Chapter 10
(Training begins)
It was just after 7am as Tori sat at the breakfast room table eating a quick breakfast before she headed out. Dr. White had cleared her so she would be joining her father for training. This time there would be a few differences. The first being it wouldn’t be one on one. Because of the attack everyone was getting ready for a fight, expecting Lord Salazar to declare war at any time.
Warner had decided he wanted Tori to train with everyone as long as she could without anyone knowing who she was. Most of the wolves still didn’t know Tori was his daughter or that his daughter was marrying River; few had even found out he had a daughter.
Hearing the doorbell Tori instinctively looked at the clock. She still had five minutes and was completely dressed. She had time to finish her orange juice and English muffin.
“You actually look ready,” Jake commented looking at the blonde woman. Not only did she look awake but the woman had pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She’d even dressed herself in a black sports bra and stretch shorts with a pink tank top covering her stomach.
“As ready as I can be. Can I finish?”
“Sure. I actually told you earlier because I figured I’d have to tell you to hurry up.”
“My dad didn’t tell you I’m usually quick?” Tori inquired. Her father never had to wait o her it was always her brother, Ken that took a while.
“He did but…you are a girl.” Tori laughed understanding without getting mad. “There are a few things I need to go over with you before we go.”
The blonde woman immediately gave him her attention. “You need something you speak to me.” Tori simply nodded. “We want to keep the fact your Warner’s daughter unknown as long as we can. The few that do know have already agreed to keep quiet.”
“Aren’t they going to know the first time I call him dad though?” Tori inquired.
“That’s why we want everything going through me. You already call me Jake so it’s easy. Besides new recruits don’t usually speak to your father directly unless he calls them over.” Tori nodded she understood. “He will treat you like he does everyone else. If you screw up he’ll call you on it if I don’t.”
“I know he’ll be tough,” Tori assured her father’s friend.
“It’s going to be harder than you realize,” Jake said. “Most everyone there is already an enforcer. This is extra training for most of them. You’re dad working with you was gentle compared to what you’re going to be put through. You may very well hate both your dad and I by the end of the day.”
“I can take it,” Tori said with determination.
“We’ll see kid. Get your bag.”
“Alright.” Tori got up and left the room.
Jake walked out of the breakfast room and over to the Lord’s office. He knocked and waited. “Come in.” The enforcer opened the door and walked in to see Lord Gregory, River, and Trevor inside with Drake, one of Lord Gregory’s enforcers. Calmly he shut the door, not wanting to chance Tori overhearing him.
“Jake,” Lord Gregory said. “Tori is…”
“I sent her to get her bag and meet me outside,” Jake interrupted. The enforcer looked down and then over to River. “She’s going to be hurting when she gets back.”
“Brutal training schedule?” Drake inquired. “I’ll have ice packs on standby.”
“Yes but it’s more than that,” Jake warned. “Warner is going to be harder on her than he’s ever been on anyone.”
“She’s his daughter,” Trevor replied.
“He’s planning to break her.”
“Fuck! It’s her first day!” Drake reminded Warner’s partner. The lord’s enforcer didn’t hide his concern or shock.
“I know. But there’s something that no one realizes about Tori.” Jake fell silent for a moment. “I would never betray Warner but you won’t understand unless I tell you. Karen isn’t his greatest weakness…”
“Tori is,” River said realizing.
Jake nodded. “I think we will all agree Tori won’t hesitate to protect any of you. She’s going to put herself out there. Warner has to know she can handle it. We don’t have time to wait and see. If he breaks her and she still goes back for more he can build her up. If she doesn’t…”
“Understood,” Lord Gregory replied.
“Does he think she can take it?” Drake inquired.
Jake got a half smile on his face. “I think Tori can handle more than her or her father realize. She did really well yesterday against Salazar’s men. Her thoughts were to protect Nancy and Teresa and she did just that.” Looking at River he added, “Having said that she is female. It’s going to be hard to have her father be so rough on her. Emotionally she may need you tonight.”
“Whatever she needs,” The blue eyed man vowed without hesitation. Jake nodded and turning left Lord Gregory’s office.
“Something tells me Tori might not be the only one in need of emotional support when the day is over,” Trevor commented. River nodded in agreement. This would be tough on both Tori and Warner.
Tori grabbed her orange duffle bag and headed out to Jake’s waiting Red pick-up. Climbing into the front passenger seat she waited. It was only about a minute and she saw Jake walk out of the mansion and then get into his truck.
“Ready?”
“Yep. Even have my water bottle,” She said holding up the neon green bottle’ with a smile on her face. Jake nodded and starting the engine they headed for their training session.
Tori was quiet during the trip. She felt a mixture of excitement, nervousness, anticipation, and even fear. The blonde woman had never had a training session like this before. She’d heard stories from her brother though and could remember comforting her brother after their father had trained Ken really hard his first week. There was no doubt in her mind the man would not be in dad mode but enforcer. For the first time in her life she would face Warner the enforcer.
“Here we go. Remember what I told you.” Tori nodded and the two got out of the red pickup and headed inside the metal sided gymnasium.
Tori was in awe, but not at the building so much as by the amount of people inside it. She had no idea there were so many enforcers. Jake walked her up to a table where everyone was checking in.
“Kim this is Tori she’s Teresa Marks Enforcer.” The pink haired woman raised an eyebrow but jotted down the information. Jake then walked away leaving Tori to fend for herself.
“Put your bag against a wall and head over to the stage area,” Kim instructed.
“Thank you,” Tori said and walked away. She placed her bag next to the wall near the balance beams and then walked over to where several people were by a small stage.
Jake left Tori’s side and quickly went to where he knew Warner would be watching from across the room. “She’s checked in. I listed her as Teresa Marks enforcer.”
Warner nodded. “She’ll never formally be named that but it is what she is,” Tori’s father agreed. “How’s she moving?”
“Fine. She was ready like you said she’d be.” Warner nodded. “I told River and the others what your plan was today. They’ll be ready to be there for her.”
Warner’s face looked sad for a moment before he forced a straight face. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt his daughter but he knew he had to. As an enforcer and her instructor he needed to know where her breaking point would be. It also bothered him that he wouldn’t be the one to comfort the girl after he broke her.
“Line them up. I want this done.” Jake nodded and walked away. Warner watched as Jake called everyone to attention and Tori take her place. ‘Please forgive me for this, Tori,’ He prayed silently. Tori was everything to him and he knew after today he might lose the closeness they’d always shared. She might never look at him the same.
**
Tori paid close attention and followed every direction given. First they stretched and Kim led them in a warm up routine to get them ready for the day. Next they separated into a few different groups. Tori ended up in a group with Jake right away.
“We’re going to be working on obstacles in this group. Any obstacle you see is something some enforcer has encountered. Many of which Warner and I have. So even though the obstacle may seem ridiculous and farfetched it could happen,” Jake warned.
“Each of you will enter the tunnel one at a time to face an obstacle. All of you are new enforcers so this is a good place to start. Brody you’re first.”
Tori watched as a muscular man with short spiky dark brown hair approached the tunnel. Jake gave a nod and the new recruit disappeared into the tunnel. They waited for several minutes but Brody didn’t return.
“Do things normally take this long?” The blonde woman inquired.
“No,” Jake said annoyed. He disappeared into the tunnel and came out laughing. “Well since you feel the urgency to move along; you can go next Tori.”
“Me and my big mouth,” Tori mumbled as she headed for the tunnels entrance. It wasn’t until the blonde woman heard a snicker however, that she realized she’d said it out loud.
“I suggest you learn to keep it shut,” A gruff voice said. Glancing over she realized it was her father. Tori didn’t reply. “Move it.” Tori didn’t argue and entered the tunnel.
Slowly she moved through it before coming into contact with what had kept Brody gone for so long. “Damn it I hate snakes!” She shouted.
**
Warner kept a straight face but internally chuckled. He knew how his daughter felt about snakes and was not surprised to hear her vocalize her dislike. He also found a few of the waiting recruits’ looks of horror and annoyance at her words amusing. Brody and Tori were clearly not the only ones who didn’t like snakes.
**
Tori looked at the snake anything but pleased. She knew she had to get passed the snake to reach the door but wasn’t sure how. Scanning the area her eyes fell on a rubber rat and a rope.
Tori looked at both the rat and the rope. If she could distract the snake with the rat she might be able to sneak past. Picking up the rat she threw it off to the left side of the tunnel and watched.
The snake hissed but didn’t go after the rat. ‘Knowing my father you already ate,’ she thought to herself. ‘Perfect. Now what?’ Tori scanned the area again before realizing there were other things lying around as well. One of which was a towel. If she could get the snake covered it wouldn’t see her and she could slip past.
Tori picked up the towel and slowly made her way toward it. Carefully she threw the towel over the snake and headed past it. She was almost past when its head popped out. Tori jumped and missing the snake quickly made it to the door and rushed out of the tunnel.
Slamming the door shut she leaned against it. Kim was looking at her openly amused. “Yeah might want to warn the next recruit. I think I pissed it off when I jumped over it.”
The woman blinked at her. “You jumped over it?” Kim questioned thinking she’d heard the blonde woman wrong.
“I covered it with a towel but it came out!” Tori explained defending herself. “I don’t like snakes and really didn’t want to get bit.”
“Head to the path on the right,” The pink haired woman instructed. Tori nodded and continued forward.
By the end of her session with Jake she’d narrowly gotten around a snake; scaled a brick wall, broken through two locks, one of which was under water, and climbed along the side of a smallledge. She was more than happy when break time was called.
**
“How’s she doing?” Warner inquired.
“Good. She pissed off the snake but she got passed.”
Warner looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty. “Do I want to know?”
“Probably not; she gets past things but not how most of us would. She threw a towel over the snake and when its head popped out she jumped over it.”
“Did she get bit?”
“No but she did slam the door and almost hit it. Everyone else dealt with a pissed off snake,” Jake said unconcerned.
“Jake.” The two turned to see an enforcer they had trained in the past walk up.
“If this is about some girl you met over the weekend…”
“Nah I want to know about the blonde.”
“What blonde?” Jake asked. Internally he groaned knowing the man might be referring to Tori.
“The new recruit. Her,” He said gesturing to where Tori sat with her head back against the wall.
“Tori. Get any thoughts out of your head she’s spoken for,” Jake told the golden blonde man.
“By who?” Taitan questioned.
“It doesn’t matter she’s hands off,” Warner said annoyed. “You aren’t here to check out girls anyway.”
“How can you not notice something that hot?”
“Taitan get your ass back with your group,” Jake said quickly. Taitan heeded the warning and went back to his group.
“And everyone wants to know why I kept it quiet,” Warner complained.
“Yeah well she is pretty and if you don’t want anyone knowing you can’t say anything,” Jake reminded him.
“Where are the new recruits headed next?” Warner inquired.
“You,” Jake said. “She’s tired so her mistakes should be high. They’ll all make mistakes but Tori will probably make more since she isn’t used to pack fights or training days. She’s also not fully wolf so she should be far more worn out.”
Warner nodded. “I hope to hell we can get past this,” He said and headed back to his station.
Jake watched him go and then looked over at his friend’s daughter. He’d never met a closer father and daughter. ‘Be okay,’ He silently prayed. Jake didn’t want their relationship with each other to change after today either.