HIS Young Mate: "Sequel to Her Young Mate"

Part Thirty Eight: Move Aside

Durst joins me in my shower that day, and we both make it to training with time to spare, even after grabbing food. I'm pretty sure we're the only ones who went to sleep early. I go for a jog with Durst as we wait for the others. I stretch- which he's all too eager to help with- and we wait in the warm grass for everyone else to show up. Beckett is next to show up, and he sits in the grass waiting as well, and doesn't look or speak to me. I'm grateful when Hunter and Kaylee show up, even though Kaylee gives me a mischievous look, likely because I didn't show up to our room last night. I'm glad everyone else is trickling in, so she doesn't have time to tease me. There's plenty of small talk while we wait for Danny and Cora, but I try to tune it out and focus on my breathing and connecting with my wolf. I have to make sure I'm making the right choices and that she'll want to follow through with this.

We start training with a jog, and I run with Durst instead of pushing to be in the front. He always tends to be in the middle or back when running as he's got a lot of muscle to push. I question for a moment if I should let him in on my plan sooner than later. All of that muscle will come in handy, but I'm ready to prove myself. Besides, he's been running course for more or less a decade. He's been Delta for so long, I'm not sure he wants anything else, but I do. When Danny sets us up to spar two at a time I watch anxiously.

Beckett and Sam go first, and Sam takes Beckett easily. I watch every move. Danny calls me up. Beckett is waiting in the circle created by everyone. I see his hand twitch as he watches me approach, keeping eye contact. I break it and look directly in Danny's eyes. "I want to spar Owen."

Everyone suddenly goes so quiet that the buzz of the insects in the warm grass even seems to stop. All chatter, all excitement, is drained from the group. Durst stands up quickly and comes beside me, putting a hand in front of me, almost as if he's blocking me from the direction of Owen and Daniel. "You know Alpha, maybe Lavender and I could go for a run-"

"No, I'm ready to spar," I say, as he looks down at me with a strange combination of worry and anger on his features.

Stop it.

His wolf is loud and clear, but mine can be just as demanding and transparent.

Move aside, Durst.

Our eyes lock in a silent battle.

The tension around us, and between Durst and I, is so thick even the sharpest knife wouldn't have been capable of cutting through it. Suddenly, though, a calming affect begins to wash over me, and Durst's gaze falters enough that I know he feels it to. I look to Danny and Luna is touching his elbow gently and smiles at him softly when he looks down at her. For a long moment they obviously speak to one another telepathically. Cora nods at him, and he chuckles with a shake of his head, sighs up to the heavens and then shrugs at me. "Alright then, get your ass kicked- if you're up to it Owen." He looks at Owen, who grins wildly.

"Hell yeah, let's go Sprout." He teases me, calling me by the nickname he used to call me when we first met, when he seemed more like an uncle than an equal. It lit that prideful fire within me. I wanted to beat him more than ever now. I nod and begin to limber up, when Durst speaks up again.

"You're not doing this Lavender." He says to me flatly as he tries to block my vision from Owen. I look him square in the eyes and let my wolf speak again, as to not embarrass him.

I'm not a Delta. Sit down.

I see a fury behind his eyes, but also the same look he gave me when he said he'd do anything for me. I knew he wasn't a Delta either. I've known since I met him that he possessed a strength he didn't let himself use. I'm not sure why he contains it, restrains it. He can hear further than anyone, he's larger and stronger than Owen, he's protected the pack in ways no one but Danny has. I know there's more to the pack than just those things, that put you in you're ranking, but I know he has the dedication and drive, and I know I have the same fire in me that Danny does. I want to take place under my brother in this pack, and Durst just needs to be shown that he's capable to take his place there too. I may be young, and inexperienced, but he isn't, and I'm not going to suffocate my fire- I want to let it burn.