IT WAS JUST ANOTHER TRAINING RUN

The run was... slow. When Titanium said we weren't leaving anyone else behind, he meant it. I hate to say it, but the girls were definitely going a lot slower than I'd like. There was a point, I was fast trotting.

I made a chuffing sound in impatience. Wait no, it wasn't me. Was Wolfie.

Killion chuckled through mindlink, "Goddess, the real run will start later. This is just a warm up."

"Is it usually this slow?" I whined (but only in mindlink. Alphas didn't whine like spoilt brats.)

"It is actually even slower than the Thursday runs." Harvey pointed out. Oh great who else was on this mindlink? I looked at mate. He looked at me. Nothing.

"Poor Rebel, he can't mindlink." I must have thought this into the mindlink because Killion answered, "We could say all kinds of naughty things and he wouldn't know."

"Ki, be respectful of your Luna." Harvey warned. His wolf growled.

Rebel looked briefly at their wolves, almost as if he heard them, but then he could just be reacting to their wolves low growling and eye contact.

Running was the best! The best! Even if it's more like a half hearted lopping kind of slow jog. Alright that part was frustrating. I'm so close to snapping at Titanium's heels. But of course I didn't, even if it took me all of my self control.

"I wonder what's the hold up at the back?" Killion mindlinked, "I think I'll drop back to check it out."

But just before Killion did anything, there was snarling from behind and then Hank's broadcast, "No flirting, move!"

Flirting? They better not be flirting with Savy. I growled lowly, "Who's flirting? If any of you bother those girls... I'll kill you."

"Woah, goddess." Killion mindlinked, "you just broadcasted that."

Oh. I did. Grrr... Whatever.

"I've taken care of it Alpha." Hank answered.

I actually didn't expect an answer. But since I've already stuck my neck out:

"And you guys at the back, run faster!" I ordered.

"Sorry Alpha." Lola apologized. It was a private mindlink.

"Why? What happened?" I asked.

"We're slow. I don't think Jessica can run any faster." Lola explained.

"It's fine. Is Hank with them? You can run ahead if you want." I offered.

"I think I'll run with Savy." Lola said.

"Savy, are you okay?" I asked, dragging her into the mindlink. Opps I left her behind! I'm a horrible sister.

Savy slipped a happy cackle privately to me, but in the grouplink she answered, "I'm fine. Lola is with me. No one is stepping on me by accident."

"The guys called her snowball." Lola told me, "And not in a nice way."

I don't think there was a nice way for any wolf to call my little sister a snowball. Grrr...

"I'll send a bigger snowball over." I promised. Better just be the stupid goons, if there were warriors picking on the little wolf, I'll have their heads, "Killion, the guys are calling Savy a snowball."

Killion laughed, "So you want to throw a real snowball over?"

"Yes." Of course that was exactly what I wanted to do.

Killion had become the go-to guy for when I get into trouble. Hahaha. It used to be Dean, but Dean's probably way back there...wait, I didn't see Dean just now, so maybe he hadn't even shown up.

Killion dropped back and Harvey and I tightened the ranks behind Titanium who had tilted his ear so I knew he noticed the falling back. But he kept running without a word.

Rebel apparently decided to follow Killion, so he had dropped back too. The both of them ran to the back and soon there was a bit of snarling and yelping.

"Pick on the little snowball, and you'll have to deal with the big snowballs!" Killion announced.

Titanium growled through the mind link, "Killion, up front."

"Yes, sir." Killion and Rebel were back and Harvey and I fanned out to accommodate them.

But now that the pack wasn't lagging at the back, we got back to the pack house quickly.

Titanium was not pleased. He seemed to be consulting with Hank via mindlink and then he ordered, "Wolves who are tired, step to the right. Wolves who can still run on the left."

"The real run starts now." Killion informed us.

"Right side wolves, follow Hank. The rest of you on the left..." Titanium gave us a steely glare, "we will follow our future alpha."

Who me?

Titanium paced the length of wolves lined up on the left side, "If there is one thing you will all do well to remember as warriors, is that you never cross your Alpha while running. Do not make the Beta run back. You're warriors, not pups. You shouldn't need a Beta to keep you in check. If this is war, and you're messing around at the back, you'd be nothing but dead weight to be cut off."

I hope you're all reading this in a military voice because that was how Titanium was sounding. Like an officer berating his soldiers.

And let me just say, I totally did not see that coming. Normally, in such a situation, shouldn't Killion and I be the ones being reprimanded for falling out of the run formation, and causing a ruckus at the back of the pack?

Seemed like the rules were different when you're the Alpha.

"I hand the reigns over to you alpha."

Seemed like the expectations were different too. I had never led a run before. What do I do? Where do I run?

And then Wolfie chuffed again. I'm beginning to interpret that sound as "WTH". I was leading the run since I shifted. I was the alpha. This was my territory. If they want to run with me, they better keep up!

Wolfie howled in sheer delight. Loves being the boss, this one, "Let's go, let's go! Keep it tight, we're going fast! Let's go play!"

At this, some of the other wolves howled too. I don't think it was their human howling, just the wolves, they sensed it too... We are going to really run now.

"Our loyalty to the alpha princess!" Killion howled. More howling.

"If you want to run with me, you better keep up!" I mindlinked over the din.

And then we ran! I charged forward, the other wolves charging noisily alongside jostling for their position in the run formation. If we do this regularly, everyone would sense their place and it'll be quicker next time.

Rebel was running just half a pace behind me. Killion and Harvey just behind him, Titanium was there too, forming a kind of arrow head, while the rest of the warriors filled in the lines behind.

We went fast, not full speed, but fast enough to keep the wind in our fur, the full moon lighting our way, I let my Wolfie go with the flow and naturally we run towards something exciting. It's in the air, I could feel it.

{Rogues are near}

{Approaching rogues.}

OMG lucky! (For us, not them.)

We were reaching the borders along the warlock forest. Oh, this was the same place we came when I first shifted.

"Princess..." Harvey warned, "Warlock land ahead."

"I know." I could feel the magic. I liked the feeling of magic. Always so exciting and tingly like a grand adventure was just about to happen. I took a turn and signaled for stealth.

The warriors were trained well enough to become completely quiet. We slipped behind the trees and undergrowth like shadows.

No one questioned.

{Rogues trespassing}

We could all see it, suddenly a beat up white van chugged out of the warlock lands. Hm? Was that the same van? It stopped right in the middle of the road. What was it waiting for?

"Princess..." Harvey mindlinked. I guess he recognized it too.

"This is going to be interesting."