Human turned Werewolf (Extremely slow updates)

Chapter 19

Noah's POV

The air was cool against my skin as I wait to be dismissed from today's training session. Muscles aching from the drill we just finished. It had been a few days since the dinner service and the dispute between Nathan and Stevens. The memory of Stevens' sneer, the weight of his words lingered. But training has become a new escape--a way to focus on something other than the uncertainty gnawing at me.

I was improving, little by little. My footwork was sharper, and I wasn't as winded by the end of each session. But I still lagged behinf the others. Every step forward felt like I was catching up to the finish line that kept moving. The oher pack members kept their distance, though some glanced my way when they thought I wasn't looking. Whispers hung in the air, silencing when I drew close.

Stevens hasn't confronted me again after Nathan stepped in, but his presence was always there, like a storm on the horizan. Even now, during training, I could feel his eyes on me. Nathan and Ivan had been watching out for me, but I didn't want to rely on them too muc. It was something I needed to prove myself, that I belonged here--if only could believe it.

After finishing training, I made my way back to my room, sore but thankful for the progress I was making. It was hard to tell sometimes--one minute I felt like I was getting the hang of things, and the next, I'd get knock down again, both literally and figurativaly. Still, I was here, and I wasn't giving up.

I tried not to think too much about the incident in the dining hall or what had happened with Stevens during training. The whole thing left a bitter tase in my mouth, but I knew dwelling on it wouldn't help. Nathan had my back , and that counted for something. Plus, Ivan was always watching. He didn't have to say it for me to know he was there.

After a quick shower, I felt somewhat refreshed, but the tension of the last few days still lingered. As I finished getting dressed, a knock at the door startled me.

I opened it to see Nathan standing there, relaxed as always. "Hey, Noah," he greeted with a friendly smile. "We've got something new for you today."

I blinked. "Something new?"

"Yeah, one of the workers in the daycare is on leave, and we need someone to fill in. Thought it might be good for you to take a break from the usual routine," he explained. His tone was casual.

"Daycare?" I repeated, unsure how to feel about it. "Are you sure they need me for that? I don't really know anything about looking after pups."

Nathan chuckled softly. "You'll be fine. Just think of it as helping out in the kitchen but with pups. Besides, they don't bite. Well most of them don't."

I gave him a half-hearted smile, still uncertain but willing to give it a try. It wasn't like I had much of a choice. "Alright, lead the way."

As Nathan and I walked through the compound, the morning air felt cooler than earlier, or maybe it was just the nerves creeping back in. My muscles were still sore from the drills, and the hot shower had only done so much to ease the stiffness. It wasn't that the training itself was too hard--I was slowly getting better at it--but the feeling of being watched, judged, every second weighed on me.

The past few days had felt like a blur. After what happened in the dining room and later with Stevens during training, I tried to keep my head down. But even with Nathan stepping in, it was hard to shake the feeling I didn't really belong here. Every stare, every whisper, fed into that doubt.

Yet...part of me wanted to prove them wrong. I wasn't sure if it was pride or desperation, but I was holding on, doing everything I could to show I could pull my weight.