The New Recruit Novels & Stories

"Everything will be fine, Nikki. I promise. Syrill is my friend, and I also understand that you're just being nervous. Worry not, I'll be right here with you the whole time. Okay?" I nod. His words offer me some comfort, and I take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. As Marcus pulls up to the gate, I can see two wolves standing guard. They approach the car, and Marcus greets them warmly. "Hey guys, how's it going?" he says, rolling down his window. The wolves nod in greeting, eyeing me warily. I can feel their curiosity and suspicion. They probably recognize me as the same Nikki who had Alpha Syrill's baby, despite my new and totally different looks now.

Taylor's POV It's finally Friday and today, one of the top school teams in Canada will go against Zach's team for the Football competition. I was lucky enough to be discharged straight after Dr. Drake had checked the scans and informed my parents and me that nothing was wrong, and I could go home. Turns out Nora, my second sister, had been dating Dr. Drake. I found out that they were once friends from our hometown, and he had later moved here to pursue his dream as his doctor.

The officer asked with a frown, "Are you saying the suspect claimed your mother-in-law ordered him to do this?" From his tone, I could tell that he didn't quite believe me. After all, why would a mother-in-law orchestrate an assault on her own daughter-in-law? It sounded absurd to me as well, but it was the truth. The police informed me that in my retaliation, I had nearly stabbed the eyebrow scissors into Bryson's heart. He was in the ICU at the moment, recovering from surgery but still unconscious. "The surgery was successful, but he's in a coma. We'll have to wait for him to wake up before we can interrogate him," the officer said.

Visibly annoyed by the fact that I did not stay close to him, Melz unceremoniously pulled me out of my numb state and led me firmly towards one of the counters where there was a small crowd holding out their hands full of money towards one or other names which appeared on a huge painting nailed against the wall or should I say the sheet metal of one of the numerous containers allowing the creation of a place as isolated but nevertheless clever as the armistice. This guy must really be an asshole to recruit a 15 year old kid into these illegal delusions. I said to myself, watching him unceremoniously push the others, angry at being ousted like this, who quickly calmed down when they recognize

I straightened my back, pressed my lips and without another glance at the folks staring at me, I graciously lowered my knees and picked up the things that fell out. “Let me help you with that.” That deep voice was followed by the sight of masculine hands. “First days are usually filled with nerves.” “I am not-” I looked up, and the boyish charm before me reminded me of my crush in high school. The man smiled with ease and picked up my ID card. “Annatoria Smith? You are the recruit,” he pointed out.

He never did unless someone was in danger. Ronan moved toward the door. “The new recruits are settling in. Callen already assigned them. They seem young.” “They are.” He looked over his shoulder at me. “Tomorrow will be a long day. Try to rest. You always do too much.” He left before I could say anything else. The silence settled around me. My shoulders relaxed just a little. I sat down. My body stayed still, but my mind did not. The day replayed itself without permission. The hundred new recruits, the ten older trainees standing in front, the shock on the boys’ faces when they saw a girl among the leaders.

It was the synchronized march of ten thousand boots. I looked at Barzil. The time for logistics was over. My lungs locked. Air trapped. "The recruitment drive is finished," I said. I closed the datapad. The plastic casing clicked shut—a final, sharp sound. I looked down at Neoma. She had stopped healing. She was standing up. She looked North. Her violet eyes were wide, sensing the intent on the wind. Her muscles were tense, a coiled spring. "The Purge Corps is here," the scout whispered.

I asked as we walked out of the office, "who's fighting tonight?" "The new guy," Sigmund replied. "Goes by the name Crimson. Filipino. Apparently, he was a victim of illegal recruitment." Sigmund clicked his tongue. "Doesn't look like he'll win, though. His opponent is Flame." A grin slowly formed on my lips. "You never know, Sigmund," I said. "Maybe he'll end up like me. Beginner's luck." Sigmund shook his head with a laugh. "You weren't lucky, boss. You were just strong."

And I definitely recognized it. My heart started pounding nervously again as we continued walking past it. It almost jumped out of my chest when a loud voice rang across the forest. “THE NEW RECRUITS HAD ARRIVED! THE NEW RECRUITS HAD ARRIVED! SCOUT ETHAN, GENERAL ATLAS, AND ELDER DAMIEN ARE HERE AS WELL!” The villagers exchanged confused looks over where the voice came from. They all screamed when what seemed to be another large tree had lost its leaves, replaced by a man I definitely know.

I had everything now. Asher was waiting for me at the edge of the forest, as usual. His eyes lit up when he saw me coming, but something felt different tonight. His scent was too calm, too controlled. My wolf growled a warning, but I ignored it. Asher was the only one I had, the only one who knew my secrets. "We have new recruits," he said and handed me a list of names. "Fifteen rogues from the south. They are strong, Luna Raine. With the right training, we can build an army."