Ariadne: Almost an Alpha | ✓

Chapter 26 - Reacquainted

Chapter 26 - Reacquainted 

"Again," Mateus demands, and Joshua and I once again move opposite each other.

Joshua's dark brown snout turns to Mateus, tilting his head in a way of questioning Mateus on the importance of him and I fighting again. After two fights, I picked up on all Joshua's tactics, and he has barely touched my wolf since.

Mateus sighs, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Alright, never mind."

Joshua's wolf stills, and I turn away, knowing he's going to change in the middle of the training facility. Earlier, he just started stripping, and I spun around in record time.

I keep my face to the wall when I hear Joshua chuckling, even when he abruptly stops.

"Sorry, Ariadne," he apologizes, all laughter gone. "I'm so used to changing freely around here."

"It's fine," I note to the blue/gray expanse before me, "just a little warning would be great next time."

"Why don't you have any girls in your pack?" I ask Mateus, turning around once Joshua has left the room. "Aside from the mates of your men, that is."

He opens his mouth to speak then hesitates, shrugging his shoulders before trying again. "I don't know, honestly. It's always been that way."

"Do you teach the mates combat skills?"

"No," he turns, stepping into the main room of the facility through a glass door.

I follow, but silently think through my next words as he drags mats across the floor, presumably getting ready for a pack training session tomorrow.

"Some packs train both women and men in the same sessions," I say, trying to make it as innocent of a statement as possible. "I think it's a good practice."

Without showing any signs of a reaction, he grabs the end of another mat and slides it in place before responding. "I agree."

"Then, why don't you?"

"I never put that much thought into it. I've been too busy trying to do everything else right."

I change the subject, satisfied that I made him have to ponder the idea, and help him move around the mats.

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Freshly showered and ready to sleep, I pull the heavy curtains over the floor-to-ceiling window, hiding the view of the shadow-filled woods, and slide under the bed comforter.

With the bathroom door tightly shut and the bedside lamp switched on, I pull the covers up over my shoulders and shut my eyelids, praying for sleep. However, the light filtering through my closed lids keeps me from drifting off, so I turn my back to the lamp and face the room's door, only to wonder if I locked it or not.

I stand up, lock the door, and repeat the process of getting into bed and tucking myself in. However, I can't manage to close my eyes for more than a few seconds.

I need my old knives back if I'm going to stay here, I think, deciding I will have to get Dylan to ship them to me tomorrow.

I drift in and out of a light sleep, tossing and turning around with each time I awaken. I finally give up, instead choosing to stare at the room around me, at each and every crevice and shadow until the soft light of dawn filters into the room through the top of the curtains.

Sighing in disappointment at myself, I pull open the curtains and observe the dark gray expanse of clouds that greet me. It's going to rain.