Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates!

Chapter 19: Distractions
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Arm twisted behind my back, a foot kicked the back of my knee, bringing me to the ground. Orin used his weight to push down on the joint, making sure I was very careful not to move. A dislocated shoulder was the last thing I needed. Fenna was cringing, Aljana was smirking, and Signy just watched with one eyebrow raised.

"Too slow," Orin grunted by my ear before releasing me. "You're not learning."

I huffed and flopped forward, squeezing my eyes shut as the sudden loss of pressure on my arm had blood rushing back at an uncomfortable pace.

My head wasn't in the game today.

Orin straightened and folded his arms. "Fenna learnt quickly how to fight as both skin and fur no matter what form she was in."

My teeth ground together. That's all I'd been hearing lately. Fenna picked up living in the wild as if she was born in it. Fenna got control over both forms in a matter of weeks. Fenna learnt how to release her wolf while remaining in skin easily. I was struggling. Warring with both parts of myself as I tried to find this middle ground they spoke of.

I shoved myself back up, once more retying my hair to keep it out of my face. Strands still clung to my damp forehead and arms, my lungs were burning, my legs wobbled beneath me, but still they kept pushing me. And I was happy to keep going, to prove, if anything, I had the will.

"I don't have Wanderers blood in me," I snapped for the hundredth time. It was the only excuse I could come up with.

"That's not what the problem is, Raeghan. Surely you know that. You're Wulver, and you have Alpha blood running through your veins. That's enough. Your problem is control."

I opened my mouth to protest but Fenna stepped forward and shook her head, holding a hand up to stop Orin from further berating me. "He doesn't mean that you have a lack of control, but you lack the ability to let it go. Instincts will guide you in a fight, Raerae, it's okay to let the wolf out."

If only she knew.

Looking away, I folded my arms, keeping my reasoning to myself. Even in fur, I kept my instincts reigned in. Because if I didn't, I'd go for throats. Maybe that was my fault. Years of suppression often came out in bouts of rage that then got me into trouble anyway. Signy herself had seen that after one fight with me.

"There are other ways to wake the wolf," Signy mused, studying me.

"I am awake. Fully awake," I muttered, brushing a dead leaf from my arm. Frustration was making me irritable and I was beginning to lose all hope of ever proving myself here.

The power of an Alpha in the air drew my attention to the trees. Jakkon was making his way over, greeting his mate with a nip to her jaw. I straightened my shoulders as blue eyes flicked to me, then to Orin.

"Are you going too easy on her, my male?"

I rolled my eyes and folded my arms. Orin chuckled and shook his head, nudging my shoulder. "No. She's just stubborn and won't let go."

Alpha Jakkon hummed and took slow, measured steps to where I stood. I could feel the presence of my wolf, instincts telling me to bare my teeth and posture but I was still sore over how he'd put me thoroughly in my place.

He hadn't said a word about my fight with Rune either, barely acknowledging that I was little up in his Pack's hierarchy.

"It's a common occurrence among wolves now, those that spend time in the human world so have to tamp down on the feral side of us. You've forgotten how to rely on the wolf. On what makes you not human." He smirked, as I bristled. "I'll take you on the hunt with us, away from any luxury where you'll spend more time in fur. That should do you some good."

"Father, she definitely won't manage-"

"I will!" Orin glared at my interruption but I paid him no mind, puffing myself up. "If it'll help me, I want to go."

Jakkon gave me a slow smile and nodded. "Be here tomorrow morning, it's my turn to see what you've learned. Orin doesn't think you're capable so if I deem you ready, you can come. Go again, my male. Stop going easy on her."

Orin's chuckle frightened me as I looked up at him warily. Had he really been holding back?

I found out the answer was yes.

Two more rounds with Orin, and despite holding my own for a while, he was still the better fighter. By the time Jakkon called for us to stop, I was breathing between gagging at a strong kick to my stomach.

I definitely preferred fighting in fur. Scratches and bites were an easier pain to bare than this.

Wiping blood from my nose, I stayed on all fours until the world had stopped going in and out of focus. My arms were trembling, threatening to dump my face in the mud. When I finally managed to look up, it was to see Ebbe watching from next to Signy. Brown hair was swept across his eyes, shadowing his features, but they glowed such a bright blue, they were impossible not to see. Signy had a hold of his arm as Jakkon spoke to him but my ears were still ringing too much for me to hear.

Taking Orin's offered hand, he grunted as he pulled me to my feet. "You are getting better."

"Sure. One day I might come out of a fight with you and not about get myself knocked out." I scoffed, my gaze flicking back to Ebbe because I was unable to help myself. It was like he was a beacon for my gaze.

He was still talking to the Alpha pair who listened intently and for a moment blue eyes captured mine. His lips twitched, eyebrow raising, and I spun around.

Aljana's words echoed in my head. Stay away.

And I believed it was a good idea too. He'd crept into my thoughts, twisted my dreams, and left me feeling confused and uneasy. Every time our eyes met, my stomach erupted with nervous butterflies, because he was unpredictable.

"I don't feel like I'm getting better," I grumbled, taking stock of my injuries as Orin smirked.

Sprained wrist maybe, looking at the swelling. And I'd definitely have a bruised cheek. My nose was fine, despite the blood. At least we definitely seemed to be done for the day.

"Nothing broken?" Orin asked.

I shook my head in relief. "Nothing that won't be better by tomorrow."

He grinned, mismatched eyes glinting as he nudged me forward before swinging his arm out to capture Fenna's waist. She grinned at me as I groaned.

"That was fun to watch today. A few times, I thought she might have had you," she teased, tilting her chin up to kiss her mate. Orin nipped her lip in return while I rolled my eyes. They were always kissing.

"I'm glad I entertained you, cousin."

Fenna laughed, reaching over to tug a strand of my hair. "Don't be grumpy. You'll need to train harder if you want to keep up on the hunt."

"I've been on hunts before." I frowned. "I think I'll be able to keep up."

Despite Orin's protests, which I didn't understand because he himself was saying I was improving.

"Not like this," she argued. "This isn't an afternoon excursion, Raeghan. It could be weeks of tracking in the wilderness. There won't be shelters and sometimes not even a fire to keep warm at. The hunt is a test."

A test? Just great. I'd never done well at tests.

Weeks in the wilderness. . .

Well, I'd been here for over a month already and this was as wild and isolated a place as you could get in this day and age. How much longer would I be here anyway when I already missed home? My need to prove myself was helping me cope with homesickness but I still struggled with another, darker feeling in my gut that was trying to warn me of something. But what?

As usual, I shook it off.

Trailing beside Fenna and Orin as we headed to eat, I took a deep breath. I could do this. I'd pass whatever test Jakkon thought to throw at me. All I had to do was trust in myself, maybe fate would smile upon me and give me the chance I needed to prove to the pack, hell every pack in the world, that I could do this.

And ignore the male following behind me, his gaze burning into my back. Looking over my shoulder, I spotted Ebbe walking next to Signy, Jakkon and Aljana, but he sped up when he caught my gaze.

Nervously, I glanced at Aljana whose blue eyes narrowed on me. Was there a day Ebbe wasn't getting me into trouble?

"You've been ignoring me," he said when his stride kept in time with mine.

"I've been busy," I replied, trying to keep my gaze straight ahead when everything was urging me to look at him. Even his scent tempted me to turn, a scent that should have been feminine for a male but somehow wasn't.

He hummed, his gaze locked on the side of my face while I could sense Aljana's growing anger. I had been doing my best to stay away as she'd asked, this wasn't my fault. My jaw clenched but Ebbe either didn't notice my irritation or was happy to just ignore it.

"Come run with me." His fingers curled around my arm to pull me to a stop but I yanked my arm away, taking a few steps back to put space between us.

"No. I'm tired and hungry."

"Come on." He huffed, moving into my space again, a challenging smirk softening his usually furrowed features. "I know you could use some time away as much as I could. We'll run and hunt, and find somewhere out in the wild to sleep."

The others had stopped too, leaving us room but watching from where they stood. My cheeks flushed and I glanced away nervously. I didn't want to be harsh with him, so maybe if I told him the truth, he'd back off.

It would be better for him in the end.

"I've been warned to stay away from you," I breathed, hopefully quiet enough that Aljana couldn't hear. She paced the path like a caged lioness.

"What?" Ebbe questioned with a frown before realisation seemed to dawn just as I answered.

"Aljana."

He snorted and grinned over at his adoptive mother-wolf. "She thinks you're too ambitious."

I snorted at that. It was an opinion about me that I got that a lot.

"So?" he urged, taking yet another step closer so I was forced to tilt my head up to see his face.

My heart fluttered, nearly sloping a beat entirely as his scent invaded my senses. A scent that had haunted me since the moment I'd smelt it outside my room, like the sweetest of perfumes. It taunted me.

Chewing my lip, I looked away. A night away from the pack did sound good. I hadn't gone on a proper run in fur in ages and it was beginning to show in my loss of restraint on my emotions. Even though Signy and Jakkon wanted me to release the wolf, I couldn't. I'd seen the damage I could do when I gave into the wild.

"You should go," Jakkon said from behind us, walking over with a glaring Aljana being soothed by Signy. "Just be back by morning so our training can begin."

I swallowed. With the Alphas permission, there wasn't much I could use to excuse myself. Ebbe was smirking, an eyebrow raised as I hesitated still.

Maybe it was more than Aljana's warning that was keeping me away from him. He scared me. Not in the way he thought, nor in a way I'd ever admit to myself, but he did.

Catching Fenna's gaze, she too was smirking next to Orin who watched us with eyes full of knowing. Why push us to spend time together when everyone knew that we were bound to fall out. Or kill one another.

"I'll take your clothes to your den if you want," Fenna offered.

My wolf was suddenly restless at the idea of being allowed a little freedom and I slowly nodded with a sigh.

"Yeah. Okay, a run would be good." But no funny business.

I didn't need to say those words out loud, from the glint in his blue eyes, Ebbe had caught the message loud and clear and brought him no end of amusement.

Aljana shook her head. "I don't think this is a good idea."

Sharp and pointed, hissed words were directed at me. I couldn't help but tip my chin up, shoulders straightening as I postured. A gentle rumble from Signy soothed the tension as she touched the warriors arm. "They'll be fine."

She didn't look like she agreed but she reluctantly stood down. Jakkon pulled Ebbe away while I stripped and handed my clothes to Fenna. Orin told me to head west, away from the pass and towards the base of the mountains where reindeer were often found.

I wasn't sure why. It wasn't like Ebbe and I would be able to take down a reindeer between just the two of us.

"You know what to do if you run into trouble?" Fenna fussed, clutching my clothes to her chest.

"Yes, mum." I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Howl. Loudly. Don't worry, I'm sure I can manage that."

She smacked my shoulder lightly and turned up her nose. "You're still my baby cousin in my eyes. Don't have too much fun, and make sure you're back in time tomorrow or Jakkon will have you running the territory until dawn the next day."

I didn't doubt that.

And the look she'd given Orin as she talked of fun sent a flicker of unease through me. Did Signy tell her about the kiss between Ebbe and I? I shook my head at myself. It wouldn't matter if she did, it meant nothing. He meant nothing.

Turning towards the male himself, I kept my eyes up and focussed on his face, away from anything that might make my cheeks go red.

"Stay away from the pass," Jakkon ordered, moving over to Signy who grinned and added, "And make sure to stick with each other."

Ebbe grunted his acknowledgment of their final order before shifting. It wasn't smooth, I could hear the crack of bones and watched the odd shudder as he changed forms. It looked painful and a part of me cringed. It hadn't looked like this the few times I'd seen him shift before, and curiosity filled me, but I knew Ebbe well enough to know that he wouldn't like me asking, especially not in front of others.

Allowing my own magic to fill me, my skin prickled as fur pushed forth and skin gave way. The world blurred, trees dancing around for just a second until I stood steadily on four paws. Bones creaked a bit and I had to stretch out the ache of well used muscles, shaking my fur out too. Control slipped slightly as I greeted Ebbe, cheek to cheek, his tongue scraping across my jaw. I shoved at him in annoyance but he only chuffed, unconcerned.

Signy chuckled as she watched us, her head quirked to one side with that far away look I'd seen on Freydis' face not long before I'd left home. She was looking at us but not seeing. At least, not anything I could see. And Aljana studied her Alpha Female with a frown, glancing between us as if she understood, and wasn't best pleased.

It didn't matter. When Ebbe barked for my attention and started running, the only thing left on my mind was the chase.

Side by side, I followed the tracks until the land grew unfamiliar. Ebbe took the lead then, always taking the easiest route that I was sure he'd memories in a way none of the pack did. I loved watching him in his element, so care free, and certain of his environment. I got lost in it too, following the call of the wild that so often I had to ignore.

We ran for miles.

Through woodland, over streams, up the side of the rugged and rocky mountains that guarded the territory, and back down towards the edge of the valley where another mountain blocked our path. Always side by side, Ebbe guided me with gentle nudges until we caught the scent he'd been looking for.

The breeze brought it to me too and I immediately licked my lips.

Reindeer.

A whole herd of them if the way musk suffocated the air was anything to go by. They were much further south than I thought they'd be but I'd been led to believe they remained in the valley that offered them as much protection as it did the pack.

Scouting around the edge of the herd that were dotted around thick trees, we slowed down. I searched for the youngest amongst them, or an injured one that would be easy to bring down. Hunched low, I licked my jaws in anticipation, finally spotting one that limped as it moved.

Nipping at Ebbe's shoulder, I nodded towards it but he shook his head and kept moving. Confused, I followed him warily until he paused. Blue eyes locked on a huge male that cracked his antlers against the trunk of a tree. If we didn't have to be quiet, I'd have chuffed my amusement. He couldn't be serious, could he? It would take a group of wolves to bring that male down and even then it would be dangerous.

But yes. He was serious, and his eyes met mine with an excited glint while I stared at him in disbelief. Nudging my body against his, I begged him to reconsider. Of we wasted more time, they'd eventually catch our scent or spot us lying in wait in the undergrowth. The injured female was our best bet.

Ebbe wasn't having it though. Shaking his head, he lifted his chin and I could hear what he would say to me if we were in skin.

I'm doing this with or without you, so help or don't.

That left me with little else to do. I couldn't let him do it alone, and my wolf found the prospect of bringing down the huge bull too tempting a challenge to refuse. We could gorge ourselves on this prey for days, our bellies would be full. Feasting was slightly more appealing than watching Ebbe meet his end under hooves.

So I nipped his jaw, allowing him to take the lead. The young bull had distanced himself from his herd to graze and show off his strength, giving us a helping hand without even realising. Hunkering down low, my eyes flicked between Ebbe as he crept around to cut off the other side, and the reindeer who was still marking the tree. The air was still, tension grew as I remained frozen and hidden from sight. This couldn't possibly end well but the attempt would be exhilarating enough.

Staying in place, I had to keep an eye on where Ebbe was positioning himself, the herd all around me, and our prey. My stomach twisted in excitement and my jaw ached to sink into tender and bloody meat.

Somehow, without seeing Ebbe or hearing a signal from him, I knew when to move. Maybe we were more in tune with each other than we thought. I sprang forward just as I caught sight of Ebbe pouncing out of his hiding spot. The bull startled, bleeding a warning that quickly set the herd fleeing.

The bull reared up, flailing hooves to keep Ebbe at bay. It hadn't caught onto my presence yet, and fear glittered in black eyes as it round to run, only to come face to face with me. My hunting partner used its distraction to his advantage while I growled to keep our prey's focus on me. Ebbe swung up from beneath, his jaws clamping down around the jugular while I went for the legs, biting hard until bone crunched beneath my teeth. The bull tried to run but ended up stumbling. I jumped up, using my claws to dig into its side, adding my own weight to bring it down.

It took a few more stumbled steps while Ebbe shook his head, blood gushing down to cover the grass. Muscles began to burn as I Continued to cling onto the beast's side, flexing my paws to sink in deeper. A low groan and it finally stumbled again, collapsing to the ground. For several minutes we both remained in place, just in case, but the bull didn't get back up.

We'd done it.

Panting hard, I stared at Ebbe in complete shock as he released the bloody neck of the reindeer from his jaws. This wasn't who I knew Ebbe to be; strong, confident, reeking with an untamed power that sent a shiver up my spin. The male before me was one who could be Alpha, who could rival even me. So why did he pretend otherwise? Why was he an omega, bottom of the pack, beneath even the pups, always cowering away and never making eye contact?

And why did he look so sad?

We'd just taken down a bull that could have been leader of his herd when he was older; something that would normally take a whole group of strong hunters. My gaze raked over him as I tried to figure out the answer to all those questions.

He kept that dominant stance as I studied him, blue eyes unwavering, tail held high. I walked around our kill, following instincts as I nuzzled against him and licked at his jaw, congratulating him. He rumbled his appreciation, lids lowering as he pressed back against me. Nipping at my jaw, he shoved me towards our prey but I shook my head. He'd led our hunt, he'd done the hard work, he would eat first.

This seemed to unsettle him and he wavered a moment before taking what was his. Moving back to the other side, I couldn't help but appreciate the sight of him as he tore at the best parts, blood splattering his fur. My wolf saw him differently, and my interest grew, thoughts flicking back to the time he'd kissed me, showing just a glimpse of his true self.

I should have known what he was capable of.

Once he'd taken the first bite, I followed suit, tearing at the soft underbelly, growling at the taste of warm meat. Eating together for the best part of an hour, we filled our bellies until we were both stuffed and unable to move. Flopping onto my side, my stomach ached as I licked the remnants from my jaws. Fur was stuck between my teeth but I couldn't find it in me to care.

When I glanced over at Ebbe again, it was to find intense electric blues already locked on me. Slowly, he rolled to his paws and began to approach in a way that had my belly coiling.

Watching his every move, my tail flicked nervously against the ground. This was a male who wanted something, but I couldn't tell what, and that made me uneasy. The low, questioning rumble from his chest sent a shiver up my spine. Still confused over what he wanted, I decided to wait and see, I didn't move as his tongue flicked out, and to my surprise he began to clean what I couldn't reach. He'd watched me struggle to do it myself. . .

Moving to return the favour, a low growl froze me. He wasn't finished grooming, and in all honesty, I wasn't ready to let him be. So I relaxed and allowed him to finish, sighing happily into the grass.