The Blood Pack (Book four)

Chapter seven

~Iona~

I was so proud of myself for not being the slowest wolf on the laps. I had been so nervous all the way over that I would make a fool of myself, not helped by Felix up bringing up not only last night but also my s*x life. He had a point though, it wouldn't be long until I had to find a release some way or other. Maybe I should take Ste up on his offer for a quick one off romp. It did feel good when he put his arms around me, his hands pushing in my stomach slightly. My wolf was completely settled, pushing at me to look at him, and when I did, I didn't see the cheeky bravado that I had done before. He looked at me with what looked like wonder, completely throwing me off balance.

His friend had put us in our place though, he was right. We needed to take this seriously. I went and joined the beginners, glad again that I was not alone. In fact, the beginner group was the largest of the three groups and sort of felt like it could be split again, into beginners and haven't got a clue.

I was first paired up with a pudgy male wolf, his face still red from our run. Jonny, the instructed for our group told us to show him what we knew already. I thought about the moves I had seen the enforcers use when I watched them train and, when the wolf tried to hit me, I dodged him, grabbed his arm and used his own momentum to send him flying head over heals on to his back.

The would let out a loud groan and my hands went to my mouth to hide my gasp at the fact it had actually worked. "I'm so sorry." I mumbled, as I tried to help the wolf back to his feet.

"I think you have thrown my back out." he huffed, groaning again as he took my hand and moved to standing. Jonny came over, looking between the two of us. "This one here doesn't know the difference between a spar and fighting." the wolf said as he jabbed his thumb in my direction.

My cheeks burned red as I stared at the floor, afraid I would be told to go home. I wasn't an enforcer and so I was here just out of courtesy. "I was watching, it was a fair take down." Jonny explained calmly, making me and my sparing partner look at him opened mouthed. When the guy went to speak again Jonny stopped him. "If we end up having to fight the humans, they will not go easy on us. You have to train for this eventuality which means learning to take a blow as much as dish one out."

"Hang on here, I have been an enforcer for years." the wolf defended.

"That may be the case, but we are training to fight a war, not to stop the local pups graffitiing in the pack House." Jonny sighed. "What's your name?" Jonny asked me.

"Iona." I told him. His eyes glanced over the list of enforcers. "Erm, I'm not on the list. I wanted to train and William had been letting me train with the enforcers in the pack. When he said they were coming here he said I could come as long as I kept up." I blabbed, now extra worried I would be sent home.

"Okay Iona, I'll add you on to aloha Drake's list then. It is good that you want to improve. I think you should partner up with Helen next." he smiled before turning to the wolf I was just with.

I looked around and saw a friendly she wolf waving me over. Not wanting to stick around for another 'I know better' speech I headed over. "Helen?" I asked, she nodded and I introduced myself.

We then settled in to a light sparring. She was faster than the last wolf I was against and I could see what Jonny was saying about learning to take a punch. I managed to land a few of my own as well and Helen didn't moan or whine, just tried harder to dodge next time. After we were done, Helen told me about how she was from alpha Black's pack and that she had wanted to be an enforcer all her life. Apparently alpha Black, although a good alpha, did not focus on training as much as the other alphas.

Felix jogged over, having finished his training too, standing at the side of Helen like he was part of our conversation. "Who's this then?" Helen eventually asked.

"Felix, I'm a friend of Iona's." Felix introduced himself, before I had a chance to say a word. I was mainly glad he didn't try and introduce himself as my boyfriend or something, that would have been awkward.

"Well I was just telling your friend here she shouldn't rule out being an enforcer. She is good, especially for a beginner." Helen smiled.

"I think Iona can do anything if she sets her mind to it." Felix smiled and placed his hand on the small of my back. My wolf was curious at his touch, not as excited as when Ste touched her but I think right now she was happy for any contact. I on the other hand, did not want Felix to get the wrong idea and so with an awkward half laugh, I stepped back slightly and straight into something that felt like a brick wall.

I turned slowly to see Ste looking between me and Felix, his arm still out stretched from where it had been resting on my hip. "Still not getting the hint Felix?" Ste growled.

"I think it is you that isn't getting the hint!" Felix sneered back.

I felt my cheeks go red, embarrassed at how Helen was now looking from me to Felix and then to Ste like we were in some type of love triangle. I wanted to earth to open up and just swallow me whole as they both growled and stepped closer to each other, me sandwiched in the middle. Oh f**k, this is not good for me or my wolf, two strong muscular males boxing me in. I could feel the wave of heat start to bubble in the pit of my stomach. No, no, not here, not now.

"Iona right?" I looked to the side of me to see the small brunette who was at the café yesterday. I nodded and hummed yes as she smiled. "I'm Sanna, you want a hot drink before you head back to your pack?"

"Yes please." I answered eagerly, needing any excuse to get out of this. I slipped from between Ste and Felix who both looked on as I all but ran off with Sanna towards a table of refreshments that had been set up. "Thank you." I sighed as Sanna poured me a hot cup of coffee from a canteen.

"Don't worry about it. I have to admit though, I have never really seen Ste act like that before." Sanna laughed, passing me the caffeinated goodness.

"No, he is more of a love them and leave them type." I laughed, remembering how he tried to sneak out on Pearl the other day.

"He is harmless really though, he does always make sure the girls know that he is not looking for anything other than a one night stand." Cassy said, coming up with a coffee in one hand and a kid in the other trying to grab the beverage. "Not for you Hendrix, you are hyper enough as it is." Cassy cooed while Hendrix pouted and crossed his arms.

Well, he hadn't said anything about a one night stand in all his advanced towards me, but I did catch him in the act so to speak so I did know the score. My wolf's ears peeked up, sensing my resolve to not let the blood pack playboy into my panties. Hey, it had been a while, and although I wanted to focus on making sure that me and Pearl had a place in a pack secure, a little tumble in the sheets would not be the worse thing ever.

Grr, this is what I hate about having two people living in one body, I don't know what urges are mine and which are my wolf's. Either way, I was now staring at Ste like he was a juicy steak, my wolf's tongue lolling out to one side drawling in delight. I was just adoring how the sun light passing through the branches of the trees caught the few drops of swear in his bulging bicep, betting that all his experience would mean he knew how to make me purr. Oh f**k, I needed to get laid. This was not me at all.

I looked back to Cassy and Sanna who had both noticed my little ogling session of Ste and smiled knowingly. I blushed and tucked my messy hair behind my ear. Well crap, I could not give in to Ste while I smelled like crap and looked even worse. It way just be a one night stand but I hadn't shaved in days and right now I was covered in sweat and mud.

"Hey, what are you doing tonight?" Cassy asked, almost reading my mind.

"Nothing. I have work in the café until five and then I a free as a bird." I smiled.

"Why don't you come over and we can have a bit of a girls night in? You, me, Sanna, Niomi and Jen."

I nodded my head, thinking how it would be nice to actually make some real friends, not just Felix who I knew wanted to be something more. "That would be great. I haven't really made many friends in alpha Drake's pack." I admitted, feeling like an i***t as soon as I said it.

"It can be hard moving to a larger pack. That is why I was happy when Cassy moved here and I came shortly after. In a smaller pack it is much easier to fit in." Sanna told me with a smile which I could not help but return. I had always pictured the famous blood pack as being intimidating, having heard the stories of how they took out another pack who tried to attack them and fought off the humans not once but twice, but really they seemed down to earth and I think I needed a bit of that.

"Come over about half six, don't bother getting dolled up, we will be doing hair and make up and all that as part of our relaxation." Cassy said with enthusiasm, Hendrix in her arms scrunching up his nose in disgust at all the woman talk. He made an incoherent murmuring sound, obviously not happy he wasn't the centre of attention. "Yes, yes. We won't be doing your hair and make up, not yet anyway." the kids eyes widened in horror as if he understood his mother and struggled frantically to get free. Cassy and Sanna burst out laughing as Cassy put Hendrix down and he made a stumbling exit, taking about two steps at a time before falling to the floor until he reach his dad and bashed him in the leg until he looked down and smiled, scooping him up.

"I don't know how you do it with two of them." Sanna laughed, although there was a slight sadness to it.

"Hey, you will have one soon enough and then you will wonder why you were so desperate for one in the first place." Cassy laughed, hugging Sanna to her. "Anyway, it looks like your bus is going soon. See you at half six Iona."

I turned around to see that my bus was in fact filling up quickly. "Crap. See you later." I called out as I ran off to join the queue for the bus. As I got on, seeing a nice empty seat I could have to myself I sighed and stared out the window, admiring the blood packs territory once more before the bus started off.