In The Shadows

-TWO-

Dust flew up everywhere around the apprentice who had been flipped over the shoulder of his master and into the dirt with a heavy thud. He groaned and flung his arm over his eyes. "Is it lunch time yet?"

His master stood over him, amusement in his eyes as he held out a hand for the young wolf. "We've only started an hour ago. You've got awhile kid."

I enjoyed watching the other apprentices train. I learned a lot just by listening to them teach and watching. I watched the teachers mostly but I would also occasionally sneak a glance at the apprentices to see what they were doing wrong. The apprentices hated it when I watched them. I could sense their aggression when they passed me. They thought I was judging them when I had no skills at all. They thought I had no place in being around them when I wasn't even a wolf.

I curled my legs into my chest, wrapping my arms around my legs and resting my chin on my knees. I didn't let their loathing looks dissuade me though. This was as close as I would ever get to warrior training. I sighed and continued to watch, watching Judah, the apprentice try over and over again until he finally did it right.

"Why sit here and lament, hmm?" A croaky voice quipped from behind me.

I lifted my head to see Cami, an elderly Native American woman who stood at four foot eight, hunched over her large walking stick raising a bushy brow at me. The feathers and beads in her gray hair shifted over her back as she hobbled towards me.

"I'm not allowed to train with them. I can't be an apprentice so I haven't got a master."

Cami puckered out her lips. "Nonsense. You legs." She poked my curled up legs with the end of her stick. "You brains." She tapped the side of her head with the stick. "Why no train?" She shook her head. "You like them. Nothing different. Why not learn like them?"

"Because I have no wolf. I can't—"

"No matter! No matter!" She scolded me, brandishing her cane and shaking it wildly. "They have no wolf either! They still train!" She poked me hard in the chest with her walking stick. "You same." She poked me again. "If you want to train, you fight to be allowed." Her broken English was the clearest words I had ever heard.

She was right! I was just like them. They didn't have their wolves now either. Of course they had their werewolf traits, of speed strength and senses, but I could still learn too!

"Young people, stupid." I heard Cami mutter as she shuffled away, her small frame making it's way back to the Elder's tent.

A bright smile lit up my face as I stood. The old lady was right! Why hadn't I seen this before? Why hadn't I fought for this!

I marched my way down to the the fishing docks where my father and other members of the pack were rebuilding the storage sheds for the coming winter. My father was prying decaying boards from the sides of the sheds and tossing them on the pile, his beta assisting him. I walked over to the pile of soon to be fire wood and stood directly in front of the beta as he dropped his board down in front of me.

I raised my head and look him straight in the eyes, squaring my shoulders and trying to exude confidence. "I need to speak with the alpha." I said loud enough for my father to hear me.

The beta raised a brow in question at my formal address of my father. I didn't want to speak with my father though, I'd spoken to him time and time again to let me train but he always said no. This was the only way I could get what I want. By asking him as my alpha, by holding him to his title as leader of the pack I knew I could twist his arm into letting me have this. As alpha he had to look out for the pack, as our leader he needed to do everything to keep it safe, and training me gave him one more warrior, no matter how pathetic I might be.