^Constance on the top ^

~Connor~

Over the next couple of month, training was gruesome. I hardly got to see Teagan, as he was always with Cyrus in their own training sessions. I wanted to see how he was doing but from our last conversation… or I should say words said to each other was the least bit heartwarming. He made it very specific he didn’t want to see me. So I immersed myself in my physical activities.

Through the course of our training I noticed changes in my body that weren’t there before, like how I began to dodge things I couldn’t see meaning my reflexes were so much better, my muscle were a lot more defined than before making my body look more sleek, I could see the telltale signs of a six pack working its way onto my stomach. My senses were sharper to the point where I could sense when someone was a good 20 miles away from the house.

I swear our training consisted of every exercise under the sun, from harmless little stretches to hardcore military training just more extreme. But overall it was all the same every day, endurance, strength, balance and flexibility. Though wolves are generally born with all these skills Tamitha’s and Cyrus’s courses blew all our natural abilities out of the water. I could scale that fifty foot wall now like it was nothing just with my claws; no safety ropes.

Since Asher had made a surprise visit a week after we got here, I was really against him watching over me in my parent’s stead. I didn’t need a damn baby sitter but he wouldn’t listen and go home. So he was always there on the side lines, observing Constance and I as went through our daily drills. I could tell it annoyed Constance just having him sitting there day after day as we slaved away hours on end. She finally cracked during our combat training.

“Hey big shot!” she huffed brushing her blond tendrils of hair that escaped her ponytail back with her wrist. We were both out of breath, sweating bullets as Asher stood with Cyrus against one of the fences. They both looked over at us.

“Yeah you, you think you’re too good to be out here training with the rest of us?”

Even though it was snowing and freezing she was in a thin grey tank top and our issued black cargo pants and combat boots whereas Asher was bundled up in a heavy jacket, scarf and cargo pants with combat boots.

“Excuse me?” he looked thoroughly confused.

“‘Excuse me?’” she mocked him in a squeaky voice. “Come over here so I can kick your ass!” she growled turning fully to face him and lowering in the stance for a one on one battle. I bit my lip, trying not to laugh at the shocked expression on Asher’s face.

“What did I do?” he asked me like I could help him.

“I think the training and cold has gone to her head.” I teased walking over to him and patting him on the back. “Good luck” and with that I went to sit down taking my first brake in hours.

“The cold has really gotten to her head hasn’t it?” Cyrus muttered repeating what I said, watching with his arms and feet crossed as he leant against the fence.

“Hm”

Asher kept pointing to himself in perplexity.

“I didn’t do anything!” he cried.

“Quit whining like a little bitch and get over here Fabio!” she snarled making a swipe at his head,

“Retract the claws kitty cat” Asher retorted as he quickly dodged her attach.

As they continued there lovers spat I turned my attention fully on Cyrus.

“Sir” I said. He glanced over at me,

“Yeah?”

“How is he?” I couldn’t help myself.

Cyrus sighed,

“He has his moments but I think we’re gaining progress.” It took everything in me to not roll my eyes at him.

“What does that mean?” I asked though my teeth in annoyance

“It means he still attacks me without any warning at all.” He snapped. “It means he is a danger to you and everyone around him. I don’t know anything about him but I do know that from the way he moves he’s been trained, very well. And I know that you have been working your asses off these past months but you two are not ready for him to be at your back. He’s not ready to join this group.” His eyes averted back to the two fighting it out in the snow.

My jaw clenched in anger,

“With all due respect, I don’t think he’s ever going to be ready, and the only way Constance and I are going to be able to work with him is if he is out here with us.” I stood then and stepped in front of him blocking his view. His blue eyes snapped to mine

“It’s time to take the damn shackles off him and let him free. Ever since I’ve met him he’s been locked away from me. I want my mate; now.” I gave him one more glare and turned away storming up to the house and to the basement door.

I pressed my back against it and slide down to the floor. This was always the closes I could get to him, and it wasn’t enough. I wanted to touch him, hold him; smell him. He may not be what I thought my mate would be like but he was mine and I refused to be away from him any longer.

It was time I got to know him for who he was even if he didn’t like it.

**********

~Teagan~

He crept silently in my direction as I stood in the corner of a blinding white washed room. His blue eyes focused, his body tight, ready for anything. I don’t know why he constantly wanted to take me to this room and fight me. It was like he was trying to test my patients. I would kill him before he laid a hand on me. Though every time he took me to this room he would say that he didn’t want to really hurt me but he lies, I can’t trust anyone.

I watched as his foot slide slowly across the floor too close to me and I tried to set it on fire but nothing was working. It was like something was blocking my powers and I didn’t like it. The closer he got the more the hair on my body stood on end.

He was vermin that needed to be exterminated –

‘No!’ the voices in my head screamed.

‘That is not us!’

I was so distracted that I almost didn’t notice the man was inches towards me till I glanced up to find him practically hovering over me. So with a dangerous growl I propelled myself from the crouched position on the floor and attacked.

*********

Again we stood in the room but this time I was surprisingly relaxed. He seemed to notice this and dropped his defensive stance. I was starting to notice that all he ever did was try and get close to me. He never attached, I was always the one to start the fight.

‘He’s not trying to hurt me’ I assessed.

‘Be on guard at all time, trust no one.’

“Are you starting to understand now?” the man suddenly said and I snapped my head up to stare at him. “I’m not here to fight you or hurt you in anyway. This is all to build your trust up.” I tilted my head in confusion.

Why?

“I can tell from our previous clashes that you’re well trained and need no help in that department but that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing here to teach you. Your comrades are out there training every day to build their strength up, hone their skills. But your part of this group to and you need help in trusting people.”

He was talking about the two from before. The pretty one and the woman.

“I’m sure Connor wants to see you again”

“I can’t be near that one. He makes me weak.” I growled. “I can’t afford to be weak.”

He frowned and stepped forwards cautiously.

“Do you know what he is, to you?” he asked. My muscles seem to tighten on their own accord.

“Dangerous” I said.

He shook his head and a tilt lifted at the corner of his lip. I furrowed my brows at this.

“What?” I demanded.

“He is that in a way.” He moved closer again causing me to narrow my eyes at him.

“I’m sure that you’ve heard the term ‘Mate’ used plenty of times lately.” He said stopping at my warning glare.

“Yes, though I don’t understand what that is.”

“A mate is a wolf’s other half. As in these feelings you feel when Connors around are your wolf telling you his (your) mate is near. He is telling you to take him as yours. Kind of like an intense marriage.”

I stared at him, unable to say anything at what he was saying.

He was my mate?

Something inside me then rumbled with approval.

‘Mine’ the voices said.

I remember saying the first time I saw him and the other time was when I saw the little bruise on his face. I didn’t know where it came from but I knew deep down; some primal instinct told me that, that boy was mine and only mine.