Ethan stood next to Brent and Eri in the main training hall, wearing only a pair of gym shorts to cover his essential bits. He kept the strings loose so he could easily slip out when needed. It was the beginning of a full moon, and Luna's pull was strong, creating anticipation and an urge in him to run wild in the trees.
Eric led the briefing in the main training hall. The room was full of half-clothed bodies, shifting and shuffling, bristling with excitement as they waited for the night hunt to begin. It was a joint session tonight, meaning all trainees, from advanced to unstable, were taking part, which added to the tension in the room.
This was the first time Ethan would run as a wolf with others aside from Zyga and Jeb. It was the first chance he got to work out in a pack. His nerves were taut, and he fidgeted with the strings on his shorts.
Instead of listening to Eric, Brent stretched his neck in the other direction, where the girls huddled together. They would be going into one of the smaller halls to change just before the training began.
"Too bad they never let the girls stay during transformation. It definitely would have been a better opener than dad's serious face," he said with a cocky smile, rubbing his palms together.
Ethan nudged him when the beta's eyes shifted in their direction.
Eric's powerful voice continued, booming over their heads. "As usual, you are free to choose your team members but follow the criteria given: two advanced, two stable, and two unstable. Once you have formed your team, come up to the gates to be assigned a watcher, territory, and mission. Your watcher is a non-active player. They're just there to observe and evaluate your performance. Understood?"
"Yes, beta!" The hall resounded.
"Good luck."
As if on cue, the previously subdued room exploded into an open medieval marketplace. People yelled out names and motioned their friends to join them, others quarreling over trainees they wanted or did not like in their team.
A short skinny girl was caught between two people arguing over her: an equally short guy on her left yanking her in one direction and an amazonian on her other side. The disagreement threatened to get physical when their respective teams joined in.
Ethan drew his eyes away as he scanned the crowd.
He, Brent, and Eri formed one group without question, but they needed a couple more to complete their party. One short boy eyed Eri speculatively, but seeing Ethan standing next to him, kept on walking. A couple called out to Brent, but he shooed them off.
"Let's get Reg. She's advanced and good at defense," Eri suggested.
Ethan had no idea who Reg was.
Brent winced. "Yeah, she's great, but she'll definitely drag her sister in. Mabel is stable, but she scares easily."
"Ethan'll cover her."
"Me? What shows I won't get scared?"
"Dude, you fought beside me at the distillery without your wolf and live with three vampires. Scared isn't in your dictionary." Eri lopped off in the direction of the girls before Ethan could stop him.
He sighed, looking out at the sea of unfamiliar faces. "That leaves us with one more advanced slot to fill. Who'll take point?" He asked Brent.
"Depends on our mission and who else we get. If we get a defense mission, then either Reg or the other advanced, if they are vanguard trained, calls the shots. If it's a hunt, Eri would likely take the lead during the tracking till we get to our target. Then it's a toss-up from there. Let's see if we can get an advanced wolf who is more inclined to an aggressive-raid style."
YOU ARE READING
Blooded Mate
Fantasy[[MATURE CONTENT]] Pack, family, mate. Loyalty, respect, honor. These are the words that form the foundation of the wolf society. At six years old, Ethan had to choose between his Alpha title and his survival on the night of his father's death. As a...
