Chapter 7

After days of little to no sleep, my body launched itself into full blown hibernation and I spent the two days we were given off between sleeping and snacking on the mountain of food Megan kept me supplied with. By the end of the second day I was more than ready to face the world and get back to training.

After our obligatory run around the lake, Jaydon and another man who introduces himself as Beta Suarez announce that we'll be having a special guest to our training today. Alpha Fletcher himself!

"The Alpha is so hot. He trained the same time as my brother and we ended up hanging out all the time." Lana giggles, tying her shirt into a knot at the front so that it tightens suggestively against her breasts.

Juan and Matt overhear the discussion and roll their eyes in unison.

"You planning on being the Alpha's new bedmate there Lana?" Juan asks her with a suggestive thrust of his hips. "Although I'm sure once with you would be enough."

She pouts and pushes herself against him, pressing her finger against his lips.

"I guess you'll never find out." She purrs.

Oh please! Walk away and save our ears from this puke-fest! Ember begs.

I join Amy, Ash and Megs as Jaydon encourages us to focus on partial shifting - being able to shift a part of your body at will. Ricky was an old hand at this, having mastered it shortly after his wolf, Storm, had revealed himself.

"Like this guys." I hear him say as snow white tufts of hair sprouted from his arm and his nails elongated into claws.

"Nicely done, Jones." Beta Suarez compliments, shifting his own hand into a paw to give Ricky a high-5.

Partial shifting wasn't for everyone though. Grampa had explained to me once that for most lycans it takes years and years of practice and dedication... and some will never be able to achieve it. Ricky was just lucky that way. I still hadn't been able to get more than a furry hand whenever I tried.

The tantalising woody smell signals the arrival of Liam and I watch him approach Beta Suarez and Jaydon.

"Ah! Alpha Fletcher, welcome!" Jaydon actually smiles.

Ricky darts a look at me and I can make out him muttering "son of a bitch" under his breath.

I share his sentiments one hundred percent! The son of a bitch was a bloody alpha!

Seething, I move to stand next to Ricky.

"Did you know?" He asks through mind-link.

"Do I look like I knew?" I reply, crossing my arms.

I hold back a gag as Lana pushes herself to the front if the recruits and thrusts her chest out more prominently. Secretly I hope that her stupidly tied shirt would tear under the strain.

"Recruits! Alpha Fetcher has graciously offered to train you all on tracking. Alpha is known as the best tracker in this hemisphere so pay attention." Jaydon impresses on us.

I can't help but feel betrayed. Why didn't he tell me? It's not like I hadn't mentioned the alpha being his boss before! Bloody ass!

I can't even pay attention to what he was explaining about tracking and before I can catch up we are all given pieces of clothing in ziplock bags and are told to find the pack member it belonged to.

I watch as others pull their items out of the ziplock bags, tainting the scent and I can't help but wonder if Liam had even gone through the basics with them.

Opening my bag, I sniff its contents - a floral scarf - before sealing it again and wander off toward the pack houses. It makes sense for the owner to be a woman within the settlement.

I faintly catch the scent coming from the woodlands behind the packhouse so change direction, stopping to sniff now and then to make sure I was on the right path. The scent was getting stronger... but not nearly as strong as the overwhelming scent of blood.

I quicken my pace, almost running until I hear laughter. The smell of blood almost overpowering, I creep forward.

Three male lycans, their fur matted and clothing in tatters, are partially shifted and taking turns slapping a woman tied against a tree. Their claw marks prominent all over her body as she sobbed.

Get help. You can't intervene on your own. Ember whispers in my head.

I know she is right.

"Jaydon, can you hear me?" I call out via mind-link.

"Yes Natalia."

"Emergency! Rogues!" Is all I manage to get out before one of the men shifts into a wolf and positions himself to tear at the woman's throat.

Immediately I let Ember take control, my clothes tearing off my body as it shifts and she launches us toward the assailant, a furious howl escaping my mouth.

Managing to tear the one assailant off of the woman before he could do any damage, I move on to the next one, fighting tooth and claw as it feels like they'll never concede defeat.

A dark growl comes out of a massive grey wolf as it joins the fray, ripping the one assailant's head cleanly away from its body. The other two see the carnage and frantically head toward the boundary line, a black wolf I recognize as Jaydon hot on their heels.

The grey wolf shifts and reveals Liam, his thick muscles rippling under the film of blood that coats his naked chest. Slowly he approaches the sobbing woman.

"Vicky, it's me. I'm going to untie you and we're going to take you home." He says calmly. "You're safe now."

I watch as he lifts the woman into his arms and turns towards the Pack House, not entirely sure what I should be doing.

"Come, Natalia." He says, his voice slightly harsh.

I pad after him in silence, passing some of the stunned recruits as we head to the Pack House.

Up close it's like an overgrown cottage, roses climbing up one side of the wooden frame and adding charm to the inviting home.

An older woman opens the door as we approach and screams, her hands covering her face as we pass. The scream draws a guy not much older than me out of what looks like a library.

"Shit! What happened, Liam? Have you called Doc?" He asks, racing ahead to open a bedroom door.

Liam lays the woman on the bed as Doc barges past me with the middle-aged woman hot on his heels. The door closes firmly behind them, leaving me alone in the corridor. I plonk myself down, resting my head on my paws as I'm vaguely aware that I've trekked blood through the house on my paws. Somehow, I don't think Liam will mind.

"I'll be back a bit later." I hear as Liam opens the door. He's wrapped a blanket around his waist to hide his nudity.

"I need to get a report from Jaydon. He went after those rogues."

His voice is cold and causes a shiver to ripple down my spine. As he looks down at me and motions for me to follow him. He enters a large, masculine bedroom that smells like him. A massive four-poster oak bed dominates the room, a cream chaise matching the cream bedding identically as well as the two high-backed arm chairs which face an unlit stone fireplace.

Liam walks through to the attached en suit bathroom and switches on the shower - I hear the water splashing against the tiled floor.

"Come, you need to wash the blood off." He says, putting a fluffy towel and some clothes he pulls out of his closet on a table in the bathroom before closing the door behind him and leaving me alone.

The shower is large without any door, just a large three sided contraption where the water falls from the ceiling like rain. I pad into it, watching the blood stain the water which runs off my fur. I shift, revelling in the feel of the water running down my skin. I stand there until the water running down the drain is almost clear then I pick up the soap and sponge and scrub myself vigorously. Attacking my hair next, I wash away all traces of the battle. I even rinse my mouth out with some of the toothpaste I find, resisting the urge to borrow Liam's toothbrush. Just because his tongue was in my mouth a few short days ago does not mean our relationship is at that point.

Drying myself off, combing my hair through my fingers to detangle it and getting as much moisture as I can out of the long tresses, I pick up the clothes. The shorts Liam left for me are way too big and fall off the moment I try to move. Luckily the shirt is basically one large circus tent which falls almost to my knees so I decide to leave the shorts and pray that Liam won't realise I'm literally commando underneath.

With a deep breath, I exit the bathroom.