FOUR [NEW]
We were shortly dismissed right after the six-hour exam. I'm feeling at ease now that it's over. It was a handful, and it was also brain draining.
"How were your exams?" Axel questions us before he takes a bite of his burger.
We're gathered around a table at one of the fast-food restaurants in the academy. Unlike other packs that are used to mingling with others, we like to keep to ourselves.
"It was easy," Tony casually replies with a cool voice and a smirk.
Harris rolls his eyes at him, "You're like the dumbest person I know. How was that easy for you?"
"Harris," my brother warns, using his deep tone.
Harris mumbles something but doesn't make any more snide remarks against Tony.
"Believe me," Tony says convincingly, "I thought it was easy."
I wouldn't doubt that. It's been a ritual in our pack to make sure that we are well educated. At an early age, children are given advanced lessons to help exercise their brains to prepare for the next term. Everyone was also required to know the anatomy and physiology of werewolves, where it would help us know more about our bodies and have perfect control over our beasts.
Axel puts on a raised eyebrow, "But you know you're not supposed to get an above-average, right?" He asks Tony, with a voice only we can decipher.
"Of course, my dedication to our pack is the most important," he replies.
I hear a hum of approval from the rest of the members.
Although I was the one who was strictly commanded to lie low in this academy, the members had thought to do the same thing. Our pack isn't known to be great in anything, and we'd like other werewolves to continue to think of it in that context. We live simple flourishing lives that help us attain the essential things in our life.
My father and his family had always viewed the werewolf council as barbaric. Their selfishness has brought the werewolf community to its crisis. We are obliged to follow the rules from a committee that uses an aggressive force; this is not what the goddess wants from us. We've let her down.
"I don't like the atmosphere here," Jasmine pipes up.
I mentally agree with her. There's something off-putting. I know there's a motive. Everyone knows there's a motive.
"We can't do anything but bear with it," Axel replies before taking a bit of his food.
"You know what happens when werewolves speculate the council," Athena, one of our medics, reply.
They are taken and tortured. It's nothing new.
They only take people who are the best of the best. They specifically choose alphas and elders who know nothing but control. It's sad and disappointing how we've let such rulers take over.
My mother teaches werewolf history in our age group. When I'd have private sessions with her, she would discuss about the elites. There were only a handful of them, yet they'd rule the werewolves with equality and freedom. They elites listened to the people, and most decision makings were agreed upon by the majority of werewolves with the acknowledgment of the elites.
I wish we could savior those times. Sad to say, an underground movement was happening, and all elites were tortured to their deaths.
"Bree," I hear my subconscious nag at me. "Bree," there it is again.
I then feel my body shake, and all my senses wash over me, "Whoa, what?"
My attention shifts to the voice I'd thought was my subconscious, my brother. I notice our surroundings, everyone's finished eating, and I'm still left with my jumbo fries.
"Let's go. We need to train," my brother announces.
Everyone groans as my brother lets those words out of his mouth.
"I'm disabled!" Tony cries to Axel, clinging on to him with an outstretched arm as Axel stands up from his seat.
Harris rolls his eyes, "What a drama queen."
Tony gasps with wide eyes, "You bitch! Take that back!"
I chuckle at the interaction, and as usual, my brother scolds the two men. They're the brightness in my brother's days.
I turn my gaze towards Jasmine. In an instant, she gestures how she and I will have our private lesson. There are times where I wish to join them. Although my parents think it's risky, it'd be nice to get to know the pack better. All I do is stay inside and interact with myself. Hopefully, none of them think I have a contagious disease.
Of course, they wouldn't think that they're just clueless.
"Bree, you could join us for training," Axel says with a reassuring voice.
As those words leave his mouth, a wide smile seeps through my lips. Finally.
__________
We're in a training facility at school. It's cemented, something I'm not used to, and it's undeniably hot because it's underground.
Ignoring the heat, I start doing some random stretches to ease up the intense training that we're about to do. As my body coordinates with my mind, I look around our environment and notice the hidden cameras disguised in some ceiling pipes.
"The focus of our training today will be our strength and endurance, nothing too extreme. Then we'll have a one on one battle on a mat. The first person to step outside of the mat loses."
We follow my brother's and Jasmine's lead as they guide us to a painful exercise.
Werewolf trainings are always intense. Every session requires us to use our bodies and minds to help us take control of the beasts that live inside.
We move on to the facilities that they could offer, such as bars, ropes, and poles. Suddenly, as I make my way to the top of the rope, the entrance opens, and another pack welcomes themselves inside.
"Hey, Cunnings!"
"What?" Axel questions with a disinterested voice at the intruder.
"Why don't we let out pack members duel for a bit?" The voice suggests.
I firmly grip on the rope and turn my view towards the speaker. I've never seen him before. There's a confident look on his boyish face. A sudden sense of dislike surges through my brain. It was probably because of how arrogant he sounded when he asked my brother for a duel.
Competition between packs wasn't something new. Battles were highly encouraged by the committee as it helped them choose who was worthy to be placed a position on the board.
Climbing down a bit, I jump once I know it's safe for me not to break my limbs, and make my way towards Jasmine. "Who's he?" I whisper beside her.
"An alpha," she simply states. I can tell she's fighting the words to diss the man in front of us, but as one of the leaders in this pack, she knows when to shut her mouth.
"I don't see the importance of us competing," Axel calmly states with a blank face. "I don't want to add fuel to the fire, Henderson."
The boy, Henderson, smirks, "Pft, just say that you're pack's incompetent. It's not a big deal. Everyone knows how your pack is non-existent."
The boy's members laugh, but Axel still doesn't give a shit. Who cares what these people think. Their immaturity proves how we're better than them.
Axel turns around and ignores him, "Okay, guys, back to training."
At my brother's command, we proceed to the next course, also ignoring the intruder that was in front of us. We know it's a waste of time hearing his trash talk when we can get this done and leave without getting into trouble.
"Hey, I was talking to you, Cunnings. Why you turning back?" Henderson asks, almost pissed.
I cringe at his ending remark. If he wants to challenge my brother, he better get a teacher first to correct his grammar.
"I already told you that I don't see the importance of us fighting," Axel replies, not gazing at Henderson. "If you want to know who's more competent, then why won't you try with others who are interested?"
Henderson stays silent for a bit, probably thinking of another insult to say to us.
"You're, you're just like your father, coward," he says, proud of the words coming out of his mouth despite repeating the first word.
"Get a life," Jasmine snaps at him.
I'd say the same thing if I weren't controlling myself. Keep calm. You can't risk it.
I'm glad Jasmine doesn't have a filter because she can speak on my behalf.
"And who are you to talk? A common whore who just got a ranking position?" Henderson fires back at her.
"If you don't have something relevant to say, shut your goddamned mouth before I shove your di-" she takes a step closer, but Axel pulls her back and gives her a warning. She steps behind and doesn't say anything further.
"We're leaving before this gets out of control," my brother states with finality. We all take our stuff and let them be.
We exit the building with slightly sore muscles. Jasmine and I are at the back of our pack, walking to our quarters.
"I'm glad you snapped at that idiot," I suddenly say without looking at her, "He deserved it."
"Nobody can talk shit to our alpha like that. Hell, even your brother should've whooped his ass, but he's formal. He's a good leader, so you should admire him more than me," Jasmine answers while wiping the sweat off her forehead. "Do as I say, not as I do."
Laughing at her quote, "You're like my role model."
"Jasmine," Axel calls, looking behind, "a word."
"Great, now I'll be getting an earful even after I defended our pack and alpha," she grumbles to herself.
Harris and Tony switch places with her, and now I'm mushed in between the two bantering boys.
I tune them out as I focus on my thoughts.
You were close to snapping, Brylee. Control yourself. Be unknown.
Those words keep circling inside my head.
How long will I have to endure this? How long do I need to pretend that I'm one of them?
I won't last long pretending. One way or not, they'll find out the truth, and I'll be gone.
Well, that's if you'll do something about it.