Last night, I slept with no care in my heart and headed for the challenge that Gilbert threw at me.

But on my own, at this early morning, a fear for losing my self-respect started gnawing in my chest. I ended up waking, getting up from the bed. Wearing the track suit with grey-neon orange combination, I was ready with my all of my heart.

Reaching the corridor, I found neither Pete nor Eva. Walking ahead, into the kitchen, everything was set. Not even a single glass touched. Getting out through the dining hall, I heard no noise, no humming.

Did Pete and Eva already leave for the grounds?

Now, how would I reach the grounds when I didn't know the way. Thomas had his room on the ground floor only, if I could just wake him up and ask. But, wait! He too must have gone to the grounds.

I could check his room anyway.

So, with this thought, I took the door behind the kitchen and found a corridor. There were four to five doors on both sides and this won't be great, if I knock on someone else's door.

With a gulp, I knocked on the first one. "Thomas," I whispered, thinking that a werewolf would hear me already. "Hey! You in there?"

When nothing happened, I sighed. Looking at the wall clock right at the end of the corridor, I bit my lip. It was fifteen minutes to five. I needed at least five to ten minutes to reach the grounds and I didn't want to be late by any means to see that Gilbert's cruel smirk.

"C'mon," I muttered while moving on to the next door. Knocking it three to four times while calling Thomas, I was twisting the knob, when suddenly I heard a click.

I pressed my lips tight and opened the door slowly. "Thomas," whispering to myself, I looked around the room, not being able to see anything in the dark.

I took a step ahead, praying it was Thomas's room. Even the corridor's faint light coming through the door wasn't helping in understanding anything in the dark.

"Hello?" I called out a little loud.

A bedside lamp lit on all of a sudden, making me gasp. "What are you doing here?" Came a sharp boyish voice.

The boy was standing near the bed and was bent to show me his face near the lamp. He straightened out while I nodded, observing him shirtless. "Where's Thomas? I was looking for him."

His right eyebrow flickered up as he observed me from head to toe. I had seen him at the dinner but I couldn't remember who he was. Only half of his face was visible.

"This isn't his room."

I sighed, zigzagging my jaws. "Look, I am sorry for coming in. The door was open and I was looking for Thomas. I need to go to the grounds and I don't know the way-"

He switched on the light and now, everything was visible.

It was fine when I moved my eyes around, observing the guitar, posters of wrestlers, paintings of moon, until my eyes found another bed on my right side.

My eyes hung out of the sockets at finding a man sleeping almost naked under the white quilt. Only his face was covered while his whole body was on display and he was wearing a very tight underwear.

Oh my God!

What would happen if he'd get horny?

My face burned from my thoughts and I immediately looked away, back at the boy who was only smirking at me. No words left my mouth.

My mind was blank and all I could think of the dick I could very well figure out from that tight. . .

"I am going to the grounds. You can come with me." The boy answered while I closed my eyes, nodding. "I am Nirvan, by the way and he is my brother."

Ivan? Oh my God!

"Please don't tell him, I was here." I said immediately, earning another smirk from Nirvan.

"As you say. Let's go, now. We barely have five minutes." He muttered, getting out of the room, not before switching off the light while I followed him out.

"Isn't he going to the grounds?" I asked, curiously.

Nirvan twisted the knob, shrugging his shoulders. "Ivan is always the last-minute show up. Werewolf speed," he shook his head casually. "Thomas is already there on the grounds. He barely had time today before he left."

"Why?"

In that freezing cold breeze, how was it possible for him to be shirtless. We walked out of the main door and I almost whimpered at the sight of the dark bluish sky.

"The mating season has all the elders quite serious. Thomas doesn't really care about the training. Alpha ordered him to accompany himself while leaving today. And Alpha is always there half and hour early," he explained.

"That sucks. Poor Thomas." I muttered, mimicking the light jog Nirvan had started to do.

He chuckled out at my words. "I wonder what you'll say when you'll see him at the grounds."

________

"Move your fucking arm," Pete growled at the wolf, training right beside me. I jumped out and staggered back, away from those young wolves who looked pissed off from fighting each other.

My jaws clenched from observing the atmosphere all around. Early in the morning, these people were fighting and training. All I could hear were screams of teen wolves and grunts from the fast learners.

I was already dead when I reached the grounds with Nirvan. It was almost two to three kilometers. I already had all of my fat burned. My throat was burning and scratched from inside while chest was taking too much of energy when I breathed.

Nirvan joined his friends while I was on knees breathing hard when a loud laughter had picked on my nerves. Gilbert Arche was ten steps away, shaking his head in disgust at me, noticing that I was late.

"Pete will show you what to do," he had said before turning away and minding the wolves.

I had looked around for Pete and was relieved knowing, that he too was looking for me too. He was quite helpful while guiding me to do some simple exercises. He said that he was observing me and would not let me move on till I do them properly.

I wasn't serious when he said that until now, when I was bored from continuously following the kiddish exercises he taught me. Did I even mention I was standing with girls nearly thirteen years of age?

All of them were determined to do the exercises well but inside, they all were feeling weird at seeing me. I wasn't feeling much about it until I saw Eva standing at far, laughing with her gang of girls. Natalie was there too.

When at this moment, I remembered Thomas, a loud growl echoed around pulling all of my attention.

My eyes crossed the group of girls training according to their age and further I saw, Uncle Robert stopping a furious Thomas.

Pete smirked while Eva laughed as Uncle Robert clutched his shoulders, tackled him to the ground, making Thomas release another growl.

"Use the defense, Thomas." Gilbert's voice echoed from the left and I saw him approaching them but not intervening.

The fight continued as Thomas moved his arm to clutch on his Uncle's thigh and twist it in a weird way. I could see the veins in his neck popped out.

"Use your mind, Thomas or I'll have cow dung filled in there the moment you lose," Gilbert growled, making my stomach churn. He looked furious and disappointed.

Uncle Robert took advantage of a little looseness of Thomas' leg and twisted his arm, getting himself loose and tackling Thomas on to the ground. His cheek was peeled off and lip bleeding.

Thomas was good at trying his tricks but not fast enough when Uncle Robert seized hi arms and legs, coming from behind and letting out a terrifying growl as his canines protruded, ready to tear off Thomas's skull of the body.

I couldn't even shake my head as a loud vibration came through my stomach. I turned around covering my mouth and reached a tree, throwing up right in front of the whole pack.

Laughter and cheers appeared and I couldn't consider if it was to insult me or Thomas.

I was an outsider. I could stop myself from minding it. But Thomas was their own.

"Still young, always young, Thomas." Eva patted his shoulder, dragging him with his collar when he let out a faint growl.

I spat out the last contents and breathed harshly. "Oh God!" This was a bad idea. I took support of the tree and sat down, watching everyone getting back to their exercises and fights. "When will this end?"

To my surprise, one of the young girls answered me while exercising. "In an hour."

Behind me, I heard a voice of someone falling with a loud thud, followed by a growl. Turning around, two teenagers boys were fighting and Beta Iago was minding them.

My heart jolted when one of the boys had an injury over the knee. They all were training without knee pads or any other thing.

I touched my forehead, looking back in the front and feeling a tear leaking from my eyes. This all was fucked up. This all was worst than a karate dojo.

So much noise, no peace. No rest.

"Misty," Pete voice came from my right and I heard him sitting beside me, shirtless. His voice rough from breathing hard and he was all sweating. I noticed the way the heads of the teen girls turned on us and their gazes adored Pete. He had quite the fan following.

The sun had started to rise.

"You don't have to come here. I know, this is all too much for you," he said quietly while tears leaked from my eyes that I wiped immediately. "This is nothing. It gets worse day by day. This training is not for you," he explained softly. "Look at you, you can't even sit here without tears, Misty."

I blinked, breathing slowly. "I just wanted to get rid of that boredom."

"Movies, games and sites-"

"I was curious."

Pete sighed and looked at me. "Do you want to go home?"

"No." Gilbert's face flashed in my mind. "I'll do what I can, even if it's with the kids younger than me."

He let out a chuckle. "You sure, Misty? You look like you'll faint any second-"

"I won't." I told him, frustratingly. "I'll just catch up, slowly."

Pete was looking at me as if I was an idiot. "Fine," he said, sighing slowly. "Just remember that everyone else is powerful and you aren't. Everyone else is a wolf and you aren't."

I nodded quietly. He got up and was dusting his pants when I remembered asking him, "For how much time I am here?"

He didn't look back while answering, "Until father feels the need to let you go."

Here goes nothing!

______

My legs were hurting from jogging and running after a long time. My stomach was aching at points because of the exercise I began. My heart was shaking from Pete's words that he had said before leaving.

It wasn't fair. His answer wasn't fair.

I couldn't return home with a relief that the training session for today was over. I was horrified that there was no limit of my stay here. That whenever Gilbert would see the need for me to leave, he would allow me to go. Not before than that.

I had to do something about it. Either tell Mom the truth or do any other thing but this wasn't going right. I had to take admission in college and a lot more. I couldn't keep my Gran waiting.

"Misty? Are you done? Do you need anything?" Mom asked while coming closer to my chair.

After returning from the grounds, everyone went to their rooms, bathed and returned in the dining hall for the breakfast. I was following like a fool because I couldn't stop feeling low and alone. People here were so disciplined and fit, I was feeling inferior. The fact that they weren't showing it off much and still looking prideful was pressurizing me more to not behave like a naive human girl in front of them.

"I am done, thank you."

My voice sounded so low, Mom smiled and picked up my plate, not before leaving a kiss on my forehead. "Pete told me, you decided to stay. I am proud of you for being that mentally strong, Misty." She said while walking towards the kitchen, still saying out loud. "But there is no need to put yourself in such tough condition. They are bound to do that. You aren't."

Around me were present Nirvan and other two guys I had seen during the training. Looked like I took too much time bathing and getting dressed. Rest of the family members were gone already for their daily tasks.

"It's okay. I want to do it," I said while eating the salad. "Where is Thomas?"

Nirvan looked at me while Mom answered worriedly, "He is with your father. They are preparing well these days so we won't have to be worried later."

"Alpha is positive that this year, we might be hosting the program," Nirvan said, clearing my doubt.

"Is he okay? From the injuries that-"

"He'll heal," Nirvan muttered, sipping in the milk. He wiped his mouth before getting up. "Thank you for the breakfast, Luna."

"Wait!" I got up, hurriedly taking the last sip of my orange juice. Mom was looking at me curiously as I smiled a little while asking, "Would you take me to the mythology classes? I mean, Thomas had told me that he would take me. But since he is too busy today, you can show me."

Nirvan looked at Mom, silently asking for her permission. She nodded without a worry and had this soft smile on her face.

"I hope, you'll enjoy it."

"I will if Thomas will be there to accompany me." I shrugged while roaming my palms to plain the creases on my summer dress.

"Well," Nirvan gave Mom a cheeky smile. "Then, you must drop the idea."

Mom laughed lightly while taking my hand and squeezing it. "Come back soon. Ask anyone to drop you home, okay."

I was still alert because of that exchange of smiles between them about Thomas attending the class. Though I still answered her before leaving.

"Okay."

_________

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