Chapter 8 - Alpha Blood
I woke up early the next morning. My sleep hadn't been peaceful, as the nightmares had come in the night. They shocked me awake and kept me up for most of the night. But I knew that nightmares weren't an excuse to not train the next morning.
I dressed in tight leggings and a tank top. I didn't intend on shifting into my fur on the run. I still had healing wounds from the day before and I didn't want to risk hurting them more whilst I ran. I decided I would wait until I sparred later on.
"Morning, Ali. You still coming on the run this morning?" Lila greeted me. I smiled warmly as I slipped on my sneakers and tied the laces.
"Hey. I'm running but I won't shift. Still have some injuries that I don't want to make bleed,” I told her. I heard her wolf yip in approval in my mind and I stood up. I made my way out my room and into the kitchen where Ezra was standing.
He shot me a sincere look that made me feel better. I liked that he cared for me. I hadn't known him long but we already had a connection that I knew I would never want to lose.
"We're waiting outside for you,” Brayleigh told me. I grinned and waved goodbye to Ezra. He cheekily blew me a kiss as I walked out the cabin.
Surely enough, Lila and Brayleigh were waiting outside my cabin for me. When they saw me, they both flashed me wide grins. They both rubbed their cheeks against mine and I felt something pull between Lila and I.
I wasn't sure if she felt it, because she just turned and started to lead the way. Something inside my mind told me to stay close to her, so I did. The three of us ran together. The girls didn't try to push me or challenge me. They let me run at my own pace.
"You're humming, Ali," Brayleigh told me as we reached the rocky hills. I looked over at her and saw her smile.
I glanced down at myself momentarily and indeed felt my blood humming. My veins were buzzing with hot fire that came from my Alpha. I felt it, and my wolf yipped. But we both knew our blood was still to get louder.
I said nothing but I smiled as we ran on. The run up the rocky hills was harder on two legs but we all made it to the top quickly and kept going.
When we made it back to the pack, we were all breathing hard and panting tiredly. Brayleigh didn't have training today, but Lila did. She told me that she worked with Alfie mostly.
We said goodbye to Brayleigh as she went to go and shower. Lila and I walked over to Alfie who was talking to other students. There were four of them. They were all sweating and panting. They must've just done something hard to be sweating that bad.
"Go for a run to cool off. Oh, and if you see Malcom out there, tell him to get his ass back here before I go out there and find it myself,” Alfie ordered the wolves. They nodded at him and began to run towards a track that would take them deep into the forest.
"Morning Alfie,” I greeted him. He looked up at Lila and I and then smiled. He glanced at the time on his wrist watch and screwed up his nose.
"You finished your run early this morning. Was it was good one?" Alfie asked us. Lila nodded at him and then chuckled a little.
"She was running so fast. Bray and I were struggling to keep up,” Lila replied, making me frown. I hadn't readied that I was running fast. I knew it was good that I was challenging them for once. "Fantastic. That's what I like to hear. Lila, I've set you up with Devon over there. He said he's set up some tasks to work with you today," Alfie replies. He motioned his thumb in the direction of whoever this Devon person was. Lila nodded and then waved goodbye to me before walking away. "You're sparring with Anthony today. Do you remember him? Henry's son?” Alfie told me as he began to walk. I frowned at him and quickly followed.
I didn't think I was allowed to spar with pack members. That what I was told.
"But he's pack. I'm not," I protested. Alfie nodded and me and looked away from his clipboard. "Yes, but he volunteered and I thought it would be fine. Plus, I liked that you snapped your teeth at him when you first met. I'd like to see more of that today," Alfie told me with a knowing grin. He thought that I could win this fight.
But could I? Could I actually win a fight against another Alpha wolf? Hell, Anthony was probably an Alpha who'd trained every day since he was able to walk. Did I even have a chance against him? "Don't worry, Ali. He's too cocky for his own good. His punches are sloppy and he's not nearly as fast as you. I think you'll manage just fine,” Alfie muttered to me as we approached a ring. I sucked in a deep breath, trying to shake the nerves and gain some confidence. I only grew more nervous as saw Anthony.
Anthony was standing inside the ring. He looked amused when he saw me and then began to look me up and down like a snack. Alfie snapped his teeth at the young male, who looked away from me quickly.
"Alright. Just a clean fight today. No shifting until I say, okay?" Alfie said as I stepped into the ring. I stretched out my arms and then sucked in a deep breath and readied myself for the fight.
Alfie was right. Anthony was not fast. He punched for my face and I ducked out the way with plenty of time to spare. Anthony punched again and he got me in the stomach. His punch was weak compared to others that I'd felt.
It hurt, but not as much as it did when Kade it Alfie had punched me in previous fights.
I elbowed Anthony in the jaw. His head tossed to the side and I took the opportunity to kick him in the femur and send him tumbling to the floor.
It was the first time I had properly put someone in the dirt.
I grinned but then let my smile fade. I didn't want to be cocky. It would get me in trouble. Being cocky got you killed. But I was still damn proud. My beast howled victory in the back of my mind. Anthony got up and growled at me. He was getting angry and it was easy to tell. He lunged for me, punching me hard in the shoulder and then in the jaw. My wolf growled as we stumbled back. Anthony went to punch me in the stomach, but I grabbed his wrist before he could and I twisted. Anthony cried out in pain as I heard a crack from his newly dislocated wrist. I heard chuckles from the sideline.
The male pulled himself away from me. He looked down at his wrist and then snapped it back into place. He winced at the pain and then rolled his shoulders and growled at me.
I growled back and lunged for him. I nailed him hard in the shoulder and then punched him in the nose. He stumbled, beginning to fall backwards. He grabbed me and pulled me to the ground with him.
He flipped us over so he was pinning me to the ground and he hit me. I tasted blood and I groaned. I slammed my elbow into his thigh, feeling the bone on my elbow and he hissed in pain. I pushed him to the side and he fell into the dirt, clutching his leg. That would leave a bruise.
"Shift," Alfie called from the sidelines.
We both shifted at the same time. The first thing I noticed was how Anthony's wolf was the same size as mine. I wasn't sure if I should laugh at him or feel proud. Was I growing or was he just a small wolf?
Anthony pounced onto our back. He clawed at us, and we tossed him off hard. He thudded into the dirt and I went for him immediately. I bit him in the shoulder and clamped my jaw down until I broke through the flesh, tasted blood and felt the bone at my teeth.
I felt his bones crush underneath my jaw. Anthony's wolf yelled in pain as he pushed me off. I took a chunk of his skin with me and tossed it towards Alfie, who chuckled. He looked more than amused at the fight.
Anthony shot him a threatening look and then looked back to me. But he was too late. I swiped him across the face with my paw and he yelped once again.
Anthony had had enough. He growled loudly at me, and I felt the tension in the air change. He lunged at me, knocking me to the ground. Anthony was ruthless. He snapped and clawed and then snapped and clawed some more.
He resembled a rabid dog. He bit hard into my paw, and I yelped. I threw him off me, and he tumbled along the ground. Anthony was breathing hard, and Alfie stepped in front of me. "Anthony, that's enough. Go run it off," Alfie demanded. Anthony looked back at me, anger seeping off of him. We was too angry and too worked up.
From what I knew from back home, when wolves got too angry during sparring, the fight was broken up before it got too intense. I understood why.
"Go run it off. NOW!" Alfie demanded again when Anthony didn't move.
Anthony huffed and then turned and ran. He disappeared into the trees within seconds and I sighed. I would say that we tied that match. That was better than anything I'd ever done before. "You did good, kid. He was getting too angry. Usually we stop the fights before people get out of hand. An angry werewolf is a dangerous werewolf,” Alfie told me as he turned around to face us. I nodded my head at him and he looked around.
"We've still got plenty to do. I was thinking we could make a trip up the river again?" Alfie cocked his head at me. I groaned and he laughed.
We found Lila and brought her with us this time. I changed back into workout clothes and then joined Lila and Alfie as we walked towards the river.
When we arrived, Lila and I both attached the weights to our arms, legs and waist. They weren't necessarily heavy but I knew they would effect how we worked. Lila and I slipped into the water and began walking upstream.
The water was cold and refreshing on my sore body. I was still bleeding a little from my fight with Anthony and it was good to be in the water and wash away the blood.
"Let's go. You're being slow," Alfie scolded Lila and I. Lila scoffed at him and I chuckled a little.
We pushed harder in the water. We moved against the flowing water and tried to move as fast as. possible. But my whole body was tired within minutes.
We'd done this once the days before. It didn't last long because Lila and I gave up, but I had a feeling that today would be a longer trip.
We walked for what felt like hours. My whole body ached in pain and every time I complained, Alfie would groan and say “you'll get a bath once you finish. Lila struggled, but she kept up with me.
We made a bet over our link that whoever dropped out first owed the other person twenty bucks. I wasn't intending on losing that bet, so I pushed harder than I've ever pushed before.
Despite my arms and legs feeling like jelly, and my chest burning with pain, I moved on. I wade through the water, using my heavy arms to help myself through the water. I pushed my legs trying to take bigger steps in attempts to make more distance in the water.
"Alright. Stop here. Hop out,” Alfie finally said. I groaned, satisfied that the torture was over and then sighed as I realised that no one won the bet. I wasn't going to get twenty bucks richer anytime soon.
Lila and I got out the water and took off the weights. We handed them to Alfie who slung them over our shoulders, weighing us down. He laughed at us as we groaned.
"He's such a dick. We should kick his ass for this,” Lila groaned into my head. I laughed at her and nudged her slightly as Alfie made us jog.
We jogged back to the pack and when we got back, we threw the weights at Alfie who chuckled and then dismissed us. I told Lila that I would see her afterwards and headed back to my cabin for a hot bath to soothe my sore bones.