The Last Lycan (On Hold)

Three

Ava woke up before anyone else in the pack aside from Mason.

She walked into the kitchen to see him sitting reading the newspaper with a coffee and cereal in front of him.

“Morning” Ava spoke with pep in her voice.

Mason wasn’t expecting anyone to be up at the time and jumped in surprise at Ava’s voice.

“Ava, I didn’t expect you up this early”.

Ava smiled, and glanced at the clock, “It’s four thirty, I’m always up at this time, I get my independent training in before joining the warriors”.

Mason was stunned, “I know your dad said you woke up early, but not this early”.

Ava shrugged her shoulders and grabbed an apple from the fruit basket.

“I’ve had this routine for a while, if I didn’t get up this early, I wouldn’t have time for Alpha work and online college too”.

Mason was stunned, many she-wolves don’t go to college, by the time they’ve finished high school they’ve found their mates and want to settle down to have pups, but Ava had always been different.

“Okay, do you have time to discuss training schedules?” he wondered, there was no time like the present.

Ava nodded, “If you don’t mind, I would like to stick to my summer pack scheduling for training, I found it works well for everyone”.

Mason nodded and lowered his newspaper waiting for Ava to begin.

“So, I’m up and out to independent train by four thirty. That is followed by three hours of warrior training, to which the Beta and Alpha must be in on, then the Alpha and Beta join in on the shifted wolves training which is two hours. That is then followed by the unshifted teens of an hour to an hour and a half and followed then by an hour of the seven to twelves training”. Ava explained her schedule and Mason was astonished.

“That’s eight and a half hours of training” Mason didn’t know what else to say.

“That’s what head warriors must do, they train their warriors, and then everyone else. And being the soon to be Alpha, I need to train extra hard” Ava explains then takes a bite of her apple.

“Do you really have to train the kids that haven’t shifted yet?” Mason wondered, surely, they didn’t need training.

Ava nodded, “They need to be able to defend themselves and others around them even in human form, I’ve seen it too many times when kids have stood frozen in fear not being trained and someone’s gotten seriously hurt because of it, with a little bit of training they start to understand and know how to react and get away”.

Mason nodded understanding what Ava was talking about, then he realised something.

“Harris and Kyle aren’t going to like training for five hours a day throughout the week”.

Ava smiled, “Good job it’s not through the week”.

Mason looked relieved for a second, feeling good that he didn’t have to tell the entire pack that, until Ava spoke again.

“It’s also through the weekend for all shifted wolves, the young have Saturday and Sunday off”.

Mason’s eyes went wide with fear once again.

Ava chuckled, “If you would kindly tell all warriors, Harris and soon-to-be-Alpha that they need to be in the training yard by five thirty” Ava asked Alpha Mason.

He nods his head but was hesitant about it.

Ava walked to the back door and opened it, pausing for a moment to call over her shoulder “Oh and remind them that anyone late by even a minute will be running drills for the entire training session”.

She knew Kyle and Harris were going to be late and that meant giving them five hours of training drills since they had two training groups to join.

Ava took off running in human form around the territory, it was much bigger than her own meaning she did less laps, but it was nice to see a different scene for once.

An hour of running around the large territory, Ava headed over to the training grounds.

The sun was only just breaking over the horizon. When it beamed through the trees Ava was light up like an angel.

The warriors that were already out and warming up saw Ava run towards them and they were shocked, she ran so elegantly in human form it was mesmerising.

Mason was nowhere to be seen and Ava hadn’t met any of the warriors yet leaving this moment a bit awkward.

When she came to a stop, she did a quick count of the warriors “Is this everyone?” Ava questioned no one in particular.

They shook their head, “Just waiting on two, they mates are expecting”.

Ava smiled, “How close?” she wondered.

“Pretty close, any time in the next few weeks” second warrior spoke.

Ava was yet to learn their names, “Tell them to stay at home with their mates, they need them more right now, when they come back you guys will know what you’re doing and can bring them up to speed”.

The second warrior nodded and suddenly had a distant look on their face, communicating through mind link was a special connection between pack members. Ava wasn’t a part of this pack so she couldn’t mind link any of them.

“I’m Jason by the way” second warrior held his hand out for Ava to shake and she did.

“Ava” she replied.

“Our head warrior is Felix; he isn’t a very talkative person” Jason informed Ava.

Ava nodded but there was concern in her eyes and many questions starting to build in her mind.

A head warrior must be able to communicate if they don’t, someone will end up dead.

But Ava was yet to see how Felix trained his men and then she would be able to know the answers.

But the problem right now was Kyle and Harris were yet to be seen.

This wasn’t a great start to them both and Ava wasn’t a kind person when it came to safety.

“Felix, why don’t you begin training, I’m going to observe, and we will go from there”.

The large man looked at Ava with boredom and then turned away.

Seconds later all the warriors stripped down and shifted, then Felix took off into the woods for a run. The warriors followed.

Mason joined Ava and looked at her, “What’s with the face?” he questions.

“Um, does Felix ever train the warriors in human form?” Ava wonders.

Mason shakes his head which in turn had Ava nodding her head.

“You might want to get the so called Alpha and Beta before I drag them out of their rooms by their gonads”.

Mason laughs but there was also a hint of fear in his laughter.

Felix and the other warriors returned from their run just as Kyle and Harris walks out of the pack house with angry looks on their faces.

When they see Ava they scowl, she pouts, mocking their angry state. “Aww, what’s the matter? Woke the princesses from their slumber?”.

Kyle growls, his tone had all the warriors and Harris bowing their heads in respect, Ava just stared at him with a mocking glare.

She was an Alpha’s daughter; it doesn’t work on her.

“You’re late” was all she said and turned back to the warriors.

She saw that some of them were grabbing their stuff, “I don’t know where you think you’re going, we haven’t finished, there’s still two hours and forty-five minutes of training left”.

Many of them grumbled and whined at the length of time they were going to train for.

“Your warriors, here to protect the pack, not wake up, go for a boy run and then head back, that won’t protect your mates and pups from being slaughtered by rogues is it”. That statement alone had some of the warriors angry and riled up shaking their heads.

“Pair up were doing hand to hand combat first”.

Many of the men look around confused, Ava sighed, “Pick a partner and get ready to spar in your human form, you need to fight in human form too, both parts of you need to be able to fight. Or else you will always perform as well as your weakest side whether you’re in wolf form or not”.

Kyle and Harris stand on the side lines with Mason watching.

“Kyle, Harris, if you don’t join in, you’ll be running drills for the entire five hours of your training”.

Both of their heads snapped up to look at Ava in shock.

“What the hell are you talking about? You just said the warriors are training for three hours, how are we doing five?” Kyle growled out.

“You are also training with the shifted wolves, which is two hours long. An Alpha and Beta should be able to outdo everyone in their pack including the warriors” Ava explains and she wasn’t going to explain more, it was taking up too much time.

“Would someone mind sparing with me so I can demonstrate?” Ava asked, she looked directly at Felix hoping he would offer being the head warrior and all.

Even Harris and Kyle didn’t bother to step up.

Jason: the second warrior took a few steps forward and rose his hand before jogging over.

He was eager to help and Ava liked that, she was starting to think that Mason had chosen the wrong warrior to be the head.

“Pair up or I’ll make you run drills”. The tone in Ava’s voice had everyone in pairs instantly.

Ava wanted to spend half the training time in human form and the other half in wolf form, but they were all struggling with their human forms, so she stuck to training them as humans.

Two hours ticked by slowly for everyone including Ava, it was the slowest training she had ever done.

Mason came out often to check and when he saw the problem in front of him, he quickly left again.

After everyone had a session, she was going to have a serious talk with the Alpha.

After three hours the entire pack of warriors were on the floor panting and covered in layers of sweat.

“You’re done for the day, but I expect you here at five thirty tomorrow and every day for the rest of the two weeks”.

One guy lifted his head from the ground and looked at Ava “Including weekends?” he panted out.

She nodded, “Everyday, warriors shouldn’t be tired after two hours of training, they should have barely broken a sweat”.

The only one that was somewhat okay at the end of it was Jason.

Ava grabs a bottle of water and hands it to him which he gratefully takes, “Thanks” he puffs out.

Ava smiles.

Whilst he was drinking, she takes a minute to look at Jason, he was a good-looking guy and unmated too, there was no mark on his collar, and his physique was of a guy that trained often.

“You did pretty good out there” Ava complimented a job well done.

Jason laughed, “Not really, it’s only been two hours and were knackered, you however have barely broken a sweat after the two hours”.

Ava chuckled, “Three” she corrected.

He looked up at her with confusion.

“I did an hour of independent training before you guys came out” Ava told him.

This stunned Jason even more.

She was a well-trained woman.

“I like a woman who can manage herself” He speaks between each breath.

Ava smiles, a little embarrassed, she has never had anyone flirt with her.

Kyle overheard the conversation and before he could stop himself a growl escaped his lips.

Ava looked up to him to see him wide eyed in shock and internally smiled.

Turning back to Jason she smiled, but he had a look of confusion on his face.

“Good to know” she replies.

“Hey, maybe you’d want to get a drink later I know a great place in town” Jason boldly asks.

Ava nodded, she knew Kyle was still listening, but she didn’t care, she had no mate, neither did he so she didn’t see a problem with it.

“I would love to, it will have to be the evening if that’s okay, I have training till one in the afternoon” Ava asked.

Jason was again shocked that she still had hours of training left.

“Yeah that’s fine, I’ll talk to you later” Jason spoke as he got to his feet. He left a light touch on Ava’s elbow that had her smiling and Kyle glowering in anger.

As the last of the warriors were dragging themselves home, the shifted wolves came out. Ava knew these were going to be the worst.

Many of the girls came out in skimpy clothing, if they thought they weren’t going to be doing much they were wrong.

Ava glanced at Mason and saw him nod, he had gotten them all out of their beds at eight thirty on a Tuesday morning in summer break. It was a miracle really.

“Right first thing on today’s two-hour training session” Ava wasn’t even able to say what the plan was before dozens of them started crying out at the length of time they were going to be training.

It wasn’t the first time she had trained other packs and most definitely won’t be the last.

It was thanks to Ava that the Night Star Pack had hundreds of pack allies across northern America. She trained the pack and in return a peace treaty and alignment were signed between the packs.

This meant that if any of the packs were in trouble and needed aid, the Night Star Pack would rally with them and help.

“There is no way I’m doing two hours of training” a girl with everything false as far as Ava could see screeched out.

Ava shrugged her shoulders, “Not my problem, you have to do two hours every morning for the next two weeks at least while I’m in charge. After that it depends. So, until then, you’ll just have to suck it up like you do all that silicone and move along”.

Many of the wolves around laughed at Ava’s insult towards the girl and she growled in anger.

But one stare and order from Alpha Mason and all of them were following Ava on a cross country run around the edge of the territory.

It took the pack of unshifted wolves an hour to run the entire territory, something Ava did multiple times within an hour this very morning.

When they landed back on the training ground’s they all collapsed.

“I wouldn’t sit down yet, we still have to spar, so pick a partner”.

Everyone paired up and were about to undress. Ava stopped them.

“I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but were sparring, not frolicking in the woods as wolves”.

More grumbles followed but they did as Ava asked, reluctantly.

“I’m never going to get these two weeks of my life, back am I?” Ava says out loud.

People nearby look at her as if she had just lost the plot.

By ten thirty the unshifted teens were walking out into a mess of sweaty tired young adults and they all carried a look of confusion.

Jake and Nathan stood at the front of the group of young teens and laughed at their brother on the floor.

Kyle scowled and sent a growl their direction. As he wasn’t Alpha yet so the tone didn’t affect them, but when he does become Alpha, they would lower their heads in submission like the others were doing right now.

“Anyone who has shifted get off the training grounds. Those who haven’t, space out and start with jumping jacks to warm up. Don’t stop until I tell you too” she called out.

Nathan followed Ava’s voice and smiled sending a wave her way to which she winks at him and gives him a smile.

As the day moved on the temperature increased. Removing her shirt, she tosses it on the ground behind her.

Some of the older boys who hadn’t shifted yet looked at Ava with drool on the corners of their mouths.

Ava shakes her head amused. “Alright everyone, come on” she encourages, also joining in on the exercise.

Ava continues to jump for another minute before stopping, “Alright everyone relax, were going to take it easy okay, copy what I do” she explains then begins to rotate her arms like windmills.

“Why do we have to do this? We didn’t do it before” one of the boys calls out from the back.

“Because you’ll be shifting soon and I’m sure when you do shift, you’ll not want to look like the shifted wolves did when you came out will you?”

Many of them shake their heads and continue to copy Ava. “Besides, when you do shift it will hurt, and being healthy and well exercised will reduce the pain you feel when you shift, your body will be more bendy” Ava added to the explanation.

Other than a few of them messing around the hour and a half was mainly fun games that had them running around the place, eventually Ava will have them sparring one another, but she wanted to build to that.

After an hour and a half of Nathan and Jake’s ages, Ava had one hour left of having fun with the younger children. It was gaming the entire time, again to get them moving and used to exercise. They were too young to spar, but Ava wanted them to eventually understand potential risks in case of an attack.

By one in the afternoon Ava was mentally drained more so than she usually would be training packs.

Parents came to collect their children and they all left with happy smiles on their faces.

Grabbing her shirt, Ava jogs to the pack house where a wonderous smell filled her senses.

Sarah was in the kitchen cooking up a storm.

“Afternoon” Ava spoke with a tired face as she shoved her shirt into her back pocket.

Sarah looked up with a smile on her face “Was it that bad?” she questioned.

Ava rolled her eyes and sighed.

At that moment Sarah knew she was in for it.

“I woke up this morning at four and, by four thirty went for a wonderful run around the territory edge, beautiful scenery. An hour later however, my life decided to slow down and I’m telling you right now those five hours were torturous. I can’t believe they are that bad, Felix thought a quick run in wolf form was all they needed to protect the pack and they thought they were done. and don’t even get me started on Harris and Kyle” Ava breathes out in one go.

Sarah was stunned by the rant Ava was having, she wasn’t expecting it to be that bad.

“Um I don’t know what to say” Sarah mumbled.

Ava sighed “Sorry, I didn’t mean to let it all out like that, at least the last two groups were good, they were reluctant at first, but they soon enjoyed themselves and got some exercise”.

Sarah smiled, “At least something was good”.

Ava nodded, “Yeah, perhaps we should put the unshifted in charge, they worked better than those that had their wolves”.

That information alone had Sarah laughing heavily.

Ava was done with talking about training and turned to the food cooking in front of her.

“I am starving, what’s cooking?” Ava asked Sarah.

“Chilli, hot dogs, burgers, anything and everything that will feed a mountain of wolves” Sarah chuckled out.

“I’m pretty sure I could eat all that myself” Ava admitted.

“Grab plate and get stuck in before I call everyone. You’ve been up since four and been tortured for eight hours, besides, your father says you eat a lot for a small person with all the training you do”.

Ava grinned pleased with the fact that she could eat thousands of calories and it wouldn’t even hit the sides. Her stomach was a black hole.

Ava grabbed a plate and was about to tuck in when a cry came from upstairs.

Sarah puts the spoon down and sighs, “That’s Rose awake from her afternoon nap”.

Sarah was about to undo her apron with Ava put her plate down, “I’ll get her, you continue with the food”.

Sarah looked at Ava grateful “Thank you sweetheart, she’s in the room next to Mason and I’s”.

Nodding her head, Ava leaves the kitchen and passes the living room filled with people of all ages, talking, reading, on their phones and watching television, including all three of the Alpha’s sons.

They didn’t notice Ava when she ran past to head up the stairs.

Rose’s room was a soft pink colour, Ava smiled, Sarah must had been so excited to finally paint the room pink after years of blue and green.

Looking around the room, everything was so neatly organised, the one place in the entire pack house that was probably tidy.

A small girl stood holding onto the edge of her crib, and tears staining her cheeks.

Ava couldn’t help but coo. “You are so cute”.

The foreign voice panicked Rose for a moment, but she calmed down when she saw Ava’s face carrying a warm smile.

“Hi sweetie, how about we go down and see mommy?” Ava claps her hands together gently then holds them out and waited for Rose to initiate the need to be picked up.

When she did Ava scooped the little three-year-old up and placed her on Ava’s hip.

Resting comfortably, Ava headed out the room with a smiling toddler.

Tickling the infant on the belly had her tipping her head back with laughter.

When they arrived downstairs, the baby’s laughter grabbed the attention of many in the living room as they passed.

Entering the kitchen Ava saw Sarah along with other women rushing back and forth getting things ready.

Sarah smelt her daughter before she saw her. “Ava would you be a darling and take her into the living room, were having some trouble here”.

“Oh, do you need help?” Ava offered.

Sarah denied, she was already helping enough.

“No, go and sit down, I’ll bring your food to you before everyone gets in, you’re not allergic to anything are you?”.

Ava shakes her head “No, I’ll eat anything I’m given” she says.

Sarah smiles, “Rose is exactly the same”.

Ava chuckles and heads into the living room.

Looking for a spot to sit, she finds the floor to be the only space.

Nathan was sat on the couch with his feet tucked under him, she decided to sit in front of him on the floor. But it was right in the middle of the crowd.

Each step she took she was careful not to tread on anyone. Many of the younger ones moved so Ava could pass safely, the older wolves were too stunned to move.

The girl wearing mainly silicone from before, spoke up, “What the hell are you doing with the Alpha’s daughter?”.

Ava saw Rose crinkle her face at the pitch of the girl’s voice and she almost laughed. Even the baby hated her voice.

“She just woke up” Ava stated the obvious.

“She doesn’t like strangers, give her to me” this girl whose name Ava didn’t know stood up and reached for Rose.

“She isn’t a rag doll; you can’t just grab her when you want” Ava spoke as she begins to sit down with Rose.

The girl huffs, “You shouldn’t be holding her, you’ll scare her” the young girl says trying to convince Ava to hand her over.

But that wasn’t going to happen.

A tickle on the baby’s belly and laughter spurted from her mouth, Ava turns to the skimpy dressed girl and smiled, “Don’t think she’s scared of me, if anything the walking plastic doll would scare her”.

Nathan laughs at Ava’s joke along with others and that has the girl scowling.

“That is no way to speak to a future Luna”.

Kyle was sat in a seat behind this girl and drinking a beer, which came spewing out of his mouth at maximum speed upon the mention of a future Luna.

Ava laughs, “Oh sweetie, you two would make an amazing pair” handing a compliment which she took with an accomplished smile.

“However, I’m a future Alpha, which means I out rank you no matter what you are, now or in the future”.

The gleeful smile on her face was lost instantly.

Ava put her focus back on Rose who was playing with Ava’s car keys completely fascinated.

Kyle however was still in shock at the previous statement made.

And Sarah walked in just in time to see her eldest son as white as a sheet.

“Sweetie you look pale, are you okay?” Sarah wondered concerned for her son’s health.

Nathan laughed and told his mother what had been said.

Ava glanced at Sarah and saw she wanted to laugh but couldn’t.

Instead she focused on what was in front of her.

Placing a tray down on the coffee table, kids began reaching for it but one mind link word from Sarah and everyone stopped.

“This is for Ava” she stated.

“Seriously, there’s enough food there to feed several people” Nathan exclaimed behind Ava.

“She’s a growing girl” Sarah spoke sending a wink Ava’s way.

The plastic girl from before speaks again “Yeah, growing sideways”.

Some chuckles but Sarah already had a comeback before Ava opened her mouth.

“Jane, this girl trains for eight hours a day, every day, this will barely touch the sides. You however could use some greens, there’s plenty in the kitchen, help yourself”.

That statement had many laughing including Ava.

A bowl of fries on the tray had already caught little Rose’s eye and Ava reached to give her one then paused.

“Rose is alright to eat this isn’t she?” the young girl didn’t want to feed the child if it wasn’t okay with the mother first.

Sarah nods, “Yeah she can eat any of that, but I can take her to get her own whilst you eat”.

Ava shook her head, “It’s okay, she can stay here I don’t mind”.

Sarah stood back up straight, “If you’re sure?” it was the first time someone had offered to watch rose whilst she was awake, this meant Sarah could get on with more preparations for the pack games.

“Honestly, it’s fine, once we’ve eaten, I’ll take her outside for a walk and fresh air, I don’t have anything else to do, besides, I need to talk to Mason too about business”.

Sarah smiles grateful for Ava. She was a godsend at this point.

Ava and Rose munch on the feast before them. People stare but she ignores each of them.