Rejection on the Full Moon (Rejection Series) Chapter 28

An hour slowly passes by as I take the time to trick them, swim to the island in the center of the lake, and leave my scent all around it. I brush against the bushes and trees, seeing some fur left behind, and smirk. By the time the group decided to double back and regroup, I was on the opposite side of the lake, letting the warm sun dry my fur while hidden by large bushes.

"Anyone catch her scent yet?" The question is voiced by the pink-tipped girl, and I perk my ears up. Apparently, they were close, and I had to be ready to make a run for it at any moment. I peek under the bushes hiding me to take a look at the group. I could see some trying hard to track down my scent as some look around the trees and bushes.

"Miles, you're our best swimmer in this group. See if she is over by that island over there." Dominic suggests, giving the order to a wolf in the group. It turns out Miles is the green Mohawk wolf, and I smirk as he starts swimming to the island that I have left my scent all over. Another twenty minutes pass before Miles once again jumps into the water and swims back to the group, a frown on his young face as he looks at Dominic and Christian.

"She was there, but she seems to have left maybe an hour ago. She must be watching us." And he was right. Maybe I should throw them a bone. The wind was blowing in my favour, as everyone's scent is carried towards me, but this exercise is to test their skills as a pack. Quietly, I make my way through the forest around them until the wind blew my scent towards the group. I waited to see who would catch my scent first, to see which wolf has the sharpest nose, and it isn't long until I hear a shout.

"I smell her!" Dominic exclaims with excitement, signalling that it was time to leave the lake quickly. With a quick jog, I continue my path through the forest. Three more hours pass by in a blink, and in those hours, I continued to trick them, wait until many were just in reach to grab me, then take off in a sprint and even manage to lose the group. At one point, Dominic, Christian, and Miles split into three groups with a mix of Trackers and Hunters, impressing me with their idea. But no one has come close to taking the scarf away from me.

The sun is beginning to set, the sky ablaze in many reds, oranges and pinks, helping to disguise my fur even better. I was starving, having used the majority of my energy to mess with the wolves being trained by me. They had done well—better than I expected—and I had an idea of what needed to be done next. First thing's first, I had to talk to Dominic and Christian about Miles and how he would make a good Head Hunter and partner-in-crime with training these wolves. I silently crept through the treetops, keeping an eye on the wolves below me as they continue to scan through the forest. I could see the exhaustion and weariness in each wolf below me, as some soon lean against a tree to support themselves. This is probably the most training they've ever done, but at least they knew their territory well. I knew how they felt, though. Other than my stamina being fine and my breath, even my paws were sore. I would be feeling it tomorrow if I decide to shift again into wolf form and go for a run.

"Is there a punishment for surrendering?" Christian asks, each word being punctuated with a gasp as he tries his best to catch his breath. I wanted to let out a small growl at Christian for wanting to quit. What if this pack was being attacked? Would he quit and surrender then? Disappointment fills me as I look down at Christian and sigh. He and I will have to talk later about his attitude.

"We will not quit. Amberle is helping us to become stronger, so we will keep going until she says so." Dominic's strong voice rings clear, silencing many cries of exhaustion and complaints. I couldn't help but admire Dominic. Even with everyone exhausted, somehow, Dominic brought out their fighting spirit. Maybe there is still hope for this pack to get back into the best shape with an Alpha like Dominic leading them. Smiling, I decided to end the training here while I carefully stand and stretch before jumping off the branch. Mid-fall, I shift back into human form, landing quietly behind Dominic and using the scarf and my hair to hide as much as my body from the group.

You all did better than I expected." I start, watching Dominic jump in surprise and turn towards me in a defensive stance. I catch a few of his wolves holding back snickers at their flustered Alpha while Dominic straightens and stands, his hand scratching the back of his neck while a blush creeps along his face. Christian, though, is full out howling with laughter before being quieted by a growl from Dominic, leading to me rolling my eyes.

"Like I said, you did well, but you all ultimately lost. We need to work on your stamina and endurance. I want you all to run at least five kilometres a day around the training ground before going off to do your duties. On training day, it will be a ten-kilometre run before doing this exercise again." I look into each and every wolf's eyes and see a spark of determination ignite within them. Their fighting spirit is something I never saw back in Forest Paw, but it made me proud knowing that I evoked it in them. Finally, my eyes meet Dominic's, and something flickers behind his dark green orbs, but it is gone before I can decipher it. I turn away to look at the pink-tipped wolf and Miles. I had a feeling that these two would be great assets, and I planned to work with them one-on-one, especially since I felt strongly about Miles being the Head Hunter.