Children of Sun and Peace

Chapter 60. - To Become One of Them

Nearly two weeks have passed since the whole pack initiation or however it was called, Olivia didn't know. What she did know was that since then, her health improved by a significant margin. She could feel her strength coming back to her every single day. She was now able to walk and even run for a couple of minutes. The whole thing felt odd and she strongly suspected some kind of pack mojo was involved. And today was the day she was going to ask about it, since it was the day Azazeal decided her training would begin. Nearly the whole group was going to attend that social event where top four couples from Royal Trials would be shown to the public and Olivia was to stay home with Aaron, who was to be her coach for the foreseeable future.

To say she was nervous would be an understatement, but she didn't dare voice it out loud as she watched everyone leave the house that morning, all dressed in their army gear with their coats and masks, while she remained behind with their alpha's equally scary twin. While she no longer worried these people would outright kill her, thanks to the pack bond, it still hardly meant they necessarily liked her. And she wasn't naive enough to think she would have gotten the same opportunity twice. She had a clear task in front of her. A job. If she couldn't deliver when the time came, she was useless to them. And Olivia didn't want to know what that would mean for her. What it would mean for Colin and the rest of the pack she once called her own. So she took a deep breath and followed Aaron into the gym downstairs, her friends' faces on her mind as a reminder of why she was doing this.

"Sit," Aaron pointed at a mat in the middle of the room and Olivia did as he asked, giving him a questioning look in the process. "Now, I want to make one thing clear before we start. I'm not a kind teacher. I can teach you what you need to know, but I'm not interested in whining and excuses. You'll need to more than just listen to me in order to get where you need to be. You'll have to want it yourself. You'll have to push beyond your limits. Freya understood this when she came to us. I hope you will, too," he said, looking at Olivia expectantly. She nodded, but didn't meet his eyes.

"You have questions," he said. It was a statement. He knew she was curious. "Ask them now," he added.

"Uh, okay... I... I'm not sure where to start. There are so many. Will I learn how to shift like you do? How come my healing has improved so much in the past two weeks? What will the training look like? What exactly is my place within this group? If I fulfill my mission and come back, what then?" Olivia asked, playing with the hem of her shirt and biting her lip, hoping she didn't piss Aaron off right at the start.

"You won't learn how to shift on command. It's too late for that. You are too tiny to withstand the training and your wolf would rip you to shreds. We can't really stop your impulse shifting, but there is no scenario in which you'll be able to do it as you please," he began and Olivia felt a pang of sadness at his harsh words.

"You will however learn partial shifts. Just because we can't teach you to fully transform, doesn't mean there are no tricks we can show you. When you became part of this pack, you gained rank and it allowed us to use the bond we share to strengthen your body. This means you healed faster but it doesn't end there. As Freya and Az rise through the ranks during the trials, we as a pack do the same. If they win, which let's hope they do or we all die, we'll become their royal guard. All of us, including you. So even if you are tiny and unable to shift, you will have strength and rank above many. And because you aren't gaining any of this naturally, you'll have to work harder than any of us to learn to control it," Aaron explained and Olivia gulped, unsure of how to feel about all of this.

"What will I have to do?" she asked, her voice small.

"You'll have to train your mind and your body to keep up with it all. Even if you can't shift, you will need to learn to work with your wolf within, to control your emotions, to hide what shouldn't be seen. As a spy, that means pretty much everything," Aaron said.

"Okay," Olivia sighed, not looking forward to what she was about to do at all. But whatever Aaron may have thought, he said nothing. Instead he got up and offered her his hand.

"Ready?" He asked her, his face stone cold.

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" She shrugged and took his hand, allowing him to help her up.

"You carry our secrets now, so no. Either you learn to protect them, or you die. We can't afford anything in between." His response was so detached and casual. Like she was nothing to him but dirt on the bottom of his shoe. And for all Olivia knew, that's exactly what she was. She didn't exactly allow herself to think about it, the harsh reality of what she signed up for, promises she unwittingly made. She had to go through with it now. Or die.

Her memories took her back onto the treacherous journey to this cursed city. To that man Freya left behind sitting on a piece of rock because he was too tired to get up. He was a burden that would hold them back, a threat to their lives because the winter isn't kind. It isn't forgiving and it doesn't give second chances. Olivia carried that lesson with her since then. And now she could understand how that man felt when he made that choice to go against orders and demand rest. Everything around her was changing so fast. She was changing so fast. There was no way back, nothing to hold onto but darkness and snow. And if she gave up now, if she metaphorically sat down like that man did? Freya wouldn't hesitate to leave her behind, to let her die, too. These people, this pack, they were her everything. They were here for her when nobody else would, when Olivia herself wasn't. She couldn't fault the girl who was her best friend once for giving her love and loyalty to those who deserved it. All she could do was to become one of them if she didn't want to be left behind for dead.

"Where do I start?" Olivia finally managed to voice the question, willing her mind to focus on the task at hand, to stop looking back, to wonder about what ifs.

"That's more like it. Almost thought you'd never ask," Aaron gave her a wicked smile. He was going to enjoy far more than she would. She was sure of it.

"You will start by stretching and running every morning just like the rest of us. During that time, I suggest you clear your head because after that, I will teach you combat. All aspects of it. You'll never be a big fighter, but I will teach you how to use your size to your advantage in self-defense should you ever need to. Then afternoons you'll spend with Connor, Devan or Freya. They are the trained spies and assassins of this group and they will teach you how to do your job in Summerlands," he explained and Olivia just nodded.

And so it began. Olivia felt exhausted very quickly and she walked more than she ran but Aaron said nothing as he observed her like a hawk. She didn't dare complain or ask for a break even when her legs began hurting. She didn't have the courage to do so, not when facing Aaron of all people. Him, Azazeal and Nolan still scared her. Even if the pack bond lessened the feeling, it didn't make it go away entirely. The fact that Az was Freya's mate was hard to wrap her head around once she realized who Freya was. If there was anyone she ever imagined her once sweet best friend with, Azazeal was the exact opposite of it. But it made Olivia think. Was it possible she had her mate here also? Could one of the local brutes be her forever?

"We're home!" Lucia's voice echoed through the house just as Olivia considered how much longer it would take for her to pass out.

"You're early and I smell blood," Aaron deadpanned and motioned for Olivia to pause and follow him upstairs where the rest of the group was taking off their coats.

"Let's just say we needed to send a message. And it would have been a terrible shame if all those people who paid the big money didn't get the drama they came for," Azazeal spoke as he helped Freya out of her coat. And at that moment Olivia wasn't sure if she wanted any further details beyond what was said. But somehow she was sure she was going to get the story anyway.