The Selected

Strike One

Five Years Ago

"How is training going?" Alpha Rhodes asked, finally looking up from his papers on his desk and settling those dark eyes on me. 

I sucked on my teeth, my arms folded across my chest, "Shitty, since you still won't let me kill him, yet." 

Conrad let out an exasperated sigh, "I've told you,  Adelaide, that it will take time to get to the point where you can take him on and live." 

"And I've told you that I can take him on right now," I insisted. 

"Addie, no," He spoke sternly. 

"Connie, yes," I pushed, and ire flashed across his eyes at the use of the nickname that he detested. I gave him my very best, signature shit-eating grin, "I can take him." 

But he just shook his head, "You haven't seen what he's fully capable of, not yet. And if you go after Michael, if you challenge him now, you will not walk away from it. So just be patient, and please don't get yourself killed, I'd hate to have to find someone else for this task." 

At that, I scoffed, "Please, like you could find anyone else willing. Besides, I'm one of your best friends, you should sound more concerned for me." 

He just shook his head at me, though the corners of his lips were threatening to pull upwards in a sort of smile, a full out grin when it came to the brooding Alpha. Sighing, I glanced at the clock and saw that it was nearly time for me to return to the training fields. 

Even after three months of working my body senseless every day, of working twice as hard as all the other wolves around me, Conrad still didn't deem me ready to take on Michael. Admittedly, his lack of faith in me stung, and only fueled that rage buried deep within me that threatened to emerge every time I saw Michael's pale, ugly face leering at me. Conrad seemed to notice the time, too, as he flicked his eyes to the door, "Best get going." 

I stuck my tongue out at him as I made my way out. 

Making my way to the training fields, I put my carefully constructed mask back on. I pushed thoughts of my foster family, of Alan and Mary Anne and Jordan, into the back of my mind. I smothered the glowing embers of my true parents, of their deaths at the hands of Michael, beneath blankets of darkness within myself. I wiped away all emotion on my face, left it hard and unfeeling. 

That emotionless mask only spurred on Michael as he spotted me immediately upon entering the training field. 

"If it isn't the Alpha's favorite little girl," He snickered as I fell in line with the rest of my cohort, took my long braid and twisted it between his fingers. I stifled a shudder, a snarl, and remained perfectly still. Michael gave me a wicked grin, "Though which Alpha I suppose? Your father, or Alpha Rhodes?" 

"Go to hell," I ground out, the tempered words slipping even my iron leash. 

"You wanna mouth off?" 

I didn't. I didn't want to talk or listen to him leer at me, about me. No, my fists were itching to connect with his face as they had those months ago. I wanted to see him bleed underneath my hands, to see his pathetic life drain out of those unnerving eyes. 

To hell with what Conrad though; I wanted to kill him, so I lunged. 

With a yell of a lifetime of trauma and pain, I lashed out at the pack warrior, claws engaged. I only managed a light swipe across his chest as he stepped back swiftly, all of the cruel amusement on his face gone, replaced by icy wrath and rage. 

With a snarl, he leapt forward, shifting in the air as he did so and landing with a low growl. Not hesitating, I shifted into my own wolf, slightly smaller than his, but no less powerful, no less strong or fierce. 

Roaring, I leapt for him again, teeth aiming for his neck. All I saw was him through a haze of red, and I knew that I was only being driven by the bloodlust, by vengeance. 

And that sloppiness would cost me, I realized too late, as Michael lunged and clamped his teeth tightly around my front leg and bit down hard. 

A yelp escaped me as I went down.

Michael released my front leg, rearing back to tear out my throat once and for all, to tear me to ribbons--

"Enough!" 

The word was power itself and forced all into submission, into halting this fight. Lying on the ground, I shifted back into human skin, cradling my bleeding and torn arm to my chest. Michael shifted as well and snarled at Conrad, "Alpha Rhodes, she attacked me and deserves to be punished." 

Conrad only held up his hand, his eyes on me, his look murderous, "Leave her to me. Continue training for the day." 

He stalked towards me and gripped me by the neck, dragging me in front of everyone into the pack house and up until we were in his room, his bathroom. He threw me a t-shirt and I gladly slipped it on, wisely remaining silent as he paced and snarled through the room. I sat on the edge of the tub, trying to keep my dripping blood within the basin. 

At another drop of blood, Conrad whirled towards me, nostrils flaring. He stormed over and ground out, "On the counter, now." 

I obeyed. 

He rummaged in the cabinet below and pulled out first aid kits, then took my arm in his hands, his grip gentle but hands rough with calluses. 

"That was incredibly stupid," He hissed as he wiped the blood away with a warm, wet cloth. I hissed as it pulled at the broken, open skin. He kept wiping as he went, "It was stupid and brash and insane, Addie." 

I nodded. 

He picked up the bandages, wrapping them around my upper arm tightly to stop the bleeding until the healing kicked in, "He could've killed you--would have killed you, Addie. And I told you, I told you that you wouldn't win, and I promise you will lose like that every day until I tell you that you're ready, do you understand?" 

I nodded. 

Conrad tightened the bandage, but I didn't feel it anymore. I'd become numb. 

Gripping my face in both of his hands, he forced me to look at him, "Snap out of it, Addie. You lost, but you lived. Learn from it. Be patient. You will have your chance another day, I promise you that." 

Swallowing, I closed my eyes and leaned forward, my forehead resting against his chest. And the tears finally came out, overriding the numbness and that emotionless mask I loved to wear. And Conrad just held me there, a soothing hand rubbing my back as all of those emotions came out of me at once. 

Another day.