I spent the rest of the day in a blur.
"Alpha training?"
"Well yea dummy. You've proven that you are an alpha so now you you'll be treated like one"
My wolf is right. Rude, but right.
"I don't know about this... I'm so far behind... According to father I should have started 3 years ago! I don't know if I can..."
"Hay little alpha" Beta Carson breaks me from my conversation with my wolf.
"Beta Carson hi....ummm What's with the change. All this "little alpha" crap" dang it I ummmed again... I'm so glad father didn't hear that.
"Well little alpha" he continued with a smirk "the whole pack knows you have shown your true alpha at this point. So things are gonna change."
"Like what?" I ask as Beta Carson and I walk the grounds.
"Well for starters you can call me Carson. As future alpha you are effectively second only to your father. Formalities are... less important."
I laugh at that. Beta Carson is Dalton's uncle. He raised Dalton from the time he was 6 and he raised me to a certain extent. Being around when my father had to leave on pack business. So the idea of not addressing him by his title seems absurd.
"Also look around. Do you see a guard monitoring your every move?"
I looked around but saw no one.
"I see you, Carson." I say. Yea I can't do that "Carson" so weird.
"I just came to chat... See how the meeting with your father went."
"I don't know beta." I started "Father says I am to start Alpha training?.... What the crap is that? I've been training from the time I could walk. What is going to happen now?"
Beta Carson laughs. "Sit down Lilly." He says gesturing to a bench along the path we are walking. I sit and look up at the blue sky and barren trees. The last of the leaves have taken flight leaving empty branches awaiting snow.
"I can tell your father has already started your training. So don't worry you got this." Beta Carson says
"What do you mean?" I reply "we haven't trained together in years!"
"We all know that you are powerful Lilly. This training is not something that takes place on the training grounds. Tho your time on the training grounds will be doubled. This training is about who an alpha is and what is required of you. The way an alpha acts. Or in the case of today's lesson speaks." Beta Carson says drawing out the word speaks and giving a knowing look.
On that I understood what father was doing in our meeting.
"I have never heard you speak with the confidence you've shown today. Even in your questioning you demand respect. You stand your ground. Plus you haven't broken eye contact with me once."
His statement made my eyes fall to my feet.
"No little alpha" Beta Carson says lifting my head "You bow to no man"
With that Beta Carson got up and continued down the path.
"Training grounds 8:00. Go eat breakfast and hurry over. It only gets harder from here" he says over his shoulder and disappears around the corner.
I sit for a moment longer taking in the crisp air then head off to the pack house for breakfast.
7:45am
I finish breakfast and I feel like I've already lived three days in one. As I run to the training grounds I'm already ready for bed.
When I arrive Beta Carson, Delta David, and the pack's top warriors are already there.
"My apologies, I thought Beta Carson said 8. I didn't mean to interrupt your training." I said looking each one in the eye.
"Not at all lil' alpha" Delta David says "we're just gittin' started an' you're right on time!" I smiled at him and nodded to Beta Carson.
"Beta may I have a word?" I ask with very little question in my voice. I know Beta felt it because he couldn't meet my eyes. We step to the side.
"What is this? Since when do I train with you guys? What happened to my trainers?" I rattle off the questions in a rough near command.
"Calm down." Beta Carson says trying to shake off my voice. I relax a little allowing his wolf to regain composure.
"You need to train harder and prove to the pack that you are a strong leader... What better way to do that than to put a beat down on the leading warriors of the pack?" Beta Carson finished with a smile.
"Fine!" I grumble to Beta Carson. "Let us begin" I say addressing the rest of the men.
It was the hardest training of my life. I kept up with them... barely... but Beta Carson had me fighting 2 to 1 and 3 to 1. Pushing me beyond anything I'd done before. By 10:00 we were all collapsed in a heap panting.
"Great job lil' alpha" Delta David said smiling patting my head between breaths. "I didn' know what ta expect... But ya did good kido!"
"I am not a child" I growl tearing his hand off of me twisting his arm.
Delta David grabs hold of me and throws me down on the training ground's hard packed dirt. My eyes go wide. "He was holding back" I think as he pins me down.
"Pick your battles lil pup. You did good today but you're young, reckless, and impatient. You're a young alpha but ya got a lot a learn' ta do kiddo." He says patting me on the head one more time before letting me up.
My face burned red with anger and embarrassment. I turned away from them and sat with my knees to my chest.
"Come on" Beta Carson said offering his hand. I look at him in confusion as Delta David comes along side him.
"We're goin' fer a run" Delta David says "always do after trainin'." He holds out a hand beside Beta Carson "come on lil' alpha" I smile and grab each of their hands pulling myself up and catapulting myself towards the woods.
I shift mid run tearing through my workout clothes. I stop and look at the wolves behind me who quickly undress and shift following me into the woods.
We ran for hours until Delta David's stomach interrupted the fun.
"Lunch time" he howls through the mind link.
We all join in on the howl and run back home as fast as we can. I shift and grab my bag of clothes.
"good thing I had more clothes you impatient beast!" I scold my wolf.
"Hay I believe Delta David called YOU impatient not me."
I quickly dress before the guys catch up. When they came out we headed to the pack house for lunch. "I am so ready for a nap." Is all I could think as I ate the feast in front of me. Burgers, tacos, pizza, chicken. Anything and everything laid out before us. Most of the pack comes by for lunch and dinner so it is like feeding an army of about 200 depending on who is out on pack business and not counting the scouts who travel abroad. We have 574 members total. All was going well until a mind link stopped me.
"My office 10 minutes" father's voice rings.
"Well boys I've got ta go. father calls." With that I stand up and head to his office.
Once again I find myself counting the minutes outside the solid door. 3... 2...1...
"Enter" he calls from inside the office.
"You wanted me, Father." I say as I open the door.
"Yes, bring a chair over here" I move a chair from one side of the desk to the other.
"Don't drag it! Pick it up! Show pride in all you do."
"Wow I get dad is training us but really what's it matter how I move a chair?"
"Quit your whining and do it right I want to be a good alpha you big baby!"
"Yea yea..."
"Lilly... Lilly!" Father interrupted my thoughts.
"Yes sir. Sorry, my wolf wouldn't shut up"
"Never make excuses... Now that I have your attention it is time you learn how to do the paperwork that goes along with being an alpha."
"And on that note I'm out" my wolf says and goes quiet. "Traitor!"
"Lilly are you listening?"
"Yes father let's get started."
We spent the afternoon reviewing reports from the various regions within our territory. Deciding what if any action needed taken. All around boring me to death. Around 4pm the silence was broken by my father.
"Report to Beta Carson at the training grounds."
"Yes Father." I say never happier to go to the training grounds.
"Hi ya little alpha" Beta Carson said as I came to the training grounds.
"Hay Beta Carson." I say looking around "where is everyone?"
"Just us" he responds. "Endurance training"
"What exactly does that mean?"
"You will run until you collapse. Get up and run again" he explains. "Alright ready for some fun?"
I do not believe Beta Carson and I have the same definition of the word "fun". I ran with him for miles until I fell to the ground and emptied my stomach.
"Come on little alpha you've got more in you than that lets go!"
"I can't Beta just let me die!" I say through panting breaths.
"So over dramatic." My wolf chimes in
"Shut up you!"
"I bet I can get you moving again." Beta Carson says.
"Nope I'm done." I say throwing myself on the ground in exhaustion.
"I'll be right back." Beta Carson says and disappears into the woods.
"Finally I can rest" I say
"Not so fast little alpha" breaks through my mind link as Beta Carson jumps out in wolf form.
"What are you doing Beta Carson?"
"Lets call it... Motivation!" He links and nips my hand with a wolfy grin.
"Oww! Beta Car..oww!" He nipped me again, and I stand up.
"Knock it off Bet.. Oww!"
"I'd get moving if I were you" he links and snaps his jaw at me.
"You suck" I say and he snaps at me again. I turn and start running again. "I'm going! I'm going!"
Beta Car... You know what screw it. Carson followed after me nipping at me every so often. Guiding me where he wanted me to go like a cattle dog.
Finally we ended up back home and I collapsed on a bench in the garden. A few minutes later Carson showed up grinning.
"I told you I could get you moving again."
I roll my eyes and lay down across the bench.
"I wonder how he got changed so quickly when he left his clothes in the woods?" I think.
"Isn't it obvious" my wolf responds.
"Enlighten me oh wise wolf"
"Beta Carson planned on you not wanting to Finnish and prepared for needing to shift... Brilliant really."
"Yea yea. You're a little too happy about this... I think I'd rather work with father on the paperwork."
"I just like running... Tho I wish it was me running." My wolf pouts
"We'll go for a run tomorrow. All you." That perks her up.
"Hay Lil, dinner time come on." Dalton breaks me from my wolf.
"Hay Alt.... I just want to go to bed rain check alright?"
"Yea sure... But after an "endurance run" with my uncle you need food. You go get ready for bed and I'll bring you up a plate."
"Ok Alt, what ever you say"
I pass him and head up stairs. I don't even have the energy to change. I flop onto my bed drenched in sweat and in a matter of seconds unconsciousness takes me.