One Bite

Chapter 2-6

The next morning, I met Raina outside the packhouse gates. She half-stood, half-leaned against her silver Audi, arms crossed and a scowl on her face like I disappointed her. She wore her black leather coat and pants, looking more ready for this practice session than I felt.

I woke up this morning still stung by what had happened, or hadn't happened, during my date with her brother. With my best efforts, I pushed him aside and focused on impressing his sister.

That... doesn't sound right. I got up early, ate, and dressed so I wouldn't be late.

"You're late, Flower." She glared at me then climbed into her car before I answered.

"Sorry, I thought I was on time." I slid into the passenger seat and shut the door. My fingers trembled as I pulled the belt across my lap.

"On time with me is five minutes too late," she snapped, annoyance bouncing off the interior. "We have to drive to the training grounds."

With that, she peeled out of the pack house. I dug my fingernails into my seat belt and closed my eyes. My heart thumped at the jerked side to side movements from her fearless ease driving over the narrow cliff road.

"If I wanted to die, Flower." She scoffed, hands wrenching the wheel. "Then it wouldn't be by plunging to death with you."

"So..." I had no idea what to ask her in terms of small talk.

Kill anyone lately?

Instead, I chose the worst thing to ask her, "Do you have a mate?"

"Not your business." I interpreted her flat, biting voice as a no.

Let's try something closer to her heart.

"Why do the women in your pack know how to fight?" Since Elena's history books didn't describe the motivation, I figured it was best to ask a direct source.

"Females." With a hard wrench of the wheel, she shifted me into my side door. My heart flipped when she slammed on the brakes and the belt choked my chest. "We're not human, Zara. It's simple, we have no choice. Our pack is the smallest and we need every wolf able to defend themself."

I stepped out into the open, grassy field she pulled into. By the faded out dirt circles, I recognized where the competition had been held. The area was empty except for a few random trees dotting the horizon. Two male werewolves waited for us, dressed in what I called their warrior outfits.

In other words, they wore sexy leather jackets and black jeans.

'Run.'

Lumi whined at the wide-open space. I understood, feeling a pull to run in her form in my twitching legs. They felt cramped from lack of daily exercise.

Not yet, Lumi.

"Zara, this is Idris and Arlo. They're two of my best warriors." Raina marched across the open field, one stomp of her boots in the grass after another, pointing at the two werewolves.

I recognized both from the competition yesterday and offered them a smile.

Idris was leaner and younger between the two, his nose narrow, and dark eyes bored into me. Arlo's nose was crooked, broken at least once, and faded scars traveled from behind his ear down his neck. His round eyes looked kind, focused on the ground at my feet. Chests and chins lifted, spines straight, and arms at their sides, both stood with the tall, imposing stance this pack was known for.

Or maybe all packs? Not sure, this is my first one.

"Goddess, Raina." Idris's eyes passed between us. "She's tiny. We're going to break her in half."