The silence encompasses me, I could hear a moss fly. The tension is at its utmost.

I wait.

My breath is jerky, my heart beating strong in my chest. My leg keeps on twitching even when I place my hand over it to try and force it to stop. I run my tongue over my lips.

"This chair is really uncomfortable." I grumble.

The door opens and Nate enters his office. He walks to his seat behind the desk.

"So. Have you calmed down a little ?"

I have been locked up in the room for an hour, with nothing to do. I considered breaking down the door, opening the window forcefully with a chair, or a desk. But in the end I decided to wait quietly. Fifteen minutes passed, then half an hour and by the time the clock showed forty five minutes had passed, I was ready do go through a wall again.

Right now I am more pissed and frustrated than before. Jared and I were ready to fight, right outside the building, between the trees. But Nate felt the need to interfere. He ordered Jared to take a hike and brought me to his bureau. He left me with a tray of food five seconds later, locking me inside.

Unbelievable.

"I'm going to break every bone of his body." I inform him calmly.

"You can't do that." He sighs exasperated.

"Why not ?"

"Because I said you can't. He rolls his eyes and I mimic him. "You can't but" He hesitates.

"But ?"

"How about some kind of arm wrestling ?" He offers

"Are you kidding me ? Arm wrestling ? This is ridiculous !" I exclaim as I get up and walk to the door ready to find Jared on my own and settle this.

"Then how about some kind of trials ?"

I stop in my tracks, turn around and sit back slowly.

"I'm listening."

"When we want to welcome new wolves into the pack we organize trials."

I frown.

What is he talking about ?

"I don't want to be part of your pack."

"Why ?" He asks stubbornly with a hint of anger.

"I don't intend to stay here."

I see his jaw twitch and his eyes shine briefly but he continues.

"Everyone can participate, and the new wolf doesn't really have to win, it's just a way for him to show his strength and to impress the others. He becomes one of them and is accepted. It so happens that we have two new possible additions to the pack and we planned to organize the trials in two weeks. However since you seem so worked up we could push it up to tomorrow."

"I guess that's fine." I shrug.

"Alright then. For tonight go back to your room."

I get up once again.

"Hope, I really don't want you lingering in the halls." He adds as if I'm a kid that needs a reminder.

"Don't worry I won't." I swear rolling my eyes.

I might have sneaked out to the kitchen to grab an ice cream or two around three in the morning but no one needs to know that.

The next morning everyone is up and bustling around before the sun goes up in the sky. I'm not a morning person so I take my time getting ready lazily. I take a long shower, marveling in its warmth, put on a simple tight shirt and yoga pants to be able to move easily. I go eat breakfast with Jordan and his family. His father, Leo, seems to have accepted me since I saved his son's life and I'm pretty sure Jordan sugared it a little. I also meet his mother Tamara, she's a petite blond woman with brown eyes just like her son. I'm surprised at how calm and serene she is.

"I heard you are going to participate in the trials." Leo says over his coffee in a voice full of curiosity.

I know he is implying that I have a wish to join the pack and I feel the need to explain.

"Your alpha invited me to take part in it as a guest since I can't leave yet and I was getting bored."

"Well don't take it the wrong way when I win." He laughs.

"What are the trials about ?" I inquire intrigued.

"It's better you see it for yourself." He answers evasively with a smile.

Little by little everyone is gathered outside and by ten the entire pack is ready. The gardens have completely changed, tracks have been drawn on the grass, mats are forming stages and a tent is standing on the right to welcome the judges and the crowd of spectators. Wooden benches are installed for their comfort. I follow Leo to the judges table, apparently we have to give our names to enter the competition.

"Roger ! How are you dear ?" I exclaim smiling at the old man.

I haven't seen him since the day at the tracks. Today he is wearing thick glasses on his nose

"Do you have my five grands ?" I demand to remind everyone what they owe me.

Especially the alpha next to him. They need to pay their debt soon are things won't go well. For them of course.

Which reminds me...

"About today, do we win something ?"

"Hum, uh.. I-I... we" Roger sputters.

"The overall winner usually gets two weeks off from his pack duties and the winner of each event gets a dinner in a restaurant in town." Nate takes the lead next to him.

"What if I win ?" I suggest.

Someone scoffs behind me and when I turn around I find Gabe smirking.

I look at Roger and show him the fighter with a wave of my hand over my shoulder.

"Is he participating ?"

The old man only nods in response.

Now were talking.

'Finally some action !'

Even if there is no prize I will still join the competition, just to have the chance to kick his ass.

"Perfect !" I smile. "And if I win," I add for Nate, "you double the amount. Ten grounds."

"Are you insane ?" Cory snarls as she snakes her hands around Nates neck.

My eyes flash and I close them in panic.

Damn it !

'Did they see it ?'

I don't know !

I quickly force myself to calm down. I didn't hear anyone shout or cry or gasp so maybe it went unnoticed.

Yes, that's it. It happened too fast for them to see.

I open them slowly and observe the people around me. They are all occupied doing their own thing, parents are running after their pups, fighters are stretching in preparation, others are making some last minute arrangements. But nobody is looking at me. I sigh in relief. Then my eyes fall on Nate. He's frowning at me while Cory is all over him.

"Roger, I would like to enter this contest." I say shyly to divert the attention before going to stand next to the other contestants.

After fourteen more minutes, yes, I counted down the seconds, Nate stands up and come to place himself in front of us.

"As you know, today we are welcoming two more wolves in our ranks, Tom and Leah." He says in a loud voice, silencing everyone at once. "These trials will demand the best of you. You'll have to use all your skills, be ingenious and quick, strong and agile to go though them."

The air shift and suddenly all the fighters tense, concentrating on the task at hand. I revel on the feeling, my muscles vibrating in apprehension.

"The first event is about strength, each of you will have to try and move that rock." He points at something behind us and we all turn.

"Is he serious ?" Someone murmurs.

"That's insane." Another responds.

"Impossible !" A spectator shouts

Did we jump into the Dragon Ball Z world ?!

I can hear my wolf laughing her head off. The alpha just showed us a boulder. The thing is eight feet high and six feet long. And we have to move it. I sit back and watch, studying the competition. The first few fighters are young and want to prove themselves. The older ones, more experienced are trying to think of a plan. Nate comes next to me. At first I ignore him but when he doesn't make a move to leave I decide to talk. Really, I just want to hear his voice, it seems to appease me.

"Can we ask questions ?" I inquire.

"Sure."

"How many times can we try ?"

"Only once." He answers and I see the fighters around listen in on us.

"And we have to move it."

"Yes."

"And it would be good for the two people that are joining the pack to succeed ?"

"Correct." He replies amused.

'This alpha is sly.'

By now half of the participants have tried and failed and I know if I act now all of the others will succeed. I see Jared on the other side, waiting for his turn, thinking. I'm still mad but I'm curious to see what he intends to do. I wave at Leo to come closer and he trots to me.

"So, mister fighter. What do you think ?"

He starts scratching the back of his head glancing back and forth between Nate and me.

"I don't know. It's a new one."

"And you said you would win right ?" I joke.

Now he's downright avoiding Nates eyes, uneasy. I smile.

"Well, I have a solution for you. But I have a condition." I offer him.

"Alright." He agrees.

I turn to Nate to ask him the names of the two newcomers.

"Tom and Leah." He answers raising his brow.

"You can chose whoever you want but these two have to be in them." I tell Leo.

"What are you talking about ?"

"Well, your alpha here never said you have to move it alone." I say low to be sure nobody can hear.

Beside me Nate starts to smile brightly. Realization downs on Jordan's father and he starts to gather a few people, including Tom and Leah, who seem surprised to be included in the group.

"Alright Hope, ready when you are." He informs me.

"Oh thank you, but no need. Go on ahead." He hesitates a second and then they all take place around the rock and start to push, making it move a few meters. After them other groups form and the rest of them push the rock too.

"I don't understand. I thought you wanted to participate." Nate demand.

I smile crookedly at him. The last group moves back from rock and I trot to it. I walk past Jared's group and wink at him. He watches me advance his brows creased. I face the piece of rock and put my hands flat against it. I take a big breath, contract the muscles of my arms and take a first step. The object in front of me resists in its place and I smile at its heaviness. It wasn't there yesterday, I wonder how many people were needed to bring it here. My foot sink into the ground and I bring my other leg closer with another step. The rock starts to tremble around me but I keep moving. Slowly I dislodge it from its place and move it a few meters away. Satisfied with my performance I step back to observe the marks on the ground while rubbing my hands.

'Show off.' My wolf scoffs.

I walk back in the silence.

"Hope one, Jared zero." I tell him proudly and go meet Nate.

He is looking at me jaw hanging open.

"I'm not really sure but I think I won." I say to get him out of his trance.

He shakes his head and nods.

"Right. You win this event."

He goes back to the judge's table and starts talking and taking notes.

"Unbelievable." Leo whistles as he joins me.

"I'm a little strong." I shrug.

"You don't say !" He laughs in a warm and musical tone. "You didn't want to share the prize huh ?

"Someone needed a reminder." I explain and wave at Jared. "And I never joke around with food."

"Well I'm impressed. But I won't let you win the rest. And I think you made a few more rivals."

"Now," Nate clears his throat. "For the next test, you'll have to show your speed. Tracks have been drawn over the territory. It's a simple race. I'll ask everyone to gather at the starting point."

"No way I'm letting that filthy rogue win that thing." The voice of Gabe resounds in my ears.

I stay at the back of the bunch. Cory comes to the front with a flag and elegantly starts the race. We all begin to run at once. We get deeper into the woods and the ranks stretch. The fastest wolves get farther ahead, the slower ones further behind. I open my senses to the nature, the trees, the birds, the rodents, the water and all the smells, the green of the leaves, the brown of the ground, the darkness overhead. But I concentrate especially on the other participants. The first attack occurs after a few miles, the fighter that I don't know jumps at me from a grove but I evade his grip because I heard the irregular beats of his heart. Then ten minutes later a second one tries to trip me and punch me, however his blows don't faze me and I gain distance on him. Finally I get to the level of Gabe and smirk at him. He growls beside me and speeds up. I do the same to keep his pace.

"Now !" He shouts suddenly.

A metal bar is thrown in his hands and three other men circle me.

"Weak." I mock.

"What did you just say ?" He screams in anger.

"I said you're weak. You need four people and a stick to beat one single rogue. Which means. You. Are. Weak."

He growls louder at that and launches himself at me, the bar tightly gripped in his hand. I just need one punch to send him flying through the bushes, my fingers connecting with the fabric of his shirt and hitting him forcefully in the stomach.

'That felt great.'

Not near enough.

I don't think he'll wake up for a while. I keep running and send glances at the others.

"If you want to stop me now's the time." I inform them.

They don't approach and even make a path for me so I increase my pace. I'm in the lead group composed of Tom, six men and a girl that I don't know, Leo and Jared.

Off course.

I hear the shouts of the spectators on the benches in the clearing telling me we are nearing the finish line. As if to confirm my thought they all speed up. They know these woods on the back of their hands which gives them an advantage but that won't be enough to stop me. I meet the eyes of Leo as I pass in front of him and he grumbles. There is only the woman and Jared still ahead. I feel impressed that she is in the lead and hesitate a second to move forward. But I want to beat Jared and they are too close to each other for me to bypass one and not the other. I snake between them and push my feet deeper in the grass, extending my legs farther, faster. The cheers can be heard clearly now and the light is coming through the trees, the pack house is back in view. Jared fights to stay at the same level but eventually I gain some distance on him. I don't take the time to taunt the beta and run past them.

'You're better than that.' My wolf insists and I cant resist.

I push up even more and increase the distance between us, to be sure he understands his place. I reach the finish line and the applause stop.

"She cheated !" Someone exclaims.

"That's right ! There's no way she could have won !"

"I'm sure she hid somewhere and didn't make the entire race !"

"She's on steroids !"

I roll my eyes at that one, wolves can't actually use drugs, they don't have an effect on us because they dissolve too fast in our system, leaving us with an insanely painful headache.

"No she didn't." Jared grumbles behind me.

"I don't believe you !" A girl shouts.

The rest of the runners arrive one by one. Two of them are limping and three others are carrying Gabe who is bruised everywhere. A woman gasps.

"What happened to them ?" Nate inquires and his glance falls suspiciously on me.

I shrug refusing to explain myself or my actions.

"They attacked her. She only defended herself." A young boy wheezes out of breath.

He followed behind me almost the entire time of the race and his capacities make him quite promising for the future.

"Is that true ?" The alpha demands in a menacing voice to the two culprits still conscious.

One of them nods ashamed. Nate growls and starts to shake.

"Are you kidding me ?" He hisses. "Do you think this is a joke ? Are you trying to make a fool out of us ? This is unacceptable !" He loses his cool. "Go back to the pack house. I'll deal with you later." He orders before turning to the audience. "Hope won and I believe she didn't cheat."

He storms to the other judges and scribbles again. Jared is still beside me.

"Hope two, Jared zero." I mouth.

His fist hits the tree next to him hard and without warning, breaking it, its shards flying around.

Someone doesn't like to lose.

'Keep going. This is becoming really funny.'

"I swear this time I'm not losing to you." Leo announces.

"You keep saying that but I don't see anything changing." I smile sweetly.

I'm enjoying myself more than I would have thought and I'm excited what's next !