The Alpha's Prized Enforcer (The Shadow Hunters #1)

7. Tinkerbell

 "We'll start with warm-ups. Pair up and start stretching your muscles. I don't want any of you pulling a muscle under my care. I'm a very busy man." Jamison announced. I'm not the slightest surprised by his declaration. As he paced along the field, I noticed that there were Pack members of the Shadow Hunters loitering on the side lines, watching us with mixed responses.

I spotted Joel and Jane mingled in the loose crowd. They didn't stay long, because the beautiful child between them pointed eagerly towards the swings in the playground.

It had been a surprise when the guy named Emrys announced that we would be training under his watch and with the addition of our humble audience, it caused a ripple of unease to rise.

The presence of Alpha Slater was also a cause for the leaden silence that overtook our afternoon training. He silently stood beside Emrys, watching us all with his usual solemnity. He didn't even blink an eye when a blue bouncy ball smacked him hard in the chest with a sharp pang sound.

All eyes sought out the offender and I was surprised I recognized the little boy as Maxim. He looked embarrassed as he reluctantly dragged his feet across the field to retrieve his ball inches from the Alpha's boots.

He paused half-way and glanced over to his two brothers who were hiding behind a man who must've been their father. The other two musketeers were motioning wildly for him to fetch the ball quickly, whilst his dad watched on with an expectant look.

I hid a grin as little Maxim plucked up some confidence and swallowed a lungful of air. He inflated his chest with air and approached Alpha Slater who was waiting for him with the ball clutched between his palms.

When Maxim drew closer, I felt as if everyone was watching the scene unfold. Instead of remaining at his full height, Alpha Slater lowered himself into a crouch so he was on eye-level with the boy. We weren't close enough to hear what he whispered to the little boy but Maxim practically beamed up at the Alpha as he received his ball before bouncing back to his brothers who shared exuberant hi-fives.

I think I heard a few swoons among the gathered people. I was sure a quarter were from the men themselves.

However, the moment of awe was shattered when Alpha Slater resumed to his full height and struck us silent with his notorious, scary-as-hell-glare.

I quickly dropped onto my butt and began doing sit-ups, pretending like I'd been doing it the whole time. I didn't dare look up when I felt my neck prickle with awareness. I lost count half-way, because that prickle of awareness hadn't faded.

Fortunately, Emrys rounded us up into a line where he inspected us intently.

I realized the man enjoyed rubbing his red beard a lot as he blurted out questions to each of us like a journalist on a new trail for their next story. He also did a lot of mmm-ing and hmmm-ing. I wasn't sure what he was up to, especially when he started to go a little personal with the questions.

For example, when he halted in front of a stoic Kian, he asked him point-blank if he preferred his own sex.

Kian, the ever approachable, simply flipped him the bird.

Emrys took no offence, and actually laughed as he moved on down the line until he was standing in front of me.

I saw the recognition in his gaze when he saw me. He went back to rubbing his beard as he examined me, "Hmmm, what is your name girl?"

I arched a brow. I already knew he knew my name and he knew I knew that he knew who I was but it seemed like Mr Emrys was going to play dumb for appearances sake. As far as anyone knew, we just met today and not on the night I sank my metal stars into some demented wolf pouring foam out from between their set of teeth.