GRAY
Brock’s walking into the barracks as I’m walking out, and I almost run right into him.
“How was patrol?” I ask as I dodge out of his way.
Brock runs a hand through his long wavy hair, leaning against the doorframe. “Quiet. Nothing out of the ordinary.”
I nod. He looks whooped- and I’m reminded how glad I am that I don’t have to run night patrols often. I only jump in when the threat levels are high, because my wolf gets all worked up in response and won’t let me sleep anyways.
“How’d the recruits do?”
Brock smirks, like he knows why I asked the question. Sure, I knew Fallon was assigned to patrol with him, but that’s not why I’m asking. I mean, not the only reason. I have to keep tabs on all of the trainees.
“They were fine.” Brock’s always short and to the point.
I nod again, then clap him on the shoulder and head out through the doors to the arena. I don’t want to stick around and risk him giving me a hard time. I’m not even interested in her, anyways.
I know Fallon has been up all night, but I have half a mind to make her train this morning anyways, just because I can. I quickly think better of it, though. I’m not a sadist. I haven’t yet finished punishing her for her disrespect, but I’ll think of other ways.
Why does this female bug me so much? Honestly, I should just send her packing, and I might’ve, if I hadn’t seen her spar yesterday. She’s good; she shows a hell of a lot more promise than most of the other trainees. I keep trying to tell myself that’s the only reason I haven’t dismissed her from training camp.
Theo and Reid are already out in the arena, and I head in their direction. Since Jax and Brock were on patrol last night, it’ll just be the three of us for morning session today.
“Gray,” Reid greets me with a tip of his chin as I approach. I return the gesture, then greet Theo with a slap on the back.
“You guys ready for one-on-ones?” I ask, rubbing my palms together. A few days in, we always test the new trainees with what we call ‘one-on-ones’. It’s exactly what it sounds like- each of us square off to spar with a trainee, one-on-one. This method is the only way we can really test the recruits’ fighting skills, because when they’re paired up with one another, they could do well purely because they have a weaker partner. Employing this method, we can more accurately determine each trainee’s skill level and assign sparring partners that are evenly matched.
I love the one-on-ones. I don’t mind observing and giving orders, but I’d much rather fight than stand on the sidelines. It’s just my nature. They help me brush up on my own skills, too, because when I’m running training camp for the recruits, I’m missing out on my regular training with the squad. I’m always trying to get better, stronger, faster. The leader of the shadow pack, Alpha Xavier, is one crazy sonofabitch. I’ve never seen anyone fight like him. I’ve been obsessively training for years because I vowed a long time ago that I’m going to be the one to finally end him someday.
The recruits start to spill out from the barracks into the arena, and the three of us watch as they hustle over, eager for instruction. The group is smaller this morning- about a third of them ran patrols last night- but they’re all keyed up and raring to go.
I don’t waste any time.
“Listen up, recruits!” I call out, and a silence falls over the gathered trainees. I glance back at Reid, and he nods, stepping forward.
“Yesterday, you all had the chance to show each other what you’ve got,” Reid starts, resting his hands on his hips. “Today, you’re going to show us.”
A dull hum of confused chatter rises as the trainees look to one another, whispering.
Theo steps forward beside Reid and claps his hands together to get the recruits’ attention. “Form three lines,” he instructs, “and each of you will get the chance to spar with one of us.” He waggles his eyebrows.
The trainees seem nervous at first, but they comply. Once they’ve formed three even lines, each of us takes one of them, beckoning the first volunteers forward. Not only is this exercise fun for us, but it’s amusing for the other trainees- they get to see how their peers fare in a matchup against an alpha. The arena erupts with the sounds of whooping and cheering as the trainees watch the matchups, egging their fellow recruits on as they try to take the alphas down. Of course, none of them have a real shot at winning- we’ve got years of experience on them- but some of them perform much better than expected. I’m finding myself more and more impressed with this new class of recruits.
We make quick work of the first round of one-on-ones, then switch up the groupings and go again. It’s exhausting, but exhilarating. I’m taking mental notes the whole time- which recruits are stronger, which are weaker, which have the most potential. The three of us will sit down later to make a list and put them each into categories, which we’ll use for future training exercises and when we ultimately cull the ranks.
After several hours, I’m panting and sweating. My muscles burn, but it’s a good kind of fire. I live for the adrenaline. I’m covered in grime- dirt clings to the sweat on my body and face. We break for lunch, but I decide to hit the showers instead. I navigate through the squad’s barracks to the huge locker room that separates the barracks for the recruits and the squad members. The barracks for the squad are in stark contrast to those for the recruits- while the recruits sleep in a huge room full of bunks, the squad barracks are more like a dormitory. Squad members each have their own room, but the bathroom facilities are shared by recruits and squad members through the locker room.
As for the showers themselves, there’s no privacy. A long wall along the back has about twenty shower heads, like a locker room in a school gym. There’s no gender separation, either. Pack is pack, male or female, we’re all equal. We live together, sleep together, shower together, fight together. That kind of setup might bother humans, but we wolves are so accustomed to nudity with our shifts that it doesn’t bother us one bit. Even so, I’m relieved when I find the shower area empty. In a wolf pack, it’s all about togetherness and it seems like there’s always someone around… but sometimes I just need to be alone with my thoughts.
I undress and throw my t-shirt and gym shorts onto a bench, then step beside a showerhead and twist the faucet. It takes a couple minutes to heat up before I move my body underneath the stream and allow the hot spray to hit my neck and shoulders. I press my eyes closed for a few minutes while the water washes over me, carrying the dirt and grime down the drain.
I wash up, still making mental notes about the recruits’ performance during one-on-ones. As I wash away the dried blood on my arm, I remember how one recruit- Davis- was able to get the jump on me the second time we sparred. I got pretty bad road rash on my arm from the way I landed, but the skin has already knitted itself back together and healed. Once I wash the blood away, you can’t even tell where it came from. Gotta love shifter healing.
After my shower, I towel off, then wrap the towel around my waist and tuck the corner in so it’ll stay. Even though I seldom stay overnight here at the squad complex, I’ve got a room in the barracks. I’ll have to head there to grab a change of clothes. I slick my wet hair back with a hand and reach to collect my grimy clothes when I’m startled by the sound of the locker room door opening and closing.
Even before I look up, I know it’s her. Her sweet scent hits my nose and I jerk my head up to see her standing in the doorway in nothing but a fluffy white towel, looking like a fucking angel. Fallon.
FALLONI waited until everyone else went to lunch before I snuck away to take a shower. I just wanted a little bit of alone time.No dice. As soon as I open the door to the locker room, I see him. That fucking prick, Gray, standing beside the bench in a towel and looking like a sex god. Seeing him shirtless for the first time, he doesn’t look how I expected. He looks better.Small beads of water still cling to the broad muscles of his chest and his six-pack abs. The towel hanging from his waist dips down below his Adonis belt, the v-shape beckoning. Shit, is my mouth hanging open? I snap it closed, then take a step into the locker room, the door swinging closed behind me.I’m hoping that Gray didn’t catch my appreciative reaction to seeing his body, but a little smirk crosses his lips that tells me otherwise. I’m immediately irritated that I’ve just unintentionally inflated his ego further.“Well, well,”
GRAYI have to stay away from her. Fallon is a distraction, and I can’t afford any distractions right now. Not when we know the shadow pack is on the move. The next day, Brock and Jax are back in the mix so I decide to sit out one-on-ones and observe. It sucks. I’ve got a lot of pent-up frustration that I need to get out, but I don’t want to wind up in a one-on-one with Fallon. I’ve got to actively avoid her. I somehow manage to do it for the next few days, working off my energy by shifting and running in the evenings after I take care of my pack business.Theo has picked up on the fact that I’m acting a little strange lately. I tell him it’s nothing, but he knows I’m lying.“At least come have a beer with us,” Theo urges. He’s standing in the doorway of my room in the squad barracks, leaning against the doorframe.It’s the end of the week, and both the squad and the recruits have Sunday’s off from training. A lot of
FALLON“I can’t believe they’re actually giving us a day off!” Vienna squeals, rifling through the little closet at the end of her bunk. “How about this one?” she asks, pulling out a skimpy red dress on a hanger and holding it up in front of her.I nod my head in approval. “Definitely that one.”Vienna grins from ear to ear, trotting by me to head into the locker room to change.When we heard that we’d have the day off tomorrow, all of the recruits were ecstatic. We’ve been training hard all week, so we’ve definitely earned a reprieve. Vienna invited Boyd, Davis, and I to come out with her and her friend Hannah. Apparently Hannah is from Goldenleaf, the town near the squad complex, and said that the squad usually goes out to a bar there on Saturday nights to let loose.I guess good news travels fast, because Brooke showed up in the recruit’s barracks soon after, asking if I was going out. I’m so excited t
GRAYI agreed to come for one beer, and somehow that turned into five. Or was it six? I’ve got a nice little buzz, so I’m not sure on the count. I don’t know why I ever agree to coming out for one when I know it’ll lead to staying out all night, but I’m relaxed for the first time all week. I guess Theo knew I needed this.I’m heading out of the bathroom when I see her walking toward me, looking like a goddamn smokeshow. Fallon. She’s all dressed up in a little skin-tight skirt and tank top, and seeing her like this makes my blood rush right to my dick.She’s looking down, so she doesn’t even see me stop and stick my arm out, pressing my palm to the wall to block her path. I know I said I’d avoid her, but I’m a little buzzed and she looks so damn good, I can’t help myself. She looks up at the last minute, surprise playing on her face as she skids to a stop right before clotheslining herself on my outstretched arm.I l
FALLONHe’s here. I swear I could feel it before I even saw him- the little hairs on the back of my neck stood up and my wolf started pacing. But right after we locked eyes, he turned his back to me. Avoiding me again. Maybe my initial assessment was spot-on, he’s just a jerk with a big ego. Maybe his little display of dominance in the shower was just his way of showing me that he could have me if he wanted me. Maybe this is just his newest form of torture, and he’s getting some sort of sick pleasure from driving me crazy.I down the rest of my drink.Brooke appears, back from the bathroom, and she grabs my arm, tugging me away from our friends. She’s digging her fingers into my arm as she pulls me, and I jerk my arm back.“What the hell?” I demand, scowling and rubbing the offended skin with my other hand.Brooke leans in close to whisper. “What’s going on with you and the alpha?” she hisses.
GRAYI shouldn’t be doing this. I know better. But Fallon is so fucking beautiful, and so fucking responsive. She’s fucking perfect. I start stroking her pussy slowly through her panties, and her body melts into mine. “Y… yes,” she whines, undulating her hips with my movements. Her breath is coming out in cute little pants, and my wolf is going crazy with need to claim this sweet little female.Mine.I try my best to hold him back, though the tether of my control is close to snapping. Everything about Fallon feels so good. Her body against mine, her breath in my ear, the scent of her arousal. My vision blurs.Then I remember why I followed her outside in the first place, and I bring myself back to reality, stilling my movements. She whines a little as I stop stroking her through her panties.“Who else are you giving this up for?” I growl, tapping her pussy with my fingers.“
GRAYOn Monday morning, the recruits are bright eyed and bushy tailed, eager to resume their training. I cast my gaze downwards as they file onto the arena where Theo, Brock, Jax, and I are waiting. Reid had some pack business come up, so he’s back in Stillwater- his pack’s town- for the day.I spent all day yesterday kicking myself for what I did at the bar on Saturday night. I should’ve just continued to steer clear of Fallon rather than allowing my beer buzz cloud to my judgment. But now that I’ve had a taste of what it’s like to touch her, I want more. I can’t get her out of my head. Those big blue eyes, those breathy little moans… it’s enough to drive any man crazy.I swear my heart stops when I catch sight of her walking onto the field this morning, wearing my favorite pair of little workout shorts with her long tan legs on full display. Even in shorts and a t-shirt, she’s a fucking goddess. She catches me staring, though
FALLONI’m still furious. I’ve paid attention to the other recruits so far, and I know I’m better than at least half of them. I should be ranked much higher. I should have a much better partner than Olly. He’s a nice enough guy, but he’s big and slow and clumsy. I could run circles around him. There’s no way I’ll be challenged with him as a partner, and I won’t be able to showcase my best skills if he can’t even keep up. The whole thing has left a sour taste in my mouth.I assumed it was personal, just another way for Gray to mess with me- but when I confronted him he was so… kind. Encouraging, even. He didn’t punish me for popping off, just told me I had to earn it. It took me by such surprise that now my head’s even more of a mess than it has been since Saturday night.‘You’ve gotta earn it’. Does he mean I have to earn my place on the squad, or beside him?After I jog a few laps around the track, I find Olly and w
FALLON It feels a little strange returning to the squad complex on Tuesday morning, like I’ve been away for weeks rather than days. So much has happened since I passed through the gate on Saturday afternoon, staring out the window from the backseat of Boyd’s dad’s SUV, turning over in my mind whether I’d have the courage to come back for the full moon run. I’m so fucking glad I did. I was being a total chicken, which isn’t like me at all. Then again, love makes you do some crazy, foolish things. Thank god my sister was there to make me realize how stupid I was being and talk me into coming back to face the music- I definitely owe her one. I’ll add it to the list of debts I owe Brooke for always coming through when I need her. Gray slides the Jeep into his usual spot outside the gate, throwing it in park and cutting the engine. He turns to me, dark eyes alight w
GRAY “They’re ready for you, Alpha,” Deke says, peering in the doorway of my bedroom at the packhouse expectantly, a grin spreading across his face. He’s looking forward to this almost as much as I am- the moment I finally get to tell my pack that I’ve found my mate. While Deke and I have done our best to hold our fractured pack together since I was forced to prematurely step up as their alpha, having a luna completes our pack in some sense, makes us more whole. The future of our pack is brighter than ever. I’m so fucking proud to introduce Fallon to the pack as my mate. She’s a perfect luna- so strong and brave, a force to be reckoned with. I couldn’t have designed a better she-wolf to lead the pack with me if I’d tried; she’s so much more than I could’ve ever imagined. I can tell she’s nervous- she’s changed her clothes twice since we returned to the packhouse, and she’s been fiddling with her hair in the mir
GRAY I wake the next morning from the best night’s sleep of my life. I spent hours alternating between fucking and making love to Fallon, coaxing moans from her pouty lips and watching her pant and writhe in pleasure. I’m still completely in awe of her, still in disbelief that she’s finally mine, forever. We’ve sealed the mate bond; nothing can separate us. I was so wrapped up in Fallon last night that I totally forgot about the full moon run, or the fact that my pack was probably wondering where the hell I went after it ended. My bedroom’s far enough away from the main area of the packhouse that I doubt anyone could’ve heard us- but then again, with the way Fallon was screaming, it’s anyone’s guess. There’s no concealing my contentedness when I enter the kitchen of the packhouse the next day. Deke’s cooking something in a pan on the stove and I stop in the doorway, leaning idly against it and clearing my throat to ann
FALLON “I always knew it was you,” Gray murmurs in my ear as he carries me through the packhouse, up the stairs and down the hall. Warmth spreads in my chest as I plant a shower of kisses on his cheeks, his nose, his eyelashes, his forehead. I’m so in awe of him, of how it feels to be his, for him to be mine. My parents were right; there’s no way to put the mate bond into words. It’s complete and utter euphoria. Everything I’ve ever felt for Gray is multiplied tenfold; the emotions are so overpowering I don’t know whether I want to laugh or cry or scream or pass out. Scratch that- I know what I want. I want him to take me to his bed and fuck me senseless. Gray kicks the door of his bedroom closed behind us, carrying me over to the bed and tossing me down onto it. My body bounces with the springy softness of the mattress, then his body covers mine, his lips crushing down in another bruising kiss. He pushes himse
GRAYThey say if you love something, you should let it go. So I did. I set her free, and I don’t think she’s coming back.I still have no regrets.Those weeks I spent with Fallon were the first time I’ve felt alive- really alive- in a long time. For the past five years, I’ve been numb, frozen in my grief, pushing forward blindly and refusing to let anyone or anything in, refusing to really feel anything. Throwing myself into my duties as alpha and to the security squad to avoid any semblance of an actual personal life. Then Fallon came along and started chipping away at the dam, breaking it down and causing a flood.Even if she doesn’t come back, at least I had that glimpse at happiness for a moment. I now know for certain that there can be real joy in life on the other side of the pain I’ve been suffering since my family was ripped away from me. She’s both
GRAY “Will you shut the fuck up and focus?” Brock snaps, pounding his fist on the table. We’ve been shut in this stuffy conference room for the better part of an hour, combing through the details of every recruit’s last trial, agonizing over our final selections for the squad. The conversation about Bex started to go off the rails when Jax commented on her massive rack, then took a nosedive when Theo started in on what he’d do if he had the opportunity to take her home for a night. Brock, Reid and I are all used to their antics by now, but we’re stressed, we’re exhausted, and more than anything, we’re ready to get the hell out of this room. Now isn’t the time for the Jax and Theo roadshow. “Jeez, man, lighten up,” Theo grumbles, shooting Brock a sideways glance. Brock lets out an exasperated sigh, scrubbing a hand over his face. “I just want to get this over with.” “Me too,” Reid agrees. “Let’s
FALLON It might seem like overkill for my friends and I to sneak in extra training after the alphas work us so hard all day, but our nighttime sessions have quickly become my favorite ritual. As wolf shifters, we already have a strong drive to stick close with one another, be part of a pack, and the bonding that occurs when you spend an extended amount of time with the same people is no different. It’s like my friends and I have formed our own little pack within the pack, learning each other’s strengths and weaknesses, having one another’s backs. I feel a tinge of sadness when Boyd suggests we call it a night on Friday evening, the realization sinking in that this is our little group’s last after-hours session together. By this time tomorrow, we’ll know whether we’ve made the squad- and I’m so hopeful that we’ll all make it, together. It seems like the others must have similar sentiments, because we take a little longe
FALLON “Girl, you’re on fire!” Shay laughs, elbowing me. “About time you got that damn flag, for real this time!” We’re sitting at our usual table in the dining hall on Wednesday evening, still pumped about our war games win this afternoon. The alphas let us choose our own teams this time around, so naturally my friends and I fielded ourselves together. I got the flag fair and square and I even made it across the boundary without one of my own teammates taking me down- and the best part? Since we were all teamed together, we all get to share the victory. “What’s this about a flag?” Brooke asks, walking up behind me with a plate in hand. “I keep hearing something around the complex about how my sister’s a total badass.” She waggles her eyebrows, setting her plate on the table and kicking a leg over the bench, sliding in to take a seat beside me. I’ve totally turned it around since Monda
FALLON I feel like shit. I’ve been bottling everything up since Saturday night- I haven’t even gone to Brooke to talk things over. I don’t know why… maybe I’m embarrassed? I feel like a fool for getting involved with Gray. Hannah’s words still haunt me. As I jog onto the practice field on Monday morning, all of my muscles are achy, like the pain I’ve tried to bury deep in my soul is physically manifesting in my body. Then I see Gray standing out there with the other alphas and the sight of him cuts like a dagger straight to the heart. Even in his workout attire- gym shorts and a cutoff t-shirt- he’s an Adonis. His magnetic eyes immediately find mine. I dart my gaze away quickly, staring at the back of Davis’ neck instead as I follow him to the center of the practice field and take a spot beside him. I’m now close enough that I can smell Gray, my wolf stirring in response, but I can’t bring myself to look at him