Chapter 4

Poor Jill was heart-broken again.  She spent so much time and effort getting herself ready for the Blue Moon Ball and she still didn’t find her mate.  I did my best to comfort her, but I think she really just needed some time to grieve and cry.

Being her shoulder to cry on was my main priority after the ball, but she kept insisting that I go and enjoy myself with Brent, that she would be fine.  I wasn’t convinced, but Brent kept pushing for me to give her some space, so he and I went away for a long weekend trip to Portland Oregon.

When we returned Jill seemed to be in a better place emotionally, so I didn’t press her for information or ask for details.  She also agreed to go with Brent and I on a trip to Vegas.  We spent a week lounging around a pool, going to shows, and gambling a bit as well.  It was so fun, and Brent was very understanding about not being too affectionate in front of Jill.  I didn’t want her to feel like the third wheel on our trip.

The summer was filled with trips like that.  Sometimes Brent and I would get away, just the two of us, and sometimes Jill would come with us for a fun trip.  But before we knew it summer was over, and it was time to settle down and get ready to begin warrior training.

We still hadn’t discussed when we would mark each other, but he was so sweet and affectionate that all my fears of him changing his mind had been banished from my thoughts.  It was just like before.  Before we turned 18 and found out that we weren’t fated mates.  We were comfortable and happy.  Things were good between us.

Since we hadn’t marked each other yet, Brent was bunking with the male warriors, and I was housed with the female warriors in another building.  At first, I was worried that we wouldn’t get to see each other enough, but since we were both first year trainees, we were together ninety percent of the day.  Training finished by 5 PM most days and then we could eat dinner together in the cafeteria with our fellow trainees, and we had the rest of the evening to hang out.  Although we didn’t usually stay out too late since training started at 5 AM on weekdays.

On the weekends we got a break from training, and we usually had special date plans on Saturday and hang outs with our friends on Sundays.  Even Jill would often drive to the training grounds to hang out with us.

Jill was finally able to relax about not finding her mate yet.  I even noticed that she would occasionally flirt with some of the warriors when she came to hang out.  That was new for her because she never bothered to flirt with anyone before.  Maybe I can finally talk her into the double date I’ve always wanted.

Training was amazing!  I never expected to enjoy it as much as I did.  I quickly made a name for myself as the top female trainee, and one of the top warriors in my class.  I felt so strong and powerful.  I enjoyed sparing in human form, I loved shifting to my wolf to fight, and I even dominated in the weight room.  I could easily handle more weight than anyone else at the complex on the leg press machine, and the guys couldn’t understand how my slim, toned legs could manage so much more weight than their bulky muscled legs.

I could tell that it bothered Brent that I was doing better than him in training, but being the amazing boyfriend that he is, he kept it to himself and showered me with praise.  He was so encouraging, and everything in my life seemed to be perfect.

Trevor was in warrior training as well, but aside from the occasional eye contact, he didn’t give me any extra attention or reason to be concerned.  He kept his distance and kept his hands to himself.

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By December, winter was in full swing, and the heavy snowfall created a beautiful blanket over the landscape that kept many of the tourists away.  This was my favorite time of year because fewer tourists means more time in wolf form with a lower risk of being seen.

Brent and I would have regular “wolf dates” where we could shift and go running together which really helped our wolves to bond more.  I could feel our bond strengthening and I convinced myself that this was Brents plan all along.  Strengthening our bond before marking each other would help it to be that much stronger once we do finally get to the marking.

Thursday nights are always full of agitation because it’s so close to the weekend, but we still have to remain focused for Friday’s training.  Tonight, was no exception.  We were all in the cafeteria for dinner and a few of the guys started growling at each other when our packs Gamma, Drew, walked in and began barking orders.  “Recruits!  Cut that out and save it for the practice field tomorrow.  We have a few new wolves joining us today.  Make them feel at home and show them the ropes.”

I turned around and saw a group walking into the cafeteria, and among them was the last person I expected or wanted to see.  Heidi.  She was beaming and waving at everyone, and I saw several guys in the room actually lick their lips as they blatantly stared at her.  I rolled my eyes and turned back to Brent.  “This is going to be fun,” I deadpanned.

Brent laughed and pulled me in close as he kissed the temple of my head. “Let’s get out of here,” he whispered into my ear, “Wanna go for a run?”

My wolf instantly perked up at the mention of a run.  I smiled and nodded my head and we slipped out of the room while everyone was distracted, greeting the new recruits.

The cool night air was refreshing.  It calmed me and helped me to clear my head.  Brent and I quickly stripped down and hid our clothes behind a tree so we could shift and take off.

His familiar dark brown wolf is slightly larger than average.  He’s not a ranked wolf, so of course he’s not as big as an Alpha, or even a Gamma, but he’s big enough to match up against any warrior in training camp.  The color of his fur reminds me of dark chocolate.  His turquoise eyes glow brightly, and it stands out beautifully against his dark fur.

My wolf is only slightly smaller than Brents, and her fur is a marble of honey brown and chestnut.  My golden eyes seem to blend in with the brown tones in my fur, but Brent says that at night when they glow, they remind him of a bowl of honey.

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I hated having Heidi around again, but after a month we fell into routines with our own friend groups, so even though we had a lot of training sessions together, we didn’t have to suffer through a lot of direct interaction.

She continued to annoy me, and I did my best to ignore her.  At least she knew to stay away from Brent.  I don’t think I’d be able to control my wolf if I ever saw Heidi getting flirty with Brent.

The snow just kept piling up throughout the month, so by the end of January there were almost no tourist left in area.  We even got an extra day off from training one Friday so we could enjoy the freedom that comes with the lack of visitors.

Heidi was flaunting the fact that the extra day off just happened to fall on her birthday, so Brent and I made ourselves scarce that day to avoid hearing her obnoxious bragging.

We took off early that morning for a camping trip in the mountains.  There was a secluded cave on the south side of the mountain that was the perfect spot to get away.  We took piles of fur blankets and snacks and enjoyed the private time away from everyone else.  Since Saturday is usually our date day anyway, we just doubled it for some extra time together.  Honestly, we didn’t get much sleep, but by Saturday afternoon, we were both in bliss, just basking in the glow of our repeated lovemaking.

I had long since gotten over the fact that we hadn’t marked each other yet.  Brent loved me and I loved him.  I could feel our bond growing by the day and I knew that when the timing was right, we would mark each other and everything would be perfect.

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We returned to the complex late Saturday night, and we were so exhausted from our weekend activities, that we just went to our bunks and crashed hard.  So hard, that we overslept and missed breakfast the next morning.

I woke up around 10:45 and I was feeling famished. I sent a quick mind-link to Brent to see if he was up.  He hadn’t answered me after a couple of minutes, so I decided to take a quick shower and then check again.

While I was drying off and getting dressed, he linked me.  ‘Good morning beautiful.’

‘Good morning.’ I linked back.  ‘I’m starving.  Want to see if there is anything left over from breakfast in the cafeteria?’

‘Yes!  Meet me there in 10?’ I confirmed and quickly cut the link, rushing back to my room to finish getting ready.

Twelve minutes later I walk into the cafeteria to find a grinning Brent waiting for me.

“They already cleaned up breakfast, but lunch is almost ready,” He greeted me with a kiss.  “The cooks said we could wait here and be the first in line as soon as they set it out.”

We took a seat at one of the tables and got comfortable.  We were snuggling close, Brent whispering sweet things into my ear and caressing my skin with his fingertips, when other recruits began filing into the room.  We were too hungry to risk anyone getting in line in front of us, so we quickly jumped up from our seats and made our way to where the line would start.

Brent stood behind me with his arms wrapped around my waist.  His head dipped down over my shoulder so his mouth could easily reach my neck.  He continued to shower me with compliments while simultaneously peppering kissing down my neck and behind my ear.  Every time he got close to my shoulder, the place where he will mark me, a pleasurable shiver ran through my body.

“How do you feel about making this official next weekend?” his husky voice made my stomach clench with desire, but then I realized what he was saying.  My eyes shot wide as I spun around to look him in the eyes.  “I spoke with Gamma Drew,” he continued, “and he said that if we make it official, he can set up a new living arrangement for us as a mated pair.”

The excitement was overflowing!  I quickly danced around in his arms squealing and laughing with joy.  I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down for a passionate kiss.  His arms tightened around my waist, pulling me impossibly closer, as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss.

Someone cleared their throat behind us, but we ignored them.  I was too happy to care what anyone else thought, but after 2 more times of hearing someone clear their throat in aggravation, we pulled apart and realized that the food was out and we were holding up the line.

I could feel the blush rising on my neck and cheeks as the embarrassment washed over me.  “Sorry,” I mumbled, burying my face in Brent’s chest as he chuckled.

The food smelled amazing, and I couldn’t wait to dig in, but just before I put the first bite into my mouth, I felt Brent’s body stiffen beside me.  Glancing over, I noticed that his hands were clenching into fists, and his knuckles were white.  I caught the scent of blood and saw a drop fall from his fist and land on the table next to his tray of food.

Before I could ask him what was wrong, I heard a familiar voice say, “Mate,” and my heart stopped.