My duffle bag is loaded, my hair pulled back in a braid as the wind is fierce today. With my change of clothes, a few running shoes, and one formal outfit for the closing night of the two weeks, I have everything that I will need. My phone is secured in my pocket, on silent as my parents have discussed with me how the pack warriors take away our phones the first night. No electronics because we have to become more 'in tune with nature.' These two weeks are basically training, a bit of social anxiety, eating, and sleeping as we are cut off from the outside world except for the electricity and AC within the pack house. Don't get me wrong, the pack house is not some random log cabin locked in the middle of no where. Although it's smack in the middle of the forest of our pack's territory, the house is massive, a huge dining hall, living area, entrance, and tons of bedrooms. Only werewolves were hired to design and build the house as it contains passageways, extra rooms that only the Alpha and the elders know about, and tons of bedrooms the size of college dorms.
"Just be safe and don't break a bone," my mother states, kissing my forehead as my father hops into the truck. He'll be dropping me off and leaving me for two weeks. It sucks. The only people who actually live at the pack house are the pack warriors, a few elders, the doctor, and the Alpha whenever he's going through a workaholic phase. "Love you."
"Love you too," I reply, hopping into the truck as we leave for the pack house, a good thirty minutes through a thick forest and a dirt road.
Within that time, the pack house is before us, a gate opening as our car rolls through, traveling up the private drive as the brick road is under the tires now. Before my eyes lays a beautiful manner, modern architecture as the windows and wide and tall, the house open, the double doors of the entrance pulled open, the white stone having some vibes traveling up to the third floor, and other cars as well unloading as I recall people from my newly graduated class. Maybe I'll get lucky and these two weeks will be fun, or maybe they will be like hell as I am separated from my mate.
As I unload and grab my bag for the next two weeks, I wave bye to my father, traveling up the steps and into the house as the scent of pine fills my nostrils. They said it would rain tonight, which sucks because we have a night run through the forest. Waving hi to a few people, I check in with a warrior of the pack, handing him my phone as he hands me my room key and number. Looking to the grand entrance of the house, my feet carry me across the polished wooden floor, up the wooden stairs, and onto the third floor as the carpet is now beneath my worn tennis shoes. As I get into my room, a smile spreads across my face to see a girl who I got along with quite nicely is going to be my roommate for these two weeks.
"Scared, excited, or regretting every coming?" Yvette asks, pulling her strawberry blond hair up into a bun. "Because I just want this week to be done and I'll be tanning in the Bahamas once this is done. "
"I want to get it over with," I reply, placing my things upon the freshly made bed. The maids will clean the room for us while we train in the mornings. "I just don't see the point of this really. We take defense classes through our childhood and more when we finally shift. I don't get why this is necessary."
"Honestly, I see their reasoning, but we can defend for ourselves. It's not too common to run into a witch or vamp on campus because they don't really live in this country. Witches are for Europe and vampires for Canada or Russia." I nod in agreement, looking out the window to see people around and chatting. By the end of the night we will of hear all the rules and be on a run. For the past week I've gone on a run every morning before Augustus and I get together for the afternoon. He didn't like the idea of me being gone for so long but he wished for me to have fun with the aunt I will actually not be seeing.
In two hours the opening meeting is finished, the rules read, and no sight of Flynn as we are told to come to the north edge of the forest by subset. Only problem: there's a downpour of rain and no sun to be seen.
With my wolf itching to be let out and the time to go for a run, I leave my room, walking down the hall as I hear another door shut from the opposite end of the hall. It's the door for a more private room, one the size of a real bedroom. Looking around the corner for whoever came out of the set of double doors, my eyes widen to see him walking towards where I stand, his eyes locked on his phone. Of course he got to keep his, he's practically the Alpha of this little 'camp' for two weeks. I roll my eyes, heading for the stairs in hopes of Flynn to not catch me.
Just as I reach the first step, I freeze. "I have Alpha blood, Amory, not Omega," he comments right behind me, his tone holding no emotion. "I can smell you from blocks away. Nor am I dumb."
Turning my head, I look to Flynn as he runs a hand through his locks, those hunter green eyes locked on me. "I never said I was hiding."
"I never accused you of it," he points out, standing beside me as we look below to see pack members heading down. If people see me beside him, it will look innocent, for we have been seen as close friends for years now, it's only a matter of what he does to break those innocent ideas. "Two weeks without Augustus."
"Do you really have to be such a douche?" I snap, keeping my voice low as his lips pull into a smirk. "You have no place to interfere with my mate and I."
"I'm your Alpha."
"You're not his," I mutter, tilting my head to the side as I cross my arms. "I swear, Flynn, that if you think these two weeks have endless possibilities to try and get with me, you will be proven wrong completely over and over again." his lips form a straight line, mocking my stance as he too crosses his arms.
"You know I will try and try and try."
"Why? What's the point? I have a mate and I will not leave him."
Flynn shakes his head, looking to the entrance below as people file outside into the rain. "Because you don't give up on something or someone that you want, that you need. If you have a dream in mind, a career that you want, you try and try and try after every time you fail or are turned down because you are decimated, because you have emotion poured into this idea. This dream."
"I'm not a career," I add.
"It was a metaphors to how much I want you, Amory." He's said it flat out again. "I will not give up because I believe in us".
"There's no us, Flynn," I point out, watching as he lets out a sigh.
"There is an us, Amory."
I raise an eyebrow. "And how is that, Flynn?"
A ghost smile crosses his lips as my heart tugs a bit. "Because there is an us. Because you've helped me, you've let me drive you home, comfort you, even kiss you because there is a stronger bond than what you want to believe."
Looking away, I shake my head. "That's a lie."
"Look me in the eyes and say it."
I face the future Alpha, my eyes scanning his face as my heart clenches.
"You can't say it," he whispers, taking a step forward as I take one back.
"I made my choice. I picked Augustus."
Flynn shakes his head softly. "You picked Augustus? You picked him like you pick out a pebble in your shoe or pick a random card for a magic trick?" I scowl at his words. "You wanted him or you picked him like a random card...Amory, I lo-
"No." I walk away, heading down the stairs as I hear thunder in the background.
"Amory!" He snaps, following in pursuit as I rush out of the house and to the group of people my age, the rain instantly soaking me. I brush past people purposely, picking up their scents as I try and lose him a bit, the rain pouring down as the head warrior, Talon Hastings tells us that it's a seven mile run through the mud and rain. As people begin to head for the trees to shift, I follow the crowd, trying to lose the future Alpha as I know what these next to weeks have in store: Flynn.
He will be everywhere. Hell, they should of even named this camp after him.
Camp Flynn: a living and breathing hell on earth.
Shifting behind a tree, I dig my paws into the mud, pushing off as I follow the crowd once more, knowing that these two weeks will be hard. Hard not because he will follow me and be around me constantly, but because of what he said. Because he dared me to look him in the eyes and tell him that what he said about us was all a lie. Because I could not bring myself to say it.
Why?
Because he's right, I picked Augustus like a stack of cards in a magic trick. But he's also wrong because Augustus was not some random trick, but my mate, and nothing is stronger than a mate bond. Not even gravity.