My nerves were tensed as I walked into the training ground. My head lowered as I tried to cool down the blush creeping up my cheeks.
The thought of seeing him again after the way his fingers moved inside of me the night before made me rub my thighs together.
'Is he going to act different than before?'
"Ten laps." His voice echoed a few steps away from me. My core trembled at the sound, deeper than last night, when he asked that I keep my eyes on him, as his fingers stretched me.
"Then the sandbags." He added, and that wiped the steamy thoughts out of my head as my eyes widened in disbelief.
I could barely survive ten laps and now he added sandbags.
I finally looked at him, trying to find any resemblance with the gentle lover the previous night. None.
Cold, emotionless and detached. As if the last night never happened. The thought nearly brought tears to my eyes.
'Did lastnight mean nothing to him?'
'Or was he so drunk that he didn't remember all that happened?'
I had lots of questions burning through me. I pinched my fingers as I stared at him, hoping to catch something in his eyes, anything to settle my raving heart.
Here he was, cold as ice, while I lay awake all night thinking about him.
The laps were a little easier than yesterday, but only by a little. By the sixth lap, my ribs were already screaming in protest, but I gritted my teeth and continued.
I will not give him the satisfaction of seeing me break. I kept my eyes on the ground as I progressed with small steps, ignoring the warriors' scrutinizing gazes.
When I finished, a heavy sandbag was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, the Beta stood next to it with his arms crossed.
"Up and down until I tell you to stop" He said. He didn't sound cruel. He sounded like a man who's just following orders.
And the bags were damn heavy, almost half my weight as I lifted it on my uninjured shoulder. I bit down a whimper that almost left my lips as I felt the strain on my healing wounds.
I went up the stairs, down the stairs and up again.
My clothes were drenched with sweat. On the fourth trip, my foot slipped and I fell hard on my knees with the weight of the bag dragging me down.
I bit back a scream at the impact, my anger and hatred building as I wondered why I was going through this monstrous training in the first place.
"Alpha," the Beta said quietly.
I heard his boots stop in front of me, I lifted my head to meet his intense eyes. My tear-filled eyes stared into his, pitifully and an emotion swirled in his eyes so fast before he masked it.
"Add another bag" he said. "She's getting lazy." then he walked away without another glance.
I stayed on my knees for a while longer, consumed in my thoughts.
His face overlapped with the image of the man from last night yet such a stark difference in attitude. I scoffed at my foolishness for hoping for anything more from him.
'He's a monster, Sharon' I told myself. 'Stop looking for anything else, yesterday was probably just his plan to mess with your head.'
By noon, we were allowed a break. Roman had left with his Beta earlier.
I found a secluded spot by the wall, resting my aching bones as I closed my eyes, ignoring the stares, but my ears raised to pick on conversations around me.
"I heard the Elders will make the announcement tomorrow" one of the younger warriors said, tearing a piece of bread in half.
"Really?" Another queried. "Is it real? I thought it was just a rumour". he continued.
If they paid any attention to me, they'd probably find my head inching towards their direction. My ears hitching for more.
I nearly bursted out asking 'what announcement' in frustration.
"I don't think it's a rumour" another one added. "It's been five years since the alpha came of age, and still no Luna. Not even a mistress."
"The pack needs an heir, so I understand the need for the race"
My heart skipped at his words, though I scoffed inwardly at the 'mistress part', and definetly not because a vain part of me was pleased at it.
I filtered out the 'heir' word, as I refuse to recall our first night together.
"The Alpha doesn't seem like he cares about an heir or a Luna, look at those women in the dark cell" the voice turning almost to a whisper, as if the words were forbidden,
my curiousity spiked as I edged closer. Really! Who are those women?
"He doesn't have a choice, as the reigning pack over twelve other packs, he have to be wary of enemies and spies" the younger warrior piped in. "But I heard the race was the Alpha's idea"
The reigning pack. I zoned out after his words.
So i'm in the Bloodmoon pack? The number one reigning pack?
Tales of their Alpha taking the throne at a young age amidst bloodshed is not hidden to anyone.
Now I understand his coldness. It has been passed around in tales all through the packs. The fearsome Blood Alpha.
I'm mated to the Blood Alpha? Realization dawned on me as I took a gulp.
shit!
The fearsome Alpha that causes terror in the heart of other Alphas is my mate?
A smug part of me thought of how this fearsome Alpha, licked my juices off his fingers.
'focus Sharon'
"It's real. Seven days in the woods. No rules. The she-wolves take one item each and find their own way back. First one home is crowned Luna."
The voices fell into my ears once again.
"No rules? So they can..."
"Yes. They can do whatever they want. Kill each other, for all the elders care."
"Whose crazy idea was that?"
The young warrior lowered his voice. "They say it's the Alpha's."
My stomach dropped.