2566 words
"Alright, guys," I clap my hands to get their attention. They stop their arguing and six pairs of eyes turn to me begrudgingly. I swallow my fear and wipe my sweaty hands on my shorts. "You could keep talking all day, getting nowhere. Or, you could follow me and we could check out—"
"Oh, just be quiet," one of the guys throws at me. "You've never done this before so just keep your thoughts to yourself. We know what we're doing."
"Clearly," I mutter under my breath, tilting my head in annoyance while I watch them walk in circles at the edge of the lake. They still think the scent goes somewhere, but I can feel it tugging me back down the path, the way we came, deeper into the forest.
"Fine," I put my hands on my hips. One girl spares me a glance, but the rest have gone back to ignoring me. "I honestly don't care if you follow me or not, or even if you find the flashlight or an alligator out there in the stupid lake. But I'm heading back." I turn on my heel and start marching away, but Hendrik's stern voice stops me.
"No splitting up. Rules of the expedition. We make decisions as a team."
I rub the bridge of my nose, getting really impatient with the arrogant wolves by the lake, who have now begun pushing each other as their bickering heightens. "Yeah? Tell that to them," I wave my hand and finally get all their attention. With a very pointed look at Hendrik, I straighten my shoulders and once more head back down the path, stepping daintily over a boulder, all the while feeling their heated gazes on my back. This defiance of the rules could either get me in big trouble, or gain some credence at taking initiative and leadership. Honestly, I don't know what Hendrik is trying to teach us through this particular exercise.
I count ten beats of my heart, then I hear rustling and twigs cracking behind me. Without having to look back, I sense all of them starting to follow me.
I smile to myself.
Score one for the future Alpha Female of this pack.
It's not long until we reach the fork in the path, and this time I take the turn where I can smell the scent the strongest. I am still leading them, tracking the scent and watching for other clues, footprints, anything to validate I'm on the right path.
I am so closely watching the ground that I don't look up until I walk straight into a tree. I stifle a gasp and rub my sore forehead. Someone snickers behind me, but I refuse to give them any satisfaction of seeing me hurt. Brushing it off, I walk around the tree, puzzled. It is a very tall sequoia, with low hanging branches nearly all the way to the ground. I retrace my steps, finding the scent draped all around yet leading nowhere, as if this is the end of the line.
Maybe it is.
I look up, and nearly chuckle at the simplicity of it all.
"No way!?" One of the guys mutters a string of curses that make me cringe inside.
"And just how are we expected to get it when it's all the way up in a crazy tree?" a girl throws her hands in the air and nearly smacks Hendrik in the face.
"That is entirely up to you," he smirks in my direction, and I get the feeling he is enjoying this very much. Casually sitting down on a fallen trunk, he settles in comfortably to watch the show.
I was hoping for a little more recognition of my good tracking skills, but the others still act like I'm a drag on the team. They talk together, swapping ideas on how to get the flashlight which is tied a good thirty feet high on a branch.
"How about someone just climb the tree?" I throw the idea out there when they begin searching for long sticks and lashing them together in a rather haphazard fashion. If I was stranded on an island with these clueless people, I would certainly not survive.
"Have you seen how high it is? Who on earth would be able to climb up there?" one of the girls shakes her head like I just proposed we build a rocket to the moon.
"I can climb trees," I mumble and begin to reach for the first branch.
"Wait!" Hendrik leaps up and I stifle a sigh of frustration. What does he want now? Is it his job to sabotage our expedition? "Not without ropes, you can't climb it."
"Ropes? For what? It's just a tree—"
"For safety. The Alpha's rules. He didn't want anyone getting hurt."
I can't argue with that, so I dig in the backpack and pull out a rope and the carabiners. Thankfully, one of the guys helps me in anchoring the rope to a sturdy branch and looping it together. Once I've strapped it around my waist, I leap up to the first branch and pull myself up. I waste no time in climbing to the flashlight and untying it, then dropping it down to the others who stash it in the backpack.
When I reach the ground again I unfold the other item I found in the tree. "Coordinates. I'll hand this step of the expedition to you," I tell them and give them the map. They take it and hastily start plotting our position relative to the end point, their shoulders once more turned to exclude me.
I wasn't sure what I was expecting. Maybe a thanks for getting the flashlight? Maybe a 'Hey, we were wrong. Thanks for leading us down the right track.' But I cover the slight disappointment, and pray that these mangoheads actually know what they're doing with the map and are taking us in the right direction. I pick up my bag, noticing how heavy it now is with the addition of the flashlight.
We seem to be orienteering correctly, as Hendrik makes no comment when we begin ascending a ridge. Soon the trees thin out, and the shrubs and ferns grow thicker and bushy under the increased sunlight. The path opens up to a rocky outcropping, and we see two other teams milling about around the place.
"Yes! Alright!" My team collectively cheers and the guys race up the rest of the ridge, throwing themselves over the edge.
"What on earth?!" I gasp and run up to see why they just jumped off a cliff to their presumed death. My heart slams in my chest as terror invades my senses with adrenaline, but I feel a massive relief when I reach the edge of the rocks and look down.
About sixty feet below is the sparkling blue water of a rock pool, the depths a sapphire hue. I see the two young guys swimming to the edge before climbing out and back up the hill.
Their excited whoops of enjoyment reach me from the top of the cliff, and are soon joined by more laughter as a few others jump off beside me. Clearly they've done this many times before.
"Alright, let's gather around and see who won."
Beta Hamilton's baritone voice calls all the young wolves to order. I sit on a boulder and dump the heavy bag beside me. My shoulders and back are aching from carrying it for so long.
"Baxter, captain of Team Gamma, you arrived here last in a time of two hours, forty-three minutes. What's your report?" He asks a blond haired, blue eyed man with serpentine tattoos crawling up both muscular arms.
"We found the pair of shoes alright, in only half an hour." One of his team members holds the shoes high like a trophy. "But then my team got a bit lost with the coordinates, down by the east valley. But we made it here eventually," he finishes off, looking with disappointment at his moping team.
"And Noah of Team Epsilon, you made it in one hour, fifty-six."
Another young trainer with a shock of black hair that stands at all angles leaps off a boulder and puffs out his chest. "We had no problems. My team worked like a well-oiled machine."
"Glad to hear it. Hendrik? Team Delta completed the trek in two hours, ten."
My throat goes dry now that it's our captain's turn to report. What will Hendrik say about our team? Will I get in trouble? Made an example of for my disobedience to the rules?
"We've discovered a very good tracker amongst us," Hendrik looks over us with calculating eyes, hands on hips in an authoritative manner. "Without her, I don't think the rest would have found the flashlight. Go on, Ariella, show us what you got."
I'm dumbfounded at his praise for me, and reach into the bag to hold up the flashlight.
"She even volunteered to get it from up in the tree," Hendrik gives me a subtle smile, one that leaves me thoroughly confused.
A few titters and giggles reach my ears, and I realise it's not cool to climb trees.
I honestly couldn't care less.
As I replace the flashlight in the bag, I see a few rocks down in the bottom. Why on earth—?!
Realisation floods me but I want to dismiss the thought straight away. Would my teammates really be cruel like this and weigh down the bag I was carrying? Instead of thanking me, they play a joke on me like this? Reminding myself to stay calm, I lift one up.
"Oh, look at this. I guess someone knew I've taken up weight training. Thanks. Now I've had an even better workout this afternoon." I toss the rocks casually into the bush and pretend to ignore the snickers of the girls in my group. Hendrik drills them with a dark stare that instantly shuts them up.
"When we are done here, we're going to have a little talk. Understood?" he tells them in a low voice, bordering on a growl.
I can't help a small smile of satisfaction at the way their faces go pale.
"Alright. Harlow of Team Beta," Hamilton calls out, drawing attention back to himself. "Your team won in a time of one hour twenty."
"Of course we did. Coz I'm the best leader. I can lead anybody, and accomplish any task," Harlow flicks her long blonde ponytail over her shoulder, her other hand on her hip in a commanding pose. Her hazel eyes meet mine for a brief stare, then she winks at me.
It's like a physical punch in the chest, this subtle message she just gave to me.
But I don't want to believe she intended it that way. She's just confident because her team won.
"Okay then. Well done everyone on completing the expedition. I expect a full analysis from the team captains on my desk by tomorrow. Your individual scores will be tallied at the end of the month, and ranks assigned from there. Dismissed," the Beta calls out, and no sooner has he finished speaking then the young wolves begin jumping of the cliff again, enjoying themselves after a hard trek.
"So, Ariella. Your mate..." Hendrik turns to me with his dark brown eyes searching, playful. "He's not here?"
"He had work to do," I dismiss it, not wanting to get into details about Malachi being my mate. I have no idea how it would affect this uneasy balance of respect between us.
"Too bad. He doesn't know what a beautiful afternoon he's missing out on," he gives me a clever smile, and I briefly wonder if he finds more than just the afternoon beautiful.
"Yeah, well...." I look at the trees, the ferns, the boulders; anything but Hendrik's intense gaze. "We spent a nice morning together."
"I'm sure you did," he nods. "Anyways. Good job, new girl," he picks up the bag and moves away, but not before clasping my shoulder and giving me a wink.
I barely have time to process this before Harlow is calling for me.
"Ari, darling, come jump into the water hole with us! It's absolutely beautiful!" she waves me over to the edge. I see everyone is enjoying this unusually warm day for so late in the autumnal season. I glance down at the drop, and suppress a shudder.
"Thanks, but I don't—"
"Why? You scared?" Her friends flank her, and I internally cringe at the cattiness in their eyes.
"No, I'm not—"
"Of course Ariella isn't scared. She is, after all, the daughter of a Beta. Betas aren't afraid of anything, as proven by her leadership skills this afternoon."
I whirl at the sound of Hamilton. He gives me a small smile before looking back at the girls. They slightly cower under his powerful presence, but they flick surprised eyes to me, curious that I could be ranked so highly. I don't bother to correct the technicality, but give Hamilton a somewhat grateful smile.
But Harlow is still smirking. "Alright then. Let's all jump together. On the count of three," she takes my hand before I can protest.
We all jump, and I suck in a lungful of air and close my eyes, waiting for the shock of cold water. I feel weightless for a few seconds, the lightheaded feeling making my already fluttering stomach even more giddy.
Then it ends.
The cool water hits me and rushes up my body, but I manage to hold my shirt down instead of it being pushed right off over my head.
It takes a moment to surface, and I kick my legs as hard as I can and sweep my arms up and down in a frog-like motion.
"That was super! Not so bad, was it now?" Harlow asks, her blonde hair plastered back on her skull and her face shining with cheerful radiance. Her features are truly beautiful, with the sunlight glinting off the water droplets and smooth planes of her face. I can easily imagine the number of males wanting to be her mate.
"Sure, it was fun," I agree. It honestly wasn't so bad, and as I look back up to the top, it surprises me how close it really is. It looks much higher from up there.
"Let's do it again."
We all follow Harlow out, and clamber up the steep hill beside the cliff. Small clumps of grass and ferns are our handholds, and the breeze dries the water on my skin, leaving me chilled.
When we near the edge again, the other girls jump off without hesitation, leaving me to jump in my own time. I pause on the edge, taking in the beautiful view from up here. I can see a valley to the south, where my pack border is. And the mountains to the north rise tall and proud, as if protecting the pack from the icy winter breath that sweeps down the northern altitudes. The treetops are glazed with the golden glow of the setting sun, and I take a deep breath of the pure fresh air.
Laughter surrounds me as a group of young guys come nearer. They are goofing off, pushing each other playfully.
They bump into me, unexpectedly, unseeing—
I am falling.
Falling, with a scream expelling my lungs of air.
Did I tell you all that I got a cat last weekend? He's the cutest little kitten!!
He sleeps all day and parties all night 😂😂
I've taken so many photos of him and love making memes 😏
So what did you think of this chapter? Exciting? Annoying? Is the story predictable so far, or full of twists and turns you never saw coming?
Thanks a bunch for reading 🥰🥰