Shadow of the Wolves

Chapter 5

The next morning I got up to follow my usual morning routine. I got dressed for training, in a black sports top and exercise shorts, I walked out .I went to the kitchen to see Calypso's blue hair messy like cotton candy as she scanned the fridge.

"Hey there Luna. "I greeted and she turned to face me with a grin.

She skipped to me and hugged me,"Good morning, what are you doing up so early?"

I laughed at her hazed mood,"I'm going for a run, you?"

"Shade always had us wake up this early, you could say it's a habit."

I cringed at the sound of his name, wishing she hadn't mentioned him,"Okay, I'll be going now."I said.

"Thea, I'm sorry-" She said .

"I just hope I don't see him soon."I sighed, " But it's fine. See you later, m'kay. " I said as I reached for apple .

She nodded and walked to the stairs, then sprinting to James room.

Gross.

I left my apple on the rail of the porch steps, like I alway do and began running, pushing out all of my anger with every stride. Enjoying the pain on my limbs as I went faster, blocking my pain from rejection.

The day grew brighter as I reached home, I walked to the steps to retrieve my desirable apple only to find a grip of air, someone took it?

I ignored the rude fact that someone stole my apple and walked inside to the kitchen to get another one. Just as I turn the corner, I feel my heart stop. Ah, s**t!

"Boo!" Castor 's said behind me as I saw his older brother sitting on a stool across from James as he filled some paperwork.

Ignore it! Thea! Ignored the bastard-!

"Castor!" I squealed in contrast of my true emotions I'm forcing myself to bottle up.

I turned and hug him ,"Hey Thea! I heard about Calypso finding her mate," he said then threw a glare at his brother ,"But I couldn't believe she is now your Luna. What a small world."

"Tell me about it."I said as I felt a pair of eyes burning on my back.

"Why are you out of breath?" He asked,"Mesmerized by my attractiveness?"

I scoffed, "Yes because you're so irresistible."I said sarcastically,"I went running, genius, and speaking of which, I need to get to training. "

"Hey, T, take Calypso with you, will you. I'm busy with the transfer paperwork and I know she'll be bored. But just fair warning, Thea, one scratch, one bruise or one blue hair out of place, and I will hurt you. " James threatened.

An odd sound escaped Shadow, but he covered it up with a cough.

"I'd like to see you try, Loverboy," I teased as I saw Calypso jump down the stairs wearing training clothes and then saw her jump into her brothers arms.

"Castor!"She said and hugged her brother.

"Good to see you too. "He said and he gasped for air.

I smiled and walked over to the fridge to get two water bottles,"Alpha Shade, " I greeted as I tried to reach over the basket of fruit to get an apple.

"Thea." He said uneasily.

Calypso then asked,"So what are we going to do for training?"

I forced myself to smiled, "Come on, I'll show you. "

"Mind if we tag along?" Castor asked,"That Knucklehead needs to explore new ideas. "

Shade growled, "I don't think that's a -"

"Be my guest, but no interrupting my class."I said, cutting Shadow off.

"What about joining?" Castor added.

"Sure, I'm sure my guys won't mind."

We began heading out to the training grounds, a large clearing with wrestling mats set up near a large shack where we had out other equipment like weights. Around seventy men and women stood near the mats, knowing my expectations they got down to their push ups .

"We do fifty push ups a day by the time I show up," I tell them,"You may try, if you'd like."

Castor and Calypso got down parallel to the others as Shadow moved closer,"Are these all the fighters?"

"No, these are the top fighters, the others train with him," I said and jerk my head to the other side of the clearing where Peter and his class appeared from the woods,"That's Peter, you'd be entertained by his class, I'll assure you."

Shadow's eyes observed them as they did their exercises, "Why?"

"You'll see at the end of class." I said then rose my voice, "Twenty laps around the clearing, and- "

"NO ONE LEFT BEHIND! ! !" They roared in unison.

"Good! Or else twenty more laps. " They began running around field and Castors eyes widen at my expectations,"Well go!" I told him and he dashed like the wind.

"Impressive the fear they draw towards you." Shadow said.

I put my hands around my back,"Women are dominant, that's why in battle, they are the ones you least want to mess with, cause it's unpredictable." I said and began walking towards the shed.

"What else is it that you do here?" He asked .

"At the end of every month, Peter and I put our fighters to the test, paring them to fight with one another, then the winners come with me , the losers go with him."

"Who chose you to be the one to keep the winners?"

I shook my head, "You seem to be underestimating me. Peter and I fight too, Shade, and every time he ends up unconscious on the mat."

"It's physically impossible." He retorted.

"Nothing is impossible. " I said and turned to face him as I opened the sheds door. "I might be small, but I'm fast and I know we're to hit."

He hums,"Your parents where Henry and Penelope Williams, right? "

Yeesh, taking no hostages. I nodded,"They also died, anything else you want to know?" I said, not wanting to get into the topic of my dead parents.

"I apologize, I know losing a parent is hard."

I sighed, as I began to wheel out wooden katas, swords, and a bow and arrow,"Get the targets and dummies for me, please."

Shadow nodded and held the door for me before he went to retrieved the cart of plastic dummies and bow and arrow targets.

"Can I ask you something? " He asked.

"Sure." Although you already did.

"Why is it that you fight?"

I shrugged, "Men often believe they are stronger than women, and that they could hurt them as they please, so I think if I am stronger, I'll be able to defend myself and others. "

He didn't respond.

"Okay that's enough running for today!!!" I said as they reached their 17th lap,"Okay rotations will begin, get into your corresponding groups - and no, no switching, Matilda."

"But I want to talk to my new sister-in-law." She whined and Calypso smiled a bit.

I narrowed my eyes,"Fine , go ahead ," she smiled,"Fifty push-ups now!" I hissed.

She gapped and stubbornly got to down and began.

For a few hours we trained, so I took the exclusivity to use the bow and arrow. I set up a fresh target and walked around 50 meters away from it. I rose an arrow from the quill and placed it to the side of the arc that was the bow. I aimed and inhaled before I let go, then, with a pluck! my arrow landed on the center.

"Bravo! Great job Thea. You look beautiful as always. "Peter said as he approached me.

"What do you want Peter?" I asked as I recharged my bow.

"You and me under the covers. " he winked as he walked closer to me, scanning my body .

I scoffed,"And I want to fly, keep dreaming you idiot."

"Why are you so difficult, Beautiful?"

"Because you're a d**k ."

"I have a d**k, I could show it to you sometime ." He said as he touched the nape of my neck.

I dropped my bow and took his hand, twisting it into a pin behind his back,"And I'll cut it and glue it to your forehead so you look like a deflated unicorn ." I said and pushed him to the ground.

"You b***h, no wonder you didn't find a mate at the ball."

I rose an eyebrow, "Oh? And you did?"

"At least I didn't cry like a little baby b***h afterwards." He said as he stood up .

I smiled sweetly and then cracked my knuckles as he backed up in fear, but my fist got to him first .

"Thea!" Castor shouted as he saw Peter fall to the ground.

Shade walked casually, and I prayed he didn't hear what Peter said to me,"What did he do this time?" Matilda asked.

"I'd rather not talk about it ."I said and walked away,"TRAINING IS OVER FOR TODAY!!!!See you next time!!! "

I began walking away , trying to think a way to let go completely, to ignore my circumstances and problems, just escape reality for a while cause either way problems are still going to be there when I returned. I walked into the forest, planning on going to the one place I felt in peace, the crunching sound of my feet crushing the dead leafs distracted me till I got to the spot.

I reached up and climbed up on a branch of the think oak tree, so used to carrying my weight it had started to grow with it. I sighed and leaned on the trunk of it, remembering that blurry summer as a toddler when my dad brought me here for a picnic as mom finished baking my birthday cake that year. The soft breeze playing with my hair as Dad sang a lullaby while we sat on the tree trunk.

"I wish you were here daddy. "I murmured , "There is so many things you can miss when you're gone for 11 years . . . I found my mate, err, well sort of. My mate doesn't want me, you see, but I -I understand -"I muffle a sob with my hand,"Well,no one wants me. My entire life I've excluded myself from everyone and now the person I wished actually understood me, doesn't want me. What do I have to do ? I get that I have to try,but I've tried, okay. I try to be strong, I've been the Head Fighter since I was fifteen and I'm turning 21 on Friday. So I am a b***h but at least I try to live without the most important people in my life!" I rant to the air, just needing to say it outloud.

"I try, momma, but I can't, not anymore. I'm no Alpha, or any Beta. I'm a small girl with a big mouth . . . I can't do this anymore, legacy or no legacy daddy, I want to be able to be weak for just one moment, okay. . .and I don't even know his name. "

"Caspian, my real name is Caspian." His voice said .

Oh s**t!