The She Wolf's Secret

CHAPTER 7

Sienna

The morning of the training mission dawned with dark grey skies and below freezing temperatures. I was certain that the training mission would be cancelled due to the weather. To me it would have made sense to cancel it, for safety if nothing else. It was blowing a gale and the weather forecast was predicting sleet and snow when I first got up and turned the television on. The fires hadn't been lit the night before, so the moment I got out of bed the cold air began to seep into me right down to my bones.

I quickly showered and pulled my hair back into a high ponytail. Once I had finished doing my hair, I began to get dressed for the training mission. I pulled on some long thermal underwear over my normal underwear. I got a selection of shirts to layer on for warmth, layering them thinnest to heaviest. I pulled on a pair of leggings before pulling a pair of waterproof pants over top. Pulling on my thickest woollen socks, before pulling on my favourite pair of Celtic and Co women's woodsman boots. Wrapping a woollen scarf around my neck, I quickly pulled on my waterproof snow jacket and the beanie that matched my scarf.

Once I was dressed, I rushed into the kitchen, to where Sara was cooking our breakfast. Looking up as I entered the kitchen, Sara said, "Oh good, you have dressed for the elements."

"Yeah, it's a cold one today," I replied.

"These conditions are going to make the training mission a little more difficult for you. Just think about things before you act. Make sure you be careful out there. Look after your team mates. Remember your training, and stick together. As a team you will be able to get through this test. Wolves work together," Sara said, as she began serving up our breakfast onto the plates that she had set out onto the kitchen bench.

I arrived at the packs training facility a little after nine that morning. As I arrived at the main entrance, I saw other kids there and began to feel my anxiety levels increasing. The thought that I would be having to form a team with some of these kids in a short while was making me feel nauseous. Walking into the training facility it didn't take me long to see Clay standing over the other side of the training area talking to Alpha Jackson.

From where I was standing, I could see that Clay was not happy about whatever it was the two of them were discussing. During my time of training with Clay, I had me to learn that he was someone who could control his emotions extremely well. But right now, as I watched him having his discussion with the Alpha, I could clearly see that he wanted to wring Alpha Jackson’s neck. Seeing this, I was curious about what the Alpha could have done to invoke such a response in Clay.

Clay looked away from the Alpha, and saw me watching the two of them. He said something to the Alpha before he walked over to where I was standing.

"Hi," I greeted him.

"Hi," he replied giving me a small smile.

"Are you okay?" I asked, starting to feel worried that maybe the heated discussion he was having with the Alpha had something to do with me.

"I need you to be careful out there today," he told me.

"I will," I assured him. I wanted him to know that I was taking this situation seriously.

"The team you will be a part of will not be in your favour," Clay told me, looking grim as he said it.

"What do you mean by not in my favour?" I asked as the feelings of worry and anxiety grew.

"The Alpha has decided to team you up with people who are going to make this trip as hard on you as possible. So, I need you to be sure that you are on your game. You need to have eyes in the back of your head out there. Remember your training. Do everything you possibly can to stay safe out there," he replied, placing his hand on my shoulder. "I have faith in you," he added.

I nodded and said, "I will do my best. I promise."

"I know you will," he told me, giving me a smile.

"Alright. Everyone can you gather around please? We have got a lot to cover before this training mission begins," the Alpha called out. Immediately everyone began to move in closer to where the Alpha was standing so they could see and hear him. Once the Alpha was sure he had the attention of everyone in the room, he began to speak.

"So, the mission we are sending you each on will require you to work as a team. Each team will be given a separate grid reference to operate in. So, each team will have an orienteering exercise to do with a bit of a treasure hunt thrown in. At each checkpoint you will search for a clue. Once you find the answer to your clue, it will provide you with your next set of orienteering coordinates. Does that sound simple enough?" the Alpha asked.

"Yes," everyone answered in unison.

"Okay, so, I will now begin putting you all into your teams. Your team number will be your grid on the map. It will be the area you will be working in for the duration of this mission. Only one team will be operating within each assigned grid. So, once I have put you into your teams, check the map over on the back wall to find out which area you have been assigned to," the Alpha instructed.

"Okay, so team one we have…" I drifted off momentarily, wondering how I was going to go with getting through this mission with a team of people I wanted nothing to do with. I was pulled from my thoughts when I felt a hand touch me on my shoulder. Spinning around, I was wrapped in a hug.

"Hey bestie," Carla whispered.

"Hey," I whispered back, returning her hug.

"If the two of you have finished with your little reunion, perhaps the rest of us can get back to the task at hand?" the Alpha snapped, causing Carla and I to return our attention to him.

"Carla you are part of team two, so get up here," the Alpha snapped at her, before he continued to read out the names of Carla's team mates. Carla gave me a small smile and when the rest of her team were upfront, they all walked down the back to view the map just like the Alpha had instructed.

I stood there in silence as more and more names were read out.

"Okay, team six. We have Sean, Sienna, Hayden and Troy," I stood there in silence, shocked to my core. He had put me in a team with both Sean and Hayden, my two biggest bullies. Was the Alpha an i***t? Did he not realize what this meant for me? Or did he just not care? This was not going to end well. I could feel it in my bones.