Chapter 2: A New Face

AVA

I hated the lessons I had on Tuesdays. Double maths, biology and geography was torturous. 

Fortunately, today was different. 

Mr Jones, our maths teacher, jolted me out of my thoughts. “Class, we have a new student joining us today. This is Isabella, she has transferred here from a pack in Wales, and will be finishing her schooling with us. I hope you will all welcome Isabella.”

I glanced around the room, suddenly realising the only empty seat was next to me. 

She sat down, more graceful than I could ever hope to achieve, holding out her hand to shake mine. “Isabella, call me Izzie,” she smiled.

“Ava,” I smiled back.

She was tall, slim. The exact opposite of me. She had that kind of figure everyone thinks they want. 

It wasn't just me that noticed either. Leo, our future Delta, turned to stare at her, no embarrassment at all. I shook my head, suppressing a giggle, before pointing him out to Izzie. “You've already got an admirer,” I laughed. 

She giggled, before retorting back at me. “You've got a couple, Ava.”

I turned in the direction of her gaze, noticing the alpha twins staring at me. I blushed, looking down, but not before I saw their sinful smirks. 

“They don't even know who I am, Izzie.”

“I think they are starting to work it out, the Beta twins too.”

Yup, they were staring too. I rolled my eyes, giggling a little under my breath. 

Isabella was in my next class, as were the boys. “Isabella!” Leo shouted after us. She winked at me, before turning back around to face him.

She had one eyebrow raised, an indifferent expression on her face. I just about choked back a giggle at the sight.

“Can I help you?” she asked, one hand on her hip.

He looked shocked, he was used to girls just falling at his feet. Isabella wasn’t going to be that easy. I couldn’t help but smirk at the interaction.

“I’m Leo,” he suddenly said, holding his hand out for her to shake.

“I know,” she grinned, ignoring his hand and turning back to walk away.

“Wait!” He shouted after her. “We’re having a party this week, do you two want to come?”

Isabella stopped suddenly, so he ended up just a couple feet behind her. She turned, looking up into his eyes. “What’s in it for me?”

A devilish smirk appeared on his face. “The best night of your life.”

“Promises, promises,” she smirked. “Can you live up to them though?”

He nodded. “Of course I can, baby,” he lifted her chin with two fingers so she looked directly at him. She tiptoed, her fingers dancing along his scalp and winding into his hair, her mouth very close to his, her head tilted back. He looked down at her lips, getting ready to close the distance between them.

I couldn’t keep back the smirk while watching the display, and it looked like the Alpha and Beta twins couldn’t either.

She leaned in so his lips were just an inch away from hers, and his eyes fell closed.

At that, she smirked, ducking out of his arms and walking back towards me.

“So is that a yes?” he shouted after us.

“Maybe,” she retorted, not even turning to look back. “What are you doing after school, Ava? Shall we get dinner?”

I nodded. “I can do about 8.30? I have training at 6 but I’ll be done by 8.”

“Training at six? I thought it started at 3.30?”

“Pack training does, but I currently train on my own and have done for a while. Not for long though,” I grinned.

She looked confused. “What does that grin mean?”

“I would tell you, but it’s a surprise for everyone else and wolves have really good hearing, so you’ll have to wait and see.”

“Can’t wait,” she giggled. 

After school, she ran off for pack training, and I headed home to get homework done before my own training session with Beta Alexander.

Training was rough. After running my usual ten kilometre warm up, we moved on to strength training. I hated weight training, but it was a necessary evil.

Once we’d both had enough of that, we moved on to defensive drills. Beta Alexander would demonstrate a move, and I’d then attempt to block, dodge or counter it. We got through his list quicker than he expected.

“I wish everyone was as easy to teach as you, Ava,” he grinned. “That’s why you’re helping from tomorrow though! Are you ready to go with that?”

“Of course, Beta. I’m kinda looking forward to it.”

“I’m definitely looking forward to it,” Artemis chuckled.

Beta Alexander noticed my smirk, one of his eyebrows raised.

“Artemis is jumping around excitedly, Beta,” I laughed. “She’s looking forward to showing everyone how awesome she is.”

“She is pretty awesome, Ava,” he chuckled in response.

My voice deepened slightly when Artemis pushed forward. “Thank you, Beta.”

“Any time, Artemis. Now, Ava, shall we call it there? I’ll see you tomorrow at pack training.”

“Sounds like a plan, Beta.” He threw his arm around my shoulders as we turned to leave the training grounds.

Training finished slightly early gave me enough time to have a shower and even do my hair and a little makeup before Isabella met me for dinner. 

“Ava!” she squealed. “You look amazing!” She flung her arms around me. “You definitely don’t look like you’ve just done a two hour workout.”

We found a table in the corner of the diner, one that gave us a perfect view across the room. Just after our food arrived, cheeseburgers, chips and milkshakes, I saw the Alpha twins, Beta twins and future Delta all walk in. They spotted us, smiled, and walked over our way. 

“Ava, Isabella,” Leo grinned. “Fancy seeing you here.”

I didn’t respond, other than to just drink some of my milkshake. The Alpha twins were staring intently at my lips wrapped around the straw; I couldn’t help but chuckle.

They pushed a second table up against ours, and even with that, the table became very cosy with the five of them. 

The Beta twins shouting out “hey, dad!” interrupted my total enjoyment of my burger. Beta Alexander walked towards us, a massive smile on his face. “Hey, kids! Good job at training today, all of you.” He winked at me. “Especially you, Ava.”

I grinned, my cheeks slightly tinged pink.

“Wait…” Noah called out. “Ava wasn’t in training?”

“She was, just not yours, son.” Beta Alexander smiled at me. “I’ll see all of you tomorrow in training.”

He turned and walked off, leaving the boys and Isabella staring at me. “Ava, you said you had training after regular pack training today because you train on your own…” Isabella started, voice low.

I nodded.

“Is the Beta training you personally?”

I glanced over, seeing Beta Alexander looking in my direction with a smile. He nodded.

I gave him a small smile, then turned back to Isabella. “He is indeed.”

The Beta twins' mouths were open. “How come dad is training you one on one?”

“Something for me to know and you to find out,” I grinned. 

A chuckle in my head tore my attention away from the Beta twins. Beta Alexander’s wolf, Kieran, was laughing at my response. 

“Artemis, you’re my favourite wolf,” Kieran laughed.

“Aww, Kieran, you’re nice too.”

I coughed, trying to hide my laugh at Kieran’s snort in response.