From The Ashes

Chapter Eight

I was pulled from sleep at the ungodly hour of five a.m. by a loud pounding at my door. I groaned and rolled over to ignore the noise. A few moments later, my comforter was being ripped off my body and I let out a small squeal of surprise. 

"What the hell?" I screamed. 

"Get up! Its time to train," Valen responded while averting his eyes. 

I glanced own and realized I had only slept in my bra and panties. I quickly pulled the comforter back over me and my whole body flushed in embarrassment.

"I'll give you five minutes. Meet me at the bottom of the stairs when you're dressed," he told me as he was already walking out the door. 

I quickly jumped up and ran to my closet where I exchanged my lace bra for a sports bra and light tank, then threw some shorts over my bottom. I laced up my shoes and threw my hair in a haphazard ponytail before jogging down the stairs. Valen was waiting at the bottom and he glanced up at me with relief to see that I was dressed. 

"Where are we going?" I asked as we walked down the hallway to the front doors. 

"We're going to run the perimeter of the forest, half in human form and half in wolf form," he explained to me. Sienna pranced around my head with glee. She was so excited to finally be let out. 

"Then," he continued, "we'll head over to the training gym to see what you can do." 

I smiled at that. It was just what I needed to center myself again. 

After a short walk, we were standing at the edge of a huge forest. It stretched out for miles on either side of me. 

"This is all DarkBlood's land?" I asked. 

"Yes," Valen responded. "We've been here for generations, so we've acquired more over time. Its nice to have a lot of space to roam." I shook my head in agreement.  

"Alright, we'll start here in our human form. We'll run north into the woods for three miles, then stop and change into wolf form. Can you handle that?" I quirked my brow at his sarcastic smile. 

"I think the question is, can you?" I fired back. He surprised me by chuckling before taking off into the woods with incredible speed. 

"No fair!" I called out as I quickly ran to catch up to him. Once I did, he slowed his pace slightly so we could run the distance comfortably. 

I looked around and took in my surroundings. Breathing in, I  smelled the wet moss of the forest floor and listened to the silence that was only broken by our ragged breathing. I looked up and enjoyed the view of the pine trees towering over me like large, dark protectors. I felt safe here in these woods. Before I knew it, we were stopping by a small stream. 

"Is this where we'll shift into wolves?" I asked. Valen nodded his head and held out a canteen for me to drink from. I took it eagerly and relished the feeling of the cold water flowing down my throat. 

"You can change behind those bushes," he said while pointing to them. "Just leave your clothes hanging from the branches and we'll grab them on the way back." 

I nodded my head and made my way over to them. I peeked back to make sure I was securely hidden before stripping down.

 I took a deep breath in through my nose as my bones began to crack and rearrange. When I opened my eyes again I could see everything the forest had to offer with more clarity. The darkness was no longer a problem for my wolf eyes. 

My ears twitched as I heard a a twig snap behind me. I came out from behind the bushes and was met with a large, midnight black wolf with gleaming red eyes. I instantly recognized him as Valen.