The Blood Pack (Book four)

Chapter six

~Ste~

Today was our first day of training the other packs in our alliance. Alpha lycan and alpha Black were more than happy to join us. As discussed yesterday we would be going around to the different territories to train, this helped to ensure all member felt ownership in the training and also gave us the experience of training on the different terrains and layout that the packs had.

I had to admit, I was excited. Even though I would not be leading the training as Theo would be doing that, he was a good head enforcer and would ensure that all members made progress, even the other head enforcers who I am sure would not take kindly to him ordering their wolves around. But I was excited to be seeing Iona again.

I couldn't believe what Pearl and her friend did yesterday. I was ashamed that I had slept with her the other night now, seeing now that she was a b***h, and I didn't mean literally. The way she not only purposefully tripped her own sister but then encouraged her friend to laugh at her, there was something now quite right there. I mean, alpha Ash and his brother and sister fought, but they loved each other fiercely and God help anyone who spoke against them in one of the siblings presence.

She had disappeared so quickly that I didn't get a chance to even find out if she was okay. One minute she was staring at the ground and the next she was running out the back door. I wanted to follow her, to see if she was okay, but what would I say? What would I do? She recoiled from my touch like it would burn her, did she really hate me that much? What a sad state of a man I am if, the first time that I am truly interested in a woman, she cannot stand me because of my past.

I didn't head out last night like I had planned, settling for some self satisfaction thinking of he sweet behind. It was thinking with my d**k that had got me into this trouble, I wasn't about to try and sleep my way out of it. Maybe what everyone had been telling me was right, maybe it was quality over quantity.

My wolf didn't disagree, whining at me to get up early and shower before training, which I never saw the point in before I though of her coming here, to my territory. I even cleaned up all the crap from the living room, I don't know why, I mean she wasn't coming to my cabin, but if by some miracle she did, I did not want her to think that I was a slob. Jesus, what the hell was wrong with me?

I rushed over to the pack house, waiting for the convoy of packs to arrive. We had decided to train here today and then alpha drakes, black and lycan's in that order. I was so early I was the first to be waiting outside, which earned me a strange look from the others as they came out, especially Cassy who gave me a knowing smile but thankfully did not say anything.

We watched as three buses came up the bumpy path and the wolves started to unload. A lot of these wolves had been to our pack before and most knew Cassy from when she was younger and so respectfully nodded as they began to line up. I eagerly watched the bus from alpha Drake's pack unload, noticing the scowl on William, his head enforcers face as he joined the line of wolves.

Finally, Iona jumped out, looking around at the trees in wonder. I could not help but smile as she looked around at my territory with slight amazement. That was, until Felix jumped out behind her. He snaked his arm around her waist possessively, to which she recoiled slightly making him drop his arm. "Are we going to talk about what happened yesterday?" he asked, my enhanced hearing just about able to hear them over the murmurs of the other conversations going on.

"I told you Felix, I'm fine. My wolf just had a s**t day and I needed to shift. I'll do better next time." Iona mumbled, walking over to join the line from alpha Drake's pack.

"You know, it has been over six months since we... You know..." Felix stated, his eyes running up and down her body as he stood beside her.

"Felix, I'm not having this conversation." Iona snapped, looking around as if to see who was listening, not know that I could hear them even from my vantage point.

"You will need to find release again soon, and you know where to find me when the touch hunger sets in." Felix said, with a massive s**t eater grin plastered on his face. What the f**k? She had slept with that tool. My wolf was growling in my head, wanting to rip him limb from limb for even touching her. But then, I soothed him slightly, joking that if she hadn't been back for a second round in six months, then he could not have been that good. The way he followed her around like a lost puppy with his tongue out, she could have him when ever she wanted, and she had obviously chosen not to go back for seconds.

Then my mind started to go down a different path. What is she had a boyfriend Felix didn't know about? What if I was foolish to even hope that there may be some way that I could... I don't even know what I want anymore. I know that just one night with her would not be enough. Was this it? Was this the woman to put me in my place and make me stop with the flirting and none stop one night stands for good? That thought was even more unsettling.

Thankfully, Alpha Ash stood forward with Cassy by his side, joining the line of the other three alphas to address the crowd. "You all know why you are here. The human threat against us is still very real. We need to make sure that when we manage to track them down, that we are ready and strong, not just for the battle against them, but to protect our packs as well. For this end, your alphas have agreed to training together. This will give everyone the opportunity to advance, including my own wolves who will be joining in. We all have techniques that we can share, let us prepare for this fight together."

Alpha Ash then nodded to Theo who came forward, he explained how we would all warm up together and then separate in to advanced, intermediate and beginner for sparring combat training. He said that he would trust the wolves to judge themselves into these categories, but would move people if it proved that they needed a different level of training today.

With that we all started the usual warm up, squats, push ups, sit ups, leg lunges, star jumps and stretches before heading off around the pack territory. It was hard to make sure everyone stayed in line. Theo was up from leading the fastest of the group with Cassy. Alpha Ash and Luke were ensuring that the middle group did not veer off course, while I had volunteered to bring up the rear. Well one particular rear especially.

Unfortunately though, Iona was actually in the middle of the slower group and so my time was spent trying to ensure that the slightly over weight wolf at the back did not end up passing out. His face was red and his breathing was all over the place. I tried to give him pointers but he was completely lost in trying to put one foot in front of the other to make it round the course. By lap three, he was almost walking, and my hopes of trying to work my magic on Iona were a distant memory. I never thought that there would be actual enforcers that would be in worse shape than a she wolf who had only just started her training, but I was wrong.

Finally back outside the pack house, the high level and intermediate level groups were already setting up for sparing. Showing who the lower group were by how slow they had finished the course. I finally saw Iona, doubled over trying to catch her breath. I walked over, listening to her panting, which for some reason, made my c**k twitch in my pants. "Still working on your breathing?" I asked.

Iona jumped slightly, her hand actually going to her chest as if I had snuck up on her, which I guess I kind of did. "Jesus." she muttered before pushing her hair back from her sweaty forehead. "Yeah." she answered. Still breathless.

"May I?" I asked this time, instead of just approaching her. She eyed me cautiously before giving me a small nod. I walked over and stood behind her my arms looping around to rest on her flat stomach. "When you run, instead of pulling breath by having your chest rise and fall, you should try sucking it in through your stomach. Like this." I instructed, pushing in on her stomach slightly as she breathed in with my actions and then out.

I repeated the action a few times, her face turning to look over her shoulder at me. My ears looked over her face, thinking how, even with sweat clinging to her and mud splattered everywhere, red splotches on her skin and not even a hint of make up, she was absolutely beautiful. Her own eyes searched my face, her face unreadable as to what she was thinking.

"Ste!" Theo called out, making me jump back from Iona as if we had just been caught in the throws of passion. "You are here to train mam, not flirt. Get a move on."

Oh s**t. I looked over to Iona who was now as red as a tomato, and not because of problems with her breathing. She looked away from me, staring at the ground as she stormed past and went other to where the other beginners were starting to pair off as per Johnny's instructions.

I grumbled under my breath as I stormed over to Theo. "What the hell man?" I growled, my wolf egging me on as he enjoyed having Iona pushed up against him.

"This is day one. Day one Ste. We need all the wolves here to take this seriously, including you. Now I am sorry if I salted your game, but you need to start thinking with your head and not with your dick." Theo bluntly explained.

I growled, my wolf not happy with how my head enforcer was talking to me. But somewhere in my mind, I knew he was right and that I only had myself to blame. Theo saw me with a girl when I should have been training and thought it was how it always was, me just trying to get in to her pants. I couldn't blame him for that.

I went to join the other advanced trainers, noticing how Felix had been put in intermediate making me smile slightly. I partnered up with William, seeing how he looked like he had some s**t to get out of his system the way he was glaring at everyone. The other head enforcers seemed to be okay with this whole group training, but William looked ready to let loose. Well I needed to let loose as well.

How had I become such a laughing stock? My own pack now not able to tell the difference between me genuinely flirting and just wanting to bed someone. I guess I didn't know the difference myself, given I had done a lot of the latter and none of the former. Just then though, I made myself a promise. I would try to keep my little man inside my pants until I figured out what I felt for Iona. It was the least I could do really and it was not like a man had ever died from too little s*x.

William definitely had some issues to work out. His swings were clumsy and even though he tried not to show what he was about to do next, he wasn't hiding them well enough to stop me from dodging or blocking every blow, while dishing out a few of my own. Poor William, he didn't really stand a chance against a beta, especially one trained under the lead alpha, but he gave it his best and afterwards, when he was panting and groaning with aches, he shook my hand.

We discussed techniques and fighting styles, William seeming more on board with the idea now that he had had his ass handed to him without me breaking a sweat. I only had to hope that Iona would be just as easy to win over.