Before I knew it, I was standing in the middle of the training centre, a similar set up to the one at Bloodlust. An audience has already grown, surrounding the entire centre. At the top of the field was a small box filled with rows of seats. In the front row, next to a large microphone, was Alpha and Luna Montgomery, accompanied by who I would assume is their Beta and Gamma. I moved my gaze slightly, finding Alexander, Harmony and Vance with ease. I could barely see them though, only faint outlines.

"Welcome!" Alpha Montgomery boomed, "To the trials for our Werewolf Representative!"

Cheers erupted from the stands, some of the fellow pack representatives basking in the attention as they waved their hands in response.

"First off, we're starting easy. You can count it as a warm-up, however, it still will be a challenge! If all our representatives could please place themselves in a running track just at the point where there is a line in the track."

We walked over, the tracks running around the entirety of the circle ring. I placed myself easily, standing strong as I waited for the others to position themselves.

"We'll be starting off... with laps. You could count this as a test, however, the first 10 people to drop out will be eliminated." Alpha Montgomery was very careful with his words, ensuring that everything was clearly explained and enunciated. "The trick is, I suppose, is that none of you will know when the others have dropped out. I suppose that you'll just have to hope when you have reached the end of your breath, 10 others have reached it before you."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, large, grey steel walls popped up along the edgings between each track, making it impossible to see any of the other contestants.

A light blared above my head, a bright red Bloodlust symbol floating above the starting point. I could see the faint glow of the two next to me, to identify which runner was in which aisle.

"Everything is being recorded, so when you stop, we'll know. Once the second-to-last competitor has dropped out, the walls will fall. To be recognised as dropping out, you need only to touch the floor. Go as long as you can, remember that everything is graded, especially in these last rounds of trials. While speed does not matter, a tally of every lap you manage to complete will be tallied. Do not worry about time, do not worry about boring our audience," He let out a chuckle. "You may begin at the end of the countdown."

I caught my breath in my throat, turning around to face forward and set my body into the position to the start.

While A holographic countdown started just in front of me, the audience joined in too, counting down the numbers, each second causing my nerves to skyrocket.

When the large alarm sounded, I began to run.

I now realised just why the warmup for the main training session back home was running a field. Practically identical to this activity now. There were a few differences, of course, the impending results of winning were not only my pride on the line but something much larger than that.

The pride of my pack.

And so I ran.

I did exactly what I had done in Bloodlust, started slow and allowed my body to adjust to what I was doing. Maintain that pace, keep it steady. The sun was beating down, and though I knew that I wouldn't go red anyhow, I was glad to be wearing long sleeves and long pants, even if it did make the heat just that slightest more unbearable. I had tuned everything out, all I could feel was the wind against my ears, the breeze through my hair, the sweat down my neck and the hard ground beneath my feet.

It was terrible, overwhelmingly terrible.

Yet, the familiarity of it all, not even I could ignore it.

I had never been to Desert Sun, though I had been in many similar environments, where walking through a sandy dune may have been more comfortable. I didn't keep track, I refused to keep track of just how many times I had run this damn lap. Instead, I focused on anything else., The shimmer as the sun his the metallic wall, the rejoice of passing under the large Bloodlust symbol. It was difficult to grasp the time, having no idea just how long it had passed. It was completely silent, not a word on the air as we ran. Or perhaps they were talking, and I simply couldn't hear it.

No matter.

I wondered about Alexander. Chances are he had done this exact drill not only for its benefits but how he knew that the Desert Sun would use it as quickly as possible when trials for the games came. That, in itself, gave me some confidence.

The idea that someone was behind me, and the idea that I had already proven my skills.

My lungs were burning now as if I was suffocating on dust and sand. Not only was it clogging my throat, but flying in and out of my eyes, blinding me for a few, precious movements before I was able to clear it out. Perhaps it hadn't occurred to them that their natural terrain wasn't ideal. Perhaps they were absolutely aware and it was just another test in a grand scheme. I already knew that by the time we stopped, my hair would be filled with tiny, yellow specks.

I suddenly became aware of everything, the sun about half it's way on it's journey to the centre of the sky. I became even more determined, rushing out in a burst of speed, one that surprised even me.

Until I found a large rock right in my way. It hadn't been there before, or maybe it had and I simply hadn't bothered to acknowledge it. But that was all it took. The top of my boot hit the smooth surface, twisting my ankle as my body went flying. If only there was more space in between the two walls. I rolled, trying to regain myself as I bit back gasps at the slight shoots of pain that ran up my now throbbing ankle.

I had to get up, I had to-

My hands touched the ground, ready to push myself up when the walls collapsed., shooting back down into the ground as quickly as it had come up in the first place.

I knew I hadn't won.

I looked at my hands in terror. I had admitted defeat. I had pulled out.

I turned my head, trying to make a gain of my surroundings when two people came rushing towards me in stock, dark blue uniforms.

"Have you injured anywhere Ms?" One asked, bending down to my level.

I shooed him off. "My ankle will need to be wrapped but that's not important right now. I didn't forfeit, I tripped and was getting myself back up! Please, I swear!"

The two paramedics looked at each other awkwardly. "There is nothing we can do about that Ms," The other answered, "Only Alpha or Luna Montgomery, and nothing would be able to be done about it now."

"You're still in the trials if that's what you mean." One perked up. "In fact, there are only four more running. You've done quite well. Now listen, we're going to move you out of here and into the waiting area where we can quickly wrap your ankle, how does that sound?"

I opened my mouth to say more, to continue defending myself, but the two medics opened up their arms and scooped me up, read of my shoulders stretched so one of my arms carried over the entirety of their backs. There was a significant height difference, meaning that I was held a good six inches above the ground as they made their way over to a box, directly underneath the box where all the leaders sat. There was already a large group sitting there, but not enough, meaning that those first ten people that had pulled out had already been escorted elsewhere.

I felt my back connect against the stone wall, my leg immediately being lifted up and rested on one of the medics legs as they slid off my shoe.

I looked down to see my ankle red and building, the swelling causing me to bite my tongue. Had I really tripped that badly?

First, ice. They pressed it against my skin, causing me to hiss out in pain and they moved. The medic then pulled out a roll of peach coloured medical tape, wasting no time in moving his fingers around my ankle as he pressed into the skin and then placed done the tape as tightly as he could, wrapping it in figures of eight until everything was completely compressed.

My leg got lowered down as the medic gave me a respectful nod of the head before moving off.

I let out a sigh the moment he was gone, flat out refusing to look at the other competitors. A large TV screen was hanging off the wall, broadcasting exactly what everyone else was seeing across the packs. The volume was barely on, so I focused on the captions, reading the captions provided instead.

"Amazing, simply amazing. Now, back to our representatives. We recently received information that the next competitor to fall out is none other than Cassandra Verano!"

"Incredible, I'll be honest John it's completely unexpected." A large picture of my face was blown up on the screen. "They've said she came out on accident, simply tripping and ended up triggering the motion that resulted in her essentially saying that she was pulling out."

"And what a shame indeed, Tilly. If we pull up some statistics right now, Ms Verano currently has about $398,200 worth of bets on her name right now, more than any competitor ever recorded. Seems a people have a lot of money riding on her winning right now." John laughed, pulling up a counter that was steadily increasing with money. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a few dollars of my own in there right now."

"Oh definitely," Tilly said animatedly. "Bloodlust was one of the last to release their trial video for their Representative, and let me tell you, we went into a frenzy while watching it." Suddenly, a video took over the entire screen of me completing the obstacle course, running over the top of the beams before jumping off the top ledge. The video ended and quickly moved into me fighting Parker, every move, punch and jab that resulted in me in being crowned the champion.

The video faded away and resulted in Tilly and John taking up the frame again. "Now there is a reason we're bringing up Ms Verano now, as we have recently been sent a small piece of information that could completely change everything. And perhaps result in a major economic loss for the many that placed bets on Ms Verano."

I started full paying attention, grabbing the remote form a small table and turning it up to top volume. Now, everyone in the room was paying attention, if they weren't already.

"Through a one Parker Enoch, we have been sent multiple newspaper and magazine clippings that are Bloodlust exclusive. All of which complaining about Ms Verano's inability to even compete!" Tilly started. "With a backup statement from Enoch himself, it's been revealed that Ms Verano isn't just a recent addition to the Bloodlust pack due to a deadly history as a rogue roaming through the forest. No, instead the reason for her admission to the pack is because of finding her Mate, none other than Alexander Cain, the Alpha of the Bloodlust Pack."

My eyes widen and I felt my skin go cold. As I let my eyes slide across the room, everyone was watching me, some in confusion, some in glee.

"We expect a report and hopefully, an explanation from Alpha Cain momentarily, most likely after this section of the trials have been completed. Alpha Cain and Ms Verano have done a fantastic job at keeping the origins of their relationship secret both while here and for the past few months since the origins of their relationship began." Photos of Alexander and I came flying to the screen, what was this, a gossip show? "Personally, I love them. Both obviously very hard personalities, yet from what we know of them, I feel like they would just be so harmonious. And look at their faces, just think of the pups!" Tilly squealed as she rounded off her last statement, causing be to gulp with anxiousness.

"Regardless, we'll keep you all updated as information comes forward." John stated, "Now tell me, Tilly, what do you think of Mitchell Tine-"

I pulled away from the TV, blinking glaringly as I stared forward into the nothingness. The tension in the room was thick, you could cut it with a knife. Yet no one said anything, and that much I appreciated.

A guard turned into the room, decorated in medals and a strong uniform, causing a flush of nerves to run over my body.

He pointed his long, bony finger forward, straight at me. "Bloodlust." He snarled, "Come with me, now."

I gulped as I stood up, pushing my shoulders back and voiding my face of any emotion. He placed his hand on my shoulder, as if intending to guide me.

I moved it off, "Don't touch me." I snarled. "I'm perfectly capable of walking."

His hand left my skin, but the glare against the back of my head was somehow worse.

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