Ripley
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"Okay, then," I croak, clearing my throat. I take a small step back, uncomfortable standing next to this man I despise. He blinks at me, taking a deep breath through his nose before letting it out slowly. Before I can register what's happening, he turns and heads deeper into the forest, not once looking back.

I look around hesitantly, seeing him slowly begin to disappear from sight. It's now or never I guess. It's totally normal to run into the woods with a mass murderer as your companion. Just a reminder, do as I say, not as I do, kids.

"Hey, wait!" I call after him, making up my mind and shouldering my backpack. I scamper after him, my blonde hair being brutally pulled behind me by low hanging branches. Wincing, I finally catch up to him, but he doesn't slow his pace. I guess he just expects me to follow. "Um, you agreed to the deal right? You're not taking me into the woods to brutally murder me so my body won't ever be found... right?" I ask hesitantly.

He stops suddenly, causing me to run into his back with a yelp. Damn, is this man made out of brick?

He turns his head to look at me, giving me a good view of his side profile. A muscle works in his jaw for a moment before he faces forward and strolls along again. Okay... I guess he doesn't like being asked about murdering people. Who knew?

I slow down my pace after that, not wanting another accidental run in.

Finally, he stops, stepping to the side for me to see where he's taken me. A clearing covers the expanse in front of me, a few wildflowers peaking out of the foliage. It appears to have been trampled on, the grasses laying flat as if someone had already been here. My eyes narrow.

He turns those cat-like eyes on me, his face still void of any expression.

"Is this where we're going to train?" I ask him, watching him with caution. As usual, he doesn't respond. Instead, he leans towards me. My breath hitches in my throat, expecting him to do the worst.

In a smooth motion, he has my knife in his hand, handle pointed in my direction as if to give it to me. I carefully set me backpack on the ground and take it with trepidation, licking my lips in confusion. Does he want me to throw it at him again?

Before I can stop myself, I tell him, "You know, I have impeccable aim. You just always somehow manage to catch it. I don't think I really need to practice my throwing."

Without warning, he launches himself at me, his own knife in hand. I barely have time to move out of the way. This has never been an issue for me before; damn it, I'm an Alpha!

Despite his fast speed, I can tell he intentionally misses me. I guess his form of communication is action only and hope I understand.

"What the hell?!" I complain through grit teeth, glaring at him. "A little warning would have been nice." I guess I really shouldn't be reprimanding a mass murderer for not giving me a warning, but I'm a little pissed. "If you wanted to fight with knives, you could have just told me!"

This time, I retaliate quickly, moving towards him with effortless precision. I slash my hand at his face but he dodges without breaking a sweat. He blocks all of my moves. I don't know how, but he does.

I use everything I've learned as an Alpha, everything I've learned as a Wild Sun wolf. When I jerk my elbow out, he catches it. When I feign a rake at his stomach and then go for his chest, he still manages to dodge. In fact, all he does is dodge. It's as if he's playing with me, never making a move to attack. It irritates me to no end.

"Fight back!" I growl, my eyes flashing silver as my wolf pushes for control. I throw everything I have, all my hatred and loathing, into the fight.

By looking at us, you'd think I'm in a fight for my life and he's just playing cat and mouse with me.

After what feels like hours, I step back, sweat dribbling between my shoulder blades and chest. I wipe my eyes before some sweat can drip down my forehead into them. My shirt clings to me like a second skin. I feel disgusting and exhausted.

Meanwhile, The Ghost's chocolate brown hair looks slightly messy and wild, but that's the only indication of our fight. His tan skin practically glows from the exertion. He inhales deeply, watching me with something akin to fascination.

I glare at him through my still silver eyes, my pride causing me to straighten up. My wolf presents herself through a low growl, wanting me to dominate as any Alpha should. Airy breaths leave my lips in tiny pants.

He returns his knife to its place, glancing at me as if waiting for me to cool off.

After a moment he takes a few steps towards me, reaching me rather quickly with his large strides. He grabs my wrists and moves them into a strange position, one I've never seen before. Before I can ask what he's doing, he's behind me, grabbing my arms and moving them in a slow motion. I can barely concentrate when I feel his breath puffing against my neck, causing goose bumps to raise at the weird sensation.

Finally he pulls away from me while I repeat the motions he just showed me, feeling his watchful presence behind me.

He steps up next to me, twirling his knife in his fingers again until I complete the pattern. I notice his nostrils flaring slightly once more, finding it weird. Before I can comment on it, he does the same motion on his own, but a lot faster. I swallow thickly.

"That's not anything I've learned in Wild Sun before." My voice comes out a little hoarse. He turns to me, cocking his head. It dawns on me. "Right. It wouldn't be because you're not a Wild Sun wolf... Hey, are you even a wolf?" I didn't know what he could be, but I also didn't know what creatures didn't have scent.

In response, he opens his mouth to reveal his descended canines. My eyes widen. They're freaking huge. But it clears up my question. He is a wolf; a wolf without a scent. It's unheard of.

He slips his knife back into place, watching me carefully.

The silence makes me uncomfortable and I find myself settling down in the trampled grass beneath my feet. I need a break. I have the stamina and endurance of an Alpha, but somehow, he has worn me out.

Pulling my forgotten backpack to me, I yank a water bottle out of it and practically chug it. The Ghost settles down in the grass across from me. I'm not sure how, but the grass doesn't even make a sound from his movement.

Looking up, the moon shines its light down on the clearing. I lean back resting my weight in my hands. My muscles are sore, but I stay alert. You never know, this could have been The Ghost's plan; to tire me out before killing me.

Oh.

"Is that what you do? You tire people out?" I inquire. Once again, no response, but I'm fairly certain that I'm correct. I can't keep back a sigh from escaping.

He looks down at his glove clad hands briefly. Is he thinking about killing me? Have I annoyed him to the point he's going to call off the deal? My body tenses in apprehension, my heartbeat speeding up. As if he can hear it, he makes eye contact with me before setting his hands palm down on the ground like he's reassuring me. I relax, but only barely.

"Who are you?" I suddenly blurt, unable to handle the deafening silence. "How do you know all those moves? Why do you do what you do?" By the end, my words hold a certain venom to them, but it doesn't seem to bother him. Or he at least doesn't show it. To be fair though, he doesn't show any feelings.

The Ghost abruptly stands, lurching to his feet and ignoring my question. I guess he doesn't like them.

I jerk to my own feet, afraid that I'm scaring him off with my incessant questioning. I need to know more about him. The more I know, the more I can use it against him.

"Wait!" I beg. "At least tell me your name." I just need something. Anything.

He rolls up the long sleeves of his black hoodie, exposing his tan and veiny forearms. My eyes follow the movement subconsciously. He peers at me through his eyelashes, seeming to think about it.

"Don't have one," he tells me finally, his voice deep and hoarse.

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Author's Note.

HE SPOKE!!!

Why do you think he hasn't spoken until now?

Do you think their deal will hold up?

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you did, please consider dropping a vote and a comment!

Have a great week!

Xoxo,
Sydnee