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The pack hates us, my wolf says when we pass the group of five on our way to the bathroom.
We’re not too fond of them either, I remind him, hating all the members of the Dark Hunters except one girl, Esme.
I can’t wait to see the look on Blastard and Alphahole’s faces when we’re allowed to reveal our identity, my wolf cackles, holding onto the only thing that keeps us going.
I was thinking of throwing him in the dungeon with human trash for a fortnight or so, I reply, spending way too much time coming up with all the ways I’m going to make them pay. She’s too hot to be kept locked up. I wouldn’t mind punishing her in some other way...
You should stop thinking with your dick and focus on your nose instead, my wolf reprimands. There’s something different about her scent but I can’t put my finger on it.
Maybe because you don’t have any fingers, I retort, not wanting to think about the depth of what he’s insinuating.
I’ve had enough orgies in my lifetime that I’m not shy about being naked in front of others, which is good because we have zero privacy in the barrack. Even in the shower, anyone can walk in, and it doesn’t even matter whether they’re a man or a woman.
Since the Dark Hunters are the wielders of darkness, our unofficial uniform is black cargo pants and a shirt of the same color whether with long or short sleeves. Because no one here has any sense of fashion or an idea of how to combine colors, the underwear and socks assigned to us are also boringly black.
I pull the shirt over my head, then pause as I catch a glance at my torso in the mirror. While my physique was always lean, I’ve never had defined muscles. It looks like this is about to change because I can swear that I’m getting a glimpse of a six-pack. Even my biceps look twice their previous size. It must be all the exercise that Alyssa has us doing.
When I take off my pants, my thighs are all muscles. The strength in them would be visible even to a weak human eye. It makes me wonder how I’ll look once in my wolf form. Alyssa has forbidden me to change until she gives the order. That didn’t bother me as much as the fact that I’ve been dry for a month and a half. Not even a drop of alcohol or a sniff of just about anything.
During one of my first days here, Esme suggested that hot water would help me ease aching muscles and release the knots over my body. I’ve always been a fan of hot showers, but ever since I’ve landed here, I’ve brought up the heat several degrees.
“Garren?” Esme’s voice comes from the other side of the door as she tries to give me some semblance of privacy.
“Yeah?” I call back, straining my ears to hear her over the noise of the shower.
“Blaine wants us on the west side,” she replies. “It looks like we might be doing some actual training.”
“I’m coming,” I tell her and turn off the water. If I leave them waiting, the whole pack will pay, which is the last thing I want. Not because I don’t hate those assholes, but because I’m one of the pack, and I'd face the same punishment as they would.
I rub the towel over me to dry up the thickest of drops, then quickly put a clean set of clothes on even though I’m going to have to change again after training as well as probably take an even longer and hotter shower.
While the rest of the pack’s already gone, Esme’s still in the bedroom, sitting on her bed as she waits for me. Her eyes dart up when I enter, and she gives me a small smile.
“Ready?” she asks, gesturing with her head toward the door.
“Not really,” I admit, coaxing a chuckle out of her.
Her warm brown eyes lock on mine, and she winks. The fact that this little gesture is coming from someone who’s two heads lower than I am with her brown curls cut to a very short pixie cut that makes her look like a teenager instead of a woman in her mid-twenties, it’s all the more heartwarming and adorable.
She hooks her arm through mine and half guides, half pulls me toward the west side of the encampment where the training grounds are located. The east side is my absolute favorite because that’s where the cafeteria and the kitchens are, which means I get a moment to myself to rest and fuel up. It’s something that I’ve been taking for granted, but not anymore.
“Did you sleep better?” Esme asks me, starting some small talk to try to distract me from whatever torture Alyssa and Blaine have concocted for us.
“I wish,” I reply and roll my eyes. “The bed didn’t get any bigger and Tom still won’t stop snoring.”
Esme laughs when I mention my bed problem. It took me at least a week to get used to the beds here since they are a lot smaller than a royal’s bed. I’ve even fallen on the floor a couple of times, waking everyone in the barrack.
“Tom’s nose was broken so many times that it can’t even be healed back to its original position,” she says, and I wonder if he got his ass kicked by Blaine like I did. Esme gives my hand a comforting squeeze, showing me the only bit of warmth and kindness that I’ve received since I’ve stepped into this nightmare. “Don’t give up. It will get better.”
“You’re the reason I keep going,” I tell her, letting my good old charm seep through as I give her a flirtatious smile. “You’re the best thing that happened to me here. I’ve met a lot of people, but I’ve never met anyone who would treat me with so much kindness without knowing anything about me. I like you a lot more than I ever did any of my siblings.”
Esme’s smile falters when I compare her with my brothers. I’m not sure why I cockblocked myself, because I’m fairly certain that she’s interested, but the words have left my mouth before I could stop them. Now that they’re out there, I know that they’re the most honest thing I’ve ever said.
The grunting and groaning sounds reach our ears moments before we arrive at the training grounds. As suspected, we’re the last of the pack, but at least we’re not late. I hope.
“Nice of you two to join us,” Blaine says when he spots us. “Get in line.”
We don’t need to be told twice and do as he says. Esme stands with Elliana to her right and I go to her left at the end of the line just like the first day. With my eyes turned forward, I focus my ears to catch Blaine’s words as they mix with the sounds from other packs’ battle training regimes.
