
Iâm surprised to find myself genuinely worried for him, my palms slick with sweat. Another minute passes and just as Gamma Dirk is about to dive in, Frank surfaces.
He immediately flips onto his back, floating as he regains his composure and catches his breath. As Frank swims to shore, we notice blood trickling down his forearm.
âWhat happened?â I ask.
âI cut it on the glass when I tried to swim through the broken window. Itâs nothing serious.â
Heâs already peeling off his t-shirt as he approaches me, using it to bandage his arm. âYou had me on edge there for a moment.
When you hit the three-minute mark, Gamma Dirk was about to dive in after you,â I admit. Alpha Frank grins and nods.
âIt was tougher than I expected. The key is to stay calm.
We have the strength to do what we need to escape.â Iâm about to ask him another question when Gamma Ragnar summons me to the second vehicle for further instructions.
We have to wait for the barge to retrieve the first vehicle, giving us a good twenty minutes to review basic safety procedures. Then, before I know it, itâs my turn.
I squeeze into the compact European car and drive to the pier, making sure the vehicle is centered before I hit the gas. Despite its size, the car is surprisingly fast.
My heart pounds in my chest as I speed down the wooden pier, already worrying about how Iâm going to escape from this tiny car underwater. The car launches over the water and lands with a splash.
Water slowly seeps in as the car sinks, and then itâs filled with seawater. Visibility decreases as the car descends.
I reach out, my claw slicing through the seat beltâs nylon fabric like butter. Thatâs the easy part.
The real challenge is maneuvering my body to escape the car. The door is stubborn, refusing to budge when I first try to open it.
Once I manage to free my legs from under the steering wheel, I stretch out, my feet braced against the windshield. My arms are extended behind me, pushing against the carâs back window while I simultaneously apply pressure to the front windshield.
My goal is to generate enough force to dislodge one of them. I can feel the seconds ticking away, my ability to hold my breath dwindling.
My lungs are burning, and my vision is starting to blur with spots. With every ounce of strength I have left, I slam my legs into the windshield.
Iâm almost certain I feel it give a little, so I kick again. I see a light in the water not too far awayâGamma Dirk, I assume, coming to my rescue.
But Iâm not ready to give up. I give the windshield one final, desperate push, expelling the last bit of oxygen Iâve been hoarding in my lungs.
Itâs do or die. I choose do.
It has to be now.