The Half Mutt Mate

Chapter 18: Caroline

Grace's PoV:

The training was hard to begin with. Who knew unlocking a secret part of yourself was going to be hard? We tried all sorts of things, though Alex seemed to know what he was doing, and everything we tried was in a similar vein. 

The first day, after Kayden and Ella woke up, we traveled for a few hours by clinging to Jamie and Alex as they ran in wolf. It was terrifying, to be honest, and clinging onto the fur of a running wolf was very uncomfortable. When we had run far enough, I hopped to the ground, trying not to put any weight on my injured ankle. I could stand, mostly, and take a few painful steps,  but other than that I was immobile. 

We covered more ground in those hours than Kayden, Ella and I had covered in a week, but we didn't run straight towards the mountain. I asked Jamie about it, in between all the training and running and sleeping, and he told me we were taking a longer route to make it harder to track. Apparently there was also someone we had to meet.

For the first few days, training was a mix of endurance and meditation. It started with being kept awake for hours, with little water or food, and being made to do difficult tasks. It was similar to the training I had started under Conner many months before, but of course it was changed a little because of Thomas's bite, which stopped anything to extreme as I need to heal.

While Thomas and Ella slept, I was told to stand and hold heavy weights. Jamie stood by me, choosing to keep me company instead of sleeping himself, and Alex was in front, encouraging me and occasionally adding more weight. It was hard work, but if I ever buckled or complained then Alex would stop and ask if I was okay. I never tried to give in, but I was certain at the time that if I'd have asked, Alex would have let me.

For lots of werewolves, their wolf comes out when they're upset or in danger -- that's why werewolves sometimes lose control or change forms suddenly. It's a defence mechanism. The idea behind the training was that if I was tired or pushed to the extreme, then maybe my wolf would show itself. As the days wore on, though, it didn't seem to be working. 

Instead, Alex decided to shift to connecting with my wolf on a more spiritual level. We had done some meditation exercises and other similar things before, but Alex increased the amount until we were spending nearly as much time searching within my mind for my wolf as we were trying to force it out. 

One night, at around midnight, we were sat in a clearing, calling out for my wolf. Jamie had fallen asleep next to me, his head resting against my shoulder, but I was still wide awake, with Alex talking me through the training. 

"Imagine your mind like big room full of boxes and books and things," he said. The night was freezing cold around us. It was late November, the ground was covered in frost and I was shaking in my thin jacket. At least the cold was keeping me awake.

I picture my mind not as the ball of yarn that I imagined other people's to be, but rather as the room Alex suggested. There were nooks and crannies full of different objects, all with some sentimental value to me, and I wondered where in this crowded space a wolf was meant to be. "Okay, I've got the image."

"Good. Wander through the room for a while. Picture a door. Do not open it. Behind the door is your wolf."

I shivered. In my mind the door was old and wooden and covered in dust; no one had touched it in years. There were scratches on the walls next to it, like someone had tried to get in without using the key. 

"You're doing great, Gracie. Now, I want you to picture what you can hear from your side of the wall -- what is your wolf saying, what is it doing?"

I concentrated hard. The picture was firm in my head, as solid and tangible to me as the real world. I could hear noises from behind the door. 

"My wolf is howling quietly, like it's upset or hurt. There's the sound of pacing and whining, and a scuffling behind the door -- I think it wants to get out."

"Try calling to it and reassuring it. Ask if it's ready to become part of you yet."

I sat in silence, calling to my wolf.

Hello? Can you hear me? 

I want to know you.

The pacing stopped and the yelping it got a bit louder. It seemed excited --I thought it was going to say something. I waited for a second as it gathered its voice.

Behind me there was a sound -- a voice from the shadows. 

"Why, hello there, darlings."

I spun around to look at the woman emerging from the woods. She was tall and posed, and walked with a powerful, sinuous grace. Her hair was long and dark, contrasting against the white blouse and dark purple blazer she wore, and her eyes were stern and calculating. She was clearly an Alpha.

I jumped to my feet, ready to defend myself despite my injured foot. Alex, too, was on his feet, and he was running towards the woman with urgency.

"Caroline," he said, gripping her hands between his own in a familiar handshake. "I'm glad to see you. I assume everything went okay?"

The woman nodded, an amused smile on her face. She stood a few inches taller than Alex, but that didn't seem to threaten him. I eyed her with suspicion. The woman slid her gaze carefully onto me, assessing my posture and stance. It seemed to please her, or at least interest her, as she quirked her eyebrow in response. 

"Now, are you Grace? Are you the little thing that's been causing all this trouble?"

I scowled. "I'm not exactly little," I said. The woman seemed to find this funny.

"You're certainly young, though, my dear. Don't worry, I mean you no harm -- I'm Caroline, Alpha of the Doeth Blaidd pack. I was the one who came to your rescue when you were being hunted."

So this was the wolf that attacked Thomas. I was stumped.

"Oh -- thanks," I said, "were you hurt?"

The fight had been pretty vicious, from what I'd seen of it, but the woman in front of me seemed uninjured.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, though. I'm sorry I had to be involved, of course, but Thomas is getting a little out of hand." Caroline sat on the grass, ignoring the frost that must have been getting on her pristine skirt.

I frowned; I had tried not to think about what Thomas had done. I knew he rejected me and I knew that nearly all wolves hated mutts, but there was still a part of me that didn't believe he would hurt me. Of course, that was very wrong, and my injured ankle proved it.

Caroline gestured for me to sit down near her. I complied and Alex joined me, sitting cross legged in the grass. I watched Caroline as she examined my face, wondering what she was thinking. 

"I'm sorry for your loss, little wolf," she said eventually. "But I think it will get better. Now, we have lots to discuss."