Perrin
Charlie dropped me off at the front of the packhouse an hour later.
Walking inside, I decided to stop by and grab a plate of leftovers from the feast. I know Dina would have a few plates set aside for the Night Guard in the pack kitchen. Fortunately nobody at the welcome ceremony had noticed that practically half the Alpha Guard was on duty tonight… just in case.
But with all the new wolves and visiting packs, nobody really knew each other so it was easy not to realize, especially when only the challengers were wearing our special coats.
I made my way down to the kitchens and Dina was finishing clean up with a few other of the pack cooks. She ushered them to other duties as she saw my face at the door.
“I didn’t mean to d
PerrinI woke to the sound of my phone alarm pounding murderously close to my face.“ARGGGG!”Today was the first day of training, and I didn’t want to be late. I set a few extra alarms last night just in case.I hear a rustle of a blanket somewhere across the room. Kira’s head popped out from behind the arm of the chair.“Dude… you really have to turn that off.” Thrashing in my pillow until I found it, I silenced it.“Dude… you should have gone back to your room last night.”Without a word, a pillow launches itself across the room and hits me square in the face.
LeilaI dreamed all night of wolves with golden eyes.It was terrible, so after a restless night’s sleep, I wasn’t much in the mood for training. But I didn’t have many friends here and I didn’t want to ditch Jasmine on our second day.Dina was quite a dependable cook. She had prepared a small egg and bacon breakfast wrap for me and left it with a to-go cup of creamer on the island of the kitchen. Bless that she-wolf. I snatched it up and headed for the door.Now that I knew where I was going, it didn’t take me long to reach the training facility again. I was still in awe of it. They had made so many upgrades since I had been here as a kid. And now I was even big en
LeilaI could get used to breakfasts like these.I’m a creature of habit. So a good, hard workout followed by Dina’s magic and I’m a happy camper.My training session with Jasmine this morning kicked my ass. My wolfy appetite is roaring to go.I’m almost done with my second plate of eggs when I see the gorgeous blonde she-wolf from last night enter the kitchen. She was so nice to help me! But before I can say anything to her, Dina’s there.“Good morning!” Dina greets her as she takes a seat down the counter from me.Dina’s wide smile and cheery disposition are no match for the joy that her breakfast frittata brings to anyone nearby. She plops a fat
KiraFull of breakfast, I dash out to meet my mother. We’re on clean-up duty after the feast last night.Sure, there are tons of pack members to help out, but I like cleaning. It’s… soothing. Sometimes doing good old domestic stuff just helps calm my mind.And after last night, my mind is anything but calm. I take a turn into the great hall.“Good morning sweetie.”“Hey, mom.” I give her a quizzical look. Shehas bags under her eyes, but her voice is cheerful. She hasn’t slept much since Ethan’s… accident? I don’t even know what to call it. But she hasn’t so much as had a normal conversation with me since it happened. I carefully test the waters. “How are you feeling?&r
The training facilityPerrinIt was unusual to see so many of us training at one time. So many pack warriors--of course from all different packs, but--it was incredibly nonetheless.By the time I had put on my gear, there were guys on the obstacle courses, countless others doing weights and sparring--and outside on the far side of the facility, some of the challengers had shifted into their wolves and were training for the phased part of the challenge.The Sacred Call had two physical challenges. The first, was in human-form. Both Beta and Alpha challengers had to beat their opponents in hand-to-hand combat. It runs as a tournament with timed rounds. Kind of like boxing, but you get points for each time you land a hit on your opponent, and likewise if you can defend yourself. When th
Leila After what happened last night, and after talking to my father, there’s really only one place I’d like to be right now. I take a long shower, still furious with myself that I hadn’t recognized Kira. Missing both twins in one night. That’s gotta be a record. Well, might as well try and figure this all out. LO: Hey, can I borrow your car? DAD: That depends. LO: On what? DAD: Did you make time to introduce yourself to our visiting packs last night? LO: What does that have to do with borrowing the car?
LeilaI’m not really sure I’m ready to see Ethan based on what my Dad said, so I brace myself.I walk in and take a seat.I’m feeling a lot of emotions. But looking at Ethan--the real Ethan, this time--I can’t believe I had ever mistaken Jack for my childhood friend.His silver hair is matted against his forehead. It’s slightly greasy and flecked with dried blood, but it’s Ethan’s hair to be sure. His eyes are closed--I’m not sure if he’s sleeping or in a coma, but there’s a large eye patch covering one eye. While his face is serene, there’s a hint of that devilish smile I remember from when we were kids.I take a step out of the nostalgia for a better look.
PerrinI was careful to get all the blood out of my nose and my eyebrow after my shower. I didn’t realize how bad Justin had really got my side. It ached with a bruise and is starting to turn purple. I eye my torso through the steam of the bathroom.I’ve got to take a bath later. Maybe get rid of some of this stiffness.I put on a turquoise button-down and dark denim jeans--both Jaz’s favorite. I knew I had to score some major brownie points tonight. I wasn’t taking any chances.I had made a last-minute reservation at Corbellas on the way back from training. They were a great, classy restaurant and usually booked out a few weeks in advance.Being Alpha Dauphin had its advantages.