“Does the Alpha help with training?” I ask Jasmine.
“Yeah, he comes every day to help train us. Training is mandatory no matter age or gender,” I watch as Angie, the girl Jasmine told me to avoid, runs across the field towards the Alpha clinging onto him like a leech.
“Yeah, Angie has a thing for the Alpha. Seems to think he will choose her as his mate,” Jasmine says and I nod. For some reason, seeing her cling on to him annoyed me a little, but I shoved it aside, turning my attention back to my lunch. I don’t want any trouble with her, especially if she is as bad as Jasmine says she is.
“How old is the Alpha?” I ask, he looks pretty young compared to my last Alpha, who is in his fifties.
“Twenty-five. He is a good Alpha, strict but fair. A lot better than his father, who was a complete asshole and more of a dictator,” I bite into my sandwich, watching as the equipment is being set up.
“So he took over the Pack when his father stepped down?” I ask. Jasmine shakes her head.
“No, Alpha Ezra killed him and took over when he was seventeen.”
I think about her words for a minute. To think that the Alpha could take down his father like that at only seventeen. What had been going through his mind? “Geez a lot wouldn’t have liked answering to a seventeen-year-old,” I quip, but she shakes her head.
“No, everyone was glad to see Alpha Dean get taken down. He was cruel. Women weren’t even allowed to train back then, he treated them like animals and he used to kill anyone that stepped out of line, he even killed his own mate, and his chosen one,” she says, making me feel sick at her words. Killing your mate can send your wolf crazed. It was almost impossible to do, though I have heard stories of some being rejected and taking chosen mates, however it was the first time I had heard of someone killing their mate.
“That’s terrible,” I tell her and she nods, popping a grape into her mouth.
“Yeah, everyone hated him. Things changed after the Alpha took over. He made sure women could train to better protect themselves. Maybe that's why he was so quick to have your family join our Pack. Your mother will be an advantage to have and your father given that he has Beta genes,” I nod my head believing she is right, if he hates Jackson's Pack as much as she claims he does.
“Maybe,” I tell her just as Alpha Ezra looks in our direction. I drop my head and am thankful when the school bells ring signaling the end of lunch. Jasmine and I make our way back to our lockers and grab our gym clothes. Going to the bathrooms we quickly get changed into the red polo shirts and black shorts before heading down to the oval where they were setting up earlier.
Alpha Ezra and my mother are talking amongst a few of the teachers before silence falls over everyone and people walk off to their designated groups. I follow Jasmine over to our age group and am a little shocked to see Alpha Ezra come over to us. Jasmine smiles at him when he approaches.
“Hey, Alpha,” she says, giving him a brief wave as she stretches.
“Hi Jasmine, you can sit out for today, Kat. That way you can see how things are run if you like,” he says, and I nod, grateful I don’t have to train straight away.
“No, she can train like the rest of them,” my mother corrects, coming up behind him. So much for sitting out. Is she trying to get us caught?
“She doesn’t have to Shirley. I can excuse her,” Alpha Ezra says and I give my mother a pleading look. My mother presses her lips in a line but says nothing.
“Come sit on the bleachers and watch,” Alpha Ezra tells me and I follow him over to them before sitting down beside him. I watch everyone train. Alpha Ezra gets up a few times to help some teachers and to correct some students when he comes back over.
He looks down at me. “How are you liking school so far?”
“It's fine,” I answer, not really comfortable around him. I see my mother keeps looking over at me nervously, which in turn makes me more nervous about his presence.
“Do you train a lot with your mother?” I nod. Training isn’t only compulsory at school in our household, it is almost a damn religion. However, with how much training they have at this school, I hope she will let me off at home. Back at our old Pack, training was only twice a week, here it is daily, except weekends, so maybe she won’t be so strict on that front.
“Yes, mom doesn’t like me missing training as you can see,” I tell him, and he nods.
“Good, well you can have today and tomorrow off, but on Wednesday you start training with everyone else,” he orders and I nod.
Angie slunk over, stopping in front of us and I notice the glare she gives me.
“You should be training, Angie. Get back on the field,” Ezra demands
“I was just seeing if you can come to help me, Ezra,” she purrs. It’s obvious the crush she has on him and she wasn’t even trying to hide it.
“That’s Alpha to you! Now get back on the field, Angela,” he tells her, pointing back the way she came. She looks down at me, her eyes narrowing before she saunters off. I knew she was going to make my life hell and I haven't even spoken to her yet.
“Well, I better get back out there, Kat. I will see you around,” he says walking off toward my mother, who was now scolding Angie for walking off the field.
When training finishes, my mother calls me over. The polite but simmering glare on her face tells me she is upset about something, and trying not to let anyone else know. When I reach her, she grabs my arm, pulling me aside and away from prying ears.
“For someone who is meant to be lying low, you seem to be grabbing the Alpha’s attention. Kat, we talked about this. You need to stay away from him and his Beta. We can’t afford for people to know just yet,” she scolds.
“Well, maybe if you told them I wouldn’t have to hide,” I snap back, “and it isn’t like I sought him out. He approached me.”
“Attitude, young lady. I won't handle disrespect,” she growls, and I roll my eyes, regretting it instantly.
“Katya, you may be my daughter, but that doesn’t mean you will get away with slacking off, now ten laps of the oval,” she orders.
“What? Come on, mom, you can’t be serious,” I argue back when his sandalwood scent hits me. Alpha Ezra walks up behind me and stops beside me. He obviously saw our dispute which just makes this entire scenario even more embarrassing.
“Everything okay?” He asks my mother.
She bows her head in respect before glaring at me. “Yes, Alpha it will be. Now go Katya,” she says, pointing to the edge of the field.
I take my sweatshirt off before tossing it at her. She can’t be fucking serious. Why was she being like this? My mother growls, catching my sweatshirt and pointing to the edge of the field. “This is bullshit,” I hiss, stomping off.
“Make that twenty,” she calls out. I groan, but go to the edge of the field, cursing her name to the moon goddess.
“Keep going Kat and it will be thirty. Now start running!” I roll my eyes and start doing laps as she shrieks, blowing her damn whistle. Jasmine does a couple with me before getting tired and sitting down.
My legs burn by the time I’ve done fifteen and my lungs feel like they are about to explode. Stopping, I brace my hands on my knees trying to catch my breath, my mother blows her whistle, grabbing my attention and I look over at her, sweat drenching me and even my shirt is sticking to me.
“Five more Kat.”
“Five more, Katya,” I mimic under my breath while glaring daggers at my mother. I peel my saturated shirt off, tossing it on the grass and leaving me in only my black sports bra.
“You want me to add more?” My mother calls out. I shake my head and continue running around the oval. As I run past the bleachers, I notice Alpha Ezra is still here and watching me. Unease prickles up and down my spine. Something has pissed him off, and I bet I knew what the answer was. What always seemed to be the answer in my world. Me. I wondered if he figured out I had no wolf and was useless to the Pack.