Beware of the Werewitch

Chapter 3

Ella panicked, she needed to go with them, but she also needed to find her boot. Huffing, she gave up and left her search for her lost boot. She did not want to disappoint the Alpha, and since he was giving her a chance when most of the other members of her pack had written her off, she did not want to waste it.

Ella ran to the steps to grab the sweatpants and running shoes that the Alpha had left for her. Finding the bushes that she was just looking in a convenient place to change, she hid behind them while she changed out of her holey jeans and into the sweatpants. Returning to the stairs, Ella folded her jeans hurriedly and left them where the sweatpants had been along with her only boot. She slipped on the running shoes and found that they were too big for her. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers, she thought. Once they were tied, she hurried around the packhouse in the direction that she had seen the Alpha and the two boys walk off in. She did not have to walk far before she saw the boys running laps around the pack workout track. She quickly picked up into a jog and ran onto the track on the opposite side of the boys. The Alpha, who was in the middle of the track with his back to her, spun around and waved her into the center with him.

"Ella. I thought that we lost you." He said looking her up and down. "I am glad to see you found the clothes I grabbed for you." The Alpha's gaze returned to the two boys that were still running around the track. Ella looked at them and then at the Alpha. "Should I join them Sir?" she asked. The Alpha grinned knowingly. "Nope. These two have almost run as long as they made you go look for your boot." He said looking at her out of the corner of his eye. "Did you find it?" Ella's mouth fell open. She regained her composure, "No Sir. I will be able to look for it better when there is more light."

The Alpha nodded. "Well I think they can run a little longer then, don't you?" He spared her a glance to the side. Ella was dumbfounded. The Alpha must have seen that whole exchange. Then he must also have seen that Andy was the one that threw her boot and was taunting her, not Jake.

"Sir." Ella tried to get the Alpha's attention as he began to move to some mats that were stacked up. He took one off the top and spread it out. "Yes Ella." The Alpha did not stop what he was doing. "I just wanted you to know that Jake did not throw my boot it was Andy. He did not do anything." She held her head lower, embarrassed at having admitted to being harassed by the Beta's son.

The Alpha stood up and turned to her. "And there is the reason that he is running also. He did nothing. An Alpha of any pack is supposed to protect their members. Jake did not do that. He stood there and let Andy bully one of the people that he was supposed to be protecting."

The Alpha did not wait for a response from Ella, but got right back to work pulling mats off the pile. Ella did not say anything, but jumped in and helped the Alpha out with the rest of the mats from the pile.

Finally, the Alpha was set up for the training that he had planned, and waved the two boys in. Jake walked up first and looked at Ella and then the ground pretending to catch his breath. Andy walked up with his hands on his hips and a sour look on his face that was aimed at Ella. "Nice of you to join us." Andy quipped.

The Alpha spun around where he was picking something up and raised an eyebrow at Andy and growled. Andy at least had the good sense to duck his head in submission. Jake kept his eyes on the ground and shuffled a bit nervously. The Alpha looked between the two boys. “There will be no more of that.” The Alpha spit with growing anger. “She is here at my request.”

The Alpha looked between the boys again and then stopped and stared at Andy moving closer to him until he was right in Andy’s face “And if you don’t know why she is late, maybe you better do some more laps to remind you.” The Alpha stretched out his arm and pointed to the track “Twenty more now!”

Andy groaned and ducked his head as he lethargically jogged to the outside of the track again. Jake turned and started jogging that way too. “Not you Jake. Let him have some time to get his head on straight.”

The Alpha continued with what he was doing and then turned back to the two that were now standing awkwardly facing opposite directions. The Alpha looked at the two of them and a brief look of annoyance passed over his face and was almost as quickly wiped away.

The Alpha stood in front of them, an intimidating figure. He was clearly a chiseled, well built man. His face showed that he was a man that would brook no idiocy. The tall man shoved his fist into his other hand and began to speak. "While we are waiting for our future beta to get his head out of his ass, I will explain what we are doing here." Ella stood waiting to hear what the Alpha wanted with her this early in the morning.

"I would like to work on adding to our training program by working more on our wolves fighting as teams. I would like to start with the three of you." Ella's mouth must have fallen open.

Jake and the Alpha both looked at her reaction. Noticing that they were both watching her, she quickly closed her mouth and put her mask back on her face. The same mask that showed no emotion every day at school, or even on the street that hid every emotion from those that taunted her.

The Alpha moved his gaze to Jake and then gave almost an imperceptible nod. "First, we are going to practice with no contact, and then once you have the idea of how to move as a team, then we will move on to full contact." Ella's expression showed her confusion. She looked about her. Besides the mats and the chalk in the Alpha's hand that he had fished out of his gear bag from the sidelines, there were no dummies out or bales, like they had practiced with when they were younger.

Looking at the younger Alpha to be standing next to her, who must have understood right away, she finally voiced her confusion. "Alpha, what are we using for a practice dummie?" The Alpha grinned just as Andy came jogging up. "I guess I am the dummie." He smiled. Andy suddenly laughed loudly.