The sun had barely taken its place in the morning sky when Rinc poured a cup of coffee. The warmth hit his tongue as he sipped and stared out the window at the glorious mountains in his backyard. The view seemed so much more meaningful now that he had someone to experience it with; a mate that would make even the most beautiful sunrises better. Today was the beginning of a new life for him as he would begin training Lacee, and she would soon not only completely awaken her wolf but also know the full mate bond that was inside of her as well.
A smile crossed his face as he thought about her and the bond they would share for eternity. He couldn't wait to share it with her, but for now, he would have to settle on sharing a cup of coffee with her instead. Rinc drank his coffee black, but how did his mate prefer hers? He had so much to learn about the mysterious woman.
"Are you making your princess breakfast in bed?" Victoria walked into the room and stretched her arms out.
"If only I knew how she likes her coffee?" Rinc shrugged.
"Add lots of cream and sugar." Victoria sat down at the stool near him. "Most girls love that stuff."
"You drink your coffee black." He said as he poured the female a cup.
"Well, I'm not most girls." She took the cup from him and he couldn't help but sense something sad in her.
"Victoria, are you sure you are up for this," Rinc asked. "Are you sure there are no hard feelings?"
"Alpha, I've told you, I know my father went against pack laws, more than once. I loved him, but he wasn't a good guy. You did what you had to do, and I don't blame the girl for my father's actions." She took a drink of her black coffee and then continued. "Besides, you know me. We are friends. You know that I put the pack first and I honor you, as my Alpha. If you say she needs to awaken her wolf, then I will do my part to wake that bitch up." She grinned.
Rinc needed Victoria, she was one the most skilled fighters he had. She was the fastest in the pack and she was very intelligent, a trait he valued when he needed advice. The fact that she was a female was a bonus, he hoped that she could help Lacee in ways he couldn't. Victoria was also his best trainer in the pack. She trained the youth in his pack to mature their wolves as they age, and she helped him prepare his members when war was coming. He'd need her now more than ever.
Of course, the fact that he'd killed her father in that barn just days before worried him. Walt may have broken the pack laws and been a menace in the pack for years, but he was still her father and wolves had a tendency to hold grudges when it came to their kin. To make matters worse, the fight with Walt had started over what he'd done to Lacee, and what he was planning to do before the Alpha showed up.
"My head is pounding." Beta Daron entered the room, his fingers rubbing his temples as he sat down next to Victoria and laid his head on the kitchen counter. "Why did we have to start so early this morning?"
"Rough night?" Victoria taunted him. "Would you like me to grab you a beer?"
"Shut up," Daron mumbled into the counter.
"Where's your princess?" Victoria asked Rinc. "Does she get to get her beauty sleep while we all wait?"
"Good morning." Lacee walked into the kitchen, eyeing Victoria as she passed her and stood next to him.
Rinc had felt her getting near through the bond. Her golden hair was pulled up into a high ponytail and she was wearing tight workout clothes that looked like she was heading to yoga, not the woods.
"Thanks for the clothes," Lacee said as she looked over at Victoria.
When Rinc asked the female to go shopping for some things for Lacee, he didn't expect her to buy hot pink tights and a matching tiny sports bra for Lacee to wear for training that day, but the sight was sexy, and Victoria looked more surprised than amused at her own antics results. Lacee filled the clothes out perfectly, leaving Victoria speechless.
"Let's go." Rinc motioned to them. "We should get started."
"After you, Barbie," Victoria said to Lacee as she held the door open.
Rinc sighed and gave the female a raised brow, but Victoria just grinned and headed outside. The daylight was beginning to brighten the sky, but the woods were still pretty dark.
"I thought werewolves only roam at night and do everything under full moons?" Lacee asked.
"What movie did you learn that from?" Victoria rolled her eyes.
"We are stronger under the moon, especially a full moon, but we don't need it to turn or train. We're not limited to the moon." Rinc explained.
"Also, the whole silver bullets thing is bullshit." Daron joined in. "We can be killed the same as humans, except we heal faster and can survive things they wouldn't because of our healing and the healers we have."
"Healers?" She asked.
"That's a conversation for another time," Rinc told her. "You have a lot to learn, but we will get to all. For now, we're going to start slow, with a run. Wolves love to run the woods. Hopefully running with us, your pack, in the woods, it will draw out your wolf some."
"So, we're just going for a jog in the woods?" Lacee questioned.
"Running with other wolves is different than any jog you've ever had, trust me," Victoria said. "Don't feel bad if you can't keep up. I'll try to go slow for you."
Victoria took off in a slow jog towards the woods. The Beta followed behind her.
"We're going to go straight up the forest. There's a trail that leads up the mountain to a training area. Take your time. We don't expect you to run like us, you've not been raised roaming woods like us wolves. Just be careful and go at your own pace."
"Sure. Don't leave me behind." Lacee said with a smile.
"Come on, I won't leave you behind, ever," Rinc promised.
Lacee nodded and then began jogging after them. Rinc stayed directly behind her for a minute, admiring her ass as it bounced before his eyes. When they reached the tree, they found the trail and started up the mountain. Suddenly, Lacee took off in a full sprint.
To his surprise, he passed up Daron and Victoria and disappeared out of his sight as the trail went further into the woods.
"She's fast." His Beta said.
"She's just showing off," Victoria told them. "She'll tire out before she even gets halfway up the trail. She'll never make it up there before us."
"Let's find out." Rinc pushed further up the trail, following her scent further and further up.
After they reached the halfway point of the trail, they stopped to catch their breath. He was amazed to see that Lacee hadn't stopped yet and was still going up the mountain.
"We need to go faster," Victoria said before darting off into the woods.
"I'm too hungover for this shit." Daron bent over like he was going to be sick, but the moment Rinc took off, his Beta followed close behind.
After running up the mountain for fifteen minutes, they finally reached the end of the trail. Lacee stood, leaning against a huge bolder, seeming barely winded.
"Where's the rest of the trail?" She said mockingly, as though she was ready for more.
"Damn, Barbie made it up faster than you." Beta Daron told Victoria, but before the female could rebut, the Beta hurried over to a bush and began puking.
"How?" Rinc asked as he looked over his future mate.
"Just because I didn't have a pack, doesn't mean I didn't have a love for running my whole life," Lacee said.
Rinc smiled at the beautiful female. The sweat on her skin gave off the most delicious scent and he fought the urge to go lick it from her flesh. Lacee was more than she appeared. She was rare, full of mystery and wonder, but he wanted to learn everything she was hiding, even the surprises she was yet to discover herself.
One thing was for sure, he had underestimated her, but he never would again.