MAX
Weâre in a situation where we need to update the king on recent events. He gives us an extra day in Asolo, so Alpha Frankâs new mate, Bianca, can handle her personal affairs.
Her family is devastated about her moving from Italy to Canada, but theyâre overjoyed about her being mated to an alpha. That night, Bianca comes back to the Fortress with us, and Alpha Frank is eager to take her to his room.
As I walk to my room at the end of the hall, I pass by his room. The soft sounds of moans and whispers reach my ears, and I canât help but feel happy for him.
I find myself looking forward to the day Iâll find my own mate. My twenty-first birthday is only seven months away.
Weâve arranged for Bianca to come back to the castle with us. The king has agreed to let her stay there until Alpha Frank finishes his training.
However, they canât share quarters, and the king strictly forbids any sexual activity unless Bianca is in heat. He thinks that focusing too much on physical pleasures could distract from training.
We know they donât really monitor such activities during our free time. The next morning, the couple comes out of their room, fully marked and mated.
Alpha Frankâs rush surprises me, but he simply says, âWhy wait? She is my Goddess-given mate.â
His point is valid, and he wants to keep single wolves at bay. They spend the whole day with Biancaâs family, while Iâm stuck reviewing financials with Beta Arthur.
Iâve seen enough of these books to last a lifetime. Beta Arthur is doing a great job, and I find no issues with his books or his management style.
He has a solid system in place and a highly efficient secretary. The following morning, we pack up and get ready for our journey back to the kingâs castle.
We have a long four-hour drive ahead of us. Biancaâs father has packed us some food for the road, but the delicious smell makes me doubt it will last till lunchtime.
This is the first time Iâve seen our guards since we arrived at the Fortress. They tell us that theyâve been staying on the first floor in quarters designated for visiting warriors.
Theyâve spent their days exploring the countryside with some of the warriors and their evenings at a local pub, eating and drinking until they can barely walk back. They say it was a much-needed break, as they rarely have free time being part of the kingâs Royal Army.
When one of them looks at Bianca appreciatively, Alpha Frank growls so fiercely that the guard immediately steps back and apologizes. I laugh as I throw my bag in the back and slam the door shut.
To lighten the mood, I remind them to pick up Gamma Ragnar and Gamma Dirk on our way back to the castle. We had left them at the compound before heading to Asolo.
I pat Frank on the back and gesture for him and Bianca to take the back bench seat, as far away from the guards as possible. Itâs going to be a long ride.
MAX
Weâve been back at the castle for two weeks. The lessons that followed were the theoretical part of the jungle survival training.
The plan is to leave for Africa in a month. Weâve been given minimal information about the location of our physical training and testing, only that itâs in the African jungle.
Derek has been shadowing me the entire time, as instructed by the king. I spend a significant amount of time discussing ethics with him.
He seems to struggle with self-control. I have to devise exercises to help him with this, which proves to be more challenging than I had anticipated.
With the assistance of some trainers at the castle, we try various tactics to test him. Heâs unaware most of the time that these are setups, and he only passes about half the time.
This is unacceptable in my opinion, so the king orders physical punishments for Derek when he fails. Heâs gone several days without food on one occasion.
Another time, he spends two days in a dungeon cell with nothing but bread and water. I keep asking him why heâs having such a hard time controlling himself.
He shrugs and says that his wolf is overly assertive and often causes problems when he tries to suppress him. This is completely beyond my understanding, as your wolf is supposed to be your ally, a source of support.
If you canât control your wolf, it would be difficult to be a good alpha. Upon learning this, the king orders Derek to be taken into the woods with some of his guards.
He will either learn to control his wolf now, or he wonât be allowed to lead a pack. Iâm relieved to not have to babysit him for the week heâs going to be in the woods.
Itâs the first time since arriving in Italy that Iâve felt any sense of peace. Iâve had the opportunity to speak with my father once since I returned from Asolo.
I tell him that I donât think itâs the place for me. I honestly believe itâs more suited to Jaydonâs personality and, to my surprise, my father agrees.
He wants me to make my own decision, which is why he had never indicated what he wanted. He does think that my idea of him and my mother going there for a few years after I took over Ridge Mountain isnât half bad.
He says heâll discuss it with my mother when he has a chance, and we leave it at that. I inform him that he wonât be hearing from me for a while, as weâre not allowed to communicate with outsiders until after we return from Africa.
We briefly discuss how things are going in Montana and how my siblings have been doing since I left. It seems that Jaydon has finally stopped pursuing Macy and Selene has decided that she doesnât want to go to college after high school.
She wants to be a warrior for our pack. I think she would be excellent, but her job would be to convince our mother that she doesnât need college.
Mom always believed in having a backup plan, in case the warrior path didnât work out as planned, like in her case. Melanie is wrapping up the last of her prerequisites for medical school and is trying to decide whether to stay close to home or go away for school.
Weâll have to wait and see how that plays out, since sheâll need both human medical school and then werewolf training afterward. There are very few pack doctors who take on medical students.
All in all, it seems like things are fine at home, and Iâm glad that there arenât any issues since we took down Alpha Jason. After hanging up the phone, I survey my room at the castle.
I need to figure out exactly what I should bring with me to the Jungle. I donât want to pack my entire backpack, as itâs filled with items I wonât need in the Jungle, like cold weather gear.
I make a mental note to prepare a packing list before the departure date. I donât want to be caught unprepared. Two months away feels like forever.
Iâm grateful that my absence wonât stretch to the four years that some of these alphas endure. The thought of being away that long is unbearable.
I have so many plans, and Iâm eager to find my mate. I collapse onto my bed, my arm draped over my eyes.
Sleep claims me quickly, my body and mind completely spent.
***
The Jungle is a furnace, humid and oppressive. The insects are like something from a nightmare.
Huge spiders scuttle across the trees and undergrowth, and the mosquitoes are gigantic. I hate it.
The Jungle isnât my scene. I donât enjoy being constantly hot and sweaty, and neither does my wolf.
We sit in a circle in the heart of the dense jungle, listening to the trainers repeat a safety drill for the umpteenth time. My mind is elsewhere.
Iâve practically memorized this by now. Derek is on my right, swatting at a persistent mosquito.
The sun is starting to set, and weâre getting ready to cook some meat over an open fire. Weâre told to set up camp for the night, while the guards scrutinize our every move.
Any mistakes could lead to injury or even death. We sleep in hammocks strung between trees, covered with mosquito netting.
Sleeping on the ground is out of the question, due to the threat of wild boars and pythonsâsome of which are bigger than full-grown alpha wolves. Eventually, the instructors will step back, leaving us to fend for ourselves.
Thatâs when the real test begins. Theyâll throw all sorts of scenarios at us, and our survivalâand passing gradeâdepends on our ability to navigate through them.
I canât quite understand the point of all this. The jungle isnât exactly a place Iâm keen to revisit.
But weâre told that this training is essential. If weâre ever called upon to assist allied packs in different parts of the world, weâll need to know how to survive in their territories.
It will be our job to ensure our warriors can hold their own if theyâre ever needed. Iâm pretty sure that not a single alpha from the United States would be eager to return to the African jungle.
Weâre all pretty miserable out here, but Iâm doing my best to make the most of it. After all, what other choice do I have?