“One crisis at a time though. This training list. Victor and I factored that there are twenty-six trainers and we will need to rank the pack by skill in order to get them trained to the best of their ability.”
“Our warriors are pretty well trained, it’s the new wolves that are going to need further training. The young warriors are going to be about intermediate. They have been training, but not enough. There are only about ten of those though. We have about one hundred-fifty warriors. It is going to take some time. I haven’t really cataloged them before. I know none of them have had any formal training. Your father wasn’t one to let women train so we have all of them. There were some that were trained by family but that really isn’t helpful to the team effort. Except they will be easier to get in shape. Maybe we should link all the wolves that are not already in our training and have them report to us and we can catalog them that way.”
“Good idea. We can have them all report to my house and we can have them line up like an interview and get them all down. We can start with name, age and rank. Then we can classify them on what type of training they need to do.” Peter pulled into his house. “I will link them now. We need paper, a table and a couple of chairs. The wolves will need to stand, but we will sit. I don’t care if they sit on the ground while they are waiting. Maybe that will get them to report faster. We have to return at eight with the list.”
“Alright I will get the supplies and you link everyone over thirteen to report. Make sure you include the thirteen year-olds, because some wolves might try to keep their kids out if they think they can. I know the thirteen year-olds are only learning defense but the more we have defending the better.”
“Alright,” Peter started linking the wolves, while I rushed around his house and collected paper and other stuff. If we had more time I would have just made a form so that everyone could just turn it in and then be classified. However this is going to take a long time either way.
I set up the table right in front of Peter’s door in enough time for the first of the wolves to show up. There are some who live close by. I would assume they are the ones to first arrive. I tell them to wait and grab a couple of chairs as well as the paper and some pens. Peter follows me out and we get started.
Peter. “Name, age and rank.” He sounds cold and direct. I think he just doesn’t want to do this right now, with all of his personal life up in the air he wants to be there.
“Emily Peters, sixteen, Omega.”
I ask the next question. “Emily, what training do you have?”
“Training in what?”
“Fighting.”
“I am not allowed to train to fight, for one I am an Omega and second I am a woman. So none.”
“Alright we will be contacting you with a new schedule for your pack duties.” Peter continues as he dismisses the first wolf.
This continues on for a while. Some wolves seem really pissed off at being asked. Like we should already know. Some of the females are afraid to answer the training question. We had to assure them that they were not in trouble for training.
“Name, age and rank.”
“Shouldn’t you already know all of that?” Alright here is trouble.
“Yes, I am Alpha and I should know that. I have a lot on my mind right now and it would make it easier if you would just answer the question.”
“Fine, Amanda Cross, age twenty, Omega.”
“How much training have you received?”
“Fighting none. I have no interest in such things.”
“Not even self defense?”
“No, It is against the rules anyway. What is this all about? It seems ridiculous to make us all line up and answer your questions without any knowledge as to why.”
I can’t take the disrespect any more. “First off, you are an Omega and you need to address your Alpha and Beta with some respect. As to why we are doing this if you asked you would have gotten an answer. We are doing this so that we can adequately protect you during the coming war that the rogues are starting. If you are not clear on the rules of the pack then you will be joining the opposing army and I am sure they will not care if you can fight. I mean since you are a female. Rogues are always short on good slaves.”
She looks at me shocked. I don’t think anyone in our pack ever talked to her that way. We are not rankist people. However it does come to a point where respect needs to be given. “Sorry Beta. I am just stressed. My sister went missing two days ago and I am not getting any help in finding her.” She has now stepped back and has lowered her head to show respect.
“What do you mean your sister is missing? I have had no reports of missing wolves.” Peter puts on his best Alpha voice.
“That is because she is not a part of our pack. She is twenty-two and she left to join her mate in Blood Moon Pack. No one there seems to want to find her. I am stressed and like I said I have no skills and I can’t go find her myself. I guess I was a bit pissed that I don’t have the skills needed to find her.”
“What is her name? We are meeting with Alpha Benson this evening and we will be sure to check up on this issue. If need be we will issue some wolves to find her.” Peter looks at this wolf in a new light. Like she needs more consideration.
“Her name is Amber. She is mated to an Omega named Clark. I would like any news. Anything would be great. I have heard nothing in two days. Are you training all the wolves, is that what this is about?”
“Yes, every wolf in our pack will be trained, unless they are disabled, too young, or pregnant. We need to fight off the rogues so that more wolves don’t wind up dead or missing.”
“Yes Alpha. I will report wherever you want for training.” She nods and then departs for the next wolf to come forward.
“I don’t like hearing about missing females. That is a sign that the rogues are trying to grow their numbers. We are already short on females, we can’t have the rogues abducting them.” I lean over to Peter and tell him quietly. I know I can link but I figure this gives us a break from questions for a moment. When the other wolves can see that we are in discussion they hold back.
“I know and fucking Benson has been slacking on his job as Alpha. We may have to talk to the Elders about having him replaced. This isn’t the only thing that he has been caught slacking on. He has no trackers, he said he didn’t see the need for it. No wonder why he can’t find a missing female.” Peter scoffs and then goes back to the questions. We only have a limited amount of time so we have to prioritize the questions until later.
VICTOR’S P. O. V.
I stare at her sleeping, while Aaron rambles on about some Omegas. I kind of hear him and then I think about Olivia and how things would have been different if the Omegas were treated with more respect.
“Sorry Aaron I was lost in thought, what were you saying about the Omegas?”
“I was saying that I have had a report that three Omega females have gone missing. There are no clues as to how they were taken.”
“Have we sent the trackers out to locate them?”
“The best that they could tell is that they were taken out of the pack. They didn’t want to leave pack grounds until they confirmed with us that they were allowed to follow.”
“Are they in rogue territory or another?”
“Rogue.”
“Tell the trackers to report to me here at nine tonight. I will give them their orders.”
“Will do. I have the list here of all the wolves and their rank but I don’t have their skill level, we will need to ask them individually. I mean not the ones that we have trained but the others.” Aaron passes over the papers.
“Alright so here is what we will do. Each of us will take half the list and then we will link the wolves and ask them. We only have until eight to get this done.” I sigh, this is going to be a lot of work. I pass the papers back to Aaron, he knows which lists are the warriors and which ones aren’t.
“Well, we better get to work then.” Aaron smiles and starts dividing up the papers.
I look over at Olivia one last time before my mind is stuck in paperwork. “You love her don’t you?”
“Yeah, more than I ever cared to admit.”
“I remember when she was little and you would challenge her to a race. She would beat your ass. I don’t really understand why you wanted me to push her away too, but I probably gather that it was easier to have her as far away as possible.”
“Yeah, I would be so pissed. After all, I was the future Alpha. Then things changed and I started challenging her to race just so I could chase her. I never told her, then anyway. I told her recently how I felt about her. I just really hope that it isn’t too late for her to return the feelings.”
“You know the former Alpha is pissed as hell that you want to make her your Luna.”
“Believe me I know. It was because of him that I lost her in the first place. I would never have pushed her away. I listened to him and she may very well choose someone else over me because of it.” I am so sick of this thought. I wish I knew how she felt about me.
“I think maybe you are putting too much doubt in her. She does remember all the times before. She might be hurt, don’t doubt that, but she was in love with you.” Aaron gives me a knowing nod.
“How do you know?”
“I was there too. I saw how she looked at you. I know she wanted you to be her mate. Too bad she got that piece of shit Hector. I knew he was lying about her. That is why I was never mean to her, unless you told me to. You weren’t really mean to her, you just didn’t stop it. Maybe she will understand that. Just talk to her, before it’s too late.”
“She hasn’t rejected me yet, Aaron.”
“How does that work? The three of you together. I mean she can’t be Luna of two packs can she?”
“We are working on it. We decided to hold off on anything until after the war. We don’t want to rush her. Especially with the attack. We need to give her time.”
“Makes sense. I would talk to her as soon as possible though about how you feel. Don’t let her think that you never loved her.” Aaron passes over my part of the lists.
“I will. Let’s hurry up and get this paperwork done.”
Now time for the same question over and over again.