Outliers

Seven

For the first time since we had begun I heard him groan. Now we were getting somewhere.

Or so I thought, very quickly my legs were nocked out from under me, my arms barely quick enough to stop my face from smashing into the ground, with Harris immediately on top of me. His weight pressed down on me, his bare chest pressed against my back, the heat of his skin stifling. I tried to buck under him but it was useless. Already, his teeth were at my throat, the fangs pressing gently against my skin and his breath hot.

With a groan I arched my neck, submitting to the Alpha and accepting my defeat. I heard his sharp intake of breath, the sudden stiffening of his body, and within seconds he was off of me and back on his feet. It took me a little longer to gather myself, my arms strained as I pushed myself up and rolled so I was laying flat on my back, my arms and legs spread out like a starfish.

"I don't think I can get up," I rasped, panting and staring wide eyed up at the sky. Every muscle in my body was screaming, sweat drenched every inch of skin and my lungs burnt with every breath.

A hand, large and calloused, filled my sight. Harris was stood over me, mouth drawn tight as he held out a hand to help me up.

"We have an audience."

I groaned as he helped me up, finding my feet just in time to see Sandra marching across the grass towards us.

"Holy hell!" She barked, coming to a stop on the side-lines, hands resting heavily on her hips as she sent a beaming, toothy grin my way. "I thought you said you were a bloody Omega?"

"Well, uh," I sighed, my eyes falling to Harris for help. He only raised a brow. "I'm technically not anything; I can't shift."

"You're joking," she disputed, nearly gasping.

"Nope. I have a human mother."

"You're actually shitting me though, right? You're not being serious?"

I was surprised it had taken this long for me to tell anyone; that it had taken this long for anyone to find out. No one had questioned why I hadn't shifted in an entire week, though perhaps they thought I waited until I was alone or only with the Alpha.

From behind her I could see Lorcan emerge from the main house, stalking across the field towards the trainees with his usual fierce scowl. He was dressed in all black shorts, vest and trainers as he had all week - to the point where I questioned whether he owned any colour at all - looking as intimidating as always. The trainees who had spotted him immediately stiffened, waiting silently for his arrival.

Thankfully he didn't turn in our direction.

"I mean, I'd prove it but there's literally nothing to show you," I laughed weakly. From my peripheral I saw Alpha Harris already moving away from us towards the trainees. Which meant we had finished for the day. I couldn't help but feel disappointed. Today was the first day all week I had enjoyed our training.

"I've never seen someone hold so well up against Harris on their first time before." Sandra's eyes flicked toward her retreating Alpha and I tried my best not to do the same.

"I've trained exclusively with Alpha Athan for... well since my teens when I hadn't shifted for the first time and it became apparent I wasn't going to." That drew her attention back to me.

"That must have been fucking tough."

"It wasn't too bad; that's a lie, it was actually the worst thing ever when I was thirteen, didn't help a few years later when my little sister shifted for the first time. But it's fine now." Another lie.