"Let's set some ground rules here, according to the Alpha, trainings will continue as scheduled. Anyone missing them, will have to do extra hours, so don't." Seth said, hands clasped together as he walked in front of us.

The trainings were paused for a few days, after Evan's death but they were going to resume. I couldn't wait to start a new chapter of my life and forgot that Evan ever existed. I needed to stop pitying him and his death when he almost tried to kill me, drunk or not.

"As some of you are new here—" His eyes landed on me. "I'm Seth Walker, and I've been training the females of our pack since two years now so you'll not face any kind of trouble, except for the ones caused by you."

Seth Walker was the son of the second in command of the Boldcrest Pack, the one we all came from. He was old by age but the rippling muscles and god-like features told otherwise.

"I told you he was hot." Cora whispered in my ear, leaning in a little.

I dragged my fingers through my hair and scoffed. "I have a mate if you're forgetting." I reminded her.

"Oh, yeah, poor you."

"Trainings for this batch—" Seth lengthened his hand out, pointing it at us. "Alice, Jodi, Meghan, Ann, Cora and Liliana, will take place every Friday, at nine in the morning."

There were six of us total and I was happy that I was in the same batch as Ann and Cora, while they had started their training long ago, they were still behind.

The other three girls were unknown to me. One of them was bolder, I expected her to be Jodi and the other one, Meghan, was short-heighted, chubby girl that I had seen around the town.

"How long are the trainings?" Meghan asked.

"Three hours long, give or take. At the end of the month, your skill will be tested and only then, you'll be allowed to continue." Seth replied to her.

It was almost midnight, and after the announcement Alpha Richard made, everyone went on their ways but we were stopped as our trainings couldn't be delayed anymore. We were in the middle of the woods, the sweet scent of trees and water allowed me to breathe easily, after taking down all that whiskey.

I needed to take my mind off all the racing thoughts and emotions in my head and listening to Seth was the best way.

"Why are we here, Seth? It's night and shouldn't we head back home?" Cora asked, snapping into her real personality, she was always upfront and straight. I wasn't surprised.

"Because you'll be patrolling the borders." Seth replied, glancing at her direction.

My jaw dropped. No. Not today. I had so many things to do—like sleep, talk to my parents, and then sleep again.

"We can't do that. We are girls." Cora argued with him.

He came forward, invading the distance and looking down at her. "You will. It's the Alpha's commands. Batches of wolves will be patrolling the border every week. And, who else to start with then you six girls."

"But, we don't know anything! What if someone attacks us?" I exclaimed, breaking my silence. Speaking after all that lecturing felt different.

Seth's glare whipped to mine. "We are familiar of the only danger around us. Whoever is lingering outside doesn't wants to kill you, Lilliana so it's safe to say that you'll be perfectly fine." He replied, reminding me of what had happened with Evan.

I didn't die that night and it was because of a reason.

I swallowed hard and then gave a nod to him. He wasn't wrong. But, I wasn't liking his tone and the way he ruled us around here.

Seth slammed his hands together and announced, "All right. We are clear now. You will all patrol the forest for the night. There are a few men around and they'll help you with anything needed. Goodnight, girls, see you tomorrow."

We were all surprised when he went to the car and got inside without us. Being in the middle of the forest was dangerous, especially when it was midnight. The headlights of the car flashed and then the little light faded, leaving us all in the darkness.

"Okay, what the fuck was that?" Cora cursed as she watched the car drift away from the forest. "Never have I ever seen Seth so cocky and arrogant. What's wrong with him?"

"I believe it has to do with the attack." Ann replied, giving me a small guilty glance. It wasn't my fault.

"Ugh. Whatever. We should find ourselves a safe spot and stay there. The night's just going to get cold." Cora explained, picking up the bag that Seth had gotten us.

The bag was filled with everything we needed, from clothes after we shifted and to water and food. I walked behind her as we went deeper into the woods.

"What about the other three girls?" I asked, looking back and above my shoulders. They were still standing on their positions, talking to each other, a hint of worry on their faces.

We couldn't leave them behind.

"That's not our concern!"

"Cora."

"What?" She whipped around, tossing the leather bag over her shoulders. "I wanted to sleep after all that booze but now we are forced to patrol the forest. We aren't taking those girls, I'm sure they can handle themselves." Cora added, her tone laced with sleep and rage as if she was going to kill someone right away.

"Fine, fine." I rubbed her shoulders. "Let's go find a spot to camp."

We fiddled around the forest, looking for the perfect spot, and while searching, we came across a few other men of our pack. They flirted, we rejected and they went back on their paths. Once comfortable, we camped near a clearing, where there was a small lake, connected to all the lakes in the forest. The boat over the water swayed, but it was chained to the land and belonged to someone named Mr. Reir.

I rubbed my cold fingers together and sat down beside Ann and Cora. They planted a tent by the lake and I helped them with setting up the beds so we could all pass out.

There was no fear inside me. The forest was safe, no rogues ever came and no unwanted wolves crossed our territory. The only one who did was my mate and it was safe to say that I wasn't afraid of him, not anymore.

We chewed down on a few chocolate bars and then gazed at the night sky, our eyes red and sleep lingering around our heads.

It was a while back where I texted my parents that I wasn't coming home as our trainer, Seth, wanted to patrol the borders. They didn't reply and I assumed they were asleep.

I lay dead on the ground, hands behind my head. Cora shifted above me, coming to the other side, where she felt more warmth.

"It's fucking cold! How the fuck are we, princess's, supposed to sleep over soil?" She asked, gritting her teeth.

I laughed, "Guess this is how it's going to be."

"God. I'm going to talk to Alpha Richard tomorrow. This is unfair! We are females, we aren't supposed to be here." Cora was completely unsatisfied, and all she wanted was her bed.

"It's just a night, Cora." Ann said, throwing a rock over her body.

"Yeah, a very long night and these pines are going to fuck my ass." She twisted around again and pushed the blanket underneath herself.

The broken branches and pines spread on the ground were poking us and the tent was too thin to cover it. I jolted up straight, unable to sleep with all their talking.

"Can you two just sleep?" I asked them both.

"So you can go make out with your mate?"

"What?" I exchanged a look of surprise with Cora. "Of course not! I want to sleep too."

"Didn't you say that he appears anywhere so where is he now?" She got up straight on her ass and peeked out of the tent. "Is he going to be here? Can we see him? Pretty please?"

I yanked her back inside. "No! Why would he be here?"

"Because he's your mate and mates cannot stay apart." That was no reason.

We were at the borders of the town, in the forest, away from everyone and the last thing I expected was too see him. I assumed he wouldn't show up after killing Evan and the talk we had.

"He won't come." I said, clearing my throat and zipping the tent.

"Why?" Ann asked, sitting on her elbow.

"There might be a chance I had pissed him off on the night Evan died." My voice grew tight in my throat. The events of that night didn't end up positive in anyway. I didn't tell Ann and Cora the details, especially the part where my mate finger fucked me and I came in a second while my ex-boyfriend's boy was a few inches away from me.

"How?"

"I told him, I didn't want to be with him and since then, he hasn't appeared." My shoulder lifted into a light shrug. I wasn't sure whether or not my words affected his actions. I had thought a lot about rejecting him and there was nothing that was forcing me to do it.

I wanted him.