The Challenge

1633 Words
Faster. I’m pushing as fast as I can. Faster. I’m trying! You won’t make it unless you go FASTER. My lungs started burning, but I did as I was told. I heard the growls close behind me, and felt a jaw snap a couple of inches from my ankle. My muscles ached as I pushed myself even harder. We already had one person down and I’ll be damned if I contribute to us starting over with a five mile run before another challenge. I pushed harder, letting out a screech as I hopped into the large oak tree, just before my calf got caught in my brothers mouth. The bark scraped my hands, but I barely noticed as I twisted from one branch to a branch higher as the wolf below me jumped up, snapping at my feet. As I finally landed on a stable branch a few feet higher than I was before, the dusty brown wolf below me sat down with a huff, looking at me with pride in its leafy green eyes. I heard a howl from the left a couple yards away, and saw one of my pack mates get taken down. They stood up with a huff and brushed themself off, stomping their feet like a pup. The wolf behind them howled. “That’s two!” I heard Alpha Leo bellow, and I cringed. Suddenly, there was a screech to my right quite a few yards away, and I looked over to see my best friend hop into the tree right before a bright orange wolf came crashing through the brush behind her. We looked at each other and I waved; she gave me a thumbs up back and wiped her forehead, resting against the tree. I furrowed my brow, looking around for any sign of the last person. Suddenly, there was an annoying screech of victory bringing my eyes to a few trees ahead of me. Finally! My wolf, Dash, snapped in my head, making me cringe. As much as I agreed, I just wanted to go home and take a long hot bath, with a nice dinner in bed before I passed out. I climbed out of the tree, my brother walking out of the bushes in a pair of basketball shorts. His short blonde hair was tousled and sweaty, and he grabbed me in a bear hug, crushing my bones in the process. “I’m so proud of you little sister!” He exclaimed, finally letting me go. I threw him a glare as I tried to catch my breath and wipe his sweat off my face. Finally getting myself together, I looked up at him and smiled. Shawn Winters, future beta of the Green Forest Pack, standing at 6 feet tall, is the best brother I could be blessed with. He always pushed me to my limits, knowing I wanted to be the strongest of the strongest, and I appreciated him for it. There were a few reasons why, and my height was definitely one of them. “Thanks Shawn.” I replied, starting the walk back to the pack house. “I really appreciate you constantly pushing me, even in human form.” He just smiled at me, walking down another trail. I sighed as I rolled my head around, popping my neck. “That was amazing!” My best friend jogged up to me, easily keeping pace with her long legs. Sherri Micheals was another top warrior in our pack, and we’ve been best friends for 12 years. Her chocolate hair was thrown halfway into a bun, the rest sticking out at odd angles. Her brown skin was caked in dirt and leaves from the forest, twigs sticking out of her clothes. “Easy for you to say, you’re not short like me.” I stuck my tongue out at her and she flicked it, earning a giggle from both of us as she wiped her finger down my arm. “Hey, I don’t want that, don’t touch me!” I smacked her hand, making her laugh harder. We chatted about the upcoming week, even though it was already Tuesday, making our way into the pack house and climbing the stairs. We said our goodbyes as I headed up to the third floor of the pack house and she went down the hallway to her room on the second floor. Sherri’s mom and dad were our Gamma’s, and they were fierce. We all trained to be the best, and our packs strength really showed it. Green Leaf Pack was just a medium sized pack of about 300 wolves, with Silver Mountain Pack to the east of us, a pack of about 600, Blood Moon Pack to the north, which was a pack of about 800, and Black Crescent Pack to the Southwest, which was also a pack of about 300. There were a few smaller packs dotted along around us, but they usually rely on one of three of our packs for aid when in need. We weren’t the largest, but we were one of the strongest, and our Alpha, Betas, and Gammas could prove that. Too bad our next in line Alphas are d***s. Twin brothers, and they were fiercer than any of the warriors, even the elite warriors, who were specifically trained with the alphas to protect the pups and elderly. Thankfully, they had been sent away for the summer for extra Alpha training, so I hadn’t seen them for the last 90 days. Shawn had just gotten back from the same program for Betas, and he was already out training with us. It seemed to do him really good, as I can tell he was holding back more than he normally would today. Stepping inside my bedroom, I took a deep breath before flopping onto my queen size bed. Maybe I could just fall asleep and take a bath in the morning, completely skipping dinner. My stomach rumbling told me that was a bad idea. I sighed as I opened my bathroom door and started the bath, the smell of coconut penetrating the air as the bubbles started to rise. I peeled my sweaty clothes off my body and stepped into the bath, the heat immediately loosening my muscles from today’s training. Sitting in the tub, letting the water work it’s magic, I mentally prepared myself for tomorrow. It was the first day of my senior year, and 4 months from turning 18 and finding my mate. My wolf purred in my head. I bet he’ll be perfect! She cooed, making me smile. Absolutely. I know he’s going to love us. I honestly hoped he wasn’t in my pack. A change of scenery would be nice, not that I didn’t love the forest. I think the mountains would be beautiful, or even the ocean. Finishing up my bath and feeling relaxed, I pulled on a tank top and a loose pair of sweatpants. As I made my way downstairs, laughter and chatter started to fill the air as well as the delicious smell of food. My stomach growled, reminding me that I haven’t eaten since breakfast. My mom waved me over to our table, and I took my seat across from her. “How was training sweety?” She smiled at me as she watched me fill a plate with four slices of ham, two scoops of mashed potatoes, two scoops of green beans, and three slices of turkey. I shrugged and took a bite of mashed potatoes, grunting as they hit my tastebuds. My mom and I look quite a bit alike. We both have long, wavy, ashen blonde hair, leafy green eyes, soft noses, and full lips. Needless to say, my brother and I were blessed to resemble our parents respectively, as they were a beautiful couple. My dad looked over and nodded, his hazel eyes meeting my green ones with a soft twinkle. My father looked opposite my mom. Hazel eyes, straight black hair always trimmed short, a wide nose, and full lips, it was a surprise Shawn didn’t get dads hair since he looked so much like him. Shawn only got dads face, but moms hair, and it worked. Girls constantly threw themselves at him, as he was unmated and next in line for beta after I turned 18. The future alphas and betas didn’t take over their positions until the alphas graduated, and that wasn’t until after I turned 18. Hopefully I could find a house on pack grounds before then so I didn’t have to struggle to hurry up and find a home when Shawn takes over our floor. “Pretty good. We didn’t have to start over so that was awesome.” I said after swallowing a bite of green beans. Usually we get pushed pretty hard, so we have to start training over at least 3 times a week. It’s well worth it as I take a look around at all of our different lean and muscular warriors, taking another bite of food. My mom nodded, dabbing at the corner of her mouth. After my second helping of mashed potatoes and enough chat to fill my night, I made my way upstairs to my room, flopping on my bed for the second time. Setting my alarm on my phone, I switched my lamp off and snuggled under my dark purple duvet. The refreshing scents and peaceful sounds of nature drifting through my window lulled me into a deep sleep quickly.
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