To Fight Back, To Change

Chapter 8 - In which I Cheat to Save Time

After the welcoming back scene in the kitchen I had ended coming back in and sent Cass to take over training the newbies, which was usually my job, but I was too exhausted to undertake. Mike went out to do some “Techno” shit and Sarah disappeared soon after to talk to Alpha Reybon. He is a good alpha, one of the best I have known.  Even better than my old Alpha.

My hand loudly slammed onto my desk sending rogue papers, maps and statistics flying. I tried to not remember my old days anymore, before coming here. Sometimes it just hurt too much. But sometimes it was also fairly handy when I was in a difficult battle.

I could draw on the anger that I kept bottled up to provide one hell of an adrenalin kick.  I could no longer draw on my wolf’s power. She had disappeared long ago. I could morph into wolf-form, but my wolf’s purring presence was gone. It hurt a lot,  my one and only friend from back then had left me alone and missing a piece. But I guess I can understand why my wolf never came back.

I sighed and closed my eyes, leaning on the desk. My body felt tired and worn and I realised I would need more than just one good night’s rest in a month. Sleep still came as a trouble for me and on some nights I would wake up screaming my head off and not remembering why.

Someone, at the start, would run in and see what the matter was but over time and too-many awakened nights people learned to not sleep near my room and ignore the screams.

I was just about to drift off when one of the pack members burst through the door yelling. “Cass is at it again! This time she’s at Robbie Smith!” I moaned and raced after the frantic werewolf. This always happened when I left her off to train the pups.

 Last time it was a kid called Gregory Wince or...something like that. He had pissed her off in one way or another and had found a werewolf in need of anger-management trying to claw his legs off.

I sped up and passed quickly through the house and onto the backyard, or field as some would say. It was littered with weapons, fighting mats and other training equipment. I hurriedly dodged all these to reach the small mob that surrounded my friend and most-likely one of my students.

I was right. As I finally reached my target I saw Cass in full wolf-form holding down a large in human-form boy who looked around the same age as me.  I remembered the kid, he had some skill but was waaay too cocky for his own good. Cockiness can get you killed round here, literally.

When the students saw me comeing they backed away leaving a good sized entrance. I jumped and shifted, landing on all four white paws, and snarled.  Cass didn’t even flinch, but I saw more awareness in her eyes. I growled again and stepped closer slowly. Cass turned to me and glared. I can never have my fun, can I? I barked out a laugh. Not with my students.

Cass’s coppery wolf smiled and lifted her claw off of the poor guy who took no-time in disappearing. Provably going to go lick his wounded pride, I thought. Thank-you. I sarcastically muttered through the pack link.

My white furry but was turned and heading back to the house and most-likely a couch or a bed when Cass jumped. I sensed her soaring presence and just managed to step away and swing around in fighting stance. She landed with a graceful thud.  If I can’t have some fun with my new toy, you’re just going to have to do.  Cass mind-linked. I rolled my eyes.

The real reason why she wanted to fight me was to beat me. Cass took every chance she could get to into a fight with me, ever since I first beat the “unbeatable” Cass. That was years ago, but she still holds a grudge. Fine I linked but no playing dirty. We have an audience. The students were still hovering on the field. A considerably further distance away from us than before. But still hovering.

I bowed lowly and Cass responded to that with a little twitch of a bow and a smirk in her eye. We circled, pacing round and round. Each of us waiting for the other to attack.  Neither of us actually making a move.

This went on for a couple of minutes when the drifting silence was broken by a howl and a swift dive towards me by Cass. I sidestepped again and waited. Cass was an amazing fighter. She was fast, powerful and logical in her thinking but her one weakness was patience. She let rip a huge growl and I lowered myself further to the ground and smiled to her sweetly.

She pounced again but instead of landing a hit she landed behind me, setting my wolf in an awkward turn angle. Smart. As I turned on instinct, which we both knew was a terrible mistake, Cass crashed into me and sent us both spiralling to the other edge of the field taking the grass and dirt in the path with us. I landed on my back and winced at the most-likely now forming bruise on my back.

Cass had me in a good grip, I was on my side with one of her paws on my neck and the other leaning into my kidneys. Not much way I could get out of this without getting hurt. I scowled yet again and slowly relaxed. A sign of defeat. Cass howled happily and it echoed around the field but was cut short abruptly when I kicked my leg out and knocked Cass of balance.

Which then gave me the second I needed to gain the winning stance in the battle.  Cass struggled under my hold and tried unsuccessfully to wiggle out before submitting defeat. Like I said, not much way. I thought you said no foul-play! She hissed.

I couldn’t just let you ruin my winning streak could i? I jumped off Sarah laughing. She shot me daggers and still in-wolf form stormed away. I turned to face the awe-struck students.  The battle had lasted only a few minutes. Probably less. Cass and I were so evenly matched that most of the time the battle could go on for days. If I hadn’t uttered foul-play we probably would have. And I didn’t have time for that.

I nodded in the direction of the house, signalling training over and watched as they fast-walked back to the house, and then collapsed on the ground. Cass’s fight had taken way too much out of me than what it should have. I was drifting off once again before I was interrupted from my peacefulness.  Ace the Alpha called. We need to talk.