Hay Creek

Chapter 26.

After school, we all headed back to the territory. Today was my first training session with Gabriel, and I could hardly contain my excitement. I was finally going to learn more about all of this—about myself.

I sat in Kai's office, watching him sift through a pile of letters. There were so many; I couldn't help but wonder who they were all from.

"Anything important?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

He frowned, letting out a weary sigh. "I really don't know how my father manages to do this all day. It feels like there's no end to these letters." He stood up and stretched his arms, clearly frustrated.

I continued to watch him, waiting for an answer. He chuckled lightly and said, "Not really." He shrugged before adding, "So, today's your first training."

I smiled wide. "Yes! I'm really excited."

"Anything specific you're looking forward to?" he asked as he stepped away from his desk and came closer.

I shook my head. "I'm just eager to see what he's going to teach me. I'm curious about what's in store."

"Alright," he said, a smile creeping onto his face.

"Are you coming too?" I asked, hopeful.

"To get trained?" he replied, confused. I couldn't help but laugh. "I assumed you'd want me to join you."

"Gabriel suggested it's best for me if you don't come. You know, so that you can focus. But speaking of focus, I wanted to ask you something. It might sound rushed, but I'm not trying to pressure you."

"Okay, what is it?"

His icy gray eyes sparkled as he spoke. "I know that during this training, you might be ready to let out your true form. It's likely to happen at some point, and I just... I want to be there when it does. No, that's not quite right. I want to be there for your first shift."

I felt a rush of warmth flood my cheeks, probably turning them tomato red. I understood what he meant; he wanted to witness my transformation. Kai had been incredibly patient about it, and the idea of him being there made me feel comforted. "I wouldn't want it any other way," I replied sincerely.

He smiled shyly and nodded in agreement.

Once Kai finished his tasks upstairs, we headed down to meet the others. Some were gathered in the kitchen, while a few of the guys were playing a rough game in the backyard.

"Do you have any meetings today?" I asked as we stepped into the kitchen.

"Four," he replied. "My first is with the elders and my second in command. Then I have one with Dashawn, one with Roman at his territory, and later on, I'll meet with Gabriel."

"You're going to Roman's land?" I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. I didn't fully trust Roman, but I reminded myself that he wasn't the villain I should be overly worried about.

"Yeah. I figured I should get a good look at his territory. Knowing the layout could be advantageous for us later," he explained. That made sense. "Just be careful."

He smirked. "I will."

"Ave, what do you think?" Arabella chimed in.

"Think of what?" I asked, confused.

As she turned to face me, I realized she was referring to her outfit. "I love it. You look very pretty."

She frowned slightly. "So, Stella did a good job."

I nodded, assuring her. "Absolutely."

"I told you she did! You look like you're ready for prom. I wouldn't wear something like that every day," Marley said, teasingly.