Weak

Trainees and Trainers

"Maven? What took so long?" One of the littler kids asked, the eldest of them have figured out what causes me to be late. Through their own parents or the rumors, they don't make eye contact with me instead they look at the ground.

"I just woke up late that was all," I said bluntly. The girl nodded understanding, I showed no sign of injury or hurt so she had nothing to think of.

"Everybody knows your partner, if you get lost don't wander stay on the path and I'll find you. Everybody ready?" I asked, getting ready for the morning warm up, a 5 mile jog through the forests. Every child here had shifted before, if they hadn't by 10 my father would put them under close inspection. If they didn't have their first shift by 12 they were dead, it was just the way things worked around here.

"Maven?" I turned around and was greeting by a boy, not much older then 13. He had olive skin with freckles skin, his blonde shaggy curly hair was enough for me to smile.

"Yeah?" I replied continuing to stretch my arms and legs.

"Jonah isn't here, he came down with the flu." The boy looked at me, he played with his fingers a sure sign he was nervous. I didn't like warding everyone off so I smiled at him and nodded.

"Of course, glad you didn't catch it, Kyino, right?" The boy nodded, "well you can have the privilege of being my partner today." I reached out and gave his hair a little ruffle, he grinned in return then shifted into a leap as I followed.

I ran I front surprisingly Kyino was close behind me, for his age he was a tough kid. I remember his dad had died a couple of years ago, making him the man of the house with his poor mother and younger sister. It was tragic, his father was a good man, even though I had only met his once or twice I could tell.

As routine I stopped halfway and the kids ran past me racing for first. Kyino now their leader, I watched everyone's strides and form to make sure no one had fallen behind. Once the last kid had passed me I shift back into human form.

I jogged the rest of the way behind the pack, if I was late the older kids would get them started on punches and kicks. I ran harder and harder, not caring that my shoes were loosing friction on the rocky ground.

I couldn't help it when I slipped, the smooth rock was an unfortunate stepping spot. I grunted as I fell the the ground. The impact leaving my bare knees raw from impact. I lay there for a couple of seconds, not sure if I even wanted to get up. I sighed a pulled myself off the ground wiping off the dust.

I started jogging again though a pain crept across my stomach. I ignored it the best I could but after a couple of minutes it was annoying. I looked down and nothing was on my sweatshirt. I pulled it up along with my tee shirt underneath.

Blood, blood was everywhere, smeared across my stomach. I looked down and I could see it's source, I had tore open one of the cuts form this morning.

"Fuck, fuck fuck!" I harshly shouted knowing no one would hear me out hear. I ripped off my sweat shirt and let it hit the ground while I ripped my actual shirt in a long cloth strip.

I touched my stomach near the wound which was pink and tender. "Damnit!" I  reprimanded myself in my head. How could I be so careless. I should've checked if they had healed, because of my lycanthropy I healed faster than I human. Apparently not quick enough.

Taking the shirt strip I put pressure on my wound which made my hiss in pain. Fighting through it I wrapped the cloth around, this would have to do for the hour, until training was done.

Something was wrong, I looked up and glanced around. I didn't know what it was but I felt weird, like someone was watching me. I looked around me, the trees filled the area. Once I finished the wrap and put my sweatshirt back on there was a faint howl. Off in the distance, I couldn't help but look up and see the birds leave their trees.

This was signal enough for me to start running.

"Maven what took so long?" The same little girl asked me, it was started to get annoying her questions.

"Go back to training," I growled. She looked at me then sped off back to her partner. I almost thought u saw a glint if a tear in her eye. My father would be proud of me in that moment. I sat upon the grass, sighing wishing I wasn't bleeding and that I would heal already.

It was like my body wasn't working properly. Something is wrong with me.
I stayed sitting in the grass till the Children wore themselves out and joined me.

"Maven May we ask a question?" One asked as they all circled around me.

"Of course, it is not my right to withhold information from your growing minds." I stated back, leaning into a tree to get comfortable.

"Well us older kids were wondering why you don't leave, you're not a kid you're allowed to," I looked around at the older kids, each other started intently back at me.

"Sometimes," I stopped to think, what was I going to say? I'm an alpha's daughter no one wants me in their pack. I tried to be as vague but still clear as possible. "When it is our job to stay strong for no reason we must do it, even if it means you get hurt."

"What about the TeCo? Don't you have a part in that?" A smaller child asked. I nodded in reply.

"I do, but it's small, I have no say in what is decided." I straighten myself up on the tree, this was going to be a while.

"What even is Tesco?" Another asked, a boy with reddish hair and pale skin.

"TeCo, and it's where all the Alphas and Luna's come together to talk about their packs and future wars and alliances. Like who needs a stronger army and whose pack is dying out." As soon as I finished another child blurred out something that caught my ear.

"Not every Alpha goes!"
I looked to him raising my eyebrow.

"Oh?" I asked nudging him to tell more.

"Alpha Brewer, of the Blood Moon pack, he doesn't go any more." My, this kid was awfully smart and brave in some way for saying his name aloud. I bet his mother would slap him silly if she heard him say that. I smiled at his bravery to speak out.

"Alpha Brewer is different, he has been Alpha for many many years. He has seens things, terrible terrible things. Things that if you saw everyone of you would never sleep again. Some say he should be the king, the king of werewolves. For his age, strength, and intellect are far greater then any werewolf alive right now."

"Why doesn't he have a mate then?" A girl asked from the back. I sighed and looked around making sure no one would hear me telling these stories.

"Some say he killed her, that in a fury he snapped her neck and she died in his room. Others say she died in battle which is why he doesn't exactly like any pack other than his own."

"Is that why he is so mean?"

"Maybe, I wouldn't know. I've never met him., and you guys better be glad about that because I would probably be dead if I had." I joked in the last part but the kids took it seriously and some even hugged me.

"When will you find your mate Maven?" A brown haired girl asked from the front.

"I don't know, I have heard some alphas are bringing their unmated sons to the meeting. It may be one of them," I replied imagining what it would be like.

"What would you do then? Leave us?"

"Oh I don't know, if that is what my mate wished for I might have to, but I honestly wish I won't meet him ever. I don't wish to be mated off and I'm sure the Moon Goddess created a mistake if she gave me one."One child gasped hearing me speak of the Moon Goddess like that. Clearly they group up in a family that adored her while mine only tolerated.

Soon the child the families collected them one by one and after every child was picked up I made my way down to Granny's, an old doctor friend of mine.