The Alpha's Runaway

Chapter Four

We didn’t see the others until we reached the training field at 6. Henry was still pissed off and looked ready to punch someone. Jess hovered nearby. Lance helped lead the morning training session, and therefore wouldn’t arrive until the challenge began. The people gathering split off into several groups, each led by a trainer. I could see Charlie leading the group closest to us.

‘Blend in. Don’t do anything to stand out.’ I warned my siblings, ‘The last thing we need is to draw any more attention to ourselves.’

“Alright, warmup is fifteen laps around the clearing!” Grant announced, before taking off in a run. Jess, Henry and I took off after the others. We quickly passed everyone but Grant. We slowed, matching his pace. By the time we finished the fifteenth lap, everyone else was slightly winded. Grant regarded us with a curious expression.

“Partner up. We’re going to be sparring today. Humans versus wolves. Humans, your goal is to last as long as you can.” He announced to the group.

I stood opposite of Grant while Henry and Jess stayed together, moving further away from us. Everyone spread out, giving themselves room.

“Human or wolf first?” Grant asked.

“Human.”

“Don’t hold back.”

Smiling, Grant took off his watch and dropped it on the ground. He pulled off his shirt, tossing it aside. I barely had a moment to admire his sculpted abs before he shifted. Within seconds, he transformed into a giant black wolf. Staring into his piercing blue eyes, I took a step forward, reaching out a hand and ran it through his fur without thinking. When my brain caught up to my actions, I pulled back quickly. He regarded me silently for a moment before nudging my hand with his head. I laughed softly, running my fingers through his fur again. He huffed in content and let me stroke his fur for a few more seconds before nudging me and backing away.

I sighed, then took a few steps back, nodding to let him know I was ready.

He lunged at me and I ducked beneath him, rolling away. I swept his hind legs out from under him. He rolled over, springing to his feet. He batted at me with his paws, and I deflected each hit before punching him in the nose. Grant stepped back, sneezing and shaking his head. He looked at me in surprise, then laughed in the strange, huffing way of wolves. He tackled me, trying to pin me. I slipped away, kicking him in the ribs.

This pattern repeated over and over. We continued to trade blows, never able to pin the other. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the other wolves take down their partners one by one. Just as the last of the other pairs stopped sparring, Henry let Jess pin him, subtly enough that I was the only one who noticed he threw the match.

At the same time, Grant tackled me and I slowed, pretending I wasn’t quick enough. One of his paws landed on my shoulder and I tried to shove it away, using just enough strength to make it convincing without moving his paw. Finally, I tapped out, acting out of breath.

Grant stepped back, before shifting and pulled on a pair of basketball shorts. He sat down heavily next to me, and I pushed myself into a sitting position.

He checked his watch, “Fifteen minutes. You lasted longer than the others. Catch your breath, then we’ll switch.”

“Barely.” I commented, “You seemed surprised when I punched you that first time.”

He laughed, “I guess I wasn’t expecting you to hit me.”

“You said, and I quote, ‘Don’t hold back.’”

“Yeah, but I thought you’d just try to dodge every attack for as long as you could.”

“If I’m going to lose, you can bet I’m going to get at least a few good hits in before it happens.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” He said lightly.

His gaze fell on my siblings, with Jess still in her wolf form. He frowned, noticing how thin she was compared to the other wolves. Then, his eyes caught on the black triple spiral mark on her shoulder, standing out against her white fur.

“Ready?” Grant asked me, standing and offering me his hand.

I took it, and he hauled me to my feet, “Don’t hold back.”

He laughed, and took a few steps back. I took off my shirt and basketball shorts, leaving me in a sports bra and spandex shorts. I shifted, feeling my center of gravity change and falling to all fours. Grant’s eyes shone with admiration when he saw my wolf. As he stepped closer, his admiration changed to concern as he noticed I was just as thin as Jess. He glanced over at Henry, noticing the same thing. He ran a hand through my snow white fur and I shuddered at his touch. His hand landed on my own triple spiral mark before I moved away slightly, uncomfortable under his watchful gaze.

“Sorry.” He said, forcing a smile, “I always thought you were beautiful, but this… You are breathtaking.” He whispered.

Kleio beamed with pleasure and pride at his comment and I huffed, nudging him with my head. Reluctantly, he retreated, motioning me forward, and I tackled him. The fight began anew, only this time, I had the advantage. At first, he matched me blow for blow, punching harder than I expected. Over time, he started to slow, sweat trickling down his brow. It took twenty minutes for me to pin him.

After a short break, he had us spar as wolves. I was careful to lose convincingly. I shifted back into human form and put on my shirt and shorts again, noticing that we were once again the last ones sparring.

Grant checked his watch again, “Time for the challenge.”

We headed over toward the obstacle course, joined by Lance, Gwen, and the other groups. Grant stood before everyone, announcing, “For those of you joining us for the first time, the rules are simple. To complete this challenge, as set forth by my father, the former Alpha, the challenger must get past three of our pack’s best fighters, run the obstacle course, and pass our warriors once again. All of this must be completed in fifteen minutes. Challengers may complete the course as a wolf or human, but whichever form they choose to get past the warriors the first time, they must use the other upon their return. The same rules apply to the three fighting against the challenger. Those who complete this challenge can count themselves among the pack’s elite warriors.”

Charlie stepped forward, “I, Charles Sommer, third-in-command of the Silver Woods pack, accept the challenge.”

Grant nodded, then backed up until he was on the stretch of dirt before the course. Lance and another man joined him, facing Charlie.

“Whenever you’re ready.” Grant called.

Charlie ran forward and the unknown fighter shifted, barreling toward him. He leapt over the wolf, flipping midair, and landed between Grant and Lance. Charlie landed a roundhouse kick on Grant, only to have Lance punch him in the gut. Gasping for breath, Charlie dodged a sweep of the wolf’s paw and punched his nose.

As they fought, I studied the way each of them moved, how they shifted their weight before striking, “He needs to get out of there.” I said quietly, “He’ll run out of time if he takes too long fighting them.”

Henry nodded in agreement.

Finally, Charlie broke free of the others and hurled toward the obstacle course. In his human form, he breezed through each section until he came to the last, where he had to jump across several platforms spaced at increasing distances. He crossed the first half without difficulty, then jumped toward the fourth platform. He was miscalculated, and fell, catching the edge of the platform at the last second with his hands. Straining, he managed to pull himself up. He shrugged off the weighted backpack he was wearing then shifted, picking the weight up in his jaw before backing up as far as he could, charging forward, and clearing the last two platforms. He snatched a black ring from over his head and leapt to the ground, running back toward us. Grant, Lance, and the wolf shifted.

Charlie leapt over the third fighter once more, landing on Lance’s back. Lance’s light brown fur bristled and he snarled. His jaws snapped at Charlie. Grant tackled Charlie, knocking him off Lance’s back and onto the ground. He was so close: just ten feet away. I glanced over Gwen’s shoulder at Grant’s watch. Charlie was almost out of time. He rose to his feet, surrounded. He attacked Lance and Grant, mostly ignoring the third. As a human, he wasn’t much of a threat. Suddenly, at the last possible second, Charlie broke away from the others and crossed the finish line.

The gathered crowd cheered as the wolves shifted into their human forms, putting on their shorts.

“You did it!” Gwen grinned, showing him the watch.

“Third time’s the charm, I guess.” Charlie laughed.

Grant clapped him on the back, “Great job!”

“Finally joining us among the elite!” Lance cheered.

“We should go out and celebrate your victory.”

“Don’t you think you two finding your mates is a better reason to celebrate?” Charlie asked, amused.

“We can do both.” Grant answered, grinning, “Let’s hurry up, get ready, and head into town.”

“Can any wolf attempt the challenge, even if they’re not a part of the pack?” I asked him as we walked back to the house.

“Yes. There’s no rule limiting that. Why?”

I shrugged, “Just curious.”