The Red Wolf's Daughter (Book 3 Part 2: The Making of the Siran)

Chapter 30

Caroline opened her mouth before she closed it. Her eyes were wide, and I had a feeling that she didn't expect me to say that. "Wha-?" she asked, finally, before she cut herself off and seemed to choke on her words before she closed her mouth.

I bit back an amused smile while I slowly nodded. "You aren't ready now, and I know that you will think you won't be ready in the future, but I do know that you will be. Whenever this happens, you'll be ready for it even if you don't think you are."

She hesitated and pressed her lips into a thin line before she nodded, but I could see the doubt in her eyes. She moved a hand through her hair before she looked at the ground and cleared her throat, shaking her head. "Will I ever feel that way?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper and looked at me with wide eyes filled with pain and sadness.

I nodded and offered her a tight smile. "It will take some time, but I do think that you will feel that way." I cleared my throat and gestured for her to continue to her hiding spot. "Come on and let's get you started on your training. That will help you feel slightly better even if it is only for a little while."

Caroline bit back a small scoff and rolled her eyes. She pressed her lips into a thin line before she started to walk that way again, and I bit back a small smirk because I knew that she didn't think so.

"One thing you'll learn about me is that I don't sugar coat stuff," I said and gave her a pointed look. "I will speak my mind, and no one can stop me. If I don't like something or agree with something, then I will say it, or it will be written all over my face. If I believe something, like I do with you being able to guide this group, then I will say it." I shrugged and grimaced before I cleared my throat and pressed my lips into a thin line. "If you don't believe me, then I hope that you will one day."

She hesitated before she slowly nodded. "So, if I am doing something wrong..."

"Then I will tell you that you are doing it wrong," I said. "I'll be nice in the beginning because you'll be learning, but if you continue to make the same wrong mistakes, then I will do something about it."

"Like?" she asked and raised an eyebrow, and I shrugged and grimaced.

"Don't know," I said and shrugged again before I cleared my throat and shifted my jacket from one shoulder to another. "It will not be anything bad. However, I might make you run around the area or do something along those lines. I'll probably join you because I need to keep active, too."

Caroline groaned in annoyance and slouched forward, pouting, and I raised an eyebrow in question, amused. "Why running?" she asked with a small whine in her voice. "Why do I have to do that?"

"For cardio and stamina," I replied with a shrug. "You don't want to be in a fist fight and then call a timeout because you are tired. The other person is under no obligation to give you a break and will kick your ass."

"But I don't like to run," Caroline groaned and pouted. She dipped her head closer to her chest before she started to sulk, and I bit back a small snort. "Do I have to?"

I bit back a small chuckle and nodded. "Unfortunately, yes, and don't worry, I don't like it either, but we have to do it," I said before I cleared my throat and grew serious. "However, the good thing is that I will not be letting you do some of the things that I have to do because I have been training for longer than you."

"What do you have to do?" Caroline asked. She stopped at the entrance to her "safe haven" and looked toward the left and right to make sure that we were alone before she looked at me, offering me a small smile.

She turned around and entered the spot, and I followed her. Her whole body was tense, and I had a feeling that she didn't know if she wanted to show me this or not.