Chapter 40
-Dorothy-
Training began bright and early nearly three weeks after I had woken up from my comatose state. I was rearing to begin but Ignatius and Rita both decided that I would need time to recover first before putting my b*dy through the strain of training to shift.
Every time I tried to argue this point. Ignatius would sp ook me with stories of shifters who got caught halfway through shifting and couldn’t change back
“While I would still love you even if you were trapped in a half-fury form, Ignatius teased, “I don’t think you want to spend the rest of your life looking like a wolf that walks on two legs.”
This shut me up for a while, but eventually, I grew bored and restless again and hounded Ignatius about it until he finally gave in.
Rita agreed to meet me at the mansion and Angie was going to come by a little later with Fae to begin teaching me basic combat techniques, Ignatius insisted that he would always be around to protect me so I didn’t need to throw myself into combat training. But I was insistent.
Unfortunately, Ignatius had to leave for a few days before my training began. Both him and Elliot would be setting out on diplomatic business negotiations to rally more packs to our side when the time came to face the Tally head-on.
The attacks had been going on for long enough, and people were afraid to step outside after dark for fear of a Tally attacker Jurking in the woods.
Ignatius had k*ssed me hungrily before he had left. promising to be back before I could blink. Geranium was appointed to hang around the property to keep watch and Angie had appointed both Gideon and Fae to stop by in rotation for extra protection.
I wasn’t too happy about other people my own age putting their lives on the line to protect me, but both Gideon and Far were quick to quiet me about it, saying it was an honor to be guarding the future Luna of the Bielke.
I felt vulnerable without Ignatius at my side, despite all the added protection I missed him at night when I reached across the cold sheets expecting to touch his skin only to replace nothing there. I had never been one for cuddle throughout the night but I missed it once he was gone.
I chose to distract myself from my pining, however, by focusing on the grueling training ahead of me. I awoke on the first day before the sun rose and threw on the only pair of sweatpants Ignatius owned that actually fit me.
They were still a little too long and I had my own but I preferred wearing a piece of him while I trained. To me, it was a source of comfort
Rita was waiting outside when I threw open the door. She smiled at my enthusiasm and beckoned for me to follow her. We traipsed through the garden and into the forest lining-
Rita walked for a few minutes before checking over her shoulder We kept going until the mansion was just out of view, hidden by the trees.
Rita stopped abruptly in front of me and folded her arms.
“What are we doing here?” I asked, swatting at a fly that was droning around my ear.
“It’s one thing, being in tune with your inner wolf,” she said, “but in order to shift effectively you need to be in tune with your natural surroundings as well”
I scuffed the ground with my shoe. “What does that mean?” I asked. “Do I need to hug a tree or something?”
“Not quite,” Rita said. “Now close your eyes. It’s important to still not only your b*dy but also your mind.”
Chapter 40
I did as she said and closedapy eyes. I wasn’t sure how to go about stilling my mind but I started with breathing deeply in and out. Renee was quiet inside my head, focussed only on the task at hand
“Listen to the forest around you.” Rita’s voice made me jump slightly
I calmed myself down again and got to listening Slowly, sounds began to drift into focus in the still forest, I could hear the quiet chirping of birds in the trees and the swish of wings. I heard the slight breeze rustling the leaves and the snap and c rack of small creatures mowing in the underbrush.
Flies buzzed and somewhere in the distance, water was flowing. It was peaceful in that shaded area. I could smell the damp scent of last night’s rain wating up from the ground and the fresh earthy scent of the trees
I could pick up the scent of other animals that had passed by this spot before us, I could almost see the exact pathway they walked. I felt my heart slow and my lungs expand and compress with every deep breath.
It felt as if my feet were growing roots into the earth and my b*dy was stretching taller than the trees.I didn’t know how long I had been standing there by then, but I felt as if I would be able to stand there for hours, decades even
My concentration was broken, however, when Rita’s voice cur through the tranquility, “That’s all we’ll be doing for today.”
“What my eyes flew open. I didn’t think we’d been standing there for very long but the sun was already at a different position in the sky. “Is that it?”
“Yes” Rita said calmly, turning to walk back towards the house. “You’ll have to do this every day until we move on to the next
step
“But what’s the next step?” I asked as I stumbled after her, walking on wooden legs after standing still for you long “Why
Rita spoke over her shoulder as she trudged along. “Your b*dy is still weak, Dorothy. You can’t rush this kind of thing. especially in your case.”
I groaned in exasperation, “Why does everyone insist on treating me like I’m some fragile little trinket?” I whined. I knew 1 was being childish but I was desperate to learn more
I wanted to push myself to perfection. With the Tally on our tails, I didn’t have the luxury of taking my time. I needed to be strong from the start. I needed to be ready for anything
“Because you are fragile. Rita’s voice was stern. “Pushing yourself too hard will only make you weaker in the long run. Dorothy. You don’t want to render yourself useless by overdoing it too early
“Fine,” I grumbled, dodging a gnarled tree root that looked like it had been placed there specifically to trip me up. “I just want to be able to help. When the time comes to fight. I don’t want to just be sitting around on the sidelines”
“And you won’t be,” Rita answered. “Don’t worry yourself too much over that. Your training with Angie is still to come. You’ll be ready. And what’s more, this is the Bielke Pack we have a plethora of powerful shifters ready for war.”
We walked through the garden back towards the house. I could sell the sea air wafting up from the cliffs. The sound of waves could be heard not too far away. It was such a peaceful place my home in the middle of nowhere. Now that I had it a real home, I would do anything to protect it.
Angie was waiting for us when we rounded the cottage, along with Fae who stood at her side. Fae wasn’t much taller than me. but beneath that slender frame were sinewy muscles that I could only dream of having-
I didn’t know her all that well but I happened to like Fae quite a lot. She was reserved and distant most of the tune, but there was warmth in her eyes, and she when she looked at Angie in particular, she lookes with more than just general affection. I wondered if Ange was aware of this.
Angie raned a hand as we approached. “Hello, carrot tops. Are you ready to begin your training?
“hit going
g to involve more standing very still in the woods?”
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Chapter 40
62
Angie laughed. “I see Rita’s got you taking it slow with the shifting powers. Probably for the best. After all, you’re going to need your energy for your time with us. This training will be a little more intense.”
I rolled my shoulders and lifted my chin. “I’m ready”
I wasn’t ready. Angie wasn’t lying when she said she wouldn’t be going easy on me. Between her and Fae, they had me running laps, practicing my punches, and Angie seemed to take great pleasure in throwing me over her shoulder again and again and again.
Each time I would get up, position my feet and go for a jab only to have my arm grabbed or my leg lified and I would then replace myself planted flat on my back all over again.
“F ucking hell, I wheezed after I lost my balance and face-planted so hard I was sure I got grass on my tonsils. “This is what you call training This is just a one-sided war.”
“Oh please. Angie extended a hand and heaved me to my feet. This is nothing. A hundred more falls on your as s and you’ll be improving in no time,”
*Speaking of falling” she continued. “You’re doing it wrong”
“I’m doing falling wrong? 1 grumbled, dusting grass off of my knees. “Is there a special way I’m supposed to be falling?”
“Yes,” Angie said, swiping a leg out and knocking my own legs out from under me. I tumbled to the ground again, swearing bitterly at the scrapes and bruises that were forming
“You’ve got to learn to roll into your falls,” Angie said, sitting down next to me when I refused to get up again. “Hitting the ground flat is going to cause you more injury. And you’ll take longer getting back up,”
And so I practiced falling for a while. It still hurt every time I crashed to the floor, but I could feel myself gradually getting the hang of rolling with my fall and back to my feet in one almost smooth motion.
We also practiced basic combat at which I was dismally lacking in skill. Angie danced around me, throwing punches and kicks that I could neither block nor dodge effectively.
Eventually, Angie decided to withhold her jabs and to let me do the attacking while she dodged. My punches were weak and caused me more damage than they did to her if they even connected at all.
The only time I managed to actually wind Angie was when I saw an opening and went for it, punching her directly in the left ti t like a d*rty cheater. Angie had caved and Fae lost her head laughing from where she was watching
“Coddamn carrot top that was cruel.”
“I’m sorry” Iran over to her where she was haunched on the ground. “I saw a chance, I thought I might as well take it”
“No, don’t apologize,” Angie strained, scrunching her eyes shut while Fae was still laughing maniacally behind us. “You’re at a disadvantage. You have every right to fight d*rty during a real fight.”
1 hit my l*p, but I was proud that I had finally managed some kind of small victory, even if I was fighting d*rty. Angie stood up, still cupping her chest like she was in agony. But she was smiling.
“Not bad for a nut, I must admit.”
We kept up the sparring. I wasn’t ever going to be great at it by the first day but I did feel the slightest improvement and I was getting better and dodging and sidestepping Angie’s oncoming attacks,
came to realize that my size was something of an advantage after all. I was quick, nimble, easy to miss when I moved quickly enough. Angie was strong, but her long limbs were easier to dodge when I knew how to maneuver around her.
I kept any heels up and darted around on the balls of my feet. Slowly but surely, I was getting the hang of this whole fighting thing. I was still useless at dealing out damage, but at least I was able to more or less avoid it myself.
“I think I need a break.” I huffed after a while, lying on my back and closing my eyes. My lungs were burning and every joint
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Chapter 40
in my b*dy ached like Fdjust run a marathon. Sweat had broken out on my forehead and I was desperate for an icy glass of
“Yeah, alright.” Angie said. “You look like you need it. Your face is almost the same color as your hair currently.”
“Shut up” I whined, patting my reddened face and hot cheeks. “And carrot top is not allowed. Pick another nickname thank you very much.
“Fireball. Cherry bomb. Tomato soup. They just don’t hit the same as carrot top
though
I attempted a swipe at her but my arms were leaden and dropped back to my side almost immediately. “Pick another one.”
Far strolled over to join us and rolled down into the grass alongside me. “It gets easier. I promise. You should have seen Gideon on his first day of training. He whined like a baby the whole way through. Angie landed him on his a ss so many times he ended up sitting on an ice pack for days?
Angie chuckled. “Poor guy. He was ready to quit from day one. The only reason he stayed was because he had a crush on one of the other trainees. Too bad Justin never took any interest in him.”
We were all quiet for a little. I knew Angie and Fae were letting me have a breather. I wished I could be stronger. bat b*dy was still werk. My muscles ached and my throat burned, I wondered what Ignatius was up to, and if he was okay.
I had last spoken to him through our link that morning. He and Elliot had been on their way to meet with another nearby pack to negotiate an allegiance should the Tally decide to attack!
Unfortunately for us, there were a lot of packs who would love to see the powerful Bielke fall. To them, simply letting the Tally attack would mean watching the elimination of one large threat.
However, what people didn’t seem to understand was that after taking us down, it was very unlikely that the Tally would just stop there. Taking down the Bielke would be no small feat. That power would turn their attention to others after us. No one was safe from the Tally
It was still unclear as to what exactly their intentions were, although considering the rumors of Johan’s involvement with them, it was possible that they were using his strength and status as a catalyst to push their own agenda. To Johan, attacking the Bielke would be revenge. To the Tilly, it would be domination
And then there was the sickness. The yellowy eyes and foaming mouths of the Tally attackers.
Ignatius had his suspicions as to what exactly was causing the horrific transformations. But he wouldn’t tell me exactly what his theories were until he had more evidence to prove it. I didn’t understand any of it. But I wanted to be stronger I wanted
to be ready.
I rolled myself to my feet and stretched. I lifted my arms high above my shoulders until I heard my spine creak, and I rolled my n*eck to ease the aching muscles.
Tm ready now. Let’s get started again.”
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