My Best Friends Mate

Chapter Twelve- Training

Kiara:
Really? I thought. I took comfort in knowing that Ryan found her utterly annoying. I did not find comfort
in the fact that this chick couldn’t take a hint. Oh but Alpha Wyatt is here, because that was expected I thought to myself sarcastically. I knew the silver moon and redwood had made an alliance but it didn’t make it any least unexpected. It was kind of nice to see Alpha Wyatt again though. He was always kind
to me and his presence made me slightly homesick. Even Markus walking towards me, brought me a feeling of familiarity.

“Well, would you look at that one?”
I heard a female voice behind me. I turned to see a girl about my
age but of smaller stature with red hair, freckles and pale skin, wearing a playful grin on her face. She looked Markus up and down like a tree before turning to me.
“Im Keely” she reached out her hand to me still smiling.
She was referring to Markus who was making his away across the training arena.
“Kiara” I said not taking my eyes off Markus.

Keely chuckled. “oh I know who you are. I also know there are a lot of she wolves here who are either 1.
Intimidated by you, or 2. Jealous of you. I for one am intrigued by you Kiara. I think we’ll make great
friends” then she winked before walking off.
“see you at the pool!” she yelled over her shoulder leaving me face to face with Markus.
“Hello again Kiara” Markus says softly. He didn’t appear cocky or arrogant. Sincerely friendly actually.

“Hey Markus” and for once I actually smiled a genuine smile.

“I would challenge you for a rematch but I think I learned my lesson last time” he laughed. I couldn’t contain my chuckle as I remembered our time on the mats. “Have you gotten any sparring in while you’ve been here or have you actually been relaxing?” he leaned in nudging me. Before I could answer there’s Ryan, standing beside us both. Seeing them both side by side made me think about my childhood, tagging along with them and my brother. It made me smile
until Ryan interrupted.
“Actually WE rendezvoused in the forest the other day” He said, emphasizing the word we. Ryan and Markus exchanged a brief stare before Markus broke the silence, giving me a side eye and smile.
"yeah I heard about that." and smirked.
Ryan was visibly annoyed and I couldn’t figure out why.

“Time to get to work” he said seriously before walking off. I rolled my eyes.

“Good seeing you Markus” I said and I made my way to the pool.
Standing before me were 12 redwood warriors, Keely included. I sighed, choosing to push out of my
mind that awkward interaction between Markus and Ryan and choosing to focus on preparing this pack for the challenges that lay ahead if what I was told is true. Packs were being attacked and its getting way too close to home. The sky above me thundered and dark clouds began rolling in. A storm was coming alright, in more ways than one.
“Alright, lets begin” and forced it all out of my mind.

Markus’s POV
Id lost count how many trips this made to the red wood pack. They were our closest neighbors and had requested our assistance. Soon we’d be visiting others. Learning under my father and to become the future alpha of the silver moon wasn’t something I expected to happen to me. I was the youngest twin.
Ryan was supposed to be Alpha but I decided I would embrace this and give my best. The attacks were growing and getting closer to home. The requests to borrow our special forces unit were growing by the week. If Dustin and Ryan could train this packs warriors to become somewhat close to what the silver
moons special operatives are, we could provide more assistance. Right now, our operators were being stretched thin.
I want to make my father proud and protect this pack. I had a lot on my plate. It was good seeing Kiara again. As children we all spent time together. Correction, Me, Ryan and Dustin all spent time together and Kiara was that annoying little sister who followed us everywhere. I laugh internally thinking about it, she was really annoying back then. Seeing how much she has changed has intrigued me. I could tell Ryan had a thing for her and it didn't take being a twin to figure that out. I shouldn’t have stirred the pot today. He gave up Alpha to me and I wasnt sure if he was regretting that yet but Kiara was my friend too and it was good seeing her.

Ryans POV

After acting like a dumbass and letting my jealousy control me, I huffed my way across the training arena back to Dustin who was talking with my father and Alpha Ethan.

"you ok" Dustin asked.
"yeah, im fine " I snapped.

My father looked at me. It was a look I knew well. He was analyzing me. I stood there staring back at him, refusing to reveal my jealousy with Kiara and the inner battle going on inside of me about giving up my place as Alpha. He then turned the Dustin.

"Like I was saying, we've been monitoring Michael. The bloodmoon were last seen heading west. We think he's meeting with a very large hunter community in Arizona. The Redwood and the blackstone in Colorado are the largest packs in the west. We've exhausted all our special operatives from home, sending them here and to Black Stone to train their warriors. "

At that moment I felt my cell vibrate. I reached for it only to find a text from Craig reading "hey man, im in texas. I plan to rest here tonight and make it to Arizona tomorrow. Might cross over the border and find myself in the company of some senoritas.lol" I just smirked and briefly reminisced on the days Id run across the US. I remembered the day I met Craig and I vaguely remember us getting drunk on tequila in Mexico, and getting into a bar fight that would result in us getting kicked out. Im glad Craig was coming home but that also meant Michael would have even more incentive. Michael hated his son because he was half human. He raped his mother, using her as a play thing and when she became pregnant he hunted her down too. Craig was just a baby when he came to RedWood.

I looked up to hear Dustin becoming aggravated. What did I just miss?

"I mean no disrespect Alpha Wyatt but she just got here" I hear Dustin say.

wait. she? Kiara?

"She needs to come home Dustin. We've sent our operator's out to other packs to train and protect them which has resulted in ours being left more unprotected than I would like". My father was stern but trying to sound sympathetic.

"She will finish her time here. Another week or so wont kill anybody." and Dustin walked off.

My father rubbed his temples in frustration before looking up at me. 'Please just let things be for one more week." I asked.

"Fine. But shes got to come home after that." he said flatly.

"ill bring her myself " I said.

Now was not the time to tell him that Michael's son would be here during that time. I looked around me.I saw Dustin teaching defense and attack tactics to those who already had their wolves. My brother was speaking with the beta here about who knows what, there were other wolves boxing, and then there was Kiara just outside the arena, through the trees and at the river. Her group was shivering as they learned to swim in cold water and get out of currents.
Thats when it began to downpour. Everyone else was dismissed but I heard Kiara yell "we're not done". She stood there in the rain. The water droplets peltering against her clothes and soaking her hair. When wet her hair would return to its natural wave. After having her group lift a raft of water from the river and carry it to shore, she released them.
She just stood there though before slowly turning around. She couldn't leave yet.