MEET TITANIUM

"Who's the trainer for Friday's Training Ki?" Harvey asked as we made our way along the corridor.

Oh, good question. We all looked at Killion.

"Titanium." Killion answered.

Oh wow. Titanium?

"Oh. Woah..." Harvey said. I guessed even Morning Light had heard of our Warrior Titanium.

"Sounds like a fight dog name, huh?" Killion grinned.

I knew who Titanium was. He was strong. He was older than Flynn and Hank's gang but not as old as my parents. I knew Gamma Harry wanted Titanium to take on a Delta Position for a many years now, but he had refused it every year. Titanium worked at a large computer solutions company at Gate City. Perhaps the money was better, or the desk job was safer, or he liked having more time with his young family.

But Titanium loved being a warrior. He never stopped being an Elite Warrior. I'm not sure how he managed, but he kept all his patrols and duties and training sessions. I suspect he took the evening and night shifts. On top of this, he ranked well during the Ranking Tests every year. In fact, he used to place first for a few consecutive years until Hank overtook him.

I had never spoken to him myself. If I ever had a chance to, my first question would have been, "Why are you called Titanium?"

I've asked plenty of other people though.

Dad said it was because when Titanium was in high school, he had colored his hair a titanium blond and the name stuck after that.

Beta Lucas said it was because in wolf form, he had a Titanium jaw, the moment he bit down on a rogue, he would never let go.

Flynn said he was Titanium because he made all the other warriors look like aluminum. And then he tried very hard not to laugh at his own joke.

Hank thought it was because he was so large, he was like a Titan, but he didn't remember how Titan became Titanium, although some guys still called him Titan. Or Titan could've just been short for Titanium too.

Someone said that his real name was Titanium. Someone else said his real name sounded like Titanium. Even his own mother called him Titan.

Dean told me that his mum heard that before Titanium was mated, he used to ride a motorbike named Titanium and had it tattooed to his chest. So it became his name tag? Hahaha

The ladies in the kitchen said that Titanium had an accident and a bone in his body was now replaced with a piece of Titanium. But this was the least believable backstory because he wouldn't be able to shift with a piece of Titanium inside his body. And a large part of the Elite Warrior Ranking Test was in wolf form... Unless he could run as fast as a wolf in his warrior form... Now that would be something.

I'm suddenly quite excited.

The moment we entered the hall, Titanium singled out Bell, "Hey, excuse me! Who are you?"

His voice was military and no nonsense. As he approached us, the other guys milled around to see the newcomer.

Thankfully, my Betas were around.

"My cousin." Killion introduced.

And for some reason, even though I'm sure nobody believed it if I had said it, everybody accepted from Ki.

Titanium said, "You still need signed permission to join our training."

Harvey said, "Beta Lucas said he would bring it with him when he comes down."

"Beta is coming down?" Titanium asked.

Harvey nodded, "He should be here shortly."

"Who are you?" Titanium asked Harvey.

"Harvey, Beta's son from Morning Side." Harvey extended a hand and Titanium shook it.

"Harvey, I've heard good things about you." Titanium said.

"Likewise." Harvey didn't miss a beat, "I look forward to the training tonight."

"Yeah, well, since we have a large group from Thursday joining us, we will just be doing the basic drills." Titanium said, sounding a little more relaxed, "We should be starting soon. Hank has been held up at the office upstairs."

Titanium looked at me, "You're our next Alpha? Good fight the other day."

I shook his hand and regarded Titanium face to face for the first time. My wolfie immediately liked him so I knew he must be strong. Wolfie was simple minded like that. I was a lot more sophisticated. Whether I liked him or not would depend on how well he answered my following question:

"Why are you called Titanium?"

The entire hall suddenly hushed. I feel my posse around me pause, they would be trying to look nonchalant, but I'm sure they were curious too. Finally, the mystery would finally be unveiled!

"Actually, I don't know." Titanium answered, "Some guys just started calling me that in high school and it just stuck. My real name is Leon."

Oh. Well, there you have it. Straight from the horse's mouth.

Whoever said truth was stranger than fiction would have lost his wager here.

"Awww... Was that all?" I didn't hide my disappointment. Savy crossed her arms behind me, "I was so sure it was the tattoo." She mind-linked.

"Yeah." Titanium answered.

He struck me as a straight forward kind of guy, but that could just be the way he talked.

Beta Lucas and Hank came into the training hall. Beta Lucas had a form for Titanium to sign.

"His name is Bell?" Titanium asked, raising a brow at Bell.

Beta Lucas didn't give it a second thought, "Your name is Titanium."

Titanium paused, "No, it isn't. It's Leon."

"Oh." Beta Lucas said, "It's Titanium in our warrior records though."

Hahahaha.

"Anyway, it's fine. I've already undersigned the clearance." Beta Lucas said.

Titanium clicked the pen Beta Lucas passed to him to sign it, "Wait, he's from our pack?"

"Sooner or later, it's fine." Beta Lucas waved it off, "He is our future Luna anyway."

"Oh." Said Titanium. He looked at me, and then at Rebel, and then at Killion, "I thought he was Ki's cousin."

"Who turned out to be Sam's future mate." Beta Lucas was losing his patience, "The paperwork is just formality."

"Alright." Titanium signed it, "Since he's our Luna, I suppose it's right."

"Of course it's right." Beta Lucas looked almost offended that Titanium could have thought otherwise.

"We better start." Hank reminded Titanium. "Everyone is here."

Yes, everyone was here. Everyone with werewolf hearing so that everyone heard Beta Lucas refer to Bell as the future Luna. Everyone. Jessica (who's eyes were wide like saucers), Link and the older shifted teens from Thursday sessions, including all the bigger goons, and all the unmated wolves above 18. Even Lola was here!

Lola! I grinned at her and walked over. Savy followed behind me. Marissa, Jessica, and Lola were the only other girls in the training session.

"Lola! You're here!" I was happy to see her.

"My mum said I could come." Lola looked nervous.

"I told her she was 'lucky'." Marissa made air quotes over the word 'lucky'.

"It should be fine." Jessica assured everyone, "We're girls. I don't think they would train us at the same level."

"I hope they train us separately." Marissa said.

I wonder what's the big deal. Was the difference in our levels going to be so great? I felt a bit excited about it all.

Titanium started with warm ups. It was very very regular warm ups. I stayed with the girls, mostly because Savy seemed uneasy. I guess she would be the youngest and smallest of all of us. But whatever Savy lacked in strength, she made up for in speed and agility, so I wasn't too worried about her.

Actually, like Jessica said, they were girls. I doubt any real warrior was going to come make trouble for any of them.

And although this was the first time I trained under Titanium, he seemed like a strict but fair type of trainer, which was the safest type to be under when you were weak.

Once the warm ups were done, Titanium called out the orders, "We're going for a warm up run in wolf form." He shot a quick look at Rebel and Harvey, "If you can't mindlink, just follow the others who can. Stay in the pack, don't break off. We won't go too fast. Ladies first. Go outside and shift, come out to the clearing and wait when you're done."

Since neither Lola or I had ever shifted and run with the pack before, Marissa led us out. We went behind the treeline, each picked a tree and left our clothes behind it.

So far so good. I got out first, but was soon followed by the other girls. As expected, my wolf was largest and darkest. A midnight blue alpha-sized wolf with startling cobalt eyes. Lola was a silvery grey wolf, the very pretty type with long fur. She wasn't anywhere close to my size, she wasn't even a male gamma size, but she was a decent warrior size wolf, which was considered large for a female wolf. Marissa and Jessica were normal sized female wolves in different shades of brown, which made them more slender and smaller in build. Savy was the tiniest. She looked like a pure white husky, very eye catching.

The moment all our wolves were out in the open, Titanium led the guys out. They took to the trees on the other side, many of them pausing for a double take. I was sure they were kind of shock because except for some missing parts, I could've passed for a male alpha wolf. And of course the Alpha's second daughter had to look like a cute white husky in the snowy backdrop outdoors. And there was also Lola's beautiful silvery grey long furred wolf... I was very sure she did not escape any of the male wolves' notice either.

I adverted my gaze to the full moon in the sky. Lola and Savy dropped back behind me a bit. I growled lowly, but the guys were quickly behind the treeline and were re-emerging in all their furry butt glory.

And my wolf was happy, because we were going to run in a pack again. We hadn't run in a pack since my shift. Oh I hope we meet rogues! Wait no. I didn't just think that. That was Wolfie. I just wanted a quiet run. Plus we had the girls with us. No rogues.

Titanium's wolf was a patchy colored thing. Which surprised me. I had expected a much lighter, maybe Titanium blond wolf. But his patchy dark colors made him blend into the wooded shadows rather well.

Then Harvey's large brown wolf stepped out. In the moonlight, his coat was a rusty red brown. He was followed by two white wolves. They really stood out just based on their size alone. They were larger than Titanium, but he was a warrior wolf, and they were two betas and an alpha. Plus the two white wolves, while a rarity in itself for their pure white fur, so white they almost glowed under the full moon. The wolf with a blue and green eye was Killion. He was actually the same size as Harvey. The other one had golden eyes that glowed. I walked up to my mate wolf. He was scentless as a dream, but otherwise present, and even larger than Harvey, Killion, and myself. He was probably as large as Dad. I bristled, trying to make myself look larger, but I still didn't quite meet his size.

I shook out my fur at him. Humph! Show off. Tossing my head, I walked up front to where Titanium waited to start the run.

The three male wolves followed behind me amused. Titanium cast a look at the newcomer's gleaming white fur and then at Killion and nodded. I guess the two white wolves could pass off as cousins after all.

Titanium would run front, Hank would bring up the rear. Everyone else had to run in between. I passed the instructions to Harvey so the Morning Light goons could get a clue. Might as well make it easier for everyone.

One day we'd be united as one pack, and we would share a common mind link. One day. But for tonight, WE RUN!!!! YAY!!!!