Page 9 of Alpha Gray

The trees are thinning in front of us and I can tell that there’s a clearing ahead. I haven’t ever been out to this area of the six-pack territory, so I’m still trying to get my bearings. I wish I was in wolf form- my wolf’s a great navigator. My human side, not so much.

“Alright, kids,” Casey sings out, hopping off the path. “Time to shift.” She spins around, pulling her tank top off over her head.

As shifters, we’re accustomed to nudity. If we shift while we’re clothed, we’ll rip right through them. I ruined my favorite shirt that way, once.

All four of us dip off the path to turn away from each other and shed our clothes. I toe my shoes off first, then shimmy out of my shorts. Once I’ve removed my t-shirt and sports bra, I quickly call my wolf forward.

My vision goes shimmery and I feel the familiar surge of energy as my bones snap and rearrange, and in a few seconds I’m down on all fours, shaking out my fur. When I first learned to shift, the transformation was painful. Now, it’s second nature. I barely feel a thing. I glance down at the soft earth under my tan paws, stretch, then circle back to the path.

A beautiful black wolf slinks out of the brush across from me. She’s small, and I immediately recognize her as Vienna. I look over to see Casey’s wolf, recognizing her by her auburn fur; the same color as her hair. Brock’s wolf is the last to return to the path, and he’shuge. Definitely an alpha.

While we’re in wolf form, we can communicate with other wolves in our pack through a mind-link. I’m a little taken aback when Brock’s voice slips into my head, saying ‘follow me’.

I have so many questions. How can I hear him if we’re not in the same pack? Is it because he’s an alpha? Vienna looks a little dazed too, and as we start off, Casey seems to pick up on it and fills us in.

‘You’ve never linked with a wolf outside your pack before, have you?’ she laughs through the mind-link.

I test it. ‘No. How…?’

‘The whole six-pack is linked. I didn’t figure it out either, until I joined the squad. Pretty cool, huh?’ Casey’s wolf nips at mine playfully.

‘Enough chit-chat’, Brock quips. All business. ‘The border’s coming up, let’s fan out.’

We follow his command, breaking off from one another to spread out in the dense forest. My wolf navigates the rocky terrain effortlessly, slinking between trees and over fallen branches. With how frustrated I’ve been, she’s been pent up and dying for a run. I get lost in the feeling of the earth under my paws and the cool night breeze in my fur for a few minutes before I remember that I’m out here for a purpose; border patrol. I focus my senses, scanning the treeline and the clearing beyond, watching for any movement and listening for any potential dangers.

The hours on patrol pass slowly as I pace the territory’s border. Every twenty minutes or so, Brock checks in through the mind-link and we each confirm with an ‘all clear’. I thought border patrol would be exciting, but it’s actually rather…boring.

After what feels like an eternity, Brock gives the command for us to circle up and head back. We return to the path where we shed our clothes, shift back, and dress quietly. In my human form, I’m even more exhausted- the full day of training and staying out all night while on patrol have worn me down. The four of us start walking the path back to the squad complex just as the first slivers of pale daylight peek through the trees.

We’re all silent on our trek back, and when we reach the gate, Brock turns to Vienna and me.

“When you run patrol, you’ll be excused from the morning session afterward so you can rest up,” he says, his voice gravelly from lack of sleep.

Vienna and I just nod like zombies.

“You did well tonight, recruits,” Brock says, giving us a curt nod before turning away to head to the barracks.

I feel my lips curl into a grin in response- I’m pretty sure those are the first words of encouragement I’ve received since I stepped foot onto the squad complex, and they made the entire sleepless night worth it.

I’m slowly getting the hang of things, and it’s not so bad. I cantotallydo this.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Gray

Brock’s walking into the barracks as I’m walking out, and I almost run right into him.

“How was patrol?” I ask as I dodge out of his way.

Brock runs a hand through his long wavy hair, leaning against the doorframe. “Quiet. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

I nod. He looks whooped- and I’m reminded how glad I am that I don’t have to run night patrols often. I only jump in when the threat levels are high, because my wolf gets all worked up in response and won’t let me sleep anyways.

“How’d the recruits do?”

Brock smirks, like he knows why I asked the question.

Sure, I knew Fallon was assigned to patrol with him, but that’s not why I’m asking. I mean, not theonlyreason. I have to keep tabs on all of the trainees.

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