20. Training and Challenges

The day was bright and clear as Gideon's deep voice echoed across the training grounds, calling for an impromptu training session. The Alpha's voice carried a sense of urgency, a command that brooked no refusal. One by one, pack members began to gather, their faces set with determination, ready to follow their leader into whatever challenge awaited them.

All but one. Gideon's eyes scanned the crowd, a nagging sense of absence prickling at the back of his mind. Talia was missing. His jaw tightened momentarily, but he pushed the thought away, focusing on the task at hand.

"Today," he began, his voice carrying across the field, "we train as if our lives depend on it. As if our very survival as a pack hinges on our strength, our agility, our unity."

His eyes swept over the assembled wolves, their faces reflecting a mixture of excitement and apprehension. "We will push ourselves beyond our limits. We will find our weaknesses and turn them into strengths. We will forge ourselves into a f