Chapter 17

Alexandra:

It was 4:30 am, and I was waiting in the field for our first training with the new warriors. Since they were brand new, we agreed it would be better to train them jointly before we had to split off to help train Mason.

It also gave Mason a chance to catch up on what he needed to and get certain things out of the way that Blaine and I couldn't do for him. I will admit that it makes me nervous at the thought of training him. I didn't want to mess up. Just because I had a natural talent to fight didn't mean I knew how to teach someone else.

"Alexandra," Avery stated, absent of emotion.

I looked up at him to see him staring off across the way. I followed his gaze to see what it was he was seeing. But, when I looked over, I don't see anything. I turned back to look at him. "What am I looking for?"

"Nothing. I just wanted you out of your thoughts. It's honestly your only weakness. Learn to ignore your thoughts and go only on instincts." He never looked over at me, but I was happy with what he told me.

I take a deep breath to calm my nerves and look across the field with him to see our new warriors walking towards us. Unlike last time they are all on time. They walk right up to us in a straight line and stop an arms distance away and wait with their arms behind their back.

Paul stood directly in the middle. He was the biggest amongst the warriors and knew that he would be the Boss in our pack. Just thinking of all the roles and positions we would have to fill to resemble an independently strong pack makes my head.

"Would you stop thinking so damn much with your link open with me! I can't get any work done with your monologue."

Oh my God. I was accidentally mindlinking Mason this whole time. "Sorry. I'm just—"

"Worried about nothing. I know. We will do what needs to be done when it needs to get done. For now, get our warriors ready. Love you and get out of my head."

That's only the second person to tell me to stop overthinking today. So I guess I have to take that seriously now. I nod to myself and look up at the warriors waiting for me.

"Raise your hand if you had Avery as a PE teacher in high school." Eight of the ten raise their hands. That will make things a lot easier.

"Good. That means you will be used to his no-nonsense approach. Although I am more approachable, I am just as brutal when it comes to training. I hope you all can survive." I stop as one of the warriors raises their hand.

"Yes..." I pause since I don't know his name. "Enzo," Avery fills in for me.

"Who are you?" He asks plainly. I just smirk at him as I tilt my head to the side. "I guess I should have started with that, huh?"

"My name is Alexandra, and I'm your Luna and one of your trainers starting from today. If you're worried about me being a female, I was a warrior for the night stalker pack before coming here. If that still doesn't convince you, Avery can also verify my credibility. Any other questions?"

I looked around at all of the faces of amazement. However, that look didn't last as Avery's voice boomed across the field. "Your Luna asked a question!"

"No, ma'am!" They all shouted in unison. So Avery already started discipline training.

I just nodded as I started to walk away. Avery followed after me, and it took a while before I heard their footsteps after us. Sadly we were going to do what I hated the most for the first part of training today: run. Sadly it was necessary since most of them hadn't trained since high school.

I stop at the edge of the start of the trees. "So, for the first month, we will have cardio training for the first 2 hours of training." The look on their faces told me that they did not have good cardio at all. "It will be one hour in human form and one in wolf form, so which form do you want first?"

They mumbled to themselves and started to conversate with each other before coming to a consensus. "We would like to run in human form first, Luna," Paul answered for the group.

"Good choice. Let's get to it. If any of you can beat me, you won't have to run in wolf form." They all seemed to perk up at the thought of skipping a running portion.

Avery looked on amused with a tiny smirk pulling at his lips. We both picked up this trick from Cassie. You give a reward as an incentive to make them push their limits. Of course, even at their limits, they still won't win, but it ensures that they get the most out of training.

The only one who didn't look like he was taking the bait was Paul. Call it just a feeling, but I thought he would give it his all anyway.

"Alright boys, let's run!"

*****

Mason:

If I had known how much paperwork was involved with being an alpha, I never would have agreed to it. Thankfully I have an amazing mate that is taking care of everything else for me so that I can catch up. There are certain things that only the alpha can do, so I need to hurry up and take care of it so my training can begin.

My mind is supposed to be on paperwork and training, but it's on Alexandra. When she was accidentally mindlinking her monologue, I couldn't help but think of those things too. There is a whole system put in place with V's pack. Everyone has their place and their role, but not here.

Alexandra is the first one I think of when it comes to this. Yes, she's the Luna. Yes, she's a badass warrior. And yes, she is even a great trainer. The only problem is I don't feel like she is completely fulfilled in any of those roles.

I've been thinking about it a lot. It's also something I wanted to talk to her about when we get the chance. "Yo, Mason, what's on your mind?"

Blaine isn't any help. He's literally shuffling a rainbow slinky between his hands instead of doing paperwork. "Alexandra."

"Of course she is. What about her?" He asks with a slight eye roll.

"Where she would fit in best in the pack," I say, looking back at my paperwork. Unlike Blaine, I could work and talk at the same time.

He placed the slinky back on his desk and leaned forward, placing his face in his hands. "Obviously as the Luna."

"I mean besides that. Although she will be a great Luna, it won't be enough for her. Also, why would we limit what she can do for our pack to just that?" I ask him with all seriousness, and he smiled back at me. "Agreed. So what should she do?"

I keep thinking and milling around in my mind, and I remember the excitement that makes her eyes light up and know exactly what it is she should do.

As if she could hear me, she knocked on the door once before coming in. "Oh my God! The training was so much better today. We honestly have wolves with amazing potential. I could see it all. Who will train in what? Their specialties. Oh, I'm so excited!" she rambled with barely a pause in between for me and Blaine to get a word in. "Oh yeah. How was paperwork? Get a lot done?"

"Some. We were just talking about you." I check to see her reaction out the corner of my eye. Honestly, she was wearing quite the poker face. I couldn't decipher what she was thinking.

"What about me?" She asks bluntly. "Where you would best fit and help the pack."

She tilted her head to the side and stared at me. She put her head back straight and opened her mouth to say something before closing it back and tilting her head to the other side.

"Think about what you're most passionate about. What excites you more than anything I've seen so far." I couldn't say anything since our relationship was still so new. There was the possibility that she would like something more than that.

She started to scratch the side of her neck as she sighed. "I honestly don't know. I'm a jack-of-all-trades type of girl. Good at everything. Master of nothing."

"I was thinking you could be pack doctor." Alexandra's mouth practically hit the floor with that statement.

"I couldn't. That takes years of schooling and practice, and I'm so behind," she started to ramble again.

I got up from my desk and walked around, embracing her but holding her arm's length away so I could look at her as I talked. "What could you really learn about werewolves in human school anyways. But, you could take classes as you do what you already know and take time once a month to go and learn first hand from Dr. Billings about our kind. I know it will take a while, but I trust you more than anyone else with the pack's health and it's something you truly love. I see how excited you get learning new things from Dr. Billings."

She stood frozen, not saying anything. I didn't think it was really a lot or much to think about. Who else would get us to where we need to be. I'm sure with her and Teddy, we would have a decent medical team.

"It would take so long. And I couldn't leave to learn from Dr. Billings, leaving you guys vulnerable here, also—" I quickly cut her off before she let her mind run wild. "You said yourself our new warriors are better and you know what to do with them. Teddy will eventually come to be with Blaine. You both can go to school and alternate going to learn from Dr. Billings. The only way I will take a no from you is if you don't want to do it. Do you want to?"

She started to nervously chew her bottom lip. "I do, but—"

"No buts. After I beat Austin, you're starting classes. So pick who you're training to replace you as a trainer."

She seemed unsure for a few seconds, but then she broke into a full-blown grin. "Yeah."

Alexandra stood up on her tiptoes and kissed me softly on the lips. "Thanks for believing in me."

"Of course. I know my mate can do anything."