© Amber Kalkes 2014
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< F I F T E E N >
Arden’s eyes watch her opponent as he looks into her eyes. His lips are pulled back, baring his fangs, as his eyes are wild with challenge. She knows what he’s about to do and she prepares her body for the blow about to come. As she expected he surges forward and growls aggressively at her. Having expected it though Arden simply steps out of the way before circling around so her back is not to him. She can’t let him have the advantage of pinning her.
Arden refuses to lose.
When Alpha Hank had originally suggested the idea of sparing Sam had immediately shot it down. He seemed to have noticed the way she stiffened beside him at the mention of fighting but though she appreciated him sticking up for her she knew it wasn’t the way it should be. She needed to know how to fight more efficiently if she was going to be a part of White Moon.
So she agreed to do it.
Now looking into the focused brown eyes of her opponent, a male named Cyrus, she feels the more animalistic side of her rise. Protect, defend and win is the mantra her wolf is feeding her and she’s feeling power rise inside of her at the encouragement. She wants to make Sam proud to have her as a mate and she wants to be worthy of her place in the pack.
Cyrus springs forward again and this time she isn’t prepared. She whimpers loudly as his teeth dig into the flesh of her shoulder. She feels some of Sam’s second hand anxiety flow into her mind vaguely and wishes he hadn’t come to watch. She knew he’d get antsy with her fighting but the stubborn ass just wouldn’t listen to her warnings about how violent sparing could get.
“Get him off her!” Sam demands of Alpha Hank.
“No. She needs to get him off herself.”
Sam growls in frustration, “And what if she can’t.”
“Then she’s not as strong as she needs to be and she will do it over and over again until she is.”
“This is bullshit!”
Cyrus tightens his jaws on her neck making her cry out louder out of instinct.
“Samuel, she needs to learn. Please calm down.” May’s calming voice tries to reason with him but Sam is not having it.
“Do you see this, May? Do see that her shoulder is in that fucking mutts mouth? I’m I the only one concerned she’s hurt here?”
“Sam, just—“
Arden closes her eyes and raises a paw slams it into Cyrus’ neck. It’s his turn to cry out in pain in a high-pitched whine. Arden takes the opportunity to retch out her claws and use her massive paws to push his head off her with her claws extended into his muzzle. He cries out again and unlatches himself from her neck. With as much strength as she can muster she pushes him back making him fall onto his back. He wiggles on his back trying to get back up but she’s too fast for him to succeed. Jumping on top of him she pins him to the ground and snarls against his throat so he knows how ready she could be to rip his throat clean out.
“Pin.” Alpha Hank chirps happily. “Arden wins.”
Arden jumps off Cyrus at the announcement of her victory and fights the urge to howl in pride. She won against a seasoned fighter! It has to mean something good right? Cyrus flips onto his stomach and lifts himself to his full height narrowing his dark brown eyes at her as he gives her a judging once over. Arden’s wolf growls in her head at his disrespect but Arden doesn’t let it out.
Cyrus then surprises her but dipping his head in respect before walking backwards a few feet before sitting back on his haunches. Arden, a bit shell shocked, does as she’s seen happen only a few times in Blue Bay when a challenge has ended in a draw, she bows back. Cyrus then leaves the field with another nod at the Alpha as silent communication passes between the two before he leaves.
Alpha Hank turns to Arden, “You did well. Shift.”
Arden does as ordered and shifts back into her human form, sweating and covered in blood on her bare shoulder. A warm robe is placed over her shoulders quickly and she grins up at Sam as he gives her a scolding look. She’s not sure if the look is for being naked or making him worry but she’s take it all the same.
“You scared the shit out of me.” He informs her.
She sighs, “It’s how things are done, Sam.”
“I don’t like it.”
“I need to know how to defend myself.”
“You did fine in the field at May’s.” He points out.
Arden cups his face in her palm, “You didn’t see it though. What if I fumbled my way through it and it was all just a lucky fluke?”
Sam seems to think about it for a few seconds again before he grumbles, “I still don’t like it.”
“Holy shit, Arden!” Kayla yells before jumping in front of her out of nowhere, “That was insane! You’re like a real badass!”
Arden gives Sam a questioning look at the change of attitude towards the whole ‘werewolf thing’. Sam just shrugs at her with a smirk. Shaking her head she turns back to Kayla to see she even looks different since the last time she saw her. Kayla isn’t wearing the pounds of makeup she was wearing and instead is showing a bare but beautiful face. Arden notices a light dancing freckles across the younger girl’s nose she’s never seen before, too.
Sam seems to notice the change too and grips his sister chin turning her head this way and that, “Okay, I give up. Who are you and what have you done to my sister?”
Kayla rolls her eyes and shoves Sam’s hand off, “I’m the same person just with less makeup on.”
“Kayla, your in sweats.”
Kayla blushes and dips her head looking oddly bashful, “So?”
“You said and I quote, ‘girls who wear sweats outside the house have just given up on themselves’. So can you blame me for being a bit…surprised here?” Sam says crossing his arms on his chest with a quirked brow.
Kayla bites her lip and shrugs, “I just fancied a change.”
“Fancied?” Sam repeats,
Kayla scoffs and glares at him, “You know what Sam? If you don’t like it you can shove it up your annoying booty hole! I didn’t do this for you just so you know.”
“Oh? The who did you do it for?”
Arden feels a bit sympathetic for Kayla in this moment. Sam just totally baited her into telling him about Parker. She knows she can stop this interrogation but she’s ashamed to say she’s a bit curious herself about how those two have been going. So despite feeling guilty about it she just lets the big brother do his overprotective thing for now.
Kayla’s eyes widen and she pales a bit, “No one.”
“Bullshit.” Sam sings with a triumphant smirk, “Who are you hiding from your dear older loving brother?”
“No one!”
“Come on, Kay, tell me who I have to beat up.”
Kayla huffs, “You are such an asshole, Samuel Tanner Davidson!”
“And you are a pain in my ass, Kayla Lynn Davidson.”
Kayla growls in frustration and flings her arms in the air. She taps her pink Ugg boot clad feet on the dirt below before yelling out, “Fine, you nosey brat! Parker okay? I’m trying to impress Parker.”
“The wolf you rode in on the other day?” Sam asks.
Kayla bites her lip and nods, “Yeah. Look, Sam, he’s really nice and he said he liked girls who were natural and though I’ll admit I probably look hideous right now I just…he makes me laugh and happy and I just…I like him.”
Sam lifts a brow, “And you think changing for him is a good idea.”
“Well no.” Kayla frowns, “But I thought I’d give it a try you know. I was kind of sick of doing a two hours long makeover on myself every morning anyway.”
“Two hours?” Sam parrots in disbelief.
Kayla shrugs biting her thumbnail, “Yeah, I mean I gotta get it perfect for school. I’m the cheerleading squad for shit’s sake and high school is so…you know?”
Sam laughs, “I vaguely remember.”
“Well then you know how image driven it is.” Kayla sighs, “But with Parker? He doesn’t want me to be something I’m not. It’s like he’ll take me…warts and all.”
“Some people are worth melting for.” Arden quotes from that movie they watched before Steven showed up. Froze? Freeze? Frozen? She can’t remember but she remembers that she liked that line.
“Exactly!” Kayla exclaims looking a bit relieved. “See? Arden gets it!”
Sam kisses Arden’s temple before smiling, “Frozen?”
Arden shrugs blushing a bit, “Kayla made me watch it.”
“Oh whatever, Sam.” Kayla snorts, “You know you love it.”
“The snowman sings, Kay. It’s unnatural.”
Arden giggles at the dead serious expression on Sam’s face as he says that. Thinking back though Arden has to admit when the head was being thrown around it made her a bit freaked out too. Thrown heads are just odd to see even if they are in a movie.
“Whatever, Sam. Your boring.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Sam dismisses, “So you dating him?”
“Well no.” Kayla mumbles, “But I think he likes me. I always catch him looking at me and he keeps acting all nervous around me too. That’s a good sign right?”
Arden almost wants to tell her about him being her mate but she doesn’t. She doesn’t want to ruin the moment for him. Telling someone you’re their mate is a sacred moment for werewolves and though Arden’s own moment was ruined she doesn’t want to do that to Parker. Secretly, she’s just happy Kayla is open to the idea at all.
“Arden?” Kayla asks.
Arden snaps her head up, “Yes?”
“That’s a good sign right? You’re a werewolf, maybe you have a better idea about dating one than I do.”
Oh if only she knew!
“Yeah, I think that’s a good sign.” She smiles.
Kayla sighs in relief, “Oh thank god! That’s a such a relief, thank you Arden!”
“No problem.”
Kayla looks over her shoulder and jumps a bit when the dark haired and olive skinned boy comes out in question. Arden met Parker Sanchez in passing a few times over the past couple days and she knows he’s perfect for Kayla’s hyper active personality. He’s calm, collected and a bit introverted to Kayla hectic energy. Two halves of a whole reunited by fate.
“Oh there he is!” Kayla chirps with a huge grin, “I’m going to go talk to him. Wish me luck!”
“Good luck.” Sam and Arden say in unison.
Kayla makes a face, “Ew. Please don’t become one of those couples.”
Sam rolls his eyes, “Just go flirt with your wolfed out lover.”
“Your gross.” She throws at him over her shoulder before waving her arms like a maniac as she jog towards Parker, “Hey!”
Arden watches as Parker turns towards Kayla. She’s not surprised to see his whole face light up when his light green eyes land on her. Kayla bounces up in front of him in her red sweatpants with pink written on the side and her matching light pink shirt with a red heart on the front and pink Ugg boots. Arden couldn’t imagine wearing so much pink but she has to admit how pretty Kayla looks in it.
“Shall we go inside?” Sam whispers in her ear.
Arden smiles up at him, “Sure.”
She’s sure her face is simply glowing.
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Sam walks out of the shower whistling like the loved up loser he is these days. It’s been four days since they’ve been among the White Moon pack and four days since he’s been mated to his girl. Wiping the fog off the mirror he looks at his reflection and doesn’t swiftly turn away like he usually does. Instead he smiles as his eyes settle on the crescent shaped scar on his shoulder.
He likes looking at. To him it’s a reminder he’s no longer alone, he has someone now. Someone he loves more than life itself and that, he decides, is a blessing he doesn’t know he deserves. He’s been seen as a monster, a freak, and a pity story for people in town to tell to their kids as they point out the ‘scary man’ out in public. Now, he has Arden, an angel designed just for him. He doesn’t know how god messed up placing her with him but he’s not going to question or dwell on it. She’s all his now and he’s not giving her up.
Leaving the bathroom the smile quickly leaves his face as he finds Arden on their bed rocking with her hands over her ears. The room is dark with only moonlight trickling in to light her figure as she sobs quietly while muttering to herself. Rushing over to her he sits next to her on the bed and tries to pry her hands from her ears but she just shakes her head and cries more.
“Arden, sweetheart. Come on look at me.”
She shakes her head again crying harder.
He tries to pry her hands off again and this time succeeds only to have her wrap them around his neck as she scrabbles into his lap. He’s only dressed in a pair of black basketball shorts so his whole chest erupts in tingles as her skin connects with his. Sam begins petting her hair and softly shushing her as he begins to rock her like a scared child.
When her sobbing quiets down a bit he asks, “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
She shakes her head nuzzling deeper into his neck.
He rubs her back soothingly, “Come on, Arden, tell me. I told you.”
“This is different.” She whispers.
“How so?”
“This wasn’t a nightmare or a memory.”
Sam frowns, “Then what’s wrong?”
“Alpha Hank talked to me before I came to bed.”
“What about?”
Arden lets out a halting sob, “Blue Bay contacted him.”
“What?” He growls, “What did they say?”
“T-They demand my return so they may settle a blood debt against me. They claim I’ve killed five pack members without provocation, including the son of an Alpha. They demand this or they will attack White Moon and take me by force.”
Sam’s hold on Arden tightens as she begins to sob uncontrollably into his chest, her tears dampening his marred skin. He kisses her head and makes assurances that none of that will happen and he’ll protect her. He holds her like that until she cries herself to sleep still clinging to him like a lifeline.
Unlatching her from him he lays her in the bed before determination settles into his bones. He won’t lose her, he can’t and he refuses to let these bastards continue to traumatize her like this. Leaving the bedroom he shares with Arden he heads to the Alpha’s office unsurprised to see the light still on in there despite the late hour. He knocks twice before Hank’s deep voice calls out.
“Come in, Sam.”
Sam does, for once, what Hank tells him and enters the office. Glaring at the man responsible for his girl being so upset he grips the back of one of the chairs before Hank’s desk. His knuckles are so white from the restraint it takes not to throw the damn thing across the room.
“What can I do for you, Sam?” Hank asks in an all business tone that irks him more than it should.
“What can you do for me? Can you tell me why you upset Arden like that?”
Hank lifts one bushy brown eyebrow, “She needed to know what we were facing. She is the main reason for these threats and as such she needs to be aware of the situation. She’s not a child, Sam.”
“No she isn’t but she is a traumatized young woman who now is terrified the pieces of shit who tortured her are going to get their paws on her again!”
Hank’s eyes narrow, “Lower your tone in my presence, Boy.”
“Your not my alpha.” Sam hisses.
“Perhaps not but I am your mate’s Alpha and if I so wished I could punish her for your disrespect.”
Sam recoils like he’s been struck, “Your fucking sick.”
“No you are just ignorant to ours ways.” He replies calmly, “I have fought for this position, my mate, my territory and my pack. I demand to be respected and in turn I protect those who look to me as leader. I told Arden this because I do not believe in treating woman as weak links. She is perfectly capable of defending herself as she proved just the other day. You must have faith in your mate as I am sure she has faith in you, Samuel.”
Sam’s shoulders sag as he process the words. He’s right, he decides begrudgingly, the bastard is right. Sitting in the chair he was thinking of throwing he runs a hand over his hair and face in frustration and exhaustion before meeting the gaze of the man who holds his girl’s fate in his hands.
“So what do we do?” He asks.
Hank’s lip twitches before he sits back in his desk chair, “Well that depends on you Sam?”
“On me?” He asks doubtfully.
“Yes.” Hank nods, “It depends on how much you want to keep her safe.”
Sam’s spine stiffens, “I would put my life on the line.”
“Good, that’s good.”
He eyes the hulking man before him, “Why? What do you have in mind?”
“Sam, how much do you know about the turning of a werewolf?”
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DUN DUN DUUUUNNNNNNN! Oh my gummybears I totally cliffied you guys.
So you got your Kayla-Parker update, wasn't it cute? A smitten Kayla is an adorable Kayla don't you think?
What about the turning suggestion for Alpha Hank? Do you think Sam will think about it? What do you think Arden's reaction wil be?
VOTE, COMMENT AND FOLLOW :}