Rise of the Queen
Chapter 8

"...lex... Alex!" She felt someone shaking her. "Hmm?" She tossed around pulling the blanket over her head.

"Wake up, Alex!" Murphy pulled the blanket off her face while Conner shouted in her ear. Startled by the impact, Alexa finally woke up from her deep sleep, "What?" She glared at them.

"Training, remember? We're late." Conner answered tapping at her wristwatch which showed 4:15 am. They were supposed to reach the training ground by 4.

Alexa groaned, this was the first good sleep she had since she came here, no nightmares no stupid dreams, finally, a night of peaceful sleep and she had to wake up so soon, she cursed the man of the cause, The mighty Alpha King, Reagan Terrel.

They had been running laps till 9 pm last night, only completing 30 laps, they had been too tired to even lift a finger but the devil insisted they continue but when even her supernatural friends complained he let them off, only on one condition that they should finish the task within 6 am, the next morning.

Alexa dragged herself off the bed and hurried to the washroom, within 15 minutes they were on the ground.

"You're half an hour late." The devil narrowed his eyes at them.

Alexa had an urge to throttle him then and there but she couldn't, she didn't have the powers to win over him, at times like this, she wished she was 'The Queen'.

Without any further ado, they ran, Murphy and Conner picked their pace and were a little ahead of Alexa, their breath hitched when their Vampire friend ran past them like the wind, slowing his speed he jogged backward, gesturing them to come and catch him.

Conner rolled her eyes, "is he trying to show off?" She pouted sulkily.

"Need some motivation?" Tyler smiled at her as he jogged alongside her, Lia too joined Murphy's side, Seeing their friends joining them on this, "Let's do this, guys!" Murphy cried with enthusiasm.

By 6 am, they lied on the ground completing their task, they rolled on the ground, welcoming the morning sunshine, laughing and giggling, giving hi-five to one another.

Alexa, Conner and Murphy, they were badly tired out, their entire body was sore, every inch of their body ached, taking support from one another, they finally managed to stand on their feet. "Oh, I'm soo tired!" Conner sighed tilting her head to rest it on her twin's shoulder, who smoothly dodged her.

"Hey!" She complained.

"Sorry sis, I'm just as tired as you," Murphy was barely managing to stand, his legs were aching like crazy.

"Here, I'll lend you mine," Tyler offered, patting on his shoulder.

"Thanks, might as well give me a piggyback ride," She reached out to him, "Very demanding," He laughed hovering on the ground.

"For real?" She blinked.

"Come," He gestured.

"Aww, thank you, you're such a sweetheart." She circled her arms around his neck, he circled his arms around her knees and hoisted her up on his back.

"I take back all the bad things I said behind your back," She giggled as she tightened her arms around him.

"Just don't strangle me." He coughed.

"Oh sorry," She apologized, loosening her grip, she smiled brightly dangling her legs, "Go, go!" She cheered as she stuck her tongue out as they passed by her twin brother.

"Yeah, yeah, lucky you," Murphy heaved a deep sigh.

"Aww, don't cry, murphy, here I'll lend you my shoulders," Lia gestured to Murphy.

"Who is crying?" Murphy narrowed his eyes at her as he pouted sulkily, "and thank you but no thank you, I'll decline your kind offer, I don't think Kevin would like the idea and I don't want to face him just after this hellish training, so I think I'll pass," He shook his head.

"Do I care about that?" She rolled her eyes, "Hell no!" She made a face and moved to Alex, "I'll help Alex," She smiled as she offered her hand to her best friend, Alexa slapped it away and walked past them.

***

"Argh!" Alexa shouted in frustration as she hit her fist against the large tree, "that man! How I wish it was his face that I was punching," She rolled her eyes, heaving a deep sigh she slid down and rested her back against the tree.

After a few hours of wandering into the woods, when she returned to her room she found Conner lying on a massage chair and Murphy, who was sitting on her bed putting on ointment on his wound.

Noticing her, Conner smiled, "Come, Alex, try this, it's really good," She gestured.

Alexa rolled her eyes, without a word, she moved to her wardrobe.

There was a knock on the door, "yes?" Conner answered.

A boy of around 6 years, slowly peeked in, lowering his grey eyes, he mumbled in a soft voice, "what?" Conner raised her brows not understanding a word he spoke.

"Alpha....ground...hour." He fumbled on his words.

Unable to withstand, another boy pushed him aside and entered the room, this boy was taller than the other boy, he stood in front of them with an air of confidence surrounding him, "Be at the training ground, half an hour from now, Alpha's orders," He announced, before they could answer him, he turned his back and walked out of the room, dragging the other boy along with him. Conner and Murphy blinked at each other. They were startled by the noise as Alexa banged the door of her wardrobe, "Don't you guys have your own room?" She shouted as she grabbed her towel from the drawer. "Alex?" Murphy got up from the chair.

"Can you guys please leave?" Alexa shouted again, Conner tried to speak but without giving another look Alexa entered the bathroom closing the door with a loud bang.

Conner and Murphy stared at each other in silence, heaving a sigh, they quietly left the room.

***

After an hour, they reached the ground as instructed, when they reached the ground, they suddenly felt a gush of wind, Conner was almost knocked out when a strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her away, "watch it," he whispered. Looking up she was greeted by her blue-eyed werewolf friend, "Tyler," She whispered.

"Dude," Murphy stared in awe, "Just look at their speed, compared to them, we're a tortoise," Murphy clicked his tongue as he watched a few men, circling the ground.

"Don't worry," Tyler smiled releasing Conner, shifting his gaze at Murphy he patted his back, "with the training you're going, you'll soon be a hare."

"Hmm, yeah, if we stayed alive through the hellish training, that is." Murphy shook his head.

"Sorry about the troubles you're going through," Reagan approached them, "Time is one luxury we don't have," He shook his head as he looked at them apologetically.

"You don't have to be sorry," Murphy shook his head, "We heard about the nearby village getting attacked. They've gotten closer and you're doing this for us so that we'll be able to help ourselves," Murphy smiled at him, "And trust me, we've had it worse, mom used to torture us in the name of training."

"Don't remind me of that," Conner suddenly got goosebumps all over her body, reminiscing the past, she shook her head.

"But who knew that training will come in handy." Murphy looked at his twin, "As kids, we used to laugh it off when our parents talked about Vampires and werewolves and weird hobbies of theirs."

"Yeah who thought we'll actually get to meet them," Conner grinned as she started fawning over Reagan again.

Tyler cleared his throat, gaining her attention.

"What?" She blinked at him.

"Nothing," he shook his head as he heaved a deep sigh, he then shifted his gaze at Reagan who gave an awkward smile and excused himself.

***

Alexa had come searching for her friends, she regretted her rude act, "I shouldn't be taking out on something that I am unable to control, this life, this identity, this truth, this town, none of this is their fault, moreover they've been caught up here because of me," she heaved a sigh as her eyes searched for the familiar faces, spotting them, she smiled, "there they are," She was about to go but she stopped when her eyes caught the sight of the Alpha King, suddenly something snapped inside her, clenching her fist in anger she turned to leave.

*"Alex,"*

She stopped in her tracks, she turned around, "Who?" She frowned as the voice called her name again but there was no one around her, *"Come, "* It whispered in an eerie voice.

Frowning, her eyes frantically searched for the source of the voice but no one was near, she shook her head, "Am I hallucinating now?" She heaved a deep sigh.

The voice called her again, and she blanked out, her vision became blurry, *"Come to me,"* it whispered. Her legs moved on their own as she mindlessly followed the sound into a narrow path leading into the woods. Her vision blurred and soon a dark tunnel surrounded her and something came at her at a full speed.

"Alex!" she felt a hand on her shoulder, she screamed, dropping to the ground.

"Alex, hey!" Reagan squatted down and peered into her face, "It's me, it's okay," He slowly reached out his hand patting her back.

Slowly raising her head, she met his eyes, tears filled eyes, she released her breath as she saw the familiar face, a sense of relief washed over her, "What's wrong?" He cupped her face, "That..." She pointed in the direction where the voice had been calling her from.

"Yes?" He asked as he wiped her tears.

"There..."

"Yes? What's there?" He looked on, waiting for her to answer.

"I... there..." She trembled as the eerie voice haunted her again, "NO!" She closed her ears shut.

"Alex?" Reagan looked at her with a worried expression.

"No," She shook her head, He immediately pulled her into a hug, "Shh... calm down...It's okay. I'm here," He rubbed her back, "you're going to be fine," He stroked his fingers through her hair, and like magic, she relaxed against him. He gave her a sense of relief, she felt safe, she slowly closed her eyes as she clutched onto his shirt.

"It's okay, you're safe," he whispered as he kissed her head.

"Alex! Alex!" Few voices reverberated in the woods, her friends reached the place, they relaxed when they spotted her with Reagan, hearing the familiar voices she slowly opened her eyes, her eyes met his, "Are you okay?" He asked her, snapping back to reality, she blinked at him, realizing their position, she immediately pushed him away and stood up on her feet.

"What happened? We heard you scream," Lia moved forward, looking at her with concern.

"Nothing." She pushed her and ran away.

"Alex, wait!" Conner and Murphy ran after her.

"I'll go after them," Kevin nodded at Reagan and followed them.

"What happened?" Tyler asked.

Reagan stood up as he dusted his clothes, his ears then picked up something, narrowing his eyes at a distance, he muttered, "Something is after her."