I woke early the next morning. I got up quickly, much too excited to start my first day of training in Takiani. I changed into a pair of black workout tights that I found and then a navy blue tank top. I managed to find a pair of sneakers and I slipped them on also. They fit just perfectly, somehow.
When I waltzed out to the kitchen, Ezra was already awake. The smell of freshly made coffee wafted through my nose and I bit back a moan and my wolf brightened up at the smell of caffeine.
"Morning, princess. Did you sleep well?" Ezra asked me as I leant against the counter. I stared at him carefully for a moment, wondering if I had kicked and cried during the night.
The nightmares started after the incident, and they came every night. Sometimes they were really bad, other times, they were fine. I hadn't woken during the night so I assumed they mustn't have been that bad this time.
Which was a relief.
"I guess so. It feels strange to not be home in my own bed," I told Ezra. He smiled and nodded at me, sipping on his coffee.
"Understandable. Just let me know if I can do anything that'll make your stay more comfortable," Ezra said, warmly smiling at me. My beast calmed, the anxiety and overwhelming feelings dying down for just a moment.
Then, there was a knock on the front door. I smelt him almost instantly.
Henry was here.
I waved goodbye to Ezra and then rushed out the cabin. I met Henry on the grass out the front of my cabin. The sun was only just starting to rise and it made the land before me look even more beautiful.
Henry stood on the grass, surrounded by two other wolves — Alfie who I had met the day before and another wolf that I hadn't met yet.
"Morning, Alison. I'm glad that you're up early for the run. Usually new comers struggle to get out of bed this early," Henry greeted me. I smiled and awkwardly shrugged at him. I was an early bird, always had been.
Back home, I was often always the first person in the whole pack to wake. As soon as I was awake, I'd usually go for a run. I took the track behind the pack house that lead me out the a large flower meadow, in which I would lay down and soak up the sun.
"What can I say? I'm an early bird," I smiled at him. Henry turned to Alfie and the other male wolf standing beside him.
This male was strong, but not as strong as I was. I knew he wasn't an Alpha, the scent didn't roll off him. But he was still strong. His body was all muscle, and he was tall.
The male offered me a smile, to which I slowly returned. Alfie cleated his throat and motioned to the male.
"Alison, this is my son, Kade... and Kade, this is Alison Grey, from Terialta," Alfie made introductions quickly. Kade held his hand out to me for a handshake, and I hesitantly grabbed him hand and I shook it.
Kade smiled at me, and I didn't feel threatened. This male was not after our neck. But that was only because he had a mark on his own neck. He had a mate, he wasn't interested in me. Plus he wasn't cocky, yet. My beast rumbled in approval as we pulled our hand away.
"Alfie and Kade will be accompanying us on our run this morning," Henry told me. I nodded quickly as Henry motioned behind me. I spun around, facing a trail embedded in the dirt. I figured that it must've been a trail often used.
It looked worn out. But at least I knew there was a trail next to the house.
"You think you can keep up?" Alfie teased me. I raised my eyebrows at him and my beast yipped at the challenge. She wanted to show everyone that we were strong. We weren't a weak wolf and everyone needed to know that.
"Try me," I retorted with a small smile. Alfie chuckled a little as Henry lead the run. I followed behind him, jogging at first. It was peaceful.
Everything in the forest was only just waking up. The morning dew was melting off the plants and the wonderful smell of flowers slowly invaded my nose.
I had to pick up the pace when Henry sped up. I ran alongside him for what felt like forever before he let out a loud rumble that seemed to shake the trees around us. He let his beast push forward and he leapt into the air, his wolf coming forward completely.
His four paws hit the ground and he kept running. He got faster and I took that as the cue to shift also. I heard and felt the cracking of my bones before I landed on the ground on four paws.
My wolf hummed in approval at the fact that we were getting to shake out our fur again. She pushed forwards, keeping up with the Alpha male that ran in front of us.
Henry's wolf was a grey wolf. His fur was thin and patchy, parts of his fur missing from the battles that he had fought in his lifetime. His wolf was huge, and he easily was bigger than mine. Although, he was kind of scrawny for an Alpha.
He looked skinny, almost as if his wolf was hungry. But I tore my eyes away from him as I felt a nip at my feet. I look back, earning a sheepish grin from Kade who was now running alongside me.
This male was playful. My wolf liked him. He nipped at our feet every time we looked away to pay attention to something else. He stopped when his father gave him a warning growl after he almost tripped me over.
Kade kept up to me. He looked like he was being challenged, and I liked it. I liked challenging other wolves. It made them stronger and it made me a better leader.
But when we reached the rocky hills, I was the challenged one. My wolf pushed hard, keeping up to Henry's wolf as we ran. The hill was indeed challenging and my wolf liked it. She liked that we were already being pushed within our first day of being in Takiani.
"Sleepy head, it's time to wake up," a voice pulled me from my sleep. "Come on."I groaned softly and rolled over, burying my face in my pillow. I felt hands shake my shoulder gently. Shocks and tingles made their way up my arm and torso. I smiled to myself."You have to get up if you want to see your brothers today," Liam told me. I sighed and shook my head."I can see them another time," I mumbled to him. Liam chuckled and pulled the blanket off my body. I kept my eyes shut."Sugar, I'll make you get up. You've got to shower," Liam said.After another ten minutes of him trying to get me out of bed, I finally gave up and got out of bed. Liam forced me in the direction of the shower and I walked into the bathroom and shut the door."You sure you don't need any help in there?" Liam asked me. I rolled my eyes as I turned on the water. My beast rumbled. She would love to be helped."Not from you," I replied cheekily. I undressed and then got into the shower.After showering and eating a
Liam licked his lips as he dunked the plate into the soapy dish water. He scrubbed the plate and then handed it to me. I use the dish towel to dry the plate and then placed it back in the cupboard. Jenny was humming a song from the dining table. She was reading over the human newspaper whilst Ezra was playing a puzzle game on his iPad.I took another plate from Liam and dried it before putting it away. Liam flickered his eyes to me again and then held my gaze when I looked back at him. I raised my eyebrows at him and he winked."The bedroom is ours after this," Liam told me hotly. I widened my eyes at him and felt a tingling sensation in my belly."Then hurry up," I told him cheekily. Liam smirked and continued washing the dishes. We worked a little faster and then wiped down the bench."Liam, have you found out when that meeting is yet?" Ezra asked as we were about to leave. I held back a groan. I just wanted to spend some time alone with Liam while I had the chance.Cass and Leon ha
I wiped the sweat from my forehead as I joined the group again. Lila held out her water bottle to me and I took it. I drank greedily and then handed it back to her half empty. She sipped it on slowly and flashed me a smile.The sun was beating down on us. We were all cooking under the bright rays. But it was good and refreshing. Plus, it was better than the freezing cold that we had just gotten away from. "You've all done great today. I think you all learnt something new out there. But now, to finish off the day, I'd like to get you all sparring with each other. I'll pair you up with someone and then you can all go straight to the rings," Quo told us. I grinned at Lila who looked straight to Lucas who was smirking mischievously. He wanted to try and kick my butt badly."Lucas and Austin," Quo said, beginning to read out the pairs. Lucas groaned and shot me a look. He jutted out his bottom lip and folded his arms. I giggled and poked my tongue out at him playfully."Lila and Kerri-Ann
The first day of spring came faster than anyone anticipated. There wasn't anything more exciting to wake up in the morning to a warm breeze and a beating sun. It was relieving for the snow to have finally melted and for the warmth to have returned.No one wanted it to go away ever again.Not to mention, it was the day Liam was returning from a business trip and the day to get back into routine.Winter had been a train wreck. It was fine when it started in north with Liam's family. It was perfect, actually. When I returned, the first week or two had been a little rocky, but after that, it eased up nicely.I had spent most of the winter cuddled up with Liam in bed or on a couch in front of the fire. If I wasn't with Liam, I was with the girls. I felt like I was changing, becoming a different person.I felt like I was getting stronger, evolving and becoming a better wolf. I hadn't trained in months but I was stronger, mostly mentally. Ezra even mentioned to me often that my veins hummed
I slowly treaded through the snow. My four feet were freezing from the crunching cold, but I barely cared. My heart hurt and I felt terrible. I felt like someone had repeatedly smacked me in the head with a brick and I felt like I could drop dead.I looked up as I heard voices. There were people walking around tending to their morning routines and duties. I noticed Alfie walking with a group of warriors and even Kade, Lila and Brayleigh by Lila's cabin. I wasn't in the mood for talking.I lowered my head as I walked. My fur was damp from the cold of the night before. I was cold and I needed a hot bath immediately."Hey! Ali!" The moment I heard Lucas, I turned sour. I didn't want to talk to anyone.I looked up and snapped my teeth at him as he bounded towards me. He stopped in his tracks and watched me pass him. I knew I would need to apologise later, and I would.I headed into the house, the door already open from where Ezra and Jenny were standing on the front porch. They watched me
The blizzard was in full swing. The cabin often creaked against the strong winds and I even feared that a window would cave in and smash. But the cabin was sturdy and held well in the wind.The snow was falling hard. I was sure that by the morning, it would be too deep to walk in. The temperature had dropped wildly, and it was below freezing outside. But Ezra had lit the fire in the living room and the cabin was warm and toasty.I sat with Ezra and Jenny at the dining table and we began to eat. They were both quiet at first, exchanging glances with each other. Then, Ezra cleared his throat."Princess, did you speak to Liam today?" Ezra asked me. I shook my head at him, starting to eat my soup. The smells swirled around the room and my belly rumbled.Being angry at Liam was draining. We weren't arguing but the angry and upset feelings toward him were draining enough. My chest hurt and my head was spinning.The bond ached and throbbed. It begged for us to be together.Damn pull."No," I