The Peacekeeper

The Task at Hand

I am up and dressed by 4:30 am. I didn't want to run into anyone so I just teleported to the training grounds. I need a banana before I start to a teleported to the kitchen, no one is here so I grab a banana and teleport back to the training grounds only to land right in front of Tank. He screams like a girl and I hit the ground laughing. I can hear Smoke and Carter roaring with laughter. I open my eyes and see a very amused Gage standing over me. He offers me a hand and I grab it and he pulls me up. My walls are up so he doesn't feel the sparks, but I sure do. I school my expressions so he can't see how much he affects me. I won't let them kill him for me. Not happening.  "OK, pack, line up. Rae, up here with me."  I jog up front and stand next to him.  "This is Rae, she is from the Council and she is here to help with our little problem. She will be treated with respect, no exceptions. Are we clear?"  He booms out with authority.  "YES ALPHA"  the wolves answer. He turns to me.  "This is warrior only training. Those here are the best fighters in the country. They all have military backgrounds. The rest of the pack trains in the afternoon with Tank and Carter."   I nod. I join the ranks, going to the back so that I can watch. We run the territory a hundred times, push ups, sit ups, and stretches.  "We are ranking today. Starting at the weakest, you fight until you lose. Rae, we will start with you. You are a temporary member and as such, you must start at the bottom."  Gage tells me. I nod and pair up with a blonde woman. I have her submitting in less than five seconds. I go up from there. I have beaten all of them including Carter and Tank. Now I am up against Smoke. He is putting up a good fight but I still win. My eyes meet Gage's. I bow. I know if I beat him, he will lose face with his pack.  "Come, Rae, fight the Alpha."  Gage smiles.  "No, I have proven myself."  I send him a message through his mind, "If I fight you, I will win and your pack will lose respect for you."  He answers "Fight me, Rae."  I sigh and look at Smoke. He nods and I get into position. We begin to fight and the first time he throws me to the ground, I submit. I get up, dust off my pants and teleport back to my room. 
I head straight for the shower. The tears come and mix with the hot water. I need to finish this and get out of here. The bond will grow the longer I am around here and I don't know how long I can stay strong. Stupid wolves. After dressing in my black tactical pants, black combat boots and a pink tank top I put a few weapons on my belt I head down to the kitchen. I see Smoke in the hall.  "What happened out there, Rae?"  He asks gently. I meet his brown eyes.  "If I would have beat him, he would have lost respect, I know what I am capable of. I was made to be the ultimate weapon. I tried to tell him but his fucking pride got in the way."  He nods. We walk to rest of the way in a comfortable silence.
The kitchen is full of people, all ages. Watching mothers and their children sends a stab of pain straight to my heart. Something I never had and never will. Love, damn it. I grab an apple and walk outside. I plant my ass on the steps of the porch and send out my senses. I need to know where and how many vamps there are.   The scent of pine and spice reaches my nose and I know Gage is watching me I throw a shield around us, " I am looking for the vamps. They are never alone. They have to have a nest around here somewhere."  He sits next to me.  " How did you know I was there and how do you know where they are?"  I smile.  "You, I could smell, them I can feel. Years and years of training."  He nods.  "I'm sorry about-"  I cut him off  "No, don't. I have been around enough Alphas to know better. Never show weakness, I understand. I don't need my pride, trust me. I'm good."  I smile at him. He stares at me like he's trying to solve a puzzle.  " You will only give yourself a headache, you can't figure me out."  I laugh. He blinds me with a brilliant smile. Shitballs, he's hot. Stupid wolves. Then I feel it.  "I found the nest. It isn't far."  He nods.  "Now what?"  I shrug,  "It's simple, I go in, interrogate, and take them out. They have violated the HC laws, the punishment is death. I don't have a choice."  He furrows his brows.  " Alone? How many are there?"  I think for a second,  " About thirty."  "You are not going in alone, thirty against one? You won't make it."  I laugh.  " This is what I do. You and your warriors are not trained to fight vamps. You don't know how to kill them. I do. I know every species weaknesses. It's who I am."  The next thing I know, Smoke and Tank are storming out of the house.  "Are you nuts or just suicidal? Thirty of those things and you want to go it alone?"  Smoke yells and I laugh.  "It's barely a nest, I have taken on bigger and older. Don't worry about it. You will all be safe in no time."  They all shake their heads.  "Train us."  Smoke says.  "I can't, you need a vampire to train with. Wait! That's it. Hang on."  I pull out my phone and dial a friend.  "Xavier? Hey, it's Rae! How's it hanging, good lookin?"  His laugh comes through  "What's up, my ray of sunshine?"   "You still want to overthrow the HC?"  I ask him. "You know it, princess. What are you up to?"  "I'm in Mississippi, the Midnight pack has a vamp problem and I have a bigger one, but that I will tell you later. I need the team. I am done being a puppet. It's time to cut the strings."  My eyes meet Gage's and he nods, answering my unspoken question.  " Alright, princess, we will be there tonight. Let me talk to the Alpha."  I hand Gage the phone. He looks at me.  "If you can trust me, you can trust the team."  I tell him and he nods.  "Permission granted."  He hands the phone back.  "Rae, we will be there in a few hours."  "Thanks, Xavier."  I end the call and shove it back in my pocket.  "Let's get to my office and talk more there."  Gage says and we all head in and straight to the office.
"The team is members of several species. It will make it easier to train you. They are the resistance. Tired of being lied to by their councils, tired of being controlled by the HC. Some people will never meet their mates because they are a different species. It goes against the natural order of things to live separately. Since I have the blood of so many running in my veins, I can feel the pain of their separation and it is bad. There is one on the HC that feels the same way and two others who may join, that is half of the HC. If you do not wish to get in the middle of this war, I understand and support you. I will still make sure you have to skills and knowledge to defend yourself against the rest."
Gage looks at me.  "Can you give us some time to discuss this?"  I nod, " Of course, take your time. I will be in my room. I have some work to do."  I leave the room and head back to my room, where I collapse on the bed and fall asleep.
I wake up to the feeling of the team approaching the house. I get excited, I miss my friends. I run down the four flights of stairs and through the front door and launch myself right into Xavier's open arms.  "Hey, Princess.  I missed you!"  I smile and whisper  "I found my mate. O says if they find out, they will kill him, Xav. He doesn't know, I hid my scent."  He sets me on ground and beams a smile at me.  "Finally!"  Then the rest of team climb out of the SUV. Six members in total. I look behind me and Gage, Smoke, Carter, and Tank standing on the porch looking amused.
"Gage, Smoke, Carter, and Tank, this the team. Xavier, a dragon. Elliot, a vamp. Justin, a demon. Lucy, a witch. Gabe, an angel. Natalie, a Fae. Guys, this is the Midnight pack."  They all nod at each other.
"OK, Princess, we all need to train, plan, and chill. Not in that order. How bad is the nest?" Xavier asks. "They don't all feel evil. There is only thirty and I took out Mason yesterday. He was most likely the ring leader."  He quirks an eyebrow at me.  "You needed help for thirty? What are you slipping or just lazy?"  I slap him.  "Stupid wolves wouldn't let me go it alone and I didn't want them hurt because they are stubborn and pig headed."   The team laughs and the wolves growl at me. I stick my tongue out that the wolves which makes them laugh.
 "Look, I know you feel like you need to protect her, but Rae is a force to be reckoned with. She could take out a hundred vamps without breaking a sweat."  Xavier tells them and the team agrees.
"Look, we all need to get along and trust each other so how about we share a meal and talk. It's the best way."  Justin pipes up as he steps up next to me. He looks down at me,  "Hey, tiny, how ya doin?"  I laugh. Stupid tall people. Everyone is over six foot tall. Well, except me and Nat, Nat is shorter than me, but so beautiful.  "I vote that Rae cooks!"  Elliot yells and the team agrees.  "Trust me, dudes, she is an awesome cook."  Elliot winks at the wolves.  "Then Rae shall cook,by order of the Alpha."  Gage smiles at me.  "Stupid vamps and their big mouths and you, Alpha, should know Alpha commands don't work on my."  I point at him, making all of them laugh. We all head into the kitchen.
"I cleared out the pack house so that we could do this without all the interruption. I have another pack house that I moved them to. Nothing but warriors here for the time being."  Gage tells us as I am cooking.