Un•A•Were

41| Fight Club

Amanda's POV:

I'm not gonna lie, I am hella nervous about training. Will I be able to handle this? Will I be able to learn all of the necessary techniques to keep myself safe? Will I freeze when the time comes to fight? Will I let my friends and boyfriend down? It is the last question that stings the most. I do NOT want anyone hurt because of my inability to stand my ground. That is it. My motivation. My drive to put all I have into this training, to never give up, to push through the pain.

"You ready for this?" Bryan asks, bringing me out of my thoughts. I look at him with worried eyes. He turns and squares my shoulders, placing his hands on each cheek. "You have nothing to worry about. I can feel your insecurities, but trust me love, you have the strength inside you. Your world has been turned topsy turvy and you've taken everything in stride. Baby, I'm so proud of you!" I feel his love through our bond and can hear purring in the back of my head. I don't think I will ever get used to having sounds or voices in my head that are not my own subconscious. I grin at his words and he leans down to kiss me. Before we connect, I hear other words of encouragement.

"We are, too." Alpha James and Luna Whitney exclaim at the same time.

"You're more than ready, Amanda." Nick smiles and gives me a goofy thumbs up. Claudia chuckles at her mate, but nods in agreement. I then notice a large crowd of warriors gathering around us, all with smiles and encouragement written on their faces.

"Let's get started." Alpha James commands. "Cora, Whitney, and Claudia take Amanda into the private training area. The rest of you start warming up. We don't have any time to waste." People disperse around me. I look back up at Bryan. He kisses me quickly.

"Good luck, babygirl. I'll see you in a bit. Remember, the key is to focus on the objective at hand." I nod and watch as he takes his place by Alpha James and begins barking instructions to the warriors. I turn to see Cora, Whitney, and Claudia standing by the door waiting for me to follow. I take a deep breath and head in their direction.

We walk into another section of the training facility. It's darker and visibly less used than the other rooms; however, it looks to be stocked with "specialty" equipment.

"So, where do we start?" I ask.

"Well, since you can't shift, yet, Claudia and I just want to quickly go over what to expect over the next two days and then, let you work with Cora for the majority of the time." Whitney explains. The three of us walk toward the back door and into a small clearing. They both take time to go through the transformation with step by step instructions, what I will feel, how painful it will be, and ways to cope with the experience. They both take the time to answer all of my questions and squash any leftover fears. I swell with pride in my Luna and Gamma.

It's weird to think we never really talked in high school, but now, these two have become my inner circle. A wave of sadness sweeps over me as my thoughts turn to Sam and Luke. I miss them so much! I hope they are okay. But, the truth is, I know they are not okay and won't be okay until we get them back.

"You okay?" Claudia asks, seeing the change in my demeanor. I sigh, trying to control my thoughts.

"Just thinking about how close we've gotten, which led to me thinking about Sam and Luke. I miss them and want them home." I confess.

"I understand." She is visibly hurting just as I am. She sighs and shakes off the negativity. "But, just know we will get them back safely and everything will get sorted out." Claudia states confidently. I give her a wry smile. I know I can't dwell on it because I need every minute I can to assist in bringing my best friends home!

"You ready?" Cora asks, breaking my thoughts.

"Ready or not, it's time to see what I can do!" I say enthusiastically.