The Beta's Sister

Chapter 2

Warren

I can’t believe I overslept. Again. I should be sleeping in and enjoying doing absolutely nothing for the last days of summer. Instead I have to be up early at the butt c***k of dawn to go to training five times a week. My father set it all up for me to go to warrior and fighter training with our neighbor pack, Dark Moon. Our packs have been allies for years, and my father got the idea that I could use the extra Alpha training and fighting skills before it’s my time to take over. It won’t be for a while yet, but he wants me prepared. Spending my summer getting my ass kicked and shadowing my father and another Alpha, is what I would call over kill. 

I jump out of bed and put on the first pair of shorts and Tshirt I touch. I grab my socks and my running shoes then head out the door. When I get to the top of the stairs I wait and listen for movement. This is the third time I’ve been late to training. My dad is going to kill me then bring me back to life to do Omega work for two weeks. If I can manage to get out of the house without anyone noticing, I might only have to deal with whatever punishment Luna Kamaria and Beta Summer is going to give me. 

I can hear movement in the kitchen that is off of the stairs. My dad should be in his office at the pack house by now, so I assume my mother is the one moving around in the kitchen. If I time it right I can make it out of the house undetected. I sneak down the stairs skipping over two steps then moving to the side of the next. I know exactly where the floorboards creak and avoid them like a ninja. I make it to the last step and lock eyes with my sister, Miriam. She is sitting at our kitchen island with a book in her hands. I freeze in my spot, unable to move. 

“Hey, mom.” My sister calls out. “Jeffrey Meeks told me I don’t have to try so hard at school since I’m going to be someone’s Luna anyways. I kind of feel like he’s right.”

My mom walks up to the island, her back to me and her hands on her hips. Her dark straight strands pulled back into a loose ponytail with a headband around the front of her head. Her thin robe open and just stopping at her knees so her pink and white polka dotted pajama pants poke out of the bottom. This is her morning look. Her go-to style until she gets dressed and takes the day on with a vengeance. 

“What do you mean, he’s right? Jeffrey Meeks can go step on a rusty nail if he thinks that. You are of Alpha blood, how does he know you won’t be an Alpha?” My mom says angrily. She may not be the definition of feminist, but she won’t stand for sexist ideology pushed on her kids.  

My sister shoots me a quick glance, a reminder that her distraction will only last for so long. I take the hint and continue to the front door, and open it just before it creaks, giving me just enough room to squeeze through and finally make it outside.

“Explain to me why we didn’t just jump out the window.” My wolf Adolfo speaks up in my mind. 

“Explain to me why you didn’t say something earlier?” 

“You seemed to have things under control.” He shrugs. 

“You’re ridiculous.”

I make my way towards the trees, heading straight for Dark Moon. It’s a good hour run in wolf form and I have to be there in forty five minutes. As soon as I get through the trees I take off my clothes and ball them so my wolf can carry them in his mouth. We are going to cut it close, but we might just make it if we use all of our strength to get there. Adolfo has gotten faster this summer. Even though the fight training is mostly done in human form, my wolf seems to benefit from my new skills and endurance. If I’m going to give up a perfectly good summer, at least I can gain something valuable from it. 

We make it on the pack territory and pass two patrols as we continue to run. We make eye contact with one of them and he lets out a yelp, letting the other patrols know that I am safe. I’m not a part of this pack, even though we are allies, they have to signal when someone comes onto the territory to relay if it’s friend or foe. We do the same on our territory, especially with increased rogue sightings and some drama happening with the hunters. 

We make it to the clearing of the grounds, and I am so happy to be on the home stretch. My wolf is exhausted, but I think we might have made it on time. I don’t take the moment to revel in the success and instead shift to human and continue to run towards the training grounds. There is no time to stop so I try to pull on my shorts as I go. Only I damn near knock my teeth out my mouth when I land with a hard thud on the ground. I hope no one saw that. I’m out in the open now and would be comedy to any onlookers. My only savior is the fact that it’s still early in the morning. I quickly get my pants on, get up, and grab my shoes and shirt off the ground. I pull the shirt on as I continue my run across the grounds, crossing my fingers that I was fast enough to be on time, but quickly realizing I wasn’t so lucky. 

The group is already on push ups and Luna Kamaria, head warrior of this pack, locks her eyes on me as I step onto the field. I freeze where I am, ready for the fire she is about to rain on me. She holds her glare for a long moment before motioning with her head for me to fall in line. I drop my head sheepishly and quickly make it to the back of the group. Luna Kamaria hates tardiness, so I’m worried what a delayed punishment will look like. 

Our training today mimics one of those high intensity interval training classes for the first thirty minutes then we move on to partnering work, practicing defensive moves. Of course everyone partners up, leaving me alone. I feel eyes on me and hesitate to look in their direction. When I finally muster up the courage to look, Luna Kamaria is looking at me with her head c****d to the side. She merely raises her eyebrow and I slowly move my feet over to the platform she is standing on. 

“Warren.” Luna Kamaria says my name with a smeer. “So nice for us to have this moment together.” 

“Luna Kamaria I…”

“Get into your defense stance.” She interrupts my attempt to apologize for my tardiness. 

I crouch down and catch a smirk come across her face. She starts off slow. I am able to avoid a kick to the head and ready myself before she drops and gives me a sweep of her leg, which I manage to avoid as well. She eventually speeds up her attack, making me move backwards as she pushes forward. The majority of her hits are landing now. She gives a high kick that she stops inches from my head. I lean back in response and she quickly grabs my shirt, preventing me from falling off the platform.

“Pay attention to your surroundings.” Luna Kamaria says and I nod my head quickly. “Go ahead and go back to the group, so you guys can get ready for your run.” 

“Thank you, Luna.” I respond and jog back to my spot on the field. Luna Kamaria blows her whistle and everyone separates from their partners and spread out on the field. She calls out a sequence of jumping jacks and squats and we immediately get to work. Shortly after, Beta Summer joins her on the platform while a girl I’ve never seen before comes and stands near me. I’m surprised that anyone would dare show up later than me. She tries to join in the sequence, but looks confused by it. As soon as I step up to help her a whistle is blown making us all stand at attention. 

“Alright! Ten miles in twenty minutes! No shifting!” Beta Summer calls out to the group before jogging off and going into the woods. I’m already exhausted from rushing this morning and working out with the Luna. I do not feel like running. 

“Ten? Did...did she just say ten?” The late girl asks, putting a voice to my thoughts.

“Yep. She definitely said ten.” I reply to her rhetorical question and share my grievance by shaking my head before jogging towards the woods.

We run in the woods zigzagging past the trees. I am usually somewhere in the middle of the group, but today I am taking up the rear. We are a few miles in when I hear commotion behind me. I look over my shoulder, expecting to see the late girl where she has been our whole run, except she isn’t there. It’s like she disappeared. I stop running and backtrack our steps a little. I make it a few steps when I notice a ditch and look over to see the girl laying on her back looking at the sky. 

“Oh s**t! You okay?” I say as I run down the ditch to her. 

She seems surprised to see me and sits up quickly brushing the dirt off of her pink shirt. She’s a super cute girl with curly dark hair and brown skin that looks like it was kissed by the sun. Her eyes are a deep brown and shaped like almonds. Lips, plump and soft pink with a brown hue. I reach out my hand for her to grab and misjudge my strength when she places her hand into mine and I pull her into me. I enjoy the closeness, but she breaks it when she puts some space between us before brushing off the remainder of the dirt from her pants and shirt. 

“You're new here, right?” I ask, trying to break the awkwardness that is in the air.

“Yeah, sort of.” 

“Well fair warning. Beta, can be a bit of a hard ass. Yesterday she had us running three miles over and over until we all got in under ten minutes. And that was after a five mile warm up.” I say in a word vomit sort of way that is not doing a great job of covering up the nervousness I feel brewing inside of me. She mumbles something under her breath, but I don’t catch it. Too wrapped in my own thoughts. 

“You can go ahead, I’ll catch up with everyone.” I finally hear her say. 

“No can do. We aren’t allowed to be out alone.” It’s an excuse to hang back with her, but it’s also the truth. With the craziness going on, we aren’t allowed to be out alone in the forest. 

“But you were alone earlier?” She says slightly with a question. 

“You saw me earlier?” When would she had seen me alone? I hope it wasn’t-

“We should get back to the run before they get too far ahead of us.” She says, interrupting my thoughts before she starts running in the direction the group went. 

We manage to make it back to the tail end of the group after a few more miles and I can tell she is tired. The little bit of form she had, has gone out the window. Her breathing is a bit sporadic, and honestly I could use a break myself. I convince her to stop and she tries again to get me to go on without her. I object and we continue the run after a few moments. We make it to the clearing where everyone else has already regained their composure. The late girl lays out on the grass with her arms and legs spread, making me chuckle. 

Beta Summer comes over to her and gives her a slight kick to the foot. Even though she is trying to keep her usual tough trainer demeanor, I can tell they are friendly to each other. Luna Kamaria walks up to the two chuckling at their banter

. 

“Well, Luna, what should we do about the late duo?” I hear Beta Summer say as she shifts her attention between me and the late girl. Damn it. We didn’t make it back in time. I knew we were cutting it close, but I didn’t think we were late. I am two for two today. 

“How about ten laps through the obstacle courses?” Luna Kamaria suggests.

“Ten?!” The late girl lets out and I can’t help but share her sentiment, although I keep my shock internal.

“I was going to say twenty, but I wanted to go easy on you. Be late again and it will be thirty. Understood?” Kamaria says, landing a narrowed gaze on me. I drop my head down quickly.

“Yes. Luna.” Me and the late girl say in unison before walking over to the tires. 

“Sorry for getting you in trouble.” I hear her mumble out. I feel bad that she thinks this punishment is her fault. This is actually pretty mild for what they would usually dish out. 

“I was already in trouble before you got here.” I let her know. “This is the third time I’ve been at least five minutes late for training. I’m Warren by the way.”

“Oh, Nicole.” She says giving the area an uneasy look.

“Well, Nicole, I should probably be thanking you. I thought I was going to get it way worse. They must really like you to go easy on the both of us.” 

“Yeah, the near death experience is a family benefit.” She tries to mumble discreetly, but I hear her. Family? Is she related to the Luna or the Beta?

“Huh?”

“Nothing, ready?” She says motioning for us to start.

We make it through our ten laps, and to my surprise, Nicole is still alive. She had a moment on the wall climb where I thought it would be her end, but I was right next to her helping her up. I could have made it through the course in half the time, but it was more fun as a duo instead of a solo. When we finish, Nicole finds the ground with her whole body again. This girl must really have a connection to nature the way she keeps relying on it for comfort. This time I follow her lead and take a seat as well.

“Good job you two.” Luna Kamaria says as she walks up to us. “Warren, Alpha is waiting for you in his office.

“Thank you, Luna.” I say and push up from the ground. 

I jog across the field towards the front of the pack house, stealing a final glance at Nicole before I round the corner. She is on Beta Summer’s back now as they walk across the field. Maybe the last few weeks of summer won’t be as bad as I thought.