Chapter 20 Training
Training
At least training with Archer meant spending more time with Elowen. The next morning, I followed the pair across the deck and down to the side of the house where the dirt had been cleared and several logs were arranged in various ways.
Frowning, I surveyed the space. “What is all of this?”
I’d watched the pack train at a distance, but the equipment was all brown wood like the trees around us, and I’d never gotten a very good look.
Elowen laughed softly, her hand resting on her belly. “That’s a balance beam,” she said, nodding at the nearest log that sat four feet off the ground on two posts. Additional vertical timbers spaced out from the balance beam, leading to a rope looping between two trees.
“That’s the ladder for climbing,” she continued, and I turned to see a triangular structure of logs rising seven or eight feet. “They’re to train you, but we should start with stretches and then see where you’re at.”
“I am making no promises,” I said dubiously.
Her laughter lightened the mood as Archer led me through stretches, and I marveled at how his massive, muscled frame was able to reach his toes and twist his arm behind his back.
I was about as flexible as Elowen was, but she had a pregnant belly inhibiting her. I was just inflexible and out of shape.
Embarrassing, but I could always get stronger.
Archer walked me through a simple obstacle course. Cross the balance beam, climb the ladder, use the rope to swing across - that one was mostly for fun, he said - and then climb back down. He assured me we would save the tougher elements for later once I had built up my balance and stamina.
Crossing the balance beam was easy, and I grinned at Elowen as I leapt off the other side. But once I started up the ladder, my confidence wavered. It took only minutes for my muscles to protest, and my breath was coming in short pants.
Elowen shouted encouragement and I kept going. Clinging to the rope was the easy part, and I was able to grab the platform on the other side and start climbing down.
My feet hit the ground, and I turned around, triumphant.
“Not bad,” Arched said, his arms crossed over his broad chest. “Now do it four more times.” My eyes widened. Four? He had to be kidding.
It turned out, Archer was not kidding.
The second attempt went well, but by the third I was struggling. Sweat dripped down my neck and soaked my shirt as I fought to climb the ladder again.
The sound of engines interrupted my struggle, and I paused, cocking my head. “What’s going on?”
Archer grunted. “Alpha’s home pack sent some backup. Since we are down a few people.”
“Backup?”
“Keep climbing,” Archer growled, and I surged forward, reaching for the next rung. The edge of the wood dug into my palm. “Use your legs so your arms don’t get so tired,” he instructed.
Pushing up with my legs, I was able to relax my grip and the sting in my palm lessened. The next step burned, and my leg muscles felt like jelly.
The sounds of car doors slamming distracted me, and I wobbled on the ladder. Distant voices carried on the wind, but I couldn’t make out words.
“Your focus is shit. You’d better get down before you fall.”
He didn’t have to tell me twice. With shaking hands, I backed down the ladder and hopped onto the ground. My knees gave a dangerous wobble, and I took a step forward to loosen them.
Elowen crossed the clearing, peering around the edge of the house. Unable to help myself, I followed, my hand resting on her shoulder as I leaned out.
A shiny white SUV was parked along the dirt road. Voices reached us, but we couldn’t see any people.
“Alright, we’re done for today. Get your asses inside,” Archer called. He stomped past us and waited at the base of the short set of stairs that led onto the deck.
Elowen shook her head, her white-blonde hair fluttering. “I don’t know who it is. I wasn’t there when it was discussed.” Shrugging, she squeezed my hand and walked to her mate.
With a huff, I turned and padded across the clearing, scaling the stairs after Archer and Elowen, and stepping through the sliding door after them.
The living space was occupied, and I came to an abrupt halt. Cade stood at the edge of the kitchen, Luca at his side, as three strangers spoke to them.
The man in the center was tall and lean like Luca, with the same black hair, but his was slicked back.
Beside him, a fierce woman with darker blonde hair pulled back into a tight bun was scowling.
It was hard to tell if that was her default expression, but from the severity of her styling, I suspected so.
But it was the third figure, the other blonde, that caught my attention. She was identical to the first. They must have been twins, but she was curvy and soft, with golden waves down to her breasts, and a tight, low cut shirt that highlighted her figure.
She tilted her head as she looked up at Cade and smiled sweetly.
Anger sparked in my chest, bursting into a burning inferno in seconds. I stood stiffly, not trusting myself to move.
Cade glanced up, frowning at me. I fought to keep my expression neutral and calm.
Shit! He could definitely feel my emotions.
Leaning over, he muttered to Luca, whose attention shot to me. While Cade talked with the newcomers, Luca crossed the room to me, that insufferable smirk in place as he studied me.
I was suddenly aware of how disheveled and sweaty I was. Some of my hair was too short for my ponytail, and now those pieces stuck up at odd angles or were plastered to my jawline.
“Hey,” Luca said, brushing a strand of sweaty hair back from my face. He didn’t seem bothered by it, but I cringed.
“Who are they?” I asked quietly.
Luca glanced back, and the curvy blonde turned, surveying us. One elegant eyebrow arched, like she found me questionable.
“Let’s go upstairs and talk about it. You can change and I’d love to help you shower,” he purred, trying to distract me.
“Cause Cade doesn’t want his weak, rejected mate bothering him while he meets with whoever that is?” I hissed.
Luca’s mouth curved down.
Past him, Elowen gave me a pitying glance before following Archer up the stairs.
My anger rose higher as my gaze returned to the strangers. The curvy one was arching her back to show off her assets. I wanted to rip her to shreds for getting near my mate.
Luca ran his hand down my arm in a gentle, calming stroke.
“It’s my uncle and cousins. You can meet them now if you like. Or later…” He trailed off, his eyebrows arched until they disappeared under his tumble of dark curls.
I flinched.
His family. I wasn’t sure if or how that changed the situation. Unsure of myself, I finally gave in to his request.
“Fine,” I muttered, heading for the stairs. Luca’s hand went to my back where my shirt was soaked with sweat.
I refused to glance back at his cousins.
That became much harder when a trilling laugh filled the downstairs. My nails dug into my palms.
“Wildcat, you’re mad enough I can feel the echo of it,” Luca murmured into my ear. “Everything’s fine. Relax.”
At the top of the stairs, I turned, my eyes narrowing at him. “Did you just tell me to relax?”
Luca froze, his charming grin sliding from his face.
“Because that’s not the way to get someone to calm down,” I continued. “There’s a girl down there shoving her bouncy tits in my mate’s face.”
Slowly, Luca’s lips curled into a smirk. “Yeah? You wanna work out that frustration on me?”
“Gah!” Throwing my hands up, I marched into his room. Angry as I was, I didn’t bother to close the door before whipping off my shirt.
Luca paused in the doorway, his eyes tracing over my smaller breasts. I dropped the shirt on the ground near the laundry basket. He snapped, pulling the door shut before bolting across the room.
Smirking, I closed the bathroom door in his face.