Bound By Betrayal

Ch 6 First Steps

It had been several weeks since I had been brought to the Lux Aeterna pack. I was told that it means Eternal Light, although some of its inhabitants referred to it as the Hidden Shadow pack making that it's unofficial name.

As it turns out my story wasn't as novel as I had believed. The majority of the pack was made of weres who had been abused or rejected by their mates. Not all wolves living in such conditions were brought here, but the actual requirements were known only to a few. It was a haven. A place of secrecy that allowed wolves who were unwanted for whatever reason to find that chance at happiness that had eluded them.

As part of joining the pack there were several conditions I had to meet. First, was that I could never let anyone from my past know the true name of my new pack. That's a big part of why the Hidden Shadow name became so popular. Not only did it reflect our status but it was our cover name in case we ever interacted with other wolves. Second, I had to attend counseling. This freaked me out beyond belief, why the hell would I tell some stranger about how I feel? It was here that the doctor explained that because of our relationship to wolves most packs had an Omega, someone everyone could basically vent on without any real consequence. This was taken to extremes in some cases and the sessions weren't just about learning to express feelings I wasn't allowed to before but to help me understand why they acted the way they did. And I guess that some wolves had trouble adapting to their new freedoms and had actually started cutting, mutilating or even killing themselves in the past. The third condition was actually my favorite... everyone had to train. Minds and body's. Everyone here had to find and develop a skill.

"Oomph," the air left my lungs as I landed on my back for what seemed like the hundredth time. My curly hair was plastered to my face with sweat.

"Damn it... Why can't I get this?" I struggled on the mat to push myself up on my elbows but flopped back down. The first few times I landed it almost seemed fun, at least it was after Grant taught me to fall the right way. After getting over the fact that you could fall wrong... I learned how to protect my head by positioning my body properly and allowing my hands to slap the mat and slow my fall down a bit. Sadly the next technique wasn't so easy and I got to practice the first skill far more than I would have cared to admit.

I was actually on a rehab training program, the prospect of full training was a daunting idea. Because I hadn't been allowed to let Sky out before she was an 'Area of Concern' now, according the the pack doctors. My human body was weak and untrained, but because I wasn't malnourished it was okay for me to begin addressing that. Full training meant both Sky and I would participate and required that she be strong enough to heal any injuries. They tested her abilities by giving me a small nick on my arm and timing it's healing. I had to repeat the process weekly until they were satisfied.

" Your stance is still wrong. Your legs are too close together and you aren't shifting your weight before you throw that kick." Grants familiar voice accompanied the sound of him moving toward her. Compared to my heavy breathing his sounded as if we had done nothing but stroll through a park. " I'm able to throw you off balance easily because you do half the work for me!" There was a slight bit of amusement in his voice that rankled Sky's nerves.

* he is being too hard on you! Doesn't he understand we have never done this before?*

Sky had become far more vocal in the last few days. She chimed in more during trainings everyday, pointing out her own observations, things I didn't notice and recommendations. She was chomping at the bit to start her own training in earnest and right now all that was asked of her was to work on cardio and shifting speed.

* ill show him balance! When I'm standing over him, the whites of his eyes flashing in fear, let's see if balance is still an issue!*

Yeah she had grown a bit more violent as well. Even though her words said otherwise, I knew the gratitude she held for Grant. He was our sponsor here. The man who had rescued us and by pack law was responsible for us until we became full pack members.

My hand slipped into his as he pulled me to my feet. " We are done for today. You're too tired to make it useful. Practice your stances some more tonight and make sure your feet are...here." A warmth spread through my body as his hands wrapped around my waist, steadying me as he slid his thigh between my legs to demonstrate the proper distance. If I were a cat I probably would have purred to my own embarrassment.

"Thank you." Was all I could manage to say. His hands dropped and I immediately missed them. " How about lunch? I heard the cook mention fresh venison was available and we may be able to get a bit before it disappears at dinner!" The words flew from my mouth before I realized the thought was even formed. Inwardly I flinched, knowing Sky had some influence there. I turned to face him and knew the answer before he even spoke.

" Not this time, I have another training with Jade and I need to talk to the doctor about her progress first." Disappointment and jealousy filled me quickly. Jade had arrived before me and although Grant was not her sponsor, she trained with him. She was well enough to be considered a full member of the pack and wasn't tied to her sponsor, an older woman who found her in a foster home, but there were still issues with her training with the others. She had mentioned something about permanent damage to one of her legs but I didn't know specifics.

" No problem," I nodded as I turned toward the showers shrugging my shoulders.

" Hey! You did a good job today! Don't be hard on yourself ok?" I realized he had misread my obvious disappointment and went with it...

" Thanks, I'll practice your leg.... I mean your stances... The ones you taught me... Today." Holy cheese and crackers, really Ava? I berated myself and practically ran into the girls shower. I peeled the black and red training uniform off my body and turned on the water, letting it warm as I let my hair out of its now loose sweaty ponytail. In the mirror I caught sight of how flushed I was, the tint of pink evident even with my brown skin. Shaking my head I stepped in and started shampooing my mind focusing on how good it still felt to have warm showers instead of the cold ones I had grown accustomed to in my old pack, my mind danced around comparing my new life to my old one as I finished my shower.