Unclaimed

Chapter Forty-One - Hands will be Thrown

Before Judas could really lay into me, his parents and the ministers called him from the field. Promising to resume the conversation as soon as he got the chance. After fifteen minutes Cassie came through the trees leading the large crowd behind her. The crows swarming through the trees, feet thundering against the ground as they ran back onto the field.

All of them falling onto the grass, literally. Landing on their butts or even throwing themselves face first onto the grass. A few strays coming through the trees wiped with exhaustion. Everyone sweating and breathless, even Cassie was spent.

Laying flat on her back, sweat soaking through her shirt and hair. Tendrils sticking to her face as she huffed, cursing under her breath. I decide to let them catch their breath, watching them as they wiped their faces with their shirts and heaved for more air.

"Alpha?" One hand shooting up from one pack mate. A young she wolf who at least dressed like she cared. Simple sweats and t-shirt with sneakers, ready to go.

"Yeah." I nod to her. 

"Are we going to do that run, everyday?"

"Yup!"

"Alpha I think you're trying to kill us." Another pack mates speaks up. The boy from before that was wearing the hello kitty pj's, now dressed in blue joggers.

"At least you'll be dressed for it." I say with a smirk earning a defeated groan from him.

"How many of you have fought before? I don't mean a school yard kiddie fight, I mean who has actually had their ass beat?" I ask.

More than half of the hands come up.

"I'm going to teach you how to not get your ass beat." I say earning a few laughs from the group. "A fight is a fight, you're going to get hit, punched, kicked, fucking stabbed probably and if you're inexperienced and/or unlucky, you die. I'm going to make sure, you have the experience and that you won't need to rely on luck. Because by your own skill, and your own drive, you're going to live. By your own accord, no one else's. This is your life, your home, you have to be strong enough to defend it, if not, you help the people that are."

There's silence among the group.

"There's no shame in admitting you're not a fighter. There's no shame in admitting you're afraid. But there is shame in inaction. In doing nothing. I'm sorry but I don't think we're that kind of pack. Are we?"

"No." A few of them spoke.

"Are we!" I ask again, louder. Their backs straightening under my gaze.

"No!" They all shout in unison.

"That's better." I say with a smile. "Pair up, first lesson is hand to hand combat!"

An hour and a half go by and I'm surveying the pack members as they practice. Some of them had basic knowledge of hand to hand combat, so the lesson was flying quicker than expected. Helping a few of the more inexperienced ones improve their stance, and teaching the basics of their form. Cassie was training with another pack mate, Feers, giving her all into each strike. A fight that was going her way until he surprised her, grabbing her arm hauling her over his shoulder and dropping her flat on her back.

"Ooohhh!" I along with a few other spectators cringe at Cassie's impact with the floor.

"Damn!" She hisses through her teeth as she pounds her fist against the ground. I walk over offering my hand out for her to take, which she does and I help her up.

"It happens to the best of us."

"Not to you." She says looking agitated.

"You're looking at someone that got shot point blank in the stomach, argument is I'm probably the dumbest person here." I say and turn to her sparring partner, shaking his hand. "Good job."