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“Thanks.”
He returned to the rest of the class and dismissed us.
Since I didn’t have anywhere else to be, and no one to tell me this was a bad idea, I went back to the street and continued in the same direction instead of going back to the main lodge. This was my first chance to see more of the compound, plus a tiny piece of me hoped to run into one of the guys.
The sounds of construction drew me down another road, and I spotted the school ahead. The front looked normal, but when I followed along one side, only the back part of the school was getting an addition.
Several men used tools and called out to one another. I went to the other side of the road to stay out of their way and searched for Kaden. He wasn’t with the first group, so I circled around to the other side and saw him on the playground with a group of young kids. He was running back and forth along the line of swings, pushing six of them at once. Laughter filled the air, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen Kaden’s smile so wide.
It wasn’t just me. We belonged here. We could be happy and safe and build a life we loved. If only we could ignore the world beyond the pack’s borders.
Chapter 10
We were finding our rhythm. Each passing day brought more peace of mind, and I felt the guys relaxing into our new normal.
We alternated between tutoring and training days and working with our assigned teams, but my special circumstances were already causing friction.
Our assigned trainer acted like he was leading a marine boot camp. He screamed in our faces and made us do pushups whenever we disappointed him.
My entire body ached like never before. I was tired. All the time.
I was getting stronger, but it wasn’t fast enough for Drill Sargent Asshat.
That probably wasn’t his name, but I refused to learn it on principle. I didn’t want to know. I didn’t want to give that vile man another drop of space in my mind.
Gym was never my favorite class, but I kept up. I ran when necessary and played sports well enough to not draw notice. That much had gotten me to my senior year, but Sargent Dickface wanted more. Like my death.
“Want me to fill the tub with ice?” Niall offered on our way to witch tutoring.
“If I’m alive tonight, maybe.”
“Your strength and agility are some of the most important––” Theo started.
“Defenses. Yes, I know,” I grumbled.
He and Kaden had been repeating it since we started training. Those two fuckers actually liked it.
Niall preferred running on his own, and not being able to shift frustrated Sai. At least I could complain to the two of them.
My saving grace was work days. I got to stay inside with Gloria and the service team, planning parties and gathering wish lists from the pack’s kids. It was tradition for the Alpha to give a present to each child for the winter solstice. It seemed like an expensive endeavor, but when I mentioned it, Gloria said they were happy to do it, which didn’t help my curiosity. So I asked how the pack managed. If almost everyone worked within the compound, how did they get money for the food and supplies that were brought in?
Old money.
They owned much of the land along the Canadian and United States border once upon a time. A previous alpha sold it off for an incredible price, then invested it. The pack had been living comfortably off the dividends for nearly a hundred years. Money was one thing the pack would never have to worry about, and they showed their appreciation by not taking advantage by overspending. Somehow, it worked.
I wanted to go back to my warm office and sit down, but it was tutoring time. The same witch taught Niall, Theo, and me, but she was an Earth witch and didn’t have the experience needed to with Water or Fire. Niall and Theo were mostly left to their own devices for those while we practiced in the forest. Niall would cut in toward the end to help me with my Water abilities.
The only problem with our schedule was there wasn’t any coordination between the witch and shifters. Either that, or they ignored Nancy’s instructions.
The Earth witch, Serene, stood her ground each time Jeff confronted her about my puppy training. It didn't matter who I said was right or if I pulled out my schedule. Jeff was always domineering, trying to push Serene out of the way—maybe not physically, but with his words and body language.
The problem popped a few times in the first couple of weeks before he finally understood just because he saw me didn't mean I was going to go with him each time.
“Is it always like this?” I asked her when I finally felt like we had enough of a relationship to be open.
She held out her hands, palm down, and closed her eyes. “It's part of the trade-off for living with a pack.”
I mimicked her actions without knowing what we were doing. “Why did you move here?”
