Chapter 11

The training grounds look like a gym.

There were a few attractions like hurdles and sit-ups. It wasn’t a typical training ground where we are going to train outside. There’s an apartment-like house near the low-lying grasses. Inside the building, there were gym types of equipment like stationary bikes and things I don’t know the name of. I wasn’t going to the gym even before. Running and walking was the only exercise that I know.

I didn’t care about how our training would be. Walking our way here was more of a training than a warm-up. If Angelo described it as a warm-up, I’m afraid that the training would be vigorous.

The last time I count the number of young peers in here, we were eleven. I lost count when I answered the registration form. I don’t know how things work in this place. But it’s a similar process to what humans do.

Unlike the classroom in the community school, this place was full of people chattering. They have their own group of friends. I wonder if Angelo has any friends aside from me. He’s good at socializing, but he doesn’t trust others easily.

My hunch was right. A tall guy and girl approached. There were insanely tall like Gelo. My height could only reach their shoulders. I’m jealous of their genes.

“Gelo, who’s the girl with you?” the giant girl asked. She’s huge but I could see in her face that we’re the same age. Or she’s a year older than me. Her ponytailed hair was bouncy like her body.

“Catherine. Our neighbor. She’s going to train with me.”

The guy sniffed. “Half-blood.” These werewolves were powerful. They easily know my identity by just smelling me. I wish I wasn’t smelling sweat.

“Who are they?” I asked. I should know because these guys are creeping me out. It looked like Angelo was trusting them, and they were friends.

“They are Stacey and Skip. They’re the same age as mine, also training in this place.” Angelo averted his gaze back to his other friends. “This is Catherine, our neighbor. Half-blood.”

This place couldn’t handle secrets. If strangers could guess what am I, then there’s no point in hiding them.

Stacey locked her jaw. “I thought half-blood aren’t allowed in this town.”

“I wasn’t living in this town before. We moved.” I guessed not telling them about the death of my parents would mean privacy. They shouldn’t know more things about me. And it’s making me feel uncomfortable to tell them everything.

“Beta or Omega. I bet you’re not an Alpha’s son or daughter.” Skip smirked at me.

I can’t answer the question I don’t know if the other half of my parents is an omega or beta.

“Omega,” Gelo answered. He’s more familiar with the werewolf terminologies. It made sense that he was the one answering the terms for me.

“I lived as a human. I’m not an educated werewolf.”

The two nodded their heads. Skip talked, “And that’s the reason why you’re here? Embracing your identity.”

And finding the werewolves who killed Mom and Dad. My family lived here before. I don’t know the history and such. But they didn’t make any connections with our neighbors back then. It just means that they are only connected to the werewolves who lived in this town. One of them was the reason why they are killed.

“Yeah… And there’s more to it.” They blinked. “To defend me from other werewolves.”

“She’s been kidnapped by our teachers in the community school,” Angelo added. Thank you, Gelo, for saving my bad communication skills.

“That’s the reason why I would rather commute for thirty to an hour rather than to stay with those wicked teachers,” Stacey said, rolling her eyes. So, she wasn’t attending the community school of Dusk and Dawn. I bet Skip wasn’t as well. Though there are more than a hundred students in the school, I knew I haven’t had a glimpse of him.

“Yeah, right. Why don’t you and her join us, Gelo?” Skip asked.

“Too far from where our house is. Besides, I don’t have or don’t know how to drive a car.” Angelo smiled at his friends. If the school outside this town was safer, I would like to try it. My brothers would surely bring me there. But a new school means a new environment. I had Gelo as my friend, Gwen, and Aki as my colleagues. I bet I wouldn’t become friends with Stacey and Skip if I move into their school. I’ll stay and take care of myself.

“Head up, wolves!” A man with short—almost bald hair had spoken. He was wearing thick makeup on his face, a tattoo on his arms. I wasn’t sure if he’s a queer or not.

He has dark brown skin and his hair was half blonde and half black. He looked serious but approachable. I wasn’t sure if he’s a queer or not.

“Chaz, the trainer, likes both boys and girls,” Skip whispered before he stepped towards Chaz.

“Thank you for the information,” I said hastily though I thought he doesn’t hear me.

Angelo glanced at me. With facial messages, we signaled each other to move.

“Form a five-column line!” he ordered. He’s like the dance teacher we had in fifth grade. I wasn’t dancing—I was forced to take that class for Physical Education and Health.

Along with Gelo, Stacey, Skip, and another boy who’s younger than us, I fall in line in the third row. Chaz roamed his eyes around checking for imperfections.

“Anyone who left, Kaz?” He glared at the boy in the center of the front row. The boy was tall, handsome, and white.

“Yesha stayed for three weeks. Tim stayed for a week. Fan stayed for a year.”

“Weak wolves,” Chaz muttered. “Especially that woman named Fan. She’s been performing well since the day she arrived I wonder what her petty reason was.”

I wasn’t scared of him. I was tense whenever he was talking. He sounded like a strict teacher during elementary. Yet I like the way he speaks. It’s clear and bold.

“Are there new ones?” he asked Kaz again. Kaz would probably be his favorite among any of us. I guessed his age was in the early twenties. Another thing Chaz might like about him was his attractive face.

“Only one. He’s with Angelo. Catherine has a half-blood scent.”

Did Angelo tell him earlier or did he notice as I entered? Kaz was a genius. That must be the reason why he was chosen as the leader of this class.

“Raise your hand, Catherine.” I shyly rose my hand. “So that’s you.” He smirked and judged me with his looks. I knew I looked like a petty teenager who wasn’t physically active. I would be the loser when we have a running activity right now.

“I hope you’ll stay. First, introduce yourself and your reason for joining this training.”

Everyone looked at me. The worst feeling of it. Judgmental looks, surprised looks, and a proud look from Gelo. I walked to the front, avoiding everyone’s gaze.

“I am Catherine Devont. I just discovered that I’m a half-blood werewolf.”

Chaz didn’t ask for more. He told me to go back to my place. I don’t have anything to tell them. I don’t have any idea about my system as a half-blood werewolf. That thought remained in my mind.

“Everyone knows except for Cath.” When Chaz said my nickname, my eyes bulged. He guessed it right. I loved that he didn’t call me Cathy. “That we have two parts in this training. Physical and Emotional. Does anyone still remember why we’re training both the physical and emotional aspects of us?”

For the first three seconds, the room was silent. Then Gelo raised his hand. That’s right! My neighbor wasn’t just kind, he’s smart as well. “We train physically to condition our body on fighting and heavy workloads. On the other hand, we train our emotional state because we don’t want anger or any other strong emotions to trigger our inner wolf.”

“Perfect.” Chaz clapped his hands. “Sit on the ground. And you should all start meditating for an hour.”

Meditation? I’ve tried meditation before but only for five minutes and with the guide. I’ve never tried an hour of sitting in silence and focusing on my breathing. I’m bad at this.

Everyone sat on the floor, crossing their legs. Gelo placed his hands on his thigh. I copied him. Chaz instructed us to close our eyes and started breathing.

The room was ghost-quiet. Our breathing was the only noise we could hear. My breathing wasn’t synchronized with others. I’ve tried my best but meditation was the habit I wanted to incorporate in my life, but I failed for million times.

For about five minutes, I was distracted so I opened my eyes. Chaz was glaring at me. His face was scaring me to continue meditating. I have no other options. I closed my eyes and focused on breathing again. My mind was wandering around. Instead of meditating, I feel that I was daydreaming. An hour of meditation was the worst. I don’t know what would my punishment be for opening my eyes during the meditation. This is training, I reminded myself, and I would be punished after for discipline.

Chaz talked when the hour has passed. Everyone opened their eyes as if they traveled from a different dimension. I was the only one who played a movie in my mind instead of meditating.

“Everyone was successful for the first activity. I bet you’ve trained yourselves since we’re meditating every week.” Every week? I had to practice as soon as I get home. We’re going to meditate in this place every week for an hour. “Except for Catherine Devont,” he pronounced my name as if I’m going to be sent to jail. “As a punishment, you’re going to run twice the distance everyone is going to for the physical activity.”

Fuck. He might notice that I wasn’t meditating at all. I had to think positively. What if they’re only running for a mile? I think I could run twice of that.

“So for the next training. We’re going for the physical aspect of our inner wolf. Grab your pedometers.” I followed Gelo. They all go to a basket full of pedometers inside. Gelo grabbed two. One for him and the other was for me.

“Thanks.”

“Everyone…”

“You’re going to run twice,” he said, worried on me.

“Yeah. I think I can manage that.” I was expecting a half a mile or a mile run.

Chaz continued, “Your goal for today is to reach ten-thousand kilometers in your pedometer. Make sure most of it is running and only a pinch of it is walking. You may start now!”

I had to run twenty kilometers. I’ll be dead after I manage to do that.