Ch. 201..210

Chapter 0201

As I take another shot to the head I risk moving to look Wyatt in the eye. “Any day now big guy.” He huffed a laugh and started to move again.

“Whoa! This sh*t is slippery.” he shouts in my ear as his foot almost slips off the rope in front of him.

“Don’t try and step, slide your feet like ice skating, same with your hands. Move quickly, they’ve stopped shooting, probably to reload.” I say to the pair behind us as much as to Wyatt.

We finally make it to the platform, but the trainers have reloaded and now we have to make it down among the new wave of paintballs. As Wyatt sets me down I notice more than half our team is still up here.

“What are you guys waiting for, an invitation? Get down the ladder!” I shout at them.

They all jump like coming out of a trance and start to scramble down one at a time. It’s still slow going now that the trainers have targeted the rungs of the ladder making it slick with the oily paint.

We get to the bottom followed by the last pair and then we take off running. I keep up with Wyatt, not really sure where to go, but figure we must be trying to cross some sort of finish line.

“Time!” Warrior Nickolas shouts. “Not bad. Circle up everyone, let’s talk this out.” All the teams that just ran the course ran over. The people in the front took a knee so the rest of us can all see and hear clearly. “Team one, you successfully made it across with all of your team members today with the ropes expanded to eight feet apart. Team two, you also completed the course, and faster than team one. Both teams used the one-by-one method all of you have been practicing for the last few weeks. Team three, you chose to try a different method, which earned you an additional phase of attack.” There were grumbles around me, but I don’t really understand why. “Can anyone tell us why the additional attack was needed?” Warrior Nickolas asked as if no one was making a sound.

Audrina raises her hand, then starts to speak. “As a team the buddy system was getting us across faster than the one-by-one method, but that also made the human backpacks vulnerable to other outside attacks. The paintballs were used to slow us down on several different fronts. The people carrying had to fight the slippery rope and those riding unfortunate enough to get shot had to hang onto their slippery partner.”

“Correct, good observation. How did team three adjust to the attack? What was done right?”

“The two that were riding shifted to the front to protect the partners crossing the bridge, which lowered the risk of falling, but the riders took an onslaught of hits.” The woman who called me the ‘new toy’ earlier answered.

“Uh huh. What could have been fixed? Skylar, I’ll let you answer this since you took the brunt of the attack.”

My eyes went wide, I was not prepared for the attention. I make eye contact with Audrina who gives me a squinted look, probably trying to say ‘don’t f*ck this up Newbie.’

“I think having more of our team on the ground neutralizing the attackers would have helped and we may have suffered less hits and would have cut our time down some. The paintball attack was clearly something that no one was expecting and it caught everyone off guard. Maintaining awareness in the chaos and staying focused on the objective until the assignment is complete is probably the biggest lesson here.” I finish, not looking around since the whole group has gone completely silent. Nickolas gives me a smirk and then looks over to Warrior Osiston.

“Why did no one try to stop the trainers from firing on your team?” Warrior Osiston asks. “You all stopped to gawk at the two pairs that were being pulverized by thousands of paintballs. And we each unloaded about a thousand rounds.” He looks pleased with himself and I had to fight an eye roll as I noticed the blue color that is the most prominent color dripping from me happens to match the paint in his gun. He had far too much fun shooting me the jackass.

Chapter 0202

“Who decided to pair up team three?” Warrior Nickolas asks.

“The team leaders of course.” Audrina speaks up. The ‘new toy’ girl was right; she would take credit if it was being praised.

“It was a team collaboration.” Tracker supplies. “A fresh set of eyes and a new perspective allowed us to adjust our game plan and for the most part it did work in our favor. Now we have something new to work through.”

“Spoken like a true leader Tracker. All of you who were hit with paint go shower quickly and clean up, we will make sure you get lunch. The rest of you grab your thing and head on in to eat.” Warrior Osiston says and a chorus of ‘yes, sir’ follows before we all disperse.

“That was awesome!” Lillian runs over to Wyatt and I, laughing. “I think I might have peed my pants if I would have had to climb around from back to front like that, though.”

“What was I supposed to do? Wyatt couldn’t see and the ropes were getting more and more slippery with every shot. I was able to protect his face better too since he needed his hands to get the both of us across. There was no other way that was going to work.”

We got to our things behind the bunkhouse and Wyatt and I headed to the side entrance with the other people who got hit with paint so we didn’t track it through the main level. Lillian told us she would save us a seat and said she wanted details about climbing Wyatt like a tree. I think even with the warrior brand that girl might be boy crazy.

We head up and Wyatt leaves me on my landing saying he’ll meet me at the main stairs in ten minutes. I rush to my room and grab my things to shower quickly. I tried my best, but I took most of the shots to the back of my head and that greasy paint was not coming out in the spit shower I had time for. I can’t wait to go back downstairs and have Audrina give me a hard time for it, but there’s

nothing I can do about her attitude towards me and I really need to eat after all of that and we still have afternoon training to do. I take a deep breath ans head towards the stairs as I finish adjusting my shirt.

“Where’s the fire? We have time, Midge.”

“I am starving and we have more training later.” I whine at him and he just laughs at me. “Stop laughing. I still have homework too. Let’s Go!” I start running down the stairs as he starts laughing at me again.

“I see you tried really hard to get all that paint out of your hair.” Nathaniel smiles as we meet up with him in the line.

“Shut up! This sh*t is going to take a few washes to come out, but keep making fun of me and we’ll see if I protect you from shots being fired.” I raise my eyebrows at him.

“Good point, you took a lot of hits.” He coughs a little before laughing again and we join in with him.

“I’m glad you did though, we never would have made it across otherwise. Whatever is in those paintballs sucked to have in my eyes, I couldn’t see a thing. Midge had to use her shirt to clean my face while holding on like a little monkey, it was pretty impressive.”

We make it over to a table Lillian has for us. “Yes, that move was definitely hot and something I will store away for the right moment when I find my mate.” She says like she’s been a part of the conversation the whole time. “Make sure you get enough protein in, we are shifting later and your wolf will need the energy.”

“More food, got it, you don’t have to tell me twice! And I didn’t even think about that, I’m sorry Wyatt.”

Chapter 0203

“Sorry? Why are you sorry?”

“I didn’t even think about being up in your personal space or if that would even bother you, I’m sorry.”

“Umm, Midge, you saved us from falling, don’t ever be sorry for that. And no one who has looked at you or been around you would ever be mad about you crawling all over them, brand or not.” He winks at me.

“I just didn’t even think about anyone not being comfortable with being that close to someone else. My friends and I back home were just really tight like that. Just tell me if I do something that bothers you, alright?”

“Uh, you helped us win, even with the rest of our team completely distracted and not being helpful at all, we won. You could tell me to wear a dress and I probably would if you could guarantee that we achieve our goal.” Wyatt laughs and we all join in.

“You like to wear dresses huh? Just another piece of information to store away for later.” Lillian wiggles her eyebrows at him.

“Shut up.” He tries looking angrily at her, but it doesn’t last and we all end up laughing at him.

We are wrapping up when a very official looking guy walks into the canteen and everyone goes quiet. The three piece gray suit is very out of place here with everyone in training gear. He looks stern, like he’s on a mission and takes everything way too seriously. I wonder who’s in trouble now.

“I need to speak with Skylar.” He looks around the room, clearly not knowing who he’s looking for. “I have a message from Luna Queen Anne.” He continues to look around.

I stand up slowly and move towards him. What could the Luna Queen have for me? I’ve only been here two days. I make it to him by the door, hoping that he will walk out into the hallway to talk to me. No such luck, figures.

“I’m Skylar, sir.” I shift a little closer to the door to hint at wanting to step out, but he basically blocks my way with his large frame.

“Luna Queen Anne would like you to be at the Royal packhouse Saturday morning at 6am for your fitting. Someone will be here to pick you up at 5:30 and you will have breakfast with the Luna Queen before. She also wanted me to give you this.” He hands me a very fancy looking thick envelope. “We will see you this weekend Miss Skylar.” With that he turns and leaves me just standing there a little stunned.

I walk back to the table with my friends. “What did he want?” Lillian doesn’t hesitate to ask.

“To give me a message from Luna Queen Anne.” I flash the envelope at them.

“Well?” She looks at me expectantly.

“Well, what?”

“Oh, for Goddess sake, what does it say? The suspense is killing me. The Luna Queen really doesn’t have much to do with warriors in training.”

“Oh, uh, I haven’t opened the envelope yet, but I have to go to the Royal packhouse Saturday morning to meet with her.”

“Seriously, open the damn thing!”

I smile at her excitement and open the steel gray envelope and pull out a thick card folded in two. It has the royal seal embossed on the front and the edges have a fancy frey making it look

handmade. Actually, it probably is come to think of it. When I open it the first thing I notice is the scrolling elegant handwriting. This woman obviously puts a lot of thought and effort into her notes.

Chapter 0204

‘Skylar you are formally invited to the Alpha King’s Annual Elder’s Conference and Ball as Prince Alexander’s escort. A car will pick you up promptly at seven in the morning to bring you to the royal packhouse to begin preparations for the day. You will be excused from training Saturday and Sunday as the ball will run late and your presence is needed for the full duration. I look forward to seeing you for your dress fitting this Saturday. I hope all is going well with your training and you are settling into our pack. I look forward to catching up with you.

Luna Anne.’

I read through the letter and then read it out to my friends.

“What does she mean by catching up with you?” Audrina snarks over my shoulder and I jump a little. I didn’t even notice her coming up behind me.

“Is that really any of your business?” Lillian asks and I raise my eyebrows at her. That was either a really brave question or really stupid.

“It is if one of my team members is going to be missing training.”

“Missing training has nothing to do with Skylar catching up with the Luna Queen. You were obviously eavesdropping enough to hear that the Luna Queen has invited Skylar to the Royal packhouse this Saturday and next so she will be missing training. That’s really all the information you need, isn’t it?” Lillian is playing with fire, but she’s not wrong.

Audrina looks at Lillian for a brief second and clearly makes a decision. “If Skylar is going to be a part of my team, she needs to be present for all of the required training. I am already forced to put up with her frequent absences since she hasn’t had the capacity to even finish school yet.”

“Are you serious? She’s ahead by two years and probably smarter than the rest of us combined…” Wyatt adds in.

“Let’s not get carried away. Audrina, the Luna Queen has requested my presence, there’s not really anything you or I can do about that, is there?”

“What does she mean you’ll be Prince Alexander’s escort?” I think she’s whining now.

“I’m pretty sure that part is the most self-explanatory.” Nathaniel responds.

I cut them off with my hand as all my friends seem to want to keep stepping in to defend me. They won’t always be there to buffer the animosity she seems to radiate around me.

“Prince Xander and I are friends and she clearly wants me at this event. Since he hasn’t found his mate yet he is vulnerable to all of the social climbing people in attendance. By having an escort it allows him a level of protection from them and anyone else who may want to cause trouble or harm. The protection becomes two fold since I am also a warrior.”

“You aren’t an Elite Warrior yet, don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“I didn’t say ‘elite warrior’ just warrior, which I am and plenty of people here can attest to that. Having a warrior assigned as his escort allows other warriors to focus on the King and Queen’s protection if they aren’t in the same social groups all evening. It’s a strategic move and less conspicuous having someone closer to his age attend with him than having a guard flanking him all night.”

“I still want to know what you did to get all of this special treatment from everyone.”

“It’s not special treatment. I worked my ass off to get here just like everyone else. My circumstances are not normal, but if it was necessary for you to know more than you do, Warrior Osiston would

have given it to you. Like he said yesterday, at any given time a third of us have orders that may conflict with what the group is doing. Do you trust him?

“Of course I do, he is my mentor. Warrior Brogen saved me after my pack was attacked and brought me here. What I want to know is how you got him to tell you his first name and let you use it? How did you become friends with the Alpha Prince so quickly? You talk about social climbing people wanting to get to him. How do we know you’re not one of those people?”

 

Chapter 0205

My friends are just watching the conversation like a tennis match. If I was on the outside looking in, I would probably find it very funny.

“In all honesty, you don’t know. But, I have clearly been looked into by Warrior Osisten, the Alpha King and whoever else handles all of that and been found to be trustworthy for this job. If you don’t agree with the decision, I suggest you take it up with that team. I will continue to follow orders.” I stood up and grabbed what’s left of my food. I know I need to finish it, but I’m done talking to her and she won’t leave so I have to.

I grab the shaker bottle from my bag too so I can take it into the kitchens to Stella and Jack and take up just a little more time.

When I get back to the table Lillian has my bag and all my friends are waiting for me, Lillian has a big sh*t eating grin on her face.

“You should have seen her after you walked off and basically dismissed her. She isn’t done trying to imply that you shouldn’t be here. She’s just mad because she isn’t the favorite she thought she was. She’s had a bit of a hero worship problem with Warrior Brogen and sticks to him like a shadow. He has never treated her any differently, even as a team leader, she’s treated the same as the rest of them, I just don’t think she sees it.”

“It is a little weird though,” Nathaniel says as we start walking back out to the open space behind the bunkhouse. “It’s almost like she has a crush on him, but that’s impossible with the brand. We don’t get any of those emotions. Love, lust, infatuation, desire of any kind is overridden by the warrior brand. No one dates here, no secret hook-ups. We just don’t get those desires at all. We can’t afford to have the drama that relationships can cause, especially being with each other twenty four seven.”

“Maybe it’s from before she got her brand. She remembers him saving her, it could be just that, hero-worship.” I say. “Does anyone know anything about her pack or what happened? Maybe she lost her mate. If she was eighteen, it could have been shortly after finding him and she transferred her feelings in her grief and that’s the last of that type of emotion she remembers.”

“It still doesn’t excuse the way she keeps treating you, so stop trying to make me feel bad for her.” Lillian snaps playfully at me.

“I’m not. I just want to get to the bottom of it. I can’t control how she acts, but if I understand why she acts that way I can control my reactions and responses.”

“Are you sure you’re only fifteen? That sounds like something my mom would say.” Nathaniel laughs.

“When you spend a lot of time teaching pups, you learn to look at the bigger picture and not react emotionally, no matter how bad you want to. I won’t give anyone control over my emotions. It’s the one thing that no one can take from me, my control on how I react.”

He’s saved the necessity of responding when Warrior Nickolas steps in front of us. “We are sparring as wolves today, so we won’t divide like we normally do. We are working on evasion and submissions today. There should be no injuries. The goal is to capture your opponent with no way for them to escape or need medical attention from you. You should always have at least one person to interrogate, especially when they are attacking. Head to the green and Warrior Brogen and I will divide you up.”

We all start moving and I can feel myself start to get anxious. This means I will have to change in front of these people and I don’t want to have to answer any questions. I can feel my breathing pick up as we move closer to the open space he called the green.

Chapter 0206

“Hey Midge, you alright? You look a little pale.” Wyatt asks, getting Lillian and Nathaniel’s attention too.

“No. I mean yeah, I’m good.” I can’t look him in the eye though.

“You can shift, right? I mean, I guess you wouldn’t be here if you couldn’t yet.” Nathaniel says to himself more than to me.

“Yeah, no, I’m okay, I can shift. I just don’t really like changing in front of people. I’ll be fine, I just wasn’t expecting it, that’s all.” I take a deep breath trying to control my breathing. I can get through this, I have to get through this. I chose to keep the scars when I was given the chance to get rid of them, now I have to live with my decision. One more big deep breath as we all set our bags down and turn to get instructions.

“Alright, those of you that were at trials got a glimpse of this technique. Those of you who were unable to go this is what we are trying to accomplish, Skylar, step up.” Nathaniel calls out and looks directly at me. I stop breathing and freeze. “I did not stutter, move!” I jump like my ass was bit and move forward. “Lose the shirt, you’re going to shift mid fight. THe less clothes we have to replace the better.”

I turn and slowly take my shirt off with shaky hands. I keep my eyes closed as I turn back towards him , take another deep breath, open my eyes and move to the center of the circle towards Warrior Nickolas.

I can hear murmurs, but nothing any of them are saying. I keep my focus on Nickolas in case he plans on throwing some kind of surprise attack after obviously getting me emotionally disoriented.

“We are going to spar for 5 minutes, you must stay in the circle the entire time. When I shift you do. Your one goal is to evade capture. Do you understand your assignment?” I nod, it’s all I’ve got to

give at this moment.

He doesn’t spare me much more than that moment before he starts to circle me like a predator does his prey. His eyes are calculating, he’s sizing me up even though we have fought a few times now. I have changed a bit since the locker room and haven’t actually done any kind of sparring for over a month now. As the thought hits me, I realize I am nervous for the first time in a very long time. But I can't decide if it is a good thing or a bad thing. I’m weak and out of shape, but I have enough training that muscle memory should kick in and help me out.

Don’t worry sweet girl, we will do this together. My wolf reminds me she’s here with me. I’m not alone.

Save your energy as much as possible. We have no idea when he’s going to shift and that is the one thing we are lacking experience in, shifting and fighting immediately following.

No sooner did I say that than Warrior Nickloas charged at me. I blocked his arms but wasn’t quick enough to stop the leg sweep that followed and I started to fall towards my back. I used the momentum to grab at his arm and pull him back with me throwing him back over my shoulder as I rolled backwards, he was forced to release his grip and tuck and roll forward. I was quicker to my feet and stepped back. I wasn’t going to charge at him yet. I need to get him to use up some of his energy first, especially before he forces us to shift.

Chapter 0207

He jumps up, turns and starts moving forward in a fluid motion someone his size shouldn’t be able to do, but he made it look like nothing. He reaches me and grabs for my arm and I turn out of his grasp only to be caught by his other arm. I take a swing of my own making an attempt to free myself from his massive hand. He didn’t let go, but I know the contact affected him by the look on his face. We keep this dance up for a little while. Close combat is something I am good at. My size usually requires it, but it is difficult for my larger friends. I will take any advantage I can get.

He grabs my wrist and spins me, aiming for a headlock, but he overestimates my height and I slip back under his arm, pulling him with me. He aims a punch at my rib cage which knocks all of my breath out of my body and I see a flash of white for a brief second with the pain. He pulls down on my wrist trying to get me to the ground again. I roll and hit him in the chest with as strong a kick as I can muster at this point, but it was enough. He stumbles back, looks at me and smiles. It is the most wickedly playful smile I have ever seen. The fire in his eyes let’s me know I am in deep sh*t.

He takes two running steps and jumps shifting in mid air. I don’t even hesitate to run forward, slide under his shifting form and shift to my wolf as I stand to all fours and he lands facing me. His massive rust colored wolf has his head tipped low to the ground, both amber eyes locked on me, muscles rippling, tensed and ready to pounce on me.

My wolf shifts her chest low to the ground ready for anything. We can jump head on or dodge either right or left. The benefit to being small is I am always close to the ground and I know how to brace my center of gravity.

He charges at me and my wolf dodges right and aims a bite at his front left leg. He’s too quick for us though and pivots just out of reach and whips his hind legs around to barrel into our side. We take the hit and absorb it in a roll, back to our feet before he can pounce. We charge at him this time taking the offense, he lowers his head anticipating a head on attack. Instead we jump up and over

his head landing on his back, another benefit to being smaller. We sink our teeth into the scruff of his neck and clamp down like our life depends on it.

He flails around trying to knock us off, but we extend our claws and hang on for the ride. When I look back on this I may laugh at the idea of me riding on his back like a horse. But, right now, I’m determined to win this battle and survive. He whips his head down trying to throw me forward, but my claws are doing me proud right now. As I have the thought though I feel a ripple under his skin and he shifts below me and drops to the ground in human form. My weight follows him down, but he tosses me sideways and I shit to match him, shoving the thought of being completely naked to the very back of my mind so it can’t distract me.

He runs at me and drops low, shoving his shoulder into my hips and lifting me off the ground. We are both so sweaty at this point he can’t get a good hold on me and I go up and over his shoulder. Whipping my arm over his shoulder and putting him in a headlock. My height gives me an advantage since he has to bend backward almost in half in this position.

“TIME!” Another trainer shouts.

I let go of Warrior Nickolas and step back, my friends are clapping and laughing behind me.

“Here.” A very large shirt is thrust in front of me.

I look over to see Wyatt. “Thank you.” I mumble through the shirt while I pull it on.

“I figured this would be easier than trying to get back in your teeny tiny stuff, just to have to shift again.”

“That’s what a fight should look like.” Nickolas shouts, still breathing heavily from the fight. “She didn’t just do the bare minimum and stay out of range. You will almost never find a fight like that. She found opportunities to go on the offensive and take control of the fight instead of waiting for

things to happen. She used her size to her advantage, was quick to observe my movements and learned throughout the fight. She has clearly seen a lot, experience makes us wiser and better not age, many of you would do well to remember that.”

Chapter 0208

He stepped over to the trainer who was keeping time and grabbed a water and a towel before turning back to the group and dividing us up into pairs. I am pulled over to Warrior Osiston.

“When can I train with the group, this seems like a punishment now. Did I do something wrong that you keep separating me from them?” I look at him, needing answers. They brought me here, I didn’t request it. I was perfectly fine waiting until I was old enough, but now something feels off like they are regretting bringing me here, but can’t send me away either. So they are just tolerating me, waiting to figure out what to do with me.

“Not punishment, just acclimating.” He says cryptically.

“Seriously? That’s the best you could come up with? I can handle the truth. If you don’t think I’m ready just say so. I know you don’t want to send me back to my pack, and I’m not sure I want to be there right now anyway. But, I could just do school here, I don’t have to be in training if you all have decided you don’t want me here or I’m not ready or whatever.” I try to keep the hurt out of my voice, but I don’t think I did a very good job.

I’ve only been here a couple days, but this feels right. Even with Audrina breathing her clear dislike down my neck every possible chance, this is where I’m supposed to be. The old sting of not being wanted or good enough slices through my heart though. I wanted to come here to get away from that. I have been working so hard the last year on being accepted for me. The guys and Sierra really helped too. Being seen and wanted felt good and now the idea of going back to being the girl that was just kept for image’s sake, but not really wanted or needed around chaffed.

“It’s not that we think you are not ready, and we are not actually acclimating you, we are acclimating the rest of the warriors. You are a force Little One, and make an impression wherever you go. Your intelligence, fighting skills, and general demeanor are well above your age, but you are still very young in some ways and I don’t want to interfere with experiences that you, as a teenager, are

supposed to have either. You have seen the extreme reactions people have around you. The negative interactions have not gone unnoticed by the trainers, but we will not step in unless you request it. We know not everyone will get along here, we want you all to handle your own business, but I will not tolerate you letting it get as far as you did back in your pack. They have all seen you fight now and they have seen your scars and injuries that are still on the mend. They know you’ve seen real battle and dealt with real trauma. Some may outright ask and others will beat around the bush to find out what happened. They are trainees as well and have just as much to learn as you do, but there are also things that you have trained regularly that they have never been taught. So, until I see fit, you train with me. Understood?’

“Yes, Sir.”

We train for the rest of the day. Sometimes in human form, sometimes as wolves. I am becoming more comfortable with being around all of these naked people. Not like I really have a choice. I think I am the only one here that hasn’t been given a warrior brand yet, so the trainers are forced to shift so I can be given instructions. I kind of feel bad to being an inconvenience, but Warrior Ossiton and Alpha Reggie won’t let me have it yet, so I really don’t have any control over that.

By the time we are done, everyone is covered in a thick layer of dirt and sweat. It’s kind of gross, but I feel very satisfied and thoroughly tired. It feels so good to train hard and with people who are at my level. I am learning from them, not just teaching. I can’t wait for school tomorrow so I can tell Sierra all about it.

Dinner was uneventful, thank the Goddess. I’m not sure if it’s because Of my session with Warrior Nickolas or if everyone is tired from the hours of shifting and fighting, but I won’t complain either way.

“When you are ready, I really want to hear the story behind the scars on your back. That’s not something that just happens and you ignore. I am actually curious if you are so good because of the

scars or if you got the scars because you are so good.” Lillian muses like this is the most normal dinner conversation ever.

 

Chapter 0209

I wake up feeling just a bit lighter and I want to talk to Sierra about what Lillian said at dinner. I’ve never actually talked about my scars to anyone or what they could possibly mean. I race to get ready and head down to the kitchen to grab a snack from Stella.

I’m actually excited for school, which is a first. I normally would take training over sitting in a classroom any day, but I really want to see her. It feels like forever and I need to talk to someone about anything other than training, but especially about yesterday and everything with Audrina.

I skip the golf cart and just walk to the school. I left with plenty of time not wanting to run into Audrina in the morning. School gave me almost an entire day without her and I would take advantage of that wholeheartedly.

I walk up to the old building, still in awe of the structure, head in and toward my locker. Before I can even finish getting my things together Sierra runs up behind me and hugs me around the neck.

“Man, I miss seeing you everyday! There has got to be a way that I can see you more often, this is terrible.”

“I am allowed to have people over to study. I just have to get the days and times cleared first, but that would be great though.” I turn and hug her back. “And I have news for you.”

I gave her the quick version of Luna Anne’s letter and told her I would send her pictures of all the dresses I tried on so she could help me choose. We debated whether I would see Xander at the dress fitting or not since all of the guys were supposed to be at training.

She said she hasn’t heard from Sam since I was released from the hospital and the Luna Queen let her call the guys and let them know that I was okay. That is my only reservation about being here, the isolation from my friends. Even though I would have been kept from them anyway while they were training, there's only lasted through the end of the summer, mine was going to be years.

“I wonder if you could write to them?” Sierra muses as we reach her classroom. “At the very least you should be able to write to your brother. That way you could check in, I’m sure they miss you too and are worried. You had just barely started talking to them again when you were attacked.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me. I feel terrible about the way I treated them and then we were all just separated.”

“Don’t you feel bad about that! They deserved it and karma decided to give them a real kick when you were attacked and then whisked away in the middle of the night. None of us even got to see you. You were just gone.”

“Really? I don’t remember any of that. I remember the beating loud and clear and then I woke up in the Royal Pack hospital. Nothing in between. Osiston had to tell me how long I was unconscious. Your parents did a ton of tests on me, but wouldn’t really say what they were doing or why. I really should talk to them about what they were looking for.”

“They didn’t say anything to me. It was all really quiet actually, now that you say something. But we aren’t talking about that right now. Tell me more about your meeting with the Luna Queen, what do you think she will have for you?”

We spent the rest of lunch talking about dresses and what happens at the conference. I could care less about dresses and was trying to formulate a plan to get Sierra to this dress fitting with me, her and Luna Anne could go nuts and I would just stand there like their life sized Barbie doll. I also wanted to just hang out with my friend. We aren’t in any classes together and I just see her in passing. I bet Luna Anne would be alright with it though, I just don’t know how to reach out to her. Can I just write a letter and hand it to someone? That seems weird, but probably my best bet. I’ll have to remember to ask Nickolas today when I get back to the bunk house.

“She should put you in burgundy.” I am pulled out of my thoughts back to Sierra’s dress musings.

“Why burgundy?”

“Jewel tones are your friend, girl.” Sierra’s friend Renee says as if that should be common knowledge. I guess stuff like that is to them. “You could actually get away with wearing just about any color. Your blonde hair picks up every tone and you are so tan, I’m jealous by the way, every color would just be highlighted.”

“I can’t believe you get to escort Alpha Prince Xander. I heard he has refused to take a date to any function for like the last three years.” Molly chimes in. I have learned that she is good for accurate gossip. She loves the drama, but does her homework and digs down to the root of all the things being spread around. It doesn’t hurt that her doll face just invites you in and she genuinely listens to everything people say to her. “How did you get so lucky?”

“Not sure really. We are friends and I’m here in the pack now so it would be convenient. I’m also a warrior so it’s an added layer of protection for him since he is starting to train and learn the Alpha King’s role. I’m sure there are plenty of vipers out there trying to get his attention or force a chosen mate connection. It’s kind of sad really. He doesn’t always know who his real friends are and who just wants to be near him because of his title.”

“And you just want to be his friend?” Renee asks, skeptical.

“Of course. I have never been the boy crazy type, so anyone who isn’t my mate really doesn’t interest me like that.”

“Are you kidding? Have you seen that boy, er, man? He is huge and drop dead gorgeous. Are you telling me you have never thought about what it would be like to be with him?” Molly sputters.

“No, not really. I mean he is very handsome, anyone with eyeballs can see that. He is actually fun to talk to and just hang out with though. I have had the opportunity to do that, but I don’t think I could be his mate. She would have to be someone impressive to handle all the different packs in their

needs and wants. The Luna Queen’s job is so hard, I don’t think I would be cut out for that. So nothing else really matters, right?”

“You are far better than I ever could be. If he gave me the chance I would jump him in a heartbeat and not regret a second.” Renee has us all laughing now and we finish the rest of lunch speculating on all things Prince Xander. It has been so long since I have felt this light and free of worry or anxiety. I am glad that Alpha Reggie made me continue with school. Nickolas was right, there are just teenage things I need to experience before I commit to adulthood.

 

Chapter 0210

I walk back to the bunkhouse with a plan to ask Osiston if I can have regular study time with Sierra on the weekends. I don’t know what training looks like, but I have to have some time set aside to get the work done if they want me to actually finish school.

I really like my classes in this ‘fast track’ they have me on. Battle strategies has got to be my favorite. I have never had better conversations with teachers before and so far all of them encourage different ideas and perspectives. I spend more time debating the validity of battles and wars in our history than I do paperwork and I feel like I retain so much more of the information having to dive deep like this. We also talk about what we would do to protect our pack as a warrior in each given situation or how we would change a strategy to make it more effective.

The kids in my classes are mostly Juniors and Seniors and they are really smart. They don’t treat me like a little kid, even though I am three years younger than some of them. They trust the judgment of the people who placed me here and just accept it. It’s the craziest concept I have ever encountered.

Dinner was uneventful, thank the Goddess and Lillian fully agrees with Sierra and Renee’s thoughts on burgundy dresses, They all really need to meet. The boys chose to ignore us, dressing up was probably as high on their priority list as it was mine. I have no choice though, if the Luna Queen asked me to wear a paper sack that’s what I would do.

Audrina didn’t bother me during training Friday, in fact she acted like I was not even there which made a few of the team challenges difficult and we lost all of them, not by much, but we lost which I am coming to understand is something that rarely happens. She is taking whatever grudge too far and I have no idea what I can do about it, since I have no idea what I did to her.

Maybe it is the hero worship thing she has for Warrior Osiston, but the other trainers talk to me just as much as he does, since I am still in an ‘observation period’ according to them. I still don’t know

what they could be observing on day three. We are doing similar things each day, there isn’t much more to observe. But I do all of the team training now, so I’m lost as to what I can do to make the team dynamic better. If it was just her and me I wouldn’t give a sh*t, but this is affecting the whole team and at some point they are going to retaliate on her or me or both of us and I don’t want to be part of that responsibility.

I will just add that to the list of things I need to ask about when I finally get a chance to talk to Warrior Osiston. I haven’t actually seen him all day today, but working with warriors it’s like a revolving door of assignments, so who knows, maybe he’s working for the Alpha King. Thinking that makes me feel stupid for wanting to sit and gossip with the guy. There is no way he wants to chit chat with a fifteen year old girl about school and the drama of a teammate not liking her.

Ugh, now I don’t want to say anything, but I was also specifically told to speak up about things happening to me. What the hell am I supposed to do?

It’s been a long time since I had a terrible sleep. Especially with the way that we train. I am usually out like a light as soon as my head touches the pillow and a little groggy in the morning while I’m still getting used to the schedule. I really hope I acclimate a little faster, this sleep deprivation feeling is terrible. But I can’t stop thinking about what to do about Audrina and her behavior towards me and meeting with Luna Anne. I’m not nervous about going to the Royal Packhouse, not really, Luna Anne is great, but I also don’t want to do or say anything to embarrass her either. I was not brought up to do all of the political schmoozing, that was my brother’s job as the next Beta. What if there are other people there that I have to impress? Or if this is some kind of test to see if I can blend in while protecting the Luna Queen? The thoughts just kept spinning in my head and made it hard to get to sleep and then stay asleep.

When I finally got out of bed, I changed quickly and went downstairs to try and grab an early breakfast. I didn’t establish Saturdays with Stella and Jack, but I figured checking it out wouldn’t be a terrible thing.

When I walk into the canteen a couple other people are here, no one has food yet, but clearly they either just came off a shift or are getting ready to head out and want to be first to get food. No sooner did I think of it then the kitchen Omegas started coming out with trays on trays of food to set on the buffet.

We get a late start on Saturdays and Sundays, because the trainers aren’t complete barbarians. We get to start at 7am, breakfast is served at 5:30 to give us a little more time to eat and digest before we start. It was so generous of the trainers, I think sarcastically and laugh a little to myself before I remember that this is why we are all here, to train. The rest of these warriors have no other responsibilities, so I guess it makes sense. They need to keep warriors busy otherwise they get into and cause trouble. I should know, I spent the last year with the guys. That thought makes me smile too.