Wild Wolves

Chapter 4 – Biding time

Chapter 4 – Biding time

Calian’s POV

Isha had told me that she found little out about what had happened to my former pack. Once I had avenged my father, I would be able to concentrate on looking into who destroyed my home and family. Then I could avenge my mother and sisters. It was a dark hole I was about to go down, but I needed to do this. It was consuming me.

I took the dirt track road through the hills of Blackfell, and into their territory. I was met at the border by four wolves. I stopped the car and got out. I announced myself and waited. After a few minutes, they stepped to one side and allowed me to enter their land.

The view and surroundings were picturesque, the soft lilacs and blues of the heather that flourished on the hillside were striking. However, my eye soon refocused as I approached a sharp right turn. Concentrating, I steadily took the corner that had no safety barrier, and the sheer drop below was looming.

The valley below opened out. If you didn’t know this place existed and stumbled upon it unknowingly, it was sure to be a revelation. It was nothing like I had expected. My old pack, from what little I remember, was a far cry from what I was looking at.

The large overbearing building was still some distance away. Its presence, however, was not lost from my vantage point. The road slowly descended, snaking around the curve of the hillside. The road led me to the gated enclosure that the packhouse stood prominently behind.

The large stone walls that encased the grounds seemed to never end, but from the bird’s eye view, I had while on the road into the pack, I knew it just enclosed the pack house, and pack members' homes. It was like a mini fortress, except instead of being on top of a hill crest, it was at the base of the valley.

From an outsider’s point of view, they would seem exposed and at risk. I knew better though. They had vantage points surrounding the entire village up high on the hillside, and the eyes that watched me from there, burnt holes in me.

The wrought iron gates opened, and I drove up to the main house. It was 4 stories high, made from thick grey stone, and it looked foreboding. Black wrought iron shutters covered the windows, with most of them open now that it was daylight.

I had no doubt, despite the peace that wolves in this area have been blessed with over the years, that they were all shut into darkness when night fell. I did, however, notice one window on the top floor that had yet to be opened. I wondered briefly if the occupant was just still asleep. Although unlikely for a wolf. All of whom tended to rise early.

I switched off the engine and the large double doors opened. I stepped out of the car, and three men stepped out. The Alpha, I assumed his Beta and the man I recognised was his Gamma, Robbie Masters.

Despite only seeing him in wolf form yesterday, I knew it was him. A small scratch on the side of his neck confirmed it. He saw me looking and instinctively rubbed his neck, shooting me a look of defiance as he did so. I needed to be careful. It was clear these men were cautious and ruthless. If I didn’t play my cards right, I would not make it out of here alive.

“Mr Greenwood. Robbie here tells me you can fight and are interested in joining our pack.” The aura of the man that spoke, in a bored and condescending tone, was undeniably the Alpha of this pack.

“Yes, Alpha. I would be honoured if you would consider me worthy of joining you.” I bowed my head to the man that had the coldest, iciest blue eyes I had ever seen.

“Come.” He beckoned me forward and I followed him and the other two men.

They took me to a large meeting room, which was a relief because for a moment I thought I was about to be taken to the dungeons. I took a seat when I had been offered one and accepted a glass of water. My mouth had suddenly gone dry with the drop in the temperature.

All eyes were on me. I was drilled from within an inch of my life. They wanted to know everything about me. I kept my answers as close to the truth as I could without giving too much away about my past. I knew they would be watching me. I had to make sure I didn’t falter and remembered everything I had said.

I started to relax a little as the Beta started joking around. He was unlike Robbie and Alpha Lexis. He was jovial and friendly, yet he did not give me his name. Not once did I let my guard down though. I had a good poker face. I had to learn over the years to hide how I was really feeling in any given situation.

I learned to bury my fear by dealing with things head-on. I had learnt to hide my anguish, using my anger to my advantage when fighting and defending myself. I never backed down, and even when I was scared, I used dry humour, sarcasm, and quick wit to back myself. This often got me into trouble, but it also gained me respect, for when challenged, I never lost a fight. Not unless I wanted to lose.

There were always times when losing was necessary, and I had a feeling that time was due to arise at any moment. “Let’s see you in action then, Cal.” Alpha Lexis taunted, saying my name in a drawn-out drawl, eyes raised and a look of mistrust already spreading across his face.

It was clear he thought he was maintaining a good poker face, but I already knew his tells. Val was a good teacher. Her game of choice was poker, and I had been learning the tricks of her trade for the last ten years. She was a pro, and she taught me well.

“Sure,” I said with a nervous smile, which, of course, was for show.

I was not nervous. Isha had taught me well. I had been in training since I was 13 and gained my wolf. I was quick, strong, and more than that, I was cunning. I was able to anticipate their moves before they even knew what they were going to do themselves.

Isha said I was gifted. I just believed I was determined. I had failed my family and let them down with the most detrimental outcome and I had lost them all. I would not let them down. I would not fail. Once I had overcome my childish angst and the upset of the loss of my family, I focussed all my energy on being the best I could be at anything I did.

I had a new mission. A new task to focus on. I could play the game as well as anyone, and I had the added advantage here. I knew what game we were playing. They did not. “Great.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes, and his voice remained monotone. “Gamma Masters. Lead the way to the training ground and have Isaac, Chris and Wayne meet us there.”

The look on Robbie’s face told me a thousand things. One, the Alpha, had picked his best men, leaving no margin for error. I had to think about this methodically. I wanted in, so beating them all with ease was not an option. It would just piss everyone off.

Two, Robbie wanted me to beat them all easily, it would make him feel better about losing against me last night. He was, after all, the Gamma and should be by far their best. I needed him on my side, so I was going to level the playing field.

Three, I knew Alpha Lexis wanted me to fail and didn’t want me in his pack. Now, I wasn’t sure why this was the case. However, it was clear Robbie felt like he had a point to prove through me. That he was right to have invited me here and wasn’t wasting his Alpha’s time.

I stood when they did, and followed them to the training ground. When we emerged from the front of the packhouse and looked out toward the gates I had come through, the road that led me straight here veered to both the right and the left. It seemed to follow the line of the wall that encased the village.

Not a moment after we had left the packhouse, two buggy carts arrived, “Jump on. You can ride with me.” Alpha Lexis stated, looking at me.

I did as he said and the guy driving our buggy nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. He had obviously been given instructions by the Alpha. I was ready for anything. We took the road that veered to the left, but the other buggy went to the right.

“Hold on pup. We won’t stop if you fall off!” Alpha Lexis smirked happily. It was the first time I saw any expression on his face in the two hours I had been here. I was pretty sure he was happier at the thought of my falling off than what we were about to do. Either way, the fact that he called me pup pissed me off no end.

“No problem,” I responded evenly, as I held on to the frame.

I was under no illusion that this was his aim, and I was not going to give him the satisfaction of showing him how much he irritated me. I remained stoic, and his lip twitched and my lack of response. I knew I had to be careful not to push it with him. I needed his approval to be accepted.

The guy driving put his foot down and launched us at full speed on the road that followed the outskirts of the pack houses. I didn’t get a chance to look at them as everything went by in a blur. These machines had been upgraded.

Billy used to take me out on a similar quad buggy when I was younger. When I was old enough to ride my own, he got me one of my own. I still went out on occasion, but he had given up coming out with me, so I tended just to take Faris, my wolf, out instead.

Holding on here was not difficult. However, when we reached the far end of the road, where it looped back around towards the packhouse, the other buggy was in sight and our driver stepped it up a gear. There was an identical gate to the one I had come through at this end, and it was currently open, leading out onto the hilly terrain.

The other buggy slid, almost toppling, but the driver had clearly done this before, saving it before it fell. They were ahead. The land was uneven and puckered and holding on became more difficult. As we reached what looked like a prison compound nestled into the trees to the right side of us, we stopped. We had lost. Alpha Lexis was not amused.

“You did alright for a newbie, pup.” He spoke without even looking at me. “Let’s see how you do in the ring.”

He led me into the compound, and there was a defined fighting circle in the centre. Three men stood on the outskirts just in shorts. They were ripped, muscular and looked ready to kill me. Great. I took off my shirt, keeping my trousers on.

“Rules?” I asked.

Having never been in a situation like this, I had no idea what the generic rules for a fight were. When I trained with Isha, she told me how her pack used to do it, but we didn’t train like that. It didn’t stop me from asking her a thousand and one questions about what pack life was like though. I barely remembered it, and what I did remember was a far cry from what she had experienced.

“First fight, stay in human form. Second Fight, in wolf form. Third, either,” he stated. “Do not Kill. First, to get the other to submit wins. That’s it.”

Seemed easy enough. The guys seemed hyped and as I stepped forward to the outer circle, Robbie turned to me. “Who do you wanna fight first?”

They all looked at me and I tried to see the tactic in asking. Would they give me what I asked for, or switch it up? I didn’t really care at this point; they were all obviously well trained and masters at their trade. I pointed to the largest of the three. And Robbie called out a name. “Issac.”

It was not the guy I had pointed to. Fine. Let's play. The fight started and while this guy was skilled at hand combat, it was relatively easy to work out his next move. I didn’t want to make it seem that way, so I held back a little. I was not going to lose though. I wanted them to know I was good. I wanted them to see me as an asset.

When I floored Isaac and held him in place, he submitted after putting up a bit of a fight. I let go of him and walked back to the edge of the circle. Not even giving me a moment to breathe, Chris was called, and the fight started.

I was not as confident in my wolf form. Feris was a beast, and Isha often questioned if I was of ranked blood. I wasn’t, my mother worked in the kitchens and my father worked on the farm. We were omegas, and I was constantly reminded of my position in the pack. Even at 8 years old, I knew my place.

I shifted and had no time to see what reaction they had to Feris. Chris’s wolf launched himself at me, no holds barred. Feris was nimble, despite his decent size. Chris’s wolf was slightly smaller than Feris, but he was bulky, much like his human form.

Unlike when I fought Robbie, Chris was far more calculated. It surprised me that Chris seemed far more experienced than their own Gamma. I wondered if he had just had the role handed to him. It was the only thing that made sense.

Chris gave me a good fight. It lasted much longer than my fight with Isaac. Feris made me proud, and we took the win, by the skin of our teeth. When the fight was over, I took a brief look at the three men who were watching me like a hawk.

The Beta had a large smirk on his face, and Robbie looked relieved, while Alpha Lexis gave little away, bar the mild interest that his eyes gave away. In the final fight, I knew I was on the backfoot. They had all only had one fight. They were fresh. I was on my third and given no time to recover.

I intended to shift back into my human form, but while I was still walking back to the outer circle, Wayne’s wolf sunk his claws into my back end. Low blow. I growled loudly, seeing red. I turned and snapped at the bastard for playing dirty.

There were no rules. I had no grounds to argue about his method of fighting. Two can play that game. I ran rings around him, he was bulky and slow, but when he was close enough, his swipe was swift and harsh, and his bite was venomous.

He tired easily, but I had worn myself out in the process. He came at me for the final time, lifting onto his hind legs as he took a swing at me. He landed his punch and sliced through Feris’s cheek. I fell to the ground and the bulk of Wayne's wolf landed on me.

In truth, I could have got out of the hold he had put me, but I took this as an opportunity to lose. I didn’t need them to fear me. Yes, I was cocky and a little arrogant, but I thought I had earned that right. I had little experience of fighting in wolf form, but from what I had learned in the boxing ring, my mixed martial arts classes and Isha’s help, I knew what I was doing. I just didn’t want them to know how good I was.

I tapped out and Wayne shifted, looking smug. I thought he was a prick and had no right to be smug. After all, I was on my third fight. Alpha Lexis looked over to his warriors. “Thanks, guys. You can leave.” He turned to me, throwing me some shorts. “These will fit. Let’s go.”

I put them on, and we headed back to the two buggies. The guy who drove us was no longer here. Alpha Lexis took the keys off the front seat and threw them to me. “Win, and you’re in.” He said, giving me no further instructions or advice.

I got in and stalled it. Good start. It was different to the one I had at Billy’s. They all laughed, and Lexis shook his head, giving Robbie a smug look. I started it a second time around and waited for the signal. We flew forward with a jerk, as I got used to the machine.

“For f***s sake Pup.” Alpha Lexis roared as the others got a head start and he hit his head on the bar.

‘f**k this shit.’ Faris growled in my head. ‘You really want to be a part of this pack? They are all assholes.’

‘Assholes I may need and trust me; we have this in the bag.’

Once I was used to the buggy, I floored it, unlike the Beta who was driving the other cart. I still didn’t have his name. But I definitely had his number. He was good, but he was cautious. I, on the other hand, had nothing to lose.

As we climbed up the hill on the undulating turf, the buggy wobbled and jerked. “Hold on.” I grinned as I looked over at the Alpha, “I won’t stop to pick you up if you fall off.” I knew I was pushing my luck, but I didn’t care.

As we reached the ridge of the hill and the gate was in sight, I didn’t slow down. We left the ground as we flew over the bank. Alpha Lexis held on for dear life and the buggy slammed to the ground. It bounced a few times before I steadied my steering and hurtled towards the gate.

A sharp turn to the left, nearly knocking over some pedestrians, caused Alpha Lexis to turn a little green. I beeped the horn to make sure there were no more near misses as we made the straight, before veering to the right and sliding to a screeching halt at the front of the packhouse.

“So, am I in?” I asked cheerfully.

Alpha Lexis glanced at me sideways as he gingerly got out of the vehicle. “You're in.” He said as his shaky legs took him inside, just as the Beta and Robbie parked up next to me.

“Bloody hell dude, I am riding with you next time! By the way, I'm the Beta,” as if I hadn’t guessed. "My name is Abe," I shook his outstretched hand, “welcome to Blackfell!”

“We don’t know he’s in yet!” Robbie’s childish pleas grated on me.

“He won. And Lex told me he’s in.” Abe raised his brow smugly at Robbie, who didn’t look impressed he wasn’t included in the information sharing. Something else I thought was odd. Why would he not tell them both?

“So, what happens now?” I asked, wondering how this actually worked.

“Go home, pack up your s**t and we will have your room ready to move into tomorrow. Morning training is at 5 am. Don’t be late.” Abe grinned, turning on his heel. He walked back into the packhouse, followed closely by Robbie.

I was in. A little startled and surprised how quickly my life had changed, but happy, nevertheless. Now all I had to do was go home and break the news to Val. While also somehow explaining why my black work trousers were now board shorts.

It was the least of my concerns. When I arrived at Blackfell, I didn’t realise quite what I had got myself into, but by the time I realised, it was too late. I was in deep, and there was no turning back. If you can’t beat them, join them. And I did. I was the head warrior before my first month was over and that was when the fun really began.