Rejected By the Alpha (Forbidden Alpha Kings #5)

24. Kaylee

24

Kaylee

“Beta Kaylee!” Turning at the sound of someone calling my name, I spy a she-wolf named Jenny waving to me, as she corrals two pups towards me. It has been two weeks since the first batch of Oak Fur wolves joined our pack, and Jenny was one of them. She came to our pack as an omega, the same as her mate, but after a few days of training, it became clear she was fit to become a warrior.

“Morning, Jen! Hi, Izzy and Carson!” I bend down and ruffle Carson’s hair, the seven-year-old swatting my hand away before he and his twin sister run over to join the other pups in today’s training session.

“You know, it’s good to finally call you that. Call you beta, I mean,” Jenny muses as she watches her pups run around with the others in this class.

“It feels nice being called it,” I smile back, giving my friend a hug. I remember waiting for our charter bus to pull up in front of the pack house four days after picking up those escaping Oak Fur. Remembered feeling nervous, as they were told that my name is Beta Lilac so that no one could disclose my real name to Lucas, and that I am the one in charge of this operation. We learned from the three warriors we sent that it took them four days to get to the town closest to Oak Fur, where they stocked up on food and supplies for the remaining three days before it was time to pick up everyone.

Jenny was the first to step off the bus, her body hunched over as Ivory Fangs wolves watched on, until her eyes zeroed in on me. She ran, wrapped me in a hug before anyone could stop her, and I found myself hugging my friend back.

“We had a feeling you were behind this,” she had whispered in my ear, holding me tighter.

“Your mom loved that stupid lilac bush, and it wasn’t hard to put two and two together when Simon mentioned that this Beta Lilac is his friend.” I had laughed at this statement and stepped forward, welcoming everyone to the pack and asking them to step inside so they could meet their new alpha. When Amelia appeared they were even more shocked, before they swarmed her expressing gratitude for helping them, as well as congratulating us on becoming the leaders of Ivory Fang.

“So, what are the pups learning today?” Jenny’s voice pulls me away from my thoughts, as I watch those between the ages of five and nine run around on the obstacle course. Lace is the one leading the pups, her legs weaving in and out of the small bushes I set up in this new training ground just for them.

“Speed and stamina, as usual. When they turn ten, they will join the next class where we focus on training their strength, and preparing them to shift,” I answer, watching as a pup falls down and causes a small traffic jam. I chuckle, making my way over to the little boy, and help him up while checking for any bumps and scrapes.

“Did you forget something?” I ask this pup—Tyson—as I realize that his laces are untied. He shakes his head no as he looks down, before his head pops up with a look of realization.

“My laces!” he shouts, and I wince. Pups are lucky not to have sensitive hearing like us already shifted wolves. I watch as Tyson bends down and ties his laces, double-checking that they are secured before sending him on his way.

“You will make a great mother one day.” Jenny comes up beside me and I smile, watching these pups play on the obstacle course and helping one another through it. We call this training, but what it really is, is two hours of the pups running and climbing around as they learn hand-eye coordination through play, and me showing them some new things to focus on every so often.

“It’s brilliant to make this indoor place for the pups,” another voice calls out. I turn to see Evette walk in with her own pups, the three of them aged five, seven, and nine. Her nine-year-old, Marc, will be joining the next class in a month when he turns ten.

“We needed a place for the pups to be while the adults train. Figured we turn an abandoned building into something fun,” I shrug, as Marc joins Lace in leading the pups, the nine-year-old having grown close to Lace since we opened the pup training ground.

“Well, we parents thank you for it. It’s nice knowing that the pups are safe with you.” Evette comes and gives me a hug, and I reciprocate it. Gone is the timid omega that helped me clean the pack house and prepare the animals our newly formed team of hunters brought in. Instead stands before me a confident, strong omega, who is now in charge of the other omegas of the pack.

“Anyways, we have training in ten minutes with Marco. We will be back to pick the pups up before the next round of new wolves come in.” I wave goodbye to the two she-wolves before closing the front door. Everyone is here and accounted for, and it is time to start the day.

“Okay, niblings,” I call out, watching everyone stop at the sound of my voice.

“Today we are going to play a game of hide and seek. It is important you stay either in the building or in the fenced-in area where we learned how to hide our scents two days ago. Understand?” I continue explaining, getting a resounding ‘Yes, Beta Kaylee!’ from the pups. I smile, explaining the importance of learning how to hide and not be found, reminding them that when they hear the code word ‘bloom’, they are to come out of hiding. Those not found yet will earn a reward when they come out.

“Are you all ready?” I ask, looking at Marc, who volunteered to be the seeker.

“Yes!” the twenty pups shout back in excitement.

“Okay. Go!” With my signal, the pups take off within the facility or outside the open patio doors. Marc starts counting to fifteen, and I think back to Jenny’s words.

Would I ever find someone to love and have pups with, or will I end up alone? Would I be a good mother to my pups, if I did end up having any?

I walk around the facility as Marc begins seeking, finding the first four pups easily and sending them to the carpet we set as the ‘found’ camp. The pups find toys to play with, while we wait for others to be found until only four remain. Marc searches everywhere and grows frustrated. I shake my head in amusement and call out ‘bloom’, watching as three mud-covered pups come in with triumphant smiles from outside, before I spy Lace climbing down from the rock wall.

“Well done, you four! I have freshly made cupcakes waiting for you to take home,” I praise, motioning the mud-covered pups back outside, where I rinse off the mud from each one of them before handing them a towel and having everyone gather in front of me. I explain in detail what each pup did wrong and what they did right before Lace asks to be seeker, and we repeat the process over and over again, with Lace and Marc taking turns being seekers.

It doesn’t take long for the pups to become good at hiding, and by the final round, no one was able to be found. I call out the code word and watch as ten pups covered in mud, leaves, and dirt join me, making me laugh, while the nine that hid inside climb out of places no one thought to check. It is clear that they mastered covering their scent, and as their parents come to pick up their exhausted yet happy pups, each leaves with a cupcake in hand.

With every pup gone, I begin cleaning the facility and returning toys to their rightful place. I think back to whether I will be a good mom one day, and smile while looking around the room, before turning off the lights and making my way to the pack house for dinner.

The answer is yes. One day, I will make a great mom to my pups, and train them with the same love and patience I have for my little students.