Chapter Forty-Nine BAMBI KICKS GREYSON BUTT ALL OVER THE FIELD

I was outside in the cool night air. The wind blew my ponytail across my face as if it were whiplash. I felt a pain in my head. I ended up wrapping my hair up in a bun and trying to wrap all my hair in a snug little pony holder. Thinking about today and this evening, something felt off. I couldn't pinpoint it. First, the vampire was going to lend me some of his vampires to fight Malcolm. He explained that Malcolm was experimenting with humans, trying to change them into varied species and then mercilessly killing them. There seemed to be no end to Malcolm's treachery. What had prevented anyone from revolting against him for so many years? While I wasn't sure if I wanted to accept bloodsuckers into my crew, everyone convinced me that the vamps' ability to go invisible and make their way around Malcolm's territory while no one knew it was a good sale, plus they could hypnotize people by just looking at them. Now, hypnotizing doesn't work in large groups. They had to look at a person one on one to control them. Furthermore, Andor wasn't pressuring me romantically, and had my clothes moved back to my room, granted it is still next to his, but he respected my wishes, and he isn't following me around like a horn dog. Despite Cadma's attempts to get my attention and scoff at Andor, they have failed. His absence makes this all seem too good to be true. It is like the calm before a storm, or a volcano that was silent before exploding unexpectedly. I saw several of the wolves from Andor's different packs from his kingdom awaiting me and Andor's beta to train them. I also saw in the distance Andor's sister training some she-wolves separately. I wondered why she-wolves did not train with the males. I have changed back to being up at night now. It has been a couple of days since the bloodsucker's episode in the forest. Cadma hasn't left my brother yet, as my brother has been attending night training. It was my request that Cadma take my brother back tomorrow and then check on the troops. I can't worry about his moodiness now, since he seems cold and distant lately. When we were kids, we played on ice and threw snowballs at each other, and life wasn't about war, rejected feelings, and leaving home. There is a part of me that longs for those days of innocent simplicity. Walking over to Melanie, I asked her why the women and girls were not training with the men. I watched Melanie shrug and say, "It has always been the way it has been in this kingdom for centuries." I then asked Melanie who her most outstanding warrior women were, and she pointed out the women. I had her narrow the warrior women down to ones without children, which she did. I didn't want to leave the pups without parents, like I lost both. How much my heart wishes I had parents in my life now. My father and mother have turned into blurry memories, but they also haunt me in the form of nightmares and a knife in my heart. At this point, I asked her if those women could sit with me on the benches overlooking the training. I saw Melanie smile broadly. She seemed to understand where my thoughts were headed and nodded and called the girls to meet me at the benches nearby. All the women I brought over loved the idea of training with men and offered to go with us into battle. I was pleased to hear this. Walking over to Andor's current beta, I let him know the women are going to be training with the men now. The beta did not like what I was saying one bit. Greyson - "There has never been a time when women have trained in war or with men. It is not going to happen. Remember this is not your kingdom! We want to return from war with women still alive, so we train them to fight separately so we will not have to worry about them not knowing how to defend themselves. We are very concerned about the fact that men are clearly the stronger gender and are liable to hurt them during training." Ashina - Scoffing with laughter, "Greyson, take me on! If you can beat me in battle in any form, I will concede. If not, these women will train with men!" I can feel my wolf's anger at Greyson, and I want to rip him to shreds for being unknowing about the abilities of women on the battlefield or during training, and for having such an ignorant view about those abilities. I watch as Greyson sends a mind link, no doubt to Andor to tattle tale on me. I am standing my ground; it is my war, and we need any able-bodied person we can get. Greyson turns and smirks at me, informing me that the Alpha is coming! "Really, Greyson, you act like a seven-year-old boy tattling on his sibling. You are such a child!" I turned to Esther, one of my warrior women I had just picked and asked her to help get Greyson's mate, Bambi. I watch her run off to get Alpha Bambi as I laugh to myself. "Well, Beta two can play in this game. Bambi is an Alpha and a warrior. I have requested her assistance. Now where is your smug smile? "Lost it huh?" Laughing, I watched his mind link again, but this time his face looked scared, then angry. "OOOO Bambi is coming to give you a bruisin!" I laughed aloud, teasing the beta. The last time I saw Bambi fight the rogue hunters who kidnapped us, I was so impressed with the fierceness of that girl. I was surprised as well, and I thought that her greatest weapon would be to talk her enemies into submission, but I was wrong. Upon looking over to the packhouse, I noticed Esther, Bambi (in a terribly angry mood I might add) and Andor looking bored. With a group of female warriors standing behind me, ready to train and to fight, they moved towards where the Beta and I stood, where we prepared to train and fight. I now have this big old smirk on my face, while glaring at Greyson. To think I get Greyson with me for war and Andor gets Rector, that really sucks. I couldn't help but to laugh as I saw Bambi with her blonde curls trying to fall loose from her scrunchy. Pushing Greyson in the chest with her index finger. Bambi – "Do you think I am helpless? Huh Greyson? Do you think that only men can be Alphas?" Greyson – I stutter realizing I am in deep crap as I glare at Ashina. Bambi – "Don't you dare look at Ashina! She isn't going to save you right now!" Greyson – "I.. don't need her help!!" Bambi – "What does she mean that she is too woman for you? It was reported that Ashina was going to fight you, and I heard it was going to be a big fight. Your chauvinistic asshole will have to skip that, as I will take you down on your ass. It would be best if you called the medics so that they can be here when I am done with you. There is no way that you can be my mate; my mate would respect the fact that women can fight." Greyson – "Babe, I don't want to fight you. I don't want to hurt you. It is in a male's nature to protect and not let our women get in harm's way." As the words left my mouth, I knew what I said did not come out right. As soon as Bambi started fighting, I wasn't prepared for what was about to happen. A roundhouse kick was delivered to my head, and I barely noticed it before my lights went out. Bambi – The fact that I was able to knock him out instantly made me feel satisfied at first. Afterwards, I started to worry that I might have killed my mate off in the process. In the midst of falling to the ground next to him, I clung to him and cried, "My sweet baby, are you alright?". I am so sorry; I have anger issues that I need to overcome. Could you please wake up?", I beg you. A couple of Andor's men carried the beta to the infirmary, followed by a crying Bambi. Andor stood there still not saying anything, just looking bored still. "What? Are you going to argue about letting the women train with the men or will I need to fight you for that right here in your backwards-thinking kingdom!" Andor must have been deep in thought as he realized I was yelling at him. Andor – I was deep in thought about the old practices of having women fight separately. Melanie and I had discussed how backwards that thought was, it was just our kingdom was so set in old traditions we just hadn't pressed it yet. We did, however, convince the kingdom that we were only strong as our weakest warriors. Thus, the kingdom agreed to letting women train to fight for defense purposes only. Once I realized my beta lost his fight against his own mate with the first blow, I scoffed inside. I was still deep in thought and my mate yelling at me brought me out of the thoughts of old ways and my beta. I answered her question. "Nah, I don't need to fight you, it is an archaic tradition to carry on and it looks like my trainer was disabled, so Ashina, could you train these warriors if that is, okay?" Ashina stared at me in disbelief. I think my mate thought I was going to insist on me fighting her to keep the women in separate training groups. I laughed on the inside; she doesn't really know me. I need to change that somehow. I have decided my mate should be wooed and I need to win her love over, not just by this mate bond. I walked off back to the packhouse while Ashina stood staring at me with her mouth open. I am sure it was a big letdown for her not to be able to fight me in a sparring match. I still can't help but laugh at my crazy mate.