"Faster.” I critiqued the closest pair as I leisurely walked through the sparing trainees.

The large clearing behind the pack house was filled up with close to thirty warriors and trackers in training. Orders were yelled over the rows of sparring pairs by Candice and Marcus with Jasper standing nearby. One male probably being a lot more helpful than the other.

Taking my cue, the girl started swinging rapidly at her male partner who quickly matched her pace. Moving on, I nodded and hummed my approval at the pairs who didn’t seem to need my help. Hitting the end of the row, I turned and made my way back up the next one. Grunts and huffs of frustrations were all that could be heard from the pairs whenever someone’s hit connected.

Lost in the methodical atmosphere of the training session, I thought back to last night. For now, Ryan seemed to be on my side, a side he didn’t know existed yet, and that warmed something inside me. It might have been the admittedly amazing ribs or the conversation that flowed surprisingly easily between us but I was finding it unnecessary to be so stand offish. I could afford to allow him to slither into my personal life a little more and with his insistence on having dinner again, I’d probably have to put my words into action sooner rather than later.

Becoming uncomfortable with my increasingly human emotions, I turned my focus back to the trainees. Scanning over them, I watched the enthusiastic young adults and teens push themselves to their limits. The constant suspicion I carried with me since the newest note, lifted ever so slightly being in my comfort zone. There were a few pack members that I was keeping an eye on, older shifters who had made their dislike of me known throughout the years. Which made my biggest concern about them learning what the shooter had said a couple of days ago but with the crowd that was there they’d find out soon. I could only hope for a few more days of calmness within the pack.

“Kai!”

At the shout, I looked in it’s direction to find Candice jogging through the lines of sparring partners to get to me. Raising a brow as she dodged a wild limb to stop beside me, I said, “You know, everyone seems to forget you don’t need to yell for my attention.”

Her blue eyes sparkled, “Not me. I just like yelling.”

Figuring she was going to finish asking for that favor she wanted, I restarted walking through the lines to check the trainees forms. Candice’s heartbeat picked up a little bit as we walked in silence, which to be honest was really amusing. She was working herself up into a nervous fever while figuring out how to ask me.

To speed up the process, I told her,“Just spit it out.”

Candice let out a grunt before saying, “Look, I hate ask because I don’t like to owe anyone anything but-”

An unbelievably sweet and savory smell filled the air around us, “No, your not.”

“What?”

“You’re lying. You don’t hate to ask me.” While I talked, I nodded in approval to a little boy who was mimicking the others from the side lines. His little face lit up before growing more determined.

“Lying? Why do you say that?”

I turned my head to look at her, “Most people don’t realize they are when it comes to exaggeration but I can smell it.”

“Okay, that I completely forgot about but I have to know. What does a lie smell like?”

Uninterested, I muttered, “Something too delicious to be real. Now what’s this favor you want?”

“Makes sense.” Clearing her throat, she added, “As you may or may not know-”

“The short version.” I demanded. I might secretly not mind the way Ryan babbled anymore but that didn’t extend to others.

Candice huffed, “Alright, fuck. Devins my little cousin and I was hoping you’d consider training him for the Omicron position.”

Surprised because I had just spoken with him yesterday, I looked over at her, “He’s interested? Devins never hinted that he wanted to be an Omicron.”

“In your week or so of friendship? Yea, not surprising.” The sarcasm was thick in her tone.

It wasn’t a bad idea actually. Devin was already a strong shifter in his own right, he just needed to channel his inner Alpha. Once he did that he’d be even stronger and a great candidate for the Omicron position. Plus, he struck me as the lone wolf type so it wouldn’t be a total waste if I trained both him and Theo. If anything it was probably better to have two Omicron trainees, especially because one didn’t really know he was being groomed for the position.

Having convinced myself, I gave her my answer, “Tell him to be at my cabin tomorrow morning at five.” That way I could go through what being trained by me will be like before Theo got there.

Her eyes lit up, “Thank you! Oh, that little shithead is going to be so excited! He won’t show it but he will be.”

Nodding my head in acknowledgement, I walked out of the rows to eye the pairs at the back.

A growl from the left drew my attention to a certain pair of boys sparring together. Their gazes were locked on the other with fresh claw marks criss-crossing their bare chests and arms. Irritation raced through my veins at the sight, trainees weren’t allowed to use their claws or fangs in sparring. They were too young to have the control needed to be able to pull back before they caused serious damage to the other. And if they did that, that meant my job became a nightmare of a tightrope.

Honestly, why I chose to protect the one pack that didn’t seem to grasp the fucking concept of safety and procaution was beyond me.

Stepping as quietly as I could, I approached the sparring pair with a sharp eye on their movements. Chest heaving, Theo quickly moved to the side Devin had left unguarded and landed two sharp jabs to the left side of his ribcage. Don’t do it, kid. You don’t have the speed. Head already shaking in disappointment all I could do was watch the failure of his attack playout.

Keeping low Theo went to strike at the inside of Devin’s thigh but like I had predicted, he was too slow to recreate my move. Devin, having enough time to react, raised a booted foot and slammed it against the center of Theos chest with a loud snarl. Sending Theo flying back a bit before landing on his ass in the snow.

Behind Devin now, I could see that he was much calmer after hitting Theo than he had been moments before. His claws were already retracted safely back into his nail beds and his breathing was beginning to level out. Impressive for a young wolf.

Devin may prove to be a better fit for the Omicron position with or without his inner Alpha. He definitely had the strength that Theo lacked, he should’ve been able to take Devin on by himself with the training I was giving him. But I was starting to have my doubts in his abilities which only increased when Theo jumped to his feet with claws extended and fangs flashing. Apparently, he wasn’t mature enough yet either.

“Control yourself.” I ordered Theo while moving to shield Devin. Candice began to hurry everyone off the field with a brief announcement that training would finish up tomorrow.

The teenager’s body shook in rage as he ignored me to keep his swirling eyes on Devin.

Tilting my head, I blocked the view of his wolf’s aggression and simply stared into his eyes. A young wolf out of control was dangerous, they didn’t act on reason but off of unstable emotions. It took a little longer than it should have due to him and his wolf fighting for control but he finally submitted. His eyes drooped and his breath came out in big gust, giving away just how hard he had fought against his wolf.

“Someone link the Alpha.” I announced to the small group remaining on the training field. “Tell him we had a fight between two young males with minor injuries.”

“I thought this was your job? See, this is what happens when women are put into positions of power. They slack off and give all the hard work back to the males.”

Unsurprisingly, it was Jasper shooting his mouth off to the most dangerous person in his current vicinity. “I don’t explain myself to males who squeal like little girls and I wasn’t ‘put into’ the position unlike you I earned it.”

His olive eyes squinted at me in malicious amusement, “Earned the position like you did all those years ago, maybe?”

I flashed a bit of fang, “The only reason I haven’t killed you yet is out of respect for Otis but that is quickly losing its appeal. Watch it.”

As we stared each other down, footsteps quickly pounded on the stairs from inside. It sounded like two pairs which made sense because Otis and Ryan had been on a conference call with a rival lumber mill. Something that had nothing to do with safety so I had instantly tuned out when they explained it to me.

Jasper erupted at my response, “You’re not fit to be the Omicron of this pack!”

“Are you challenging me for the position?” I snarled.

Dark green eyes were practically a flame in his rage as we once again locked eyes. How dare he, not even a member of this pack, tell me that I am unfit to be the Omicron. I’ve saved this pack more times than I could count. Silver Fangs was considered one of the safest packs in Alaska because of me! If he was gonna stand there an spew bullshit, he can damn well challenge me for it.

“Jasper, Kai,” Otis began in a soothing tone, “Calm your tempers. Kai, the-”

“Her temper?” Candice asked incredulously. “Otis, he’s the one who started in on her not the other way around.”

“I’m sure he did. But both of them need to calm down.” Speaking to me now Otis said, “You can’t kill him Kai, so relax.”

“Why are you only targeting her? Fuck this, Otis. Control your cousin.” Ryan snapped.

Not looking away from Jasper, I caught Marcus pulling the boys further away from the corner of my eye as the situation escalated. Shivers raced up my spine at the image of Jasper’s blood splattered across the snow. Otis said not to kill him but what was it the humans were always saying? It was better to ask for forgiveness than permission? Yea, I was starting to see the appeal in that.

“Everyone, calm down.” Otis demanded.

"Are. You. Challenging. Me?" I forced out between clenched fangs.

Jasper gave an odd all over shiver before baring his fangs back at me.

That’s it. Come, on. Do it. Snap them together.

“You snap those fucking fangs and it’s not just her you’ll have to deal with.”

Ryan’s words caused Jasper to break his gaze away from me to glance at him. Following suit, I saw that Ryan’s entire form was stiff with tension while his eyes were almost completely black.

“That is it!” Otis commanded in his Alpha tone, “No one is challenging anyone. And Ryan, you’re meant to be de-escalate situations not elevating them.”

They all bent their heads to the side in submission to his words but I wasn’t done with Jasper just yet, “Answer the question.”

“Kai, it’s over. Let it go, you have more important things to do.”

Looking Otis straight in the eyes, I replied, “No.” And then turned back to his cousin, “Answer.”

Jasper looked between me and Otis, “I thought you were the Alpha? Why doesn’t she submit to you?”

"Answer. I won’t ask again.”

“Your Alpha spoke. Obey.”

Candice suddenly laughed,“Ohhhhh, you did it now you dumb son of a bitch.”

I tilted my head and repeated, “My. Alpha. Spoke? Obey?"

Lunging forward, I wrapped my hand around his throat and lifted him clear off of the ground. Dangling from my grip, he choked harshly as his toes brushed the snow, “How bout the next time you have something to say, don’t. Either challenge me or keep your fucking mouth shut.”

As I shook him a little to get the point across, Otis tried to intervene, “Kaiya, put him down.”

Tightening my grip I extended my claws slightly, enjoying the way he was squirming around like a fish. Jasper raised his own clawed hands to scratch at me but Ryan was quick to catch them and pull them behind his back. Placing a clawed hand on his head, Ryan tilted Jaspers head back painfully to whisper, “I’m really starting not to like you.”

I would’ve laughed if Jasper hadn’t pissed me off so severely, “Did you hear what I said?”

Otis stepped up beside me,“Kai, he’s learned his lesson. Let him go, you have people waiting on you.”

Turning my head, I snarled, “Who?”

“The renegades sent for questioning.” Finally.

Looking back to Jasper, I shook him again, “Did you hear me?”

“Uhuhujijo,” He gurgled out of an increasingly blue face.

Pulling him in close, I bared my fangs in his face, “I spoke. Obey.”

Dropping him at my feet, I spun around and began walking towards the pack house, “If someone doesn’t need to die, don’t bother me. I’ll be questioning the renegades for the rest of the day.”

Jasper had just solidified himself as an enemy that I’d need to watch closely. He was a spineless male that would have no problem selling me out to the still nameless radical group. Thankfully, the captured renegades had just arrived and I was more than pissed off enough to get all of the important answers out of them. Tonight.

————————————————————————

The renegades are finally here!!! What answers do you think she’s gonna get out of them? Do you think the renegades are the mystery group trying to “cure” Feral Borns?

Also, Thank you everyone who’s reading!!!!!!!

As always, like or comment if you enjoyed the chapter!

Smooches, Verbage 💋