I was pulled from sleep at the ungodly hour of five a.m. by a loud pounding at my door. I groaned and rolled over to ignore the noise. A few moments later, my comforter was being ripped off my body and I let out a small squeal of surprise.
"What the hell?" I screamed.
"Get up! Its time to train," Valen responded while averting his eyes.
I glanced own and realized I had only slept in my bra and panties. I quickly pulled the comforter back over me and my whole body flushed in embarrassment.
"I'll give you five minutes. Meet me at the bottom of the stairs when you're dressed," he told me as he was already walking out the door.
I quickly jumped up and ran to my closet where I exchanged my lace bra for a sports bra and light tank, then threw some shorts over my bottom. I laced up my shoes and threw my hair in a haphazard ponytail before jogging down the stairs. Valen was waiting at the bottom and he glanced up at me with relief to see that I was dressed.
"Where are we going?" I asked as we walked down the hallway to the front doors.
"We're going to run the perimeter of the forest, half in human form and half in wolf form," he explained to me. Sienna pranced around my head with glee. She was so excited to finally be let out.
"Then," he continued, "we'll head over to the training gym to see what you can do."
I smiled at that. It was just what I needed to center myself again.
After a short walk, we were standing at the edge of a huge forest. It stretched out for miles on either side of me.
"This is all DarkBlood's land?" I asked.
"Yes," Valen responded. "We've been here for generations, so we've acquired more over time. Its nice to have a lot of space to roam." I shook my head in agreement.
"Alright, we'll start here in our human form. We'll run north into the woods for three miles, then stop and change into wolf form. Can you handle that?" I quirked my brow at his sarcastic smile.
"I think the question is, can you?" I fired back. He surprised me by chuckling before taking off into the woods with incredible speed.
"No fair!" I called out as I quickly ran to catch up to him. Once I did, he slowed his pace slightly so we could run the distance comfortably.
I looked around and took in my surroundings. Breathing in, IÂ smelled the wet moss of the forest floor and listened to the silence that was only broken by our ragged breathing. I looked up and enjoyed the view of the pine trees towering over me like large, dark protectors. I felt safe here in these woods. Before I knew it, we were stopping by a small stream.
"Is this where we'll shift into wolves?" I asked. Valen nodded his head and held out a canteen for me to drink from. I took it eagerly and relished the feeling of the cold water flowing down my throat.
"You can change behind those bushes," he said while pointing to them. "Just leave your clothes hanging from the branches and we'll grab them on the way back."
I nodded my head and made my way over to them. I peeked back to make sure I was securely hidden before stripping down.
I took a deep breath in through my nose as my bones began to crack and rearrange. When I opened my eyes again I could see everything the forest had to offer with more clarity. The darkness was no longer a problem for my wolf eyes.
My ears twitched as I heard a a twig snap behind me. I came out from behind the bushes and was met with a large, midnight black wolf with gleaming red eyes. I instantly recognized him as Valen.
I could see him sizing me up and his wolf was appreciating the sight of Sienna in her true form. It was hard not to. She was a beautiful snow white wolf with tan tips on her ears and tail. Her golden eyes glowed back at him with mischief, and she paraded around in front of him before flicking his nose with her tail.
"What are you doing?!" I shouted at her. "You don't know his wolf yet, he could kill you for that!"
"Don't spoil my fun," she scolded me. "Besides, he clearly enjoyed it."
I looked back and realized she was right. The wolf's eyes had turned almost black, but they changed back to red quickly. He huffed and jumped over the small stream, before looking back at me to signal he was waiting. I leaned forward on my powerful legs and cleared the stream with one leap. I landed next to Valen and he sniffed his approval before taking off again into the woods. Sienna was ecstatic in my mind as she raced to catch him.
Far sooner than I would have preferred, we were turning back in the direction of the stream to head home. It was the first time in awhile Sienna had been out to run, since I had been busy preparing for graduation back home.
The thought sent a small pang of hurt to my chest. I couldn't really call it home anymore, but I wasn't ready to give this place the title either.
As we arrived at the stream, Valen leaned down to take a long drink. I followed suit before rushing straight through it, splashing him in the process. He leapt back in surprise and let out a warning growl. I huffed a barky laugh at him through my nose and continued to the other side.
Suddenly, I was pinned down on the ground with Valen playfully nipping at my ears and neck. I rolled him off me and nipped back and before I realized it, we were running in circles trying to catch each other.
Finally, I slumped down in exhaustion. I was panting hard, but Sienna was satisfied and beaming with happiness in the back of my mind. Valen nudged me with his nose in the direction of the bushes where I left my clothes. I took the hint and went over and shifted back, before pulling my clothes back on.
I came out from around the bushes and was stretching my legs, when Valen waltzed out from behind a tree. I turned to say something to him, but my breath caught in my throat.
He was shirtless, with his shorts hanging dangerously low on his hips. My eyes roamed over his toned stomach muscles, up and over his defined pecks, before running back down his well built arms. I swallowed and spun back around. I hoped he didn't see me checking him out. I heard him chuckle.
"That was a good run," he told me. "Usually our top trained warriors are the only ones who make it all the way through, but you barely broke a sweat." I turned back to face him.
"I did extra workouts to keep up my muscles and stamina. I had something to prove, ya know," I said while staring at the ground. He stepped toward me and my heart started beating erratically.
"You still do."
The coldness in his voice shocked me enough to look up at him. His playfulness from earlier had left his face, leaving his signature icy stare in it's place.
I just nodded and turned to walk back out of the forest with him on my heels. I was so confused. How could he had been so playful and carefree just minutes ago? He changed moods faster than anyone I'd ever known.
"What's your wolf's name?" he asked after a period of silence.
"Sienna," I said. "Can I ask what yours is?"
"Orion," he simply stated.
"Orion," I repeated, while feeling the name on my tongue. "I like it. It suits him." The rest of the walk back was silent.
A while later we arrived in front of a grey stone building with small windows and a large iron door. "This is where you train?" I asked.
"Of course. We have state of the art equipment inside and plenty of room for anyone who wants to be here at anytime. What, is it not to your liking?" He asked me with attitude. I rolled my eyes at him.
"Its fine, just different than what I'm used to."
He said nothing as he pulled the door open for me. We entered the building and I was amazed, once again. He wasn't kidding. The place was huge and all of the equipment in it looked brand new even though it had been well used by the pack. He led me over to a boxing ring near the back of the building.
"Okay, today we'll just do hand to hand. I'm going to focus more on seeing what you know, rather than training you today. That way when we begin tomorrow I'll know what area you'll need help in."
I rolled my eyes again and stepped up into the ring. He followed suit and faced me on the opposite side. "Begin," he commanded.
I crouched into my defensive stance and watched as he did the same. He had his right leg forward and both knees bent, with his hands clenched into fists in front of him. I watched his eyes as I waited for his attack.
"Ah, I see you won't strike first. Smart. A good way to read your opponent," he complimented me. I said nothing and continued analyzing him.
I saw his eyes dart to my right and I knew that's where his first hit would be. With amazing speed, he sent a fist flying from the right, aiming directly at me. I barely managed to dodge it, but he was quick. He shot out his left fist and landed a hard punch to my rib cage. The breath left my lungs and I staggered for a moment before regaining my footing.
Okay, now I was mad. Maybe I had let my top student title go to my head.
I looked back to Valen and he was smirking at me. I glared and stared into his eyes for a moment, before faking a punch to his left, then slamming my right fist into his stomach. He wheezed for a moment but quickly came out of it. He snarled at me and began throwing hits my way faster than I could keep up with.
I managed to block a few before one cut through my defenses and landed square on my nose. Instantly the blood started gushing. Valen backed up from me to assess the damage. I spit some blood out of my mouth, wiped my nose, then lunged at him.
I landed a hit to his stomach again, then quickly turned and punched him in the shoulder. I stepped forward and kicked his right knee out from underneath him, but he grabbed my arm and we tumbled down to the mat together. We rolled around and wrestled each other for a bit before Valen was over me with my hands pinned above my head.
He was breathing as hard as I was and I watched as his eyes slid down my body and over my stomach muscles that had been exposed from my shirt riding up. His gaze swept lower down my legs and then made it's way up to my pinned wrists, which he was still holding.
I watched as his eyes flickered from blue to red, then to black, and back again as he battled his emotions and control. I was breathing heavily still, but I couldn't tell if it was from our rumble or from the close proximity of our bodies.
There was no more denying it.
I was attracted to him physically, but his constant mood swings and sarcastic attitude kept me from trying to throw myself at him. My heart was beating rapidly and my stomach was turning in uncomfortable knots, so I cleared my throat while I pointedly looked at my wrists. He snapped his eyes to my face and shook his head before releasing his hold on me.
I sat up and wiped my nose again to make sure I got all the blood off of my face. My knuckles were bruised and red and I knew I'd have to ice them before tomorrow. Valen was already standing and was leaning down to offer me his hand. He pulled me up to my feet and motioned for me to follow him. We left the boxing ring and went into a small side office. It was a cramped room, with a desk, two chairs, a filing cabinet, and a computer. Valen threw me a water bottle from off the desk then grabbed one for himself before sitting down. He motioned for me to do the same.
"That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," he said while staring at me. Something about his gaze had my heart pounding and my face reddening.
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" I questioned with disbelief.
"It was a compliment. You're a good fighter. You won't have to do as much training as I thought to catch up to the rest of us. Tomorrow, you'll join class three in the morning, and you can partake in their session. They'll be excited to have some new blood on the field." He grinned.
I shot him a glare. "Class three?"
"Class three is our top tier training class. You may not have beaten me today, but you have the endurance and determination to be in the class. I expect a lot out of you," he replied.
Stunned, I sat back in my seat. Was he seriously already offering me a place in the top class? I knew I was good back in my old pack, but I didn't think I would start out at the top in this unfamiliar place. I'd heard stories of how hard they trained daily, and it showed in the fierce way they tore down any enemy in their path. I nodded my head at him.
"Thank you for the opportunity. I really look forward to it," I said with a smile on my face. He looked down at the desk and coughed. I swear I saw a slight pink creep across those porcelain cheeks of his, but it was gone before I could be sure.
"Its not a big deal," he said. "You're excused for today. Go shower up and get some breakfast, you'll be meeting with Von at eleven to start your studies."
I raised from the seat and gave him a slight bow before I exited the room and jogged out of the building.
"He's a cutie, isn't he?" Sienna questioned me.
"I mean, yeah, he's hot, but he's so up and down all the time. I'm not sure I really like that about him," I answered her.
The truth was I thought he was delectable, and that maybe he just put up the tough guy front for other people. But I wasn't going to tell that to Sienna and get her hopes up. She didn't usually like people, so I didn't want to squash any feelings she might have about him, just in case.
"Well, it doesn't matter whether you like it or not, if the Moon Goddess decides he's ours, then that's that," she huffed back at me. I just rolled my eyes at her.
I finally made it back to my room and was peeling my sweaty clothes off when there was another knock on my door. I sighed in frustration but covered up and went to answer it. The blonde girl from the night before was standing at the door.
"Can I help you?" I asked.
"Oh! Right, sorry, you probably don't know," she said while barging into my room. "My name is Aislinn, and I'm assigned to be your lady in waiting while your in the palace. Basically, I'm here to help you with anything you need and to make sure you get to the places you need to be to on time."
I was annoyed that she let herself in, but I had to admit it would be nice to have someone helping me out in this place. I nodded at her.
"Okay, well first I need to shower and eat before I meet with Von. Do you think you could find me something to wear?" Her eyes lit up at my question.
"Of course!" she shrieked. I cringed but smiled at her.
"Thanks. Well, I'll be in the shower if you need me," I told her.
I walked into my bathroom and didn't hesitate to hop right in. I had sweat up a storm from training with Valen and the warm water was soothing on my aching muscles. I took a moment to enjoy the feeling before scrubbing myself clean. I hopped out and groaned as I caught a glance of myself in the mirror.
Valen hadn't broken my nose, but it was blue and black along the ridge and under my eyes. I quickly dried and wrapped the towel around myself. I pulled out my makeup and tried unsuccessfully to cover it up. I groaned again and tossed down my makeup brush.
Whatever, I'm a warrior. Who cares if I have a few bruises?
I ran some product through my hair, swiped some mascara on my lashes and called it good. I left the bathroom to find an outfit laid out on my bed. It consisted of black skinny jeans, a strappy golden tank top made of silk, and a professional looking black suit jacket. It was a little flashy for my taste, but I couldn't deny that Aislinn knew what she was doing.
I threw the outfit on and glanced appreciatively at myself in the floor length mirror. I pulled on some plain black booties to complete the outfit just as Aislinn entered the room with a tray of breakfast food.
"I wasn't sure what you wanted, so I just grabbed a little of everything," she said. She glanced at me and smiled. "You look great, I'm glad you're wearing the outfit I picked out." I smiled back at her.
"It's beautiful, thank you. You can pick my outfits out anytime." I quickly picked up a croissant, some yogurt, and cut fruit to eat. "Do they have any coffee down there?" I asked.
"Of course. Any cream?"
"French vanilla, if you have it, please."
"I'll be right back up with it." She threw me a smile and dashed out the door while I finished my breakfast. She was back up with my coffee in a to-go cup. I smiled at her thoughtfulness.
"Could you show me to where I'm supposed to train with Von? I'm not sure where to go," I said to her. She nodded and grabbed my hand to lead me away to a large library. I took a seat at one of the tables and waited for him while I sipped my coffee.
"I think I could get used to this," Sienna told me with a sigh of content.
I simply smiled and silently agreed with her.
A few minutes later, the doors to the library creaked open and Von entered with Queen Stella behind him. I rose from my seat and bowed to them.
"Your majesties, it's nice to see you today," I told them.
"It's nice to see you, too," Queen Stella replied. "You look lovely today."
"Thank you, ma'am. But the credit needs to go to Aislinn, she picked out this outfit for today." I saw her beam with pride at my statement.
"Well, I do believe it's time we get started then," Queen Stella said while gesturing to Von. "We have an annual ball coming up in a couple week's time. Today, we're going to focus on dancing. The ball is tradition for the DarkBlood pack, as it signifies the day the first King and Queen met and fell in love."
"What day is the ball?" I asked.
"November twelfth," Von answered.
"That's my birthday. The day I turn twenty."
"Well, what a coincidence. Maybe we'll know if one of our boys is destined to you at that ball. It would be the perfect timing, after all," Queen Stella interjected with a starry look in her eyes.
"That would be....interesting," Von replied. I just shook my head in agreement as I watched him. He was wearing a simple navy blue t-shirt that hugged his muscles in all the right places, coupled with a pair of dark washed jeans. I wondered how his ass looked in them. If maybe he could just turn around....
"Well, let's get started then. What do you know about dancing?" he asked me, interrupting my thoughts.
Jeez, two minutes and I'm already perving on him. Way to make a good impression
"Uhh.. not much, really. My friend Artemis taught me a few dances that she learned for events at the pack house, but I was never in attendance," I explained.
"I can teach you the basics you'll need to know so you don't embarrass yourself. Also, if you'd like to invite Artemis to this ball, by all means, let Aislinn know so we can make the arrangements. And let her know if there's anyone else you'd like to invite as well. It's a time for celebration and anyone is welcome."
I beamed at him. "Really? Thank you so much, I'll make sure to let Aislinn know so we can get in touch with Artemis and Aunt Maddie right away."
Von sent me a soft smile. He signaled to the staff in the room to move the tables out of our way so we could have a makeshift dance floor. Queen Stella planted herself at a bench seated in front of a grand piano and opened a music book.
"This first song I'm going to play is customary for our people, and we have a dance that goes along with it. It will be the first dance of the night, so it's only fitting it's the first one we teach you," she explained.
Von stepped forward and offered me his hand. I grabbed it gently and he pulled me in close, settling one hand on the small of my back, while the other kept a tight hold on mine.
"You need to be closer, " Queen Stella instructed. Von pulled me in so close, our noses were almost touching. His warm breath was fanning my face and my heart was beating erratically.
"You know, I can hear your heart accelerate," he whispered in my ear. I shuddered. "Don't worry, I've got you. Just follow my feet and flow with the music."
Queen Stella began playing a sweet, beautiful melody on the keys and I did as Von instructed. I watched his feet and began to match my steps with his.
"Good, now we'll add in some twirls," he whispered to me again.
I felt my heart beat accelerate again and my face flushed. Von stepped back and extended his arm away from me, before pulling me back in with a flourish. I was now facing away from him, and my back was cradled gently against his front. I heard him inhale sharply.
He wrapped our conjoined arms around my front and we swayed in a small circle for a moment, before he twirled me out again. This time, I was facing him again when I came back in. His eyes were an even darker shade of blue than before and he licked his lips. I peeked down at them with interest, then looked back up at his eyes. They were almost completely black now, and I was having a hard time controlling my breathing. Von was breathtaking, and he knew what I was feeling. His eyes began to change back to their normal ocean blue as the song ended and he stepped away from me.
He gave me a smirk, but nodded.
"You did well. We can work up to the harder dances once we perfect a few things with this one. I can't guarantee who will be your partner for the first dance, but I hope its me." I flushed and looked over at Queen Stella, who was watching her son with a gentle smile.
"Thank you," I replied. "You're a great teacher. I was more nervous about this than I was training with Valen this morning."
At the mention of his brother's name, a dark cloud seemed to pass over his expression.
"You'd do well not to string anyone in this arrangement along. It wouldn't end well for you," he said in a threatening tone before leaving the library in a huff.
"I guess that's all for today. We'll see you again for dinner. I've set a time for you to go shopping tomorrow with another one of our female pack members, so you won't see us again for lessons until after that," Queen Stella informed me.
I nodded and bowed to her.
"And Indigo?" I brought my gaze to hers.
"Try not to be too hurt if one of my sons acts cold towards you. They're both under a considerable amount of stress from this arrangement, just like you are. Both of them really do wish for the best outcome. They've been waiting for their mates for three years, and sometimes feeling like it'll never happen can really crush your spirit," she said softly.
"Of course, your majesty. I'll do my best," I simply replied. She smiled one last time and left me alone to ponder this new information.
Author's Note:
Soo, what do you all think of the princes so far? Who do you think will be her mate? And who are you guys hoping to see her end up with? These chapters just keep getting longer and longer! Anyway, comment and let me know your thoughts!
Please don't forget to vote!
Xoxo
CrimsynIris