I tried my best to concentrate on the conversations that are happening around the table. It sounds like Ava and Brett have a good start on the warriors moving to the ranked street. She seems to be enjoying having something to focus on. She doesn''t engage as much as she used to as the pack''s Luna, but I don''t know if that is from the loss of Lucas or because the guys and I have taken the titles or abination of both. It''s good to see her smile and engage with the other former leaders. I should sit down and talk with her like I do with Elena and Gentry, because this pack is going to be aplete circus when everyone gets back. It''s been months that they''ve been in the Alpha King''s pack. I''m just d that we were able to get the innocents out before anything big happened. But, maybe that was by design. Maybe Adrielle and the Rogue King let us get them out since their focus was on me.


    I can hear Nathaniel talking about theputers and surveince, but I can''t concentrate. Ever since I found out we were in the tornado for almost a month I have been antsy. I need to move, to train, to physically work myself over. And I want to do that with my team and my guys.


    "Okay, can we go please?!" I blurt, looking at Cam. I have a feeling he''s going to be my hardest sell on most things. I can feel his frustrations, both over being thrown into leadership and over the mate bond not beingplete, but I feel like I can''t even focus right now, like I am trying to shed a skin that no longer fits. I don''t know what it is.


    "Someone''s in a hurry." Dakota looks at me with an eyebrow raised.


    "Yeah, to kick your ass." I wink back.


    "Oh, it''s on, Smalls." He jumps from his chair so fast, but I''m faster.


    Soon we are all running out of the house, like the kids we are supposed to be, and headed toward the


    smaller of the three arenas. I can


    hear all of my friendsughing


    behind me as we make our walCopyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    I try to memorize the sound. d. know that something ising, my wolf and I can feel it in the ground and smell it on the breeze. We are not out of this yet and I hope we all


    survive to tell the tale.


    No one hesitates when we get inside the arena. We all immediately pair off and start doing basic arm drills to warm up. Everyone isughing and enjoying themselves. I will have to remember that this is something our whole team enjoys as a downtime thing. I know the deeper we get into this thing with the Rogue King the less we will have of this preciousmodity.


    We move into leg work and sweeps turn into who has the best reaction time, which then turns into ''who''s the fastest and every contest of strength and speed we can think of. I have no idea how long we are out here, but I do know that I have gone up against everyone at least once and I have raced Sam three times just from one end of the arena to the other. Naturally I won, and just as naturally he thinks I am using my hidden Alpha genes and magic against him.


    My brother being the egotistical Beta and big brother, challenges me to see if my abilities have changed since being marked. Cam was quick to point out that I could take him down before any extra abilities so it''s not going to be that hard, but my brother doesn''t back down.


    We start to circle each other and I can see he is favoring his left side. I''m not sure what that''s all about, but I don''t want to hurt him either. That doesn''t mean I''m going to let him win, but I should probably spot injuries sooner than this. Something my wolf agrees with me. Part of our job as one of the Alphas is to make sure our pack members are safe, even our warriors who are on the battlefield. If I can save their lives, by removing them from the situation, that''s'' exactly what I am going to do.