22

22
5:38 am.
\~~~
The fact that she seemed to be in a favoured situation and had someone dependable to look after her needs did mean the Alpha allowed her to be at ease. 

A couple of days prior, the Alpha had dispatched a woman of Psi lineage to drop off a sizable merlot-coloured box at the front of her home during the evening hours.
With Xoey's assistance, she brought the box indoors, and upon opening it, they found hefty books embellished with intricate black vines intertwined with one another. 

There were about seventeen of these books with such vines acting as locks. She had been instructed (according to the accompanying note) to commence with a certain locked book that featured a lustrous golden brown cover and also devoid of a title, without assistance from anyone.
Xoey simply helped to arrange the books on the new shelf that had been delivered a week before.

Today was the first day of her reading the book.
She had spent hours trying to find the perfect way to unlock the vines yesterday. Of course, Xoey served her refreshing drinks and wiped her sweat while hying her up like the wingman she was.
 And when she finally unlocked the vines, Xoey was already in her own room, having settled for the night.
Bellatrix had fallen asleep, relieved from knowing how to unlock the book without damaging those damn vines.
But she woke up around 4:50 am, having had a nightmare of the book missing. Seeing that the book was intact, she treated herself to some water.

She lay on the bed counting sheep but sleep refused to claim her.
No other choice but to go through the book.
 On opening it, she found it was written in a language that she didn't completely understand. It was a language spoken by werewolves in the past to prevent others from knowing what they were talking about. It was rumoured that all Alphas and their subordinates, including the pack elders, are fluent in this language and very important meetings are even held in this language.

In her case, she was friends with the Alpha's daughter in her former pack, Liliana. The latter had shown a book similar to this one to her when she was younger and even taught her the basics of that language.
But now, what she was seeing was a very advanced version.

She decided to just gaze at the drawings and try to make head or tail out of them.
 As she turned to the final page, a small piece of paper caught her eye, prompting her to pick it up and read its content.
It told her that unlocking the other 16 vine-locked books was a waste of time since she wouldn't be able to understand a word in them. It was also necessary for her to re-lock the vines of this book in her grasp and keep it safe. Someone would come to get them in a few days.

At that juncture, Bellatrix itched to unleash a loud torrent of curses at the Alpha but at the crucial moment, her right hand instinctively clamped over her mouth, muffling her outburst. 
'The walls have ears' she reminded herself.
In spite of the deep frustration she felt, there was no avenue to outlet her grievances, hence, she decided to stash the book under her bed, viewing it as a subtle act of vengeance.
This book was priceless to noble werewolves and here she was keeping it under her bed. If they heard of it, they would indeed foam at the mouth.

As she teetered on the cusp of flaking out, feeling avenged, sharp and repeated raps on the door interrupted her just before she could imaginarily say a 'Yes, I do' to comforting pull of slumber.
 She groggily got off the bed and shuffled over to the door, muttering under her breath.
Soon she opened it, ending the incessant knocks that threatened to ruin her door.

A guard stood there, expression as impassive as always. He held out an envelope, its official-looking seal catching her attention. "Breeder Bellatrix," he greeted her with a curt nod. "From the Alpha."
 Curiosity overtaking her initial confusion, she took the letter. "Thank you," she murmured, and the guard nodded again, excusing himself with a quick bow before walking away.

As soon as she closed the door, Bellatrix examined the envelope, her mind racing. It had been two weeks since the garden incident with the Luna, and since then, well... things had been expectedly peaceful, especially since Katelyn was still confined behind bars.

Breaking the seal, she unfolded the letter and began to read, her eyes widening as she processed its contents:
"To Bellatrix, chosen breeder of the Alpha. By order of the Alpha, you are invited to join training sessions at the training grounds, effective immediately. Report within thirty minutes of opening this letter. You will be instructed by Gamma Sergei."
 Bellatrix felt her stomach drop. She had heard about the training grounds. 
People of certain descent, more especially Omegas weren't allowed to enter.

But here she was, assigned a personal training session with the Gamma himself! 
The honor was staggering. 
Panic surged through her when she remembered that the letter said she had 30 minutes to report there and she was most definitely not prepared. She'd never trained formally in her life. The closest she had come to any combat training was... well, dodging Luna Katelyn's attacks.

"Xoey!" she called, her voice higher-pitched than usual. "Xoey, I need you!"
Xoey soon hurried into the room, her sulky expression turning into concern when she saw Bellatrix's pale face. "What is it, Mistress? What happened?"
 Bellatrix waved the letter at her but her hands were trembling slightly. "I... I'm supposed to go to the training grounds. In like 30 minutes. No, I have less than that now. The letter says it's mandatory, effective immediately. And the Gamma... Gamma Sergei is going to be my tutor,"

Xoey's brows shot up. "The Gamma himself? That's incredible! Congratulations!" But then, seeing Bellatrix's stricken expression, she softened. "Okay, okay, calm down. We've got less than 30 minutes, right?"
 Bellatrix nodded, taking a shaky breath. "Yes, but..."
"First, breathe," Xoey said, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to be perfect. This is just the first day. The Gamma is there to teach you, not to test you."

"But still, Xoey," Bellatrix protested. "People are going to talk, aren't they? I'll be the only one allowed in as an outsider and non-warrior. And with the Gamma himself tutoring me... people will think I'm just getting special treatment because I'm Alpha Killian's... fated mate."
 Xoey's face softened further. "They might think that, yes, but let them. You're here because you have a role in this pack, and the Alpha has clearly deemed it necessary for you to train. Focus on that, not on what others might say."
 Bellatrix nodded, letting Xoey's words steady her. There was truth in that. Alpha Killian had ordered her to be trained; she was fulfilling her mate's request. It wasn't about the rumours or what others might assume- it was about meeting the Alpha's expectations and showing that she could handle herself.

"Now," Xoey continued, "let's get you prepared. Say... do you have anything to wear that might be... well, suitable for training?"
Bellatrix's eyes widened. "Suitable for training? I barely have anything that would work for that! I don't own any warrior's gear, and I doubt the dresses I have will hold up under... combat conditions."
 "Not to worry, my lady," Xoey grinned, "I may have anticipated a moment like this." She hurried to the wardrobe and pulled out a pair of durable-looking leggings and a loose shirt, things Bellatrix hadn't even realized were there.

"Where did those come from?" Bellatrix asked, completely shocked.
 Xoey shrugged. "I may have made a few requests here and there, just in case." She winked. "Now, get changed, and we'll make sure you're ready for whatever they throw at you."
Bellatrix almost cried in relief. Xoey must have been sent by the heavens!
 With a mixture of relief and nerves, Bellatrix slipped into the outfit. The leggings fit snugly but allowed her full range of movement, and the shirt was comfortable, not too tight or too loose. 

When she glanced at herself in the mirror, she hardly recognized the woman staring back-she looked like she could almost pass for a trainee.
 Once dressed, Xoey took Bellatrix's hands in hers and looked her in the eyes. "Remember, the Alpha wouldn't have arranged this if he didn't think you could handle it. And you're stronger than you think. Show them that."
 Bellatrix took a deep breath, Xoey's words giving her a fresh feeling of determination. "You're right. I can do this."
"Good," Xoey smiled, giving her a little push toward the door. "Now, go before you're late."
As Bellatrix hurried out towards the training grounds, her heart raced with a mix of excitement and anxiety. 

She could already see a few people casting curious glances her way, whispering to each other as she passed. She could practically feel their eyes following her as their gossiping voices grew louder.
 She could imagine what they were saying- how she didn't belong there, how it was absurd for someone of her status to be trained alongside warriors. 
 And, undoubtedly, many would say she was only there because she was going to carry the Alpha's future child, that her position was a mere privilege of being Killian's breeder.
 But she pushed those thoughts aside as she finally reached the training grounds. 
The large, open area was filled with pack members engaged in various forms of training- sparring, weightlifting, endurance drills and more.

A few turned to look at her and their expressions zoomed from shock to outright jealousy.
And then she spotted Gamma Sergei, standing off to the side with his arms crossed, watching her approach. He was a tall, imposing, well-knit figure with a calm but intense demeanour, his eyes sharp as they assessed her. Bellatrix swallowed, steeling herself as she walked up to him.
"Breeder Bellatrix," he greeted her with a respectful nod, though his tone was cool and professional. "You're on time. That's a good start."
She offered a tentative smile, "T-thank you, Gamma."

"Today, we'll start with the basics," he continued, his tone brisk. "Since you're new to this, I'll be going through a few fundamental drills to get a sense of where you're at. Understood?"
Bellatrix nodded, forcing herself to stay calm. "Understood."
"I'm assuming you didn't get to eat before coming here?" he asked.
"Yeah," she replied with a nod.

"Then you need to eat something before you start," he said before calling a teen over.
"You called Gamma," the teen with a shaved head said with head slightly bowed.
"Get her some light meals. She can't train on an empty stomach,"
"Yes, Gamma." he nodded and then gave a respectful bow at the breeder before running off.
Soon Bellatrix was wolfing down the food.

Honestly, it was plain porridge and some simple side dishes but it was better than nothing. She wasn't sure if she'd last an hour of training on an empty stomach. 
 Still, she wondered how long she would be training today and if there would be afternoon breaks and snacks. She heard that those who planned to enter the training hall could train from morning till evening. But... she was just a beginner, surely the Gamma wouldn't let her suffer to that extent.
Hopefully...

The training began with simple exercises- stretches, warm-ups, things to get her body accustomed to movement. Though she had expected it to be intense, she found herself surprisingly able to keep up, following Sergei's instructions with as much focus as she could muster. 
She was very determined not to embarrass herself, to prove that she wasn't just some privileged guest.

As the session went on, Sergei led her through a few basic defensive manoeuvres, showing her how to block and counter different attacks. 
 He demonstrated each move with precision, his movements fluid and controlled, and she did her best to mimic them. It was harder than it looked, but with every correction he offered, she felt herself getting a little better, a little more confident.
"Good," he commented at one point, his tone carrying a hint of approval. "You're a quick learner. You catch on faster than most."
Bellatrix felt a flush of pride at the compliment, even though she knew she still had a long way to go. She continued to follow his instructions, her focus sharpening with each move. 

The other pack members watched her with a mix of interest and surprise, clearly not expecting her to perform so well.
In the afternoon, the Gamma stopped instructing her, declaring a break at 2 pm. Though weary, she was very thankful and crashed to the ground, forgetting about elegance.
 Quite a number of those on the training grounds left but there were a few left. Some were those who wanted to enter the training hall by all means, the others simply stayed back, having the desire to watch the Breeder's training to the end.

By the Gamma's orders, one of the onlookers brought Bellatrix a bottle of water which she guzzled like it would disappear if she didn't finish it on time.
 Letting out a relieved sigh, she thanked the young lady who had brought her the water, a tired smile gracing her lips but the latter simply walked away after handing her another bottle of water and a snack.

"Go, have a rest. The better part of today's session will begin around 4 pm. Make some friends if you can," The Gamma said before walking away with his phone pressed to his left ear.
 Bellatrix remained seated on the ground, feeling too drained to eat but her grumbling stomach and the merciless sun made her rise to her feet to seek refuge in one of the shelters provided for shade in the training ground.

There were a few people there but they left upon seeing her come close. Only one remained on the bench but the shredded redhead distanced herself from Bellatrix like she was some sort of plague.
Bellatrix didn't mind it. She would just stay here until the Gamma returns.