Alpha's Girl

Chapter Fifteen

"I - can't - breathe," I gasp when we finally stop running. To my surprise Declan's face is pink with sweat as well. I place my hands on my thighs, bending over to catch my breath. My stomach is cramping from running so much.

Declan disappears for a moment, leaving me there to suffer on my own. Slowly, I feel my heart rate start to climb down, and when I stand up straight again, Declan is back. He tosses a water bottle at me and I reach to catch it just in time. "Drink," He commands. He doesn't have to tell me twice. I finish the bottle quickly.

The sun is starting to rise. Behind the mountains, I can see it beginning to peak out, coloring the sky pink and orange. I hadn't anticipated the number of pack members that I would see walking around right now, but the grounds, although not crowded, are quite lively for such an early time. I wipe my forehead and lean against the building we've stopped outside of, waiting for my next direction.

"You know where we are, right?" Declan asks me with a smug smile.

I roll my eyes. "You know I come here all the time, right?" I deadpan. We're standing outside the large glass doors of the training building. The entire building is made of reflective bullet proof glass. You cannot see what is inside until you step into the building, but once you do, the view from the upper floors is extravagant. Both of my brothers have an office on the top floor, where I have many memories of doing homework. When I was a child, I would sit on the floor and play with my dolls in my father's office, and pretend they were taking a vacation on an airplane.

Declan snorts. "Sure you do," He breaks me out of my thoughts. I feel him place his hand on my back and shove me forehead a bit, sending me stumbling. I catch myself as the automatic doors open and I step inside, letting the cool air conditioning fan onto me.

The training building has a very normal, modern lobby. You would not know at first glance that it is where we train our pack members. When you first walk in, there are several long couches on opposite sides of the hall. In the center are coffee tables with magazines, like any other office. A chandelier hangs above the seating area, although it isn't bright and fancy, instead colored a dark brown and gold to match with the deep green velvet of the couches. There is an automatic fireplace on one end of the seating area that remains on even in the heat of the summer, and several large TVs that hang about the area. Green potted plants sit against the walls and near the glass door entrances, giving the room some color, but the place lacks anything too bright.

At the end of the front room is a reception desk, where I recognize Mandy standing behind the desk. Mandy has worked at the reception desk for as long as I can remember. Her dark hair is tied into a ponytail, but as I get closer I realize she has died her front two pieces blonde.

"Good morning, Beta," She nods at Declan once we reach the desk. He gives her a wide smile in return, showing off his white teeth. "And Cece, it's so good to see you!" She exclaims.

"We've got a training session booked in room two," Declan tells her, just as I am about to respond.

"Hi Mandy," I greet her, stepping to the side of the counter to embrace her in a quick hug. Her long sleeved athletic shirt feels soft against my face as she presses me to her tightly. When I pull back she is studying me a bit.

"You're getting so gorgeous, girl!" She compliments me, her ponytail bobbing along with her words.

"Thanks, I like what you did to your hair," I compliment her back, and she thanks me, getting ready to chat some more.

Declan interrupts us before we can. "Alright, ladies, we're on a time crunch here," He taps his watch and I roll my eyes, making Mandy giggle.

"Yes, yes, room two is all yours," She tells him as she reaches into a drawer to grab the key fob we need. "Have fun, Cece, and come hang with me soon!" She waves as Declan grabs the keys from her and leads me to the entrance of the real training areas. He scans his fob against the wall and the door clicks open, allowing us to step forward.