A COURT OF SHIFTERS AND SECRETS

N I N E T E E N

Atlas

"We're going to be doing a tournament style hand-to-hand combat day" He explained, pointing to the six shifters stationed at each of the six mats behind him "These six were my top students from last year and they've graciously decided to take time out of their busy schedule to help me teach all of you today"

Coach started to stride up and down the rows of students, assessing each of them with a critiquing gaze, before stopping right in front of Nova with an indecipherable look in his eye.

My stomach churned at the thoughts running through Coach's head.

Because as much as he was a fair man, I knew he also wanted everyone to earn their spot and grade in his class fairly.

He wouldn't intervene unless someone (most likely Nova) was severely hurt.

Coach was also a very unpredictable Shifter...no one knew what he was thinking and if anyone thought that they knew what was going on in that mind of his, he would surprise them and pull a completely unexpected card out of his hat. 

Which was why he was so damn good at his job and was able to train some of the most successful Heir guards and Executioners in history.

My brothers included.

"Each of my students will be teaching you a new skillset that you will be demonstrating to me on your assigned partner" he continued "Once you're all finished going through each station, you will compete against your partner using only the new skills you've acquired. The winner of the round will then move on to compete against someone else...so on and so forth. The last two competitors standing will then face off against each other until a winner is crowned."

"What do we get if we win?" Someone from the back row shouted out.

"You ain't going to win kid" Coach smirked as the rest of the class broke into laughter "But to answer your question, whoever's the last one standing gets a single pass to use for this class whenever they choose."

Everyone perked up at that and I didn't have to be a shifter to sense the sudden change in the coliseum, every wolves competitiveness immediately coming out like if Coach just dangled the key to everlasting happiness in their faces.

Which, in a sense, this kind of was a key to happiness considering that Coach rarely let anyone miss his class unless they were on the verge of deaths door.  

"Any other questions?"

A bunch of hands shot up.

"Sully" Coach barked "What's your question?"

"Can we shift into our wolves?"

Coach narrowed his eyes a second before his clipboard went flying through the air.