Rejection on the Full Moon (Rejection Series) Chapter 105

"I think you're trying to kill us!" A she-wolf calls out. Looking over my shoulder, I spy a petite brunette trying her best to keep up with me, her face flushed with exhaustion. I search through my memories and finally place her as Lena, a she-wolf whose mother was the second-in-command to the Trackers in the pack. I remembered the days she would push me into lockers downstairs and ruin my homework. She caused many headaches and is the reason why I had to make duplicates of my work. I huff out a breath, wanting to get a bit of petty revenge and pretend to ignore her, picking up speed and making sure she stayed just far enough behind.

"I… I'm s… Sorry Gem… Inie…" She huffs, the strain evident in her voice. She manages to keep up with me, my indifference falling as my ears point in her direction. Slowing down my pace, I allow the she-wolf to catch her breath while my packmates call out through the link that some of the Hidden Claws wolves have passed out.

"I was… A bitch to you. You didn't deserve it," Lena continues. I nod, agreeing to her statement and noticing her breath evening out. She is definitely a strong wolf and a good candidate to train the pups. I slow down a little more while we continue the rest of the run in silence, my hostile pettiness gone now. Finally, the starting point comes into view and a sigh of relief is heard from the she-wolf beside me. We turn to look at each other in union, a grin on her face as we nod, a silent agreement to race to the end. Wolf against human, the two of us push ourselves to the limit, each pulling ahead of the other every so often. The wind rushing through my fur makes me feel like I'm flying, and I relish in the challenge that Lena provides. Her human form is strong, not surprising, as her mother most likely trained her to be a top-notch Tracker. The run soon ends with Lena and I crossing the boundary into the training field at the same time, the race between us a draw. I watch Lena fall to the ground, gasping for breath, her face red and sweat dripping down her skin. Chuckling as best a wolf can, I trot to where my clothes are stored and shift, putting my clothes on swiftly and walking towards Lena, stopping once to grab a few water bottles from the cooler.

"Apology accepted, Lena." I call out, the she-wolf sitting up at the sound of my voice, just in time to catch a bottle of water I throw her way.

"Really?" Shocked and confused, Lena takes a moment to look at me with scepticism. I chuckle, coming to sit beside her and taking a sip of cool water.

"Yeah, really. You gave me a sincere apology and you are a strong wolf. Lace needs that in her pack." I answer, watching her take greedy gulps of her own water and accepting the second one I hand her way once she finishes the first.

"You're stronger than I realized." She admits, and I smile, thinking back to the nights Lizaria would train me.

"Thanks. I had some help training as a pup, to be honest," I see her questioning gaze but choose to ignore it, deciding to stretch and wait for the wolves to trickle in from the run. Lace is the first wolf I see, her body flushed and dripping in sweat as she runs over to Lena and I, accepting a water bottle.

"Goddess, I need to run more!" She groans, flopping to the ground, and I laugh at her dramatic action.

"If it makes you feel better, you're just behind Lena here," I state, Lace looking to Lena with hopeful eyes.

"Care to jog with me every night so I can get better?" The Alpha Female asks to which Lena smiles back.

"Of course. I could use a running pal since my mother retired."

"Speaking of which, the position of Head Tracker is yours if you want it." Lace proposes, and Lena happily accepts without hesitation. The three of us stretch, waiting for more wolves to join. Ever so often, groups of three to five will come, barely walking in, their bodies slumped over and covered in sweat as both males and females collapse to the ground, some catching their breath and some passing out. I sigh, realizing just how much work needs to be done for these wolves to be able to keep up with my own pack. Finally, Mika comes trailing in with Ariven behind him giving me a hopeless look. He'll need extra training to be a top Alpha again.

"New rule," I call out after twenty minutes of resting.

"We will have two training shifts, at ten in the morning and six in the afternoon. You will all be split into two groups. Group A will run in the morning while group B patrols and protects the pack, then Group A will patrol in the night while Group B runs. Each run will be ten miles, and as your stamina and strength improve, we will increase the intensity by two miles. The first group to run twenty miles will receive one thousand dollars per group member." I see excitement run through the exhausted wolves at the prospect of a challenge and a real prize at the end. I have a feeling this will encourage them all.

"Mika will be the leader of Group A, and Lace will be the leader of Group B. You are allowed to run and train on your own time if you so choose, but no one will be allowed to do that in wolf form. Leaders, choose your teams," I motion for Lace and Mika to take control as they pick their team members one by one, with Lace on the left and Mika on the right. I had to train both the Alpha pups and make sure Lace and Mika can get along with the change in leadership and Lace being the new Alpha. I know she wants to make her brother her Beta, as Mika had made her his, but with his strength, he barely even qualified as a Hunter or Warrior. His running wouldn't even allow him to be a Tracker. With the teams chosen, I am not surprised to see Lena beside Lace, the she-wolf a good fit tforthe team. Mika chose many strong wolves and Lace chose the weaker ones, which interested me.