Page 84 of Alpha Gray

“Go.” I put alpha command behind my voice and Hannah hangs her head.

“Yes sir,” she whispers, turning tail and slinking away.

I return my attention to Fallon, return to her side. The skinned flesh on her knees and palms is already knitting itself back together and the gash on her chin is beginning to shrink. Gotta love shifter healing.

“Are you okay?” I ask, my voice raspy. I want to take her in my arms, tend to her wounds, make sure she’s really alright- but we’ve got a crowd of spectators at this point and I know I can’t.

“Yeah,” she breathes, looking up at me through her eyelashes. “I’m fine. And I totally would’ve crossed the boundary line if I wasn’t tripped.”

I chuckle, shaking my head.Of courseFallon would be more worried about her victory in war games than her own physical condition.

“I know,” I say, glancing around at the other recruits and alphas gathered.

I locate Brock in the crowd, leaving Fallon’s side to make my way over to him.

“What happened?” he asks as Jax, Theo, and Reid approach, too. We take a few steps farther away from the recruits, huddling close so we can speak privately.

I scrub a hand over my face, sighing. “Fallon had a clear shot for the boundary line with the flag and Hannah tripped her,” I grumble.

“Oh shit,” Jax comments, eyes wide.

Brock squints, considering. “Did you see it?”

I nod solemnly.

He blows out a breath, folding his arms. “Reset, or call it for gold?”

“Well if her own teammate tripped her, that’s illegal interference,” Reid offers. “I’d say call it for gold.”

Theo nods in affirmation. Of course he would- he wants the victory as one of the gold team’s captains. If things were the other way around, he’d throw a damn fit.

“We all in agreement?” Brock asks, looking at Jax and me.

We both nod and Brock strides forward, waving to beckon the recruits closer. They circle up, waiting for his announcement.

Brock clears his throat to speak. “Listen up, recruits. We’ve determined that Fallon had a clear path to the boundary line and would’ve crossed it with the other team’s flag but for illegal interference from one of her own teammates. As a result, we’re calling the match. Gold team wins.”

I see Fallon’s face light up, the gold vested players breaking out in whoops and cheers, clapping her on her shoulders and back. Her eyes meet mine for a moment and I just grin, watching her proudly as she soaks in her victory. I wish it didn’t have to happen this way but a win’s a win, right?

“Alright,” Jax chuckles. “Head on back, we’ll do a little endurance training before we call it a day.”

A collective groan rises up among the recruits at the mention of endurance training, but our good little soldiers start to break away, jogging in the direction of the complex.

Brock walks back over to me and I suck in a breath. “Thanks man,” I say, blowing it out.

He just gives a little shake of his head. “No need. Your girl earned it.”

He’s right, she did. And though I usually do, when he calls her my girl- for the first time, I don’t correct him.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

Fallon

“Another vodka-cran?” Boyd asks, sliding an arm around my waist and grinning.

“Make it a double,” I laugh, tossing my hair over my shoulder.

I’m on cloud nine tonight- the cut list was posted earlier today, and not only did I squeak by into the final week of training camp, but all of my close friends made it, too. And the icing on the cake? Hannah got cut.