big secret

I marveled in awe as Ari showed me around the pack house and its immediate surroundings as I walked along with her, I never got the chance to appreciate the silver pack territory last night. Well, the timing wasn’t appropriate after all.

The buildings were brightly painted compared to the people we passed on the way who mostly dressed in dull colors, were a huge contrast. A few of them spared me a glance as they greeted Ari, I could say most of the silver pack members kept their face expressionless but I had only met five percent of the full pack and the ones I met so far had essential jobs; with no reason to smile.

“You said you wanted to see me train right?” Ari said casually, with hopes of showing me what she could do. We were currently standing at a door that most likely led to the training ground; I could hear clashes and shuffling from within.

“I can’t say no, can I?” I spoke crisply, I didn’t care less about Ari’s skills but curiosity got the best of me to see how silver pack members; the popular fighting machines train.

“Of course not,” excitement flickered in Ari’s eyes. “I hope you don’t regret saying yes.” She walked in and I followed her immediately, nobody noticed our presence at first.

The pack members were scattered around, some standing aside holding weapons watching a group fight and some spared among themselves until we were eventually noticed by one of the trainers who bowed slightly to greet Ari and others turned towards us too.

I bit my lip, feeling uncomfortable as I stood there with Ari; deciding whether or not to wave at them. My thoughts faded immediately I noticed them frown at me.

Ari must have noticed my discomfort, “Ignore them and just follow me, they can’t do anything to you other than frown.”

I let out a relieved sigh as I followed Ari liked a newborn chick, she was immediately surrounded by her subordinates who rushed at her for advice and methods to take on next during training.

As I stood aside and watched Ari attend to everyone who came to her seriously and attentively, a half-dressed Louise stood in front of me, totally blocking my view. She had changed out of her flirty green dress into something much sportier; it took a closer look for me to actually recognize her.

Louise posed with her hands in her pants pocket, her eyes narrowed as she sneered at me,” What are you doing here? This place is for pack members only, a fake Luna like you shouldn’t be here.”

Ari must have noticed Louise and she quickly appeared by my side, shielding me from Louise. I rolled my eyes at this, she must clearly be taking her brother’s instruction seriously and must have forgotten mine- I’m not a kid.

“What do you mean by that Louise?” Ari growled, “She may pretty much be our Luna as she is our Alpha’s mate, you do not speak to her however you deem fit.” She was fierce, she reminded Louise not to disrespect me sharply.

Louise didn’t care as she didn’t stop there, “Alpha already has a mate and we all know that, and until he says otherwise; a mistake can’t roam around important places like they had the right to.”

Ouch, It finally got to me and my face flushed with anger, but before I could do anything, Ari growled warning Louise not too cross the line with her words, “You have stepped on the light here, Louise. As frontline commander, I want you out of my training ground- now.”

Louise laughed out; the sound of her laughter so erring and it reminded me that everyone had stopped sparing and had focused on us gradually forming a crowd.

“Funny you should say that, I also am frontline commander,” Louise said dryly, “This means I have equal right and command to this ground like you do.”

Ari shook her head in annoyance, “Regardless of your right, you cannot speak to Emily in such manner."

“Then she should fight me.”

Her words surprised both me and Ari, I should fight her? For what reason should I fight her?? Even the gathering crowd were wondering what this lunatic meant.

“Don’t go around saying nonsense!” Ari’s tone made me shiver, she was indeed of an Alpha bloodline. Louise visibly flinched but regained composure immediately; I might have missed it if I wasn’t looking at her.

“Relax; I didn’t say anything wrong anyway. All I meant was she should spar with me if she wants to gain entry here, after all that was our recruit rule.” Louise spoke quickly, perhaps in an attempt to defuse Ari’s anger.

“She’s with me, not here for an examination.” Ari wasn’t backing down and I was beginning to get tired of their exchange.

Louise smiled knowingly, “That isn’t allowed either; surely you aren’t breaking the rules you made yourself. Are you?”

Ari kept silent, it turned there was actually a rule like that but she had let me in without thinking about it. I stepped forward and placed a hand on Ari’s shoulder, “I’ll do it, and don’t worry about me.”

“Don’t let her words get to you,” Ari tried to comfort me, obviously thinking my judgment was clouded and wanted to prevent my impending doom. “She doesn’t matter at all.”

However, I was unwilling to let my pride be bruised, I patted and Ari and face Louise squarely, “If I win, I get to come here right?” Louise smirked and nodded. “Okay, I’m in.”

I was determined to give Louise a slight taste of her vicious tongue through my fist, she called me a fake, a mistake and an outsider; I didn’t want to be here in the first place but her Alpha took me forcefully. Clearly she didn’t know about it but that was none of my business.

The crowd had moved backwards to clear the arena for us, Ari still disapproved but let me do it since she couldn’t act willful because I already agreed.

I may not be able to shift doesn’t mean I can’t fight. I grew up in a home that belonged to an alpha that had kids with his blood running in them, allowing someone like this beat me will be a shame to my ego and my years of training.

Louise had a look of confidence as everyone in her pack and she smirked at me, I focused all my attention on her until the only sound I could hear was that of my breath and hers.

I shifted from foot to foot with my hands blocking my face, waiting for Ari to call out ‘start’, Louise stood with hands in her pocket making my defensive position look pointless. Ari’s voice rung in my ear and Louise charged towards with super speed, she was using her wolf strength.

She threw the first punch and I ducked right on time and swung towards her abdomen, she grunted from the impact and charged repeatedly at my face, adamant on messing it up. The crowd started cheering the moment I knocked her jaw sideways.

Louise spat out blood, her face now grim and rid of the smirk as she realized that I wasn’t a scrawny chicken neither was I here to play. She lunged at me, this time faster and with the determination to kill me with every punch she threw at me.

I kneaded her in the stomach and landed an uppercut which successfully sent her flying few feet’s from her original position, I looked for Ari in the ground and she was still standing in the front with a grin on her face, and behind her was Asher looking at me expressionlessly.

From the side of my eye I could see Louise getting up and I turned to face her squarely, Louise lunged at me and mid-point her attack shifted into her wolf. Shit, this sneaky woman.

I was thrown off into the crowd and landed like a bag of beans beside Asher’s leg, I looked up at him and found him looking at me mockingly, and I gritted my teeth in embarrassment and hurriedly stood up.

“Why isn’t she shifting? Is she throwing in the towel?” someone from the other side of the crowd said and the mood around the crowd changed, as if to help them confirm their thoughts Louise lunged at me. I tried blocking with my hands and the impact from the collision was terrible.

“She can’t shift.” This was no longer a speculation or accusation but a fact and a statement; it was finally out in the open. I looked at Ari and Asher, Ari looked disappointed and Asher? The disgust on his face was enough evidence on his feelings.

Before I felt my pride had been bruised but now it had been utterly trampled upon with no chance to break free, my chest tightened from the sting I felt from their facial expression.

The embarrassment was becoming too much to bear, unable to take it anymore I ran off. I didn’t choose to be this way, why could no one understand this?