Alpha's Fire

Training Begins

It was still dark outside when Prue got out of bed to ready for training. When she was washed and dressed she made her way out to the hall and found a lit lantern on a side table by her bedroom door. 

She used it to light her way down to the kitchen, where Gingerbeard was cooking bacon and eggs, an apron covering his black training gear. He was singing to himself merrily. 

"Morning angel," he chirped, "Here's some tea," he put a mug down in front of her. 

"Oh, thanks." Prue gratefully took the hot liquid and blowed before giving it a tentative sip. 

"Are you ready for your first day of training."

"Always. Do you know who it is?"

Gingerbeard raised an eyebrow placing a plate of food in front of where she sat on one of the stools, "He didn't tell you?" He smiled knowingly. 

"No, why?" She suspiciously picked up a piece of bacon and almost moaned at how good it was. 

"I'm going to let it be a surprise for you I think." Gingerbeard winked, "Eat your breakfast, you're going to need it."

Prue didn't really think much about his comments until she was approaching the bandstand and saw a tall man, dressed in black training clothes. His built body looked powerful and daunting. 

Henry's light brown hair looked neat and tidy, his short dark beard had also been trimmed. 

The sun had just begun to rise setting him in a warm light that would have made him look kind of handsome if it wasn't for the cold, unfeeling look on his face. 

When she was near enough to hear he said, "You're late."

Prue looked up at the sky, "Hardly. Why are you here? I thought I was training with your...." She said the words slowly, "Finest. Fighter."

He didn't bother to answer. "We will be running to the training ground. I assume that won't be a problem." 

"Well you are just a delight at all times of the day, aren't you?"

He grunted and took off in a run. Henry led Prue through the village to the wooded area behind his stone cabin and dashed through the trees. The forest was like something from a fairy take as the morning light began to kiss the leaves and bring the world around her to life, added colour and life. Moss grew on fallen logs and bushes bursted with berries. It smelt like earth and moss and nature. 

The air felt cool and crips on her lungs as she breathed it in deeply. Towering trees of all sorts and varieties grew everywhere, creating a canopy of vines and leaves overhead. Henry dashed through the forest, his long legs allowing him to jump and volt over fallen trees with ease. Prue was lean and fit and had no trouble keeping up... At least she didn't for the first 10 miles. 

It was like an agility course. Eventually she began to lag.

"You are a wolf," He scowled, after stopping for the third time, "You should be able to run as far as one in either form."

Prue gritted her teeth in annoyance, "I thought we were going to the training area."

"We will, I was waiting for you to tire, which happened a lot quicker than I ever thought possible for someone so highly spoken of for her 'skills'."

She ignored his jab. She didn't have to explain herself to him. "Where. Is. The. Training. Area?" 

"It is back near the edge of the village."

Her temper was on a thin thread, "So you're telling me you decided to run me ragged beforehand? Why? Is this so your man has a better chance of winning? A better chance of not being beaten by a lone she-wolf," her jaw clenched. 

"No. I wanted to see how far you could run so we could beat it tomorrow." 

"You're an ass," She told him. Prue couldn't wait until she got to the actual sparring part and show this finest fighter up. So what, she couldn't run as far as Elena. That is what she was good at, Prue was better at weapons and hand-to-hand combat. Elena grumbled in the back of her mind.

Nevertheless, she squared her shoulders and allowed a new burst of energy to power through her limbs, fed by a determination to prove him wrong. 

"Fine, I'll race you back." Elena consciousness woke just then, her interest piqued. "If I win, I get to test one of your limits, if you win," she laced every word with acid, "We can continue to do whatever you think you are trying to achieve by doing this."

"You think you could beat me?" Prue smiled, sure she had hit the right buttons. 

She shrugged and took off back towards the village. Prue dashed, jumped and weaved through the trees, not caring about the lashes she was taking from the leafy branches she passed. She couldn't see Henry anywhere but she dared not look back. She didn't want to give that asshole even an inch to catch up. 

Heart thudding, sweat started to drip down her face. Still she pushed harder, willing her legs to move faster. They burnt and wobbled but she forced her muscles to remain strong.  Still there was no sight of him. When she neared the village. Henry was sat waiting, talking to his men.

Her lungs felt like they were on fire and nausea washed over her. Acid grew in her stomach and doubled over, throwing up everything she'd had for breakfast. 

You pushed yourself too hard Prue. 

She knew Elena was right, but it didn't put a dampener on her temper. 

She stormed up to the Alpha, not caring who she was interrupting. 

"You!" She spat, "Cheated!"

Henry face was unreadable. It only made Prue's rage surge. She walked up to him to jab a finger in his chest. This time however, he was the one that span around her, pinning her arm around the back, forcing it upwards. Pain shot through her tired limbs. 

"This is not a game little girl." He growled so close to her ear she could feel the hotness of his breath. "I am Henry Delta and I am the Alpha of all Alphas. I went easy on you once because I needed you to come willingly. Don't think for a second I won't put you in your place if you ever touch or speak to me in front of my men like that again."

He pushed a little more pressure against her arm. "Training is over for today." 

Henry stormed off, barking at his men to follow.

Well that went well, Prue rubbed her arm.

What do you expect Prue you just squared up to an Alpha, the Alpha, in front of his men. 

Prue stalked back to the house. Still seething, slightly embarrassed and hungry. She was muttering to herself about the cheek of him 'going easy' on her. 

"Yeah right, just let people give you a bloody nose, do you?" She said, mumble to herself, even after she bathed and changed. 

She entered the kitchen, the smell of chicken soup made her stomach flip. Gingerbeard was stood over a cauldron, tasting its contents with a spoon, "Woo. You look like s**t kid."

"You're still here?" 

"And grumpy. I went and came back for brunch." He paused watching her take a seat.

"What?" she growled.

"How was training?" He teased. 

"I didn't get there. I instead ended up doing a 20-mile run and pissing off your Alpha off."

Gingerbeard's belly laugh echoed around the kitchen. 

"You know what that means don't you?"

"What?"

"Tomorrow you'll have to do at least 21 miles," he placed a bowl of soup in front of her. 

"We'll see."

"Eat, it will make you feel better. Keira is looking for you once you're ready." Gingerbeard eyed her again and chuckled, grabbing a sandwich and leaving her to sulk.  

Prue sat quietly reflecting while she ate, which if she was being honest, did help. It was warm and delicious and hearty. It was the kind of food that just fed your soul. She couldn't help but replay Henry's words over in her mind - 'I went easy on you once'.  As far as she was concerned, he had caught her unaware and she had still managed to fight back. 

Questions whirled around her brain. Was he better than her? Why did she care? Was he that much more powerful, really? Was she just too proud to admit he was stronger? Why was it hard for her to admit? Was it because it made her vulnerable to do so?

She knew Alphas were powerful but they weren't invincible. 

No, she told herself, no way is he going to make you question yourself. You work hard and he probably only cheated because he knew he wouldn't beat you. He may have brute strength, but I have will be quicker, smarter. And more determined. 

---------

Prue found Keira in the corner of the living room reading a book on one of the plush cream armchairs.

"Ah Prue, good. You're finished. I've been asked to take you to where the killings took place. We can go to the Beta's room first and then we will need to meet up with one of the guys who will escort us to where the sentries were murdered."

"Escorted?" Prue plonked down on the chair next to her, taking a strand of her long blonde hair and fiddling with it.

"It is precautionary. We are on high alert. The rogues in the area have been... Restless. If we have time we can go see Grandma Willow for some tea and cake afterwards though." 

Prue gave a weak smile. "Sure."

"Everything okay Prue?" Keira asked gently, moving her long braid, that had flowers woven through it.  

"Peachy," Prue wasn't even convinced. 

---------

The Beta's room was tidy and smelt like sandalwood, with hints of citrus. The bed was unmade, unchanged from where the body had been moved. 

Keira had opted to wait outside. Prue knew it must have been difficult to even come near the room. 

She looked around the shrine of a room that had once been a man's home before he had left this world forever. Death was so final and Prue couldn't help but feel sympathy for the wolves that still had to live here, under the same roof where their friend was murdered. She was surprised any of them could even sleep. 

She looked at a desk which was full of papers and handwritten letters, discovering the Beta's full name was Bernard Sweet. 

That's nice name, she thought. Prue continued to look through Bernards things, she had always found it so hard to process how people spent their entire lives collecting belongings which were then just left behind. Unable to take it with them. It made possessions seem so silly but then. she liked nice things too. 

Prue checked the door frame and lock to see if it had been tampered with. Nothing. She searched the room from top to bottom. Even checking under his bed and pillow cases. Still nothing. 

She sat on the bed looking out the window, trying to figure out how someone had got in undetected. If someone broke in, they would have had to walk straight through the front door and down a hall, passing a number of bedrooms with sleeping werewolves, all of which have heightened hearing and would have still been on high alert, after the killings of the sentries. It made no sense.

She made a mental note to ask Henry, how they killer murdered Bernard. She began to wonder why they even thought it was foul play, there was no evidence of it. Maybe it was coincidence. Or maybe that is what the killer wanted them to believe. 

Prue circled the room again and doubled check everything for good measure. She stopped at the window, watching some children play in the street, laughing as they played hide and seek. 

It occurred to her to check the window, so she push it open and checked the frame. She was sure she would find something. But there was nothing.

The children continued to shout, jumping out at one another. She couldn't help but smile at them. So innocent, enjoying themselves in the sun. It made her think - hide and seek.

What if the killer had already been here waiting when Bernard arrived, somewhere in this very room? But where would someone hide. She scanned the room, and stalked over to a wardrobe, checked under the desk, behind the chair and the curtains and the ensuite. Nothing.  

Think Prue. If you wanted to hide in here. How would you do it. 

Elena flickered awake and yawned. I'd hide under the bed. 

I've already checked there twice.

Prue sat on an armchair and stared at the room willing something to happen.

When trying to track down her bounty she always tried to put herself in their shoes. So she got on her back and lay on the floor,  pulled herself under the bed.

Facing up towards the mattress. There was nothing. Sighing, frustrated, she turned on her stomach and began to push herself out. But there, wedged between the dark floorboards, it was almost invisible. A black button. She gasped trying to dig it out with her nails, but it was stuck. 

Prue was so focused on what she was doing she didn't hear the footsteps behind her.