Hit Me...

Trained.

Seth

The applause settled and suddenly it was time.

You ready?

As I'll ever be. I looked to the trees as I saw her drop twenty feet to the ground. She always did have a certain flare for dramatics.

"The beasts that dared attack us were defeated, but not without help." People started to whisper as she walked down the isle silently. "Some of you might not have met her yet but you will. In fact she will be staying with us for a while.

"She will train us and help us seek those who attacked us. She will defend us. She will fight with us." She looked only at me as she came forward.

"My sister and I have known her since we were young and quite frankly, I trust her with my life, but more importantly... I trust her with yours." She stood next to me on the stage with her hands behind her back and feet shoulder width apart. The way she was trained.

She didn't make eye contact with anyone, including me, whilst I described the new training implements to the pack. It was slightly unnerving.

"From now on, Shay will be leading the training regimes,"  I finished. This jolted her out of her soldier like state long enough to send a glare from the devil himself. I tried not to smile but then someone from the back made a comment.

"Try to keep up Sweetheart!" A male trainee warrior called from the back and was rewarded with a few scattered chuckles from the crowd. It was almost scary how she stilled, moving less than a corpse, turned to scan the back of the crowd and raised an eyebrow. Her eyes came to stop on a single male, no older than seventeen, surrounded by a few other trainees. I recognised their faces but didn't know their names personally.

He was laughing at his own comment but, as if feeling her stare, he turned. I could have sworn I saw his throat bob as he gulped. Even I flinched. I wouldn't have been surprised if he didn't survive his first session.

"I'll see you at 5:30 tomorrow. The rest can join us at 6:30. Anyone late faces me." She ordered, her voice loud but not quite shouting.

"But dinner is at 7?"

"5:30 in the morning, Buttercup," she replied. There was a collective grimace.

                                                                                              ***

A few hours later everyone was recovering from the attack in there own way. I was currently avoiding my mate, as hard as it was, for fear of my life. She hadn't managed to talk to me privately after the assembly and it was safe to say I was dreading the conversation. I didn't exactly warn her of her new responsibilities but this was the only way she wouldn't refuse.

I practically strolled around the open area of grass surrounding the house, hoping to clear my head. Definitely not because I'm a coward. In my defence, I liked my parts where they were.

I had only a faint whiff of cinnamon as warning when she appeared out of nowhere.