Clandestine

Chapter 2: Tumeric

Tumeric

Good for: Anti-inflammatory, relieves pain, and improves liver function.

Eva’s brain grumbled, wracking through what she was going to have to make when she got home so she didn’t feel like her limbs were falling off tomorrow. A Tumeric and ginger tea perhaps? Eva breathed heavily as she made her way onto her seventh lap. Her feet were slapping the floor hard and she felt herself stumbling over her own feet as she tried to make her way around the field. She had been going for 45 minutes at this point and now she was ready to give up.

I should’ve capped out at 4 laps because now I’m going to have to do 12 when semester ends, she whined internally, as she slugged towards the bleachers, flopping herself down. Only about 6 people from her group had given up already, it was natural really, they had spent their entire life practicing to be warriors, even the most unfit wolves had strong endurance by human standards. Quite a fair few on the guys had been going much faster than she, already being up around their 9th or 10th lap. Eva sighed and threw her head back, waiting for the lesson to end. The period should be nearing the end but Eva knew Roman wasn’t going to let people leave just because the class was over, they were going to be allowed to leave once they couldn’t run anymore.

Roman stared at the people who had already succumbed to the bench and their fatigue, his jaw clenched in annoyance. He thought his group would be stronger than this, he knew he could run for 2 hours straight at least, and members of his pack could barely last 45 minutes? He rubbed his chin in confusion and annoyance. Should he make the entire pack go on a run every morning to improve their stamina? It may be in a period of peace at the moment but who knows when a war will break out, he couldn’t possibly let his pack lose just because they were tired.

Roman scribbled notes onto his board of the people who he thought needed much more endurance training, racking his eyes over the young wolves who were catching their breath before taking in their frames and body types. Should he write them each an individual training plan that they need to follow everyday to build up muscle? Some of them had strong arms but weak legs and definitely needed to work on their legs more, some looked like their whole body had never been trained. He knitted his eyebrows together in confusion. Do they not wake up in the morning to exercise? He wondered.

Eva looked at the young Alpha who had confusion clear on his face. That man is an i***t, Eva thought, as he wrote notes on his paper. Yep, an absolute i***t. The bell rang to dismiss the students and Eva’s eyes snapped to the remaining runners. They all slowed to a stop, intending to return to the locker room to leave.

“Excuse me, I did not say you could stop your laps. I said run until you can’t stop, I don’t know what training you need until I know your level of fitness,” Roman barked at the students. Their eyes widened incredulously. They started murmuring profanities, glaring at the future alpha before returning to running. Eva gaped at Roman, her eyes wide with shock.

He’s the biggest i***t I’ve ever met, she thought, shocked to her very core. She looked over at Mikolos’ and Cameron’s groups, who had long started packing up to leave. While Roman forced laps on his group, Cameron and Mikolos had taken much different approaches to the training. Mikolos had started with stretching and testing his teams basic mobility and strength, while Cameron opted for partnering his group up and having them spar to test their level. Cameron and Mikolos looked over at Roman before shaking their heads at each other and hurrying their teams off the field.

Eva packed her stuff and prepped to leave, having long finished running at this point, when Roman grabbed her arm to stop her. “Just because you’re done running doesn’t mean you’re allowed to leave. A team stays together and supports each other. You will wait until the last runner is done,” Roman stared blankly, as if it was obvious. Eva looked down at his hand before nodding lightly and sitting down. Huge, stupid i***t.

She may think he’s an i***t, but god she was a little bit scared of the man as well. How could she not be when he looked like that. Jet black hair, jet black eyes, tanned skin and layers upon layers of muscle. He probably doesn’t understand why we’re not all as fit as he is, she glowered. Bingo.

It wouldn’t matter what she thought anyway, as people slowly trudged off the field and the 50 minute lesson turned into a 1 1/2 hour lesson. The final runners buckled under their own exhaustion, needing the already recovered students to drag them off the field to the bleachers.

“I’m going to be honest team, I’m very disappointed in you guys, I thought we’d have a lot more stamina than we actually do so I’m putting each and every one of you on you’re very own fitness regime. You must follow it exactly and if you don’t, I will know,” Roman sighed, acting as if he was doing the students a favour in writing them this exercise plan. Eva took hers and stared in disgust.

Eva Pattinson: 18/25

Fitness level: D

Expected fitness level: B

Daily schedule:

4:00am: wake up

4:15am: stretch

4:30am: run for 2 hours

6:30am: post-workout stretch

7:30am: school

3:15pm: finish school.

4:00pm: strength training (please see guide attached)

5:00pm: run for 1 hour

6:00pm: post-workout stretch

6:15pm: homework

8:00pm: sleep

Eva stared at the list, lifting the page to look at the ‘attached strength guide’ and seeing a list of workouts for each day and weights she needs to use.

Her eyes flicked up to Roman who offered her a polite smile and nodding to her to dismiss her. “Is this serious Future Alpha Roman?” She asked gently.

Romans eyebrows knitted in confusion. “Oh course it is Eva, it’s very important that you’re strong enough to defend the pack should a war break out. 7 laps around the field is not enough to save the lives of your packmates,” he stated firmly.

“Oh, uh, I see, thank you,” she murmured, trudging away from the field as she raked over the list.

Biggest, stupidest, dumbest i***t I’ve ever EVER met, she groaned internally as she collected her stuff from her locker to leave. She knew there was no way of getting out of this without pissing Roman off. He had no personality aside from making sure the pack was in perfect condition. He would put anything and everything aside to ensure it happened. Allowing failure was not an option.

Eva’s legs had already began to ache as she made her way home, she looked at her watch and sighed as she realised it was already 4pm and knowing Roman, he absolutely expected people to start their new training schedule today. She turned towards the pack house instead of her own home, knowing it was the nearest place with a gym to her, noticing several of the people from her team had begrudgingly done the same thing. She dumped her things at the front near the door, making her way to the equipment that she had quickly grown to hate. She stared at the exercise routines listed on her sheet and slowly began working through the sets given to her before gleefully realising it had hit 5pm and she could leave. She knew that the next order of business was running, but surely after the run in school she could miss just one.

Eva gripped her bag and muttered her goodbyes as she slunk out of the pack house and towards the woods that led to her house, she took her time wandering through the woods, murmuring the names of everything she was as she passed. She hated that this exercise plan given to her meant that she wouldn’t be able to enjoy the outdoors the way that she always had. It was where she spent all of her time when she wasn’t at school or asleep.

“Stupid, stupid, big dumb boring man,” Eva shouted, screaming to get her frustration out as she made her way home. She didn’t care if anyone could hear she just wanted to scream at the top of her lungs while she could. When she finally made it home her parents greeted her worriedly.

“Sweet Eva, baby girl you came home so late, we thought you got lost in the woods,” her mum cooed, tugging at Eva’s jacket before pulling her to the dinning table. Getting lost in the woods I spent more time in than anywhere else? I’d doubt it.

Eva smiled as she looked down at the foot her parents had prepared. “No, I just went to the pack house to work out,” Eva groaned.

Her dad jolted in shock, looking up from his cup of tea at Eva, his mouth wide open. “You went to work out? I didn’t know you even know the pack house had a gym,” her dad said in confusion, placing his cup down.

Eva groaned, hiding her head in her hands before pulling the papers from her bag and sliding them across the table. “Look at what Future Alpha Roman is making me do,” she sobbed, showing them the timetable and workout plan.

The two of them stared at the list then back at Eva. “Does he seriously still think that we could go to war at any time?” Eva’s mother hummed, turning back to the kettle as she made Eva a cup of tea. “Henry, did we ever have to do anything like this when we were pups?,” she chimed.

“No Miriam, Alpha Kelson was never this strict when he was young. He was actually very laid back you know Eva, you’d think their son was raised by a completely different person with how different their personalities are,” Henry offered. Eva shook her head at him with wide eyes, how exactly does the alpha being laid back help me? She huffed in disbelief before picking at the food on the table and making small talk throughout the meal.

She trudged upstairs after finishing her food, mumbling thank you’s to her parents before flopping on her bed, welcoming the delicate smell of lavender she had stuffed in her pillow. Surely Mikolos and Cameron will tell Roman how crazy he’s being and not make us to this for the whole semester, Eva soothed herself. She knew that Roman’s mind wouldn’t be changed, but she was planning on only loosely sticking to the schedule she was given anyway. As long as I can do 12 laps by the end of the semester I’ll be fine she resigned herself.

She jolted back up from bed in anger as she remembered what else was on the list. Fitness level D? Excuse me? Is he crazy? And he only expects level B after that monster of a regimen? What kind of werewolf is he? Eva flopped her face into her pillow and screamed into the fabric, kicking her legs in frustration. How can one man be so goddamn annoying.

Sleep had come quickly but gone almost just as fast for Eva. She woke up with a jolt, looking at her alarm clock. 5am. She sighed and pulled on some leggings and a tshirt. I won’t go for a run, but I can always go for a short jog, she thought woefully. She quickly brushed her teeth and washed her face, making her way out into the woods for the short jog. She brought a small bag with her, thinking she may forage a little bit while she’s out and make breakfast with some fresh mushrooms. Her mind was elsewhere when she heard twigs snapping from the side of her. Roman? She thought, confused as she saw him jogging towards her.

“Hello Eva, I saw you jogging and thought you wouldn’t mind some company for the last 1 1/2 hours of your run,” he stated robotically.

“Oh, uh, of course Future Alpha Roman,” she offered, bowing her head to him as he jogged along side her. He gave her a gentle smile before his face went stoic and he looked dead ahead as he ran.

“You should just call me Roman, we are a team at the moment, no need for formalities,” he offered, picking up his pace and prompting Eva to quicken her slow jog to a moderate one.

“Oh, yes, um, thank you Futu-Roman, I will do that from now on,” she cringed internally. This had to be the most awkward conversation she had ever had with someone. He was by far the most two dimensional person she had ever met. God I feel for his future mate, she hummed internally. Flicking her eyes back towards him. At least he’s attractive enough to make up for it, she continued before shaking her head of the thoughts.

Her stomach growled as they reached the 1 hour mark. She blushed furiously, remembering that she had intended to forage while on her jog for breakfast, but there was no way that Roman would let her stop to pick up any mushrooms or berries. He nodded down at her and she struggled to catch her breath. “It’s good to eat after you exercise otherwise you may get really bad indigestion,” he affirmed to her, “you’re building stamina though so don’t stop now,” he continued.

Eva felt her eyes twitching in annoyance at the i***t mans remarks. Let me go HOME, she screamed inwardly, begging the time to move faster so she could at least have a chance to eat before school.

6:30 came quickly and a siren beeped from Roman’s watch. “You did well Eva, I will see you again tomorrow morning. I’ll come get you at 4:30,” Roman smiled, patting Eva’s head. He nodded in approval at her and jogged back towards his house before she had time to protest.

He’s absolutely not joining me for the two hour run every day is he? She clutched her knees, struggling to breathe as she watched him leave with ease. They were close to her house so she stumbled back, exhausted. She opened the door to her mum offering her a light breakfast with an apologetic look.

“I’m so sorry he’s making you do this sweetheart, but think of how much stronger you’ll get?” She tried to offer. Eva glowered in response, grabbing an apple from the basket and returning to her room to scream into the pillow a bit more. God I really, really hate that man. Why did he seem determined to take away everything she knew and loved by forcing her to spend all her time on his stupid work out routine. Not even the pack warriors had strict schedules like this, and protecting the pack was literally their job.

Eva picked up her pillow and punched it a few times in anger before smashing it back on her face and screaming some more until she no longer had time to waste and had to go shower and get ready for school.

She had never hated PE before, but now she was absolutely disgusted at the thought of it.