The Making of a Dark Gamma - Book 1

After a week with the Royal pack, Toni has been starting to relax and has found it enjoyable to be back in training, albeit, easier than she remembered in the Nightshade pack.

She’d never trained with so many before, nor in a big group, usually it was two or three selected opponents, she was learning a lot about different fighting styles and a little hopeful that maybe there was a chance she’d be staying here.

No longer needing to be coy about who she is, she feels a cautious optimism that they haven’t immediately contacted the Nightshades pack so that hurdle has been cleared, but feeling no need to hide her past is almost liberating.

Honestly, she’s trying to not get her hopes up about staying, she won’t truly relax until she’s asked to take the blood oath, until then, she’s focussing on keeping to herself as a technical visitor to the pack, she misses James so much and doesn’t want to feel the pain of losing a friendship once again.

During her fight training, she remembered to throw a few fights, needing to look beatable, for no other reason than, to make friends in the future, if you appear to be better than everyone, then you distance yourself from people.

That’s a lesson James had taught her and if she stays here, she’d like to think about making a friend or two, being a normal teenager, or even, just learning what that means are all looking like real possibilities

Yesterday, Alek took her around a perimeter, asking if she’d memorised the boundary, when she confirmed she had, permission was given for her to run alone in that area.

This simple freedom has cheered Toni and Tyra up completely, all she thinks is thank god, Tyra was getting bent out of shape running once every few days; she felt the need to run unfettered and, in the Deadfalls pack she’d been sneaking out daily each evening to run.

Granted she has to sign in and out of the pack house and wear an elasticated band that seems to carry the scent of the pack, but being able to just wolf out at will, is going to be a treat, able to track, hunt and run is something she’s looking forward to, well technically Tyra is looking forward to.

It’s felt way too long since she had any freedom from others and in reality, it’s only really been a little over a week, even after a year in the Deadfalls pack and making a friend, Tyra and Toni are still, fundamentally loners.

Monday to Friday she’s been in their school system, keeping herself to herself in the lessons unless they have to have a partner, each day after school, there’s compulsory training for self-defence.

Although mostly she’s in the full fighting training, here she is, four pm out on the field in shorts and a sports top for training.

She never knows what group she’ll be put with, there are a few others like her that don’t yet have a fixed group to train with, so they all meet in the middle of the field and wait for a Delta, to come and give them directions.

Today, she’s walking with Delta Alek to the group that is training in wolf form, all eighteen to twenty-year-olds and Tyra is howling happily in her head.

“Right, you lot, listen up.

Toni is going to be joining you today, but she’s a lot younger than you, so for the first ten minutes she will watch only, she’s not yet had a chance to train in wolf form at all, but you will treat her like any other wolf in this class, no allowances given for her age.”

Not a single face looks down on the fact she’s being brought into the group, there’s a curiosity in their faces, at a guess because of her age, but that’s it, acceptance, it’s an odd feeling to have when you’ve lived most of your life as an outsider.

“Stand here pup, observe, and don’t get in the way”

Alek tells her, she gives him the side eye, she’ll show him just how much of a pup she isn’t, although she’s getting used to the term from Alek, seeing it as more of a nickname than an insult.

Living on the same floor in one of their private bedrooms, rather than centrally on the lower floors, means she’s got a lot closer, mainly to his mate Mattie, but she’s relaxed around them, letting them get closer, she’s almost seeing Mattie as an older sister.

He also won’t talk to her about their plans for her, but as each day passes, she’s more hopeful that she will be staying.

But today, rather than ask yet again, she stands and watches as the group shift into their wolves, there’s a few larger wolves than Tyra, but mostly they are more muscled and she’s been taught to compensate for that, at least in human form.

To start they are working on avoiding attacks.

“Beta”

She bows her head respectfully as he walks up.

Now, while if you play the pack pup that’s all they see, that’s not the only reason she’s respectful, she’s enjoying being herself here, so her wolf is more than happy to be respectful.

She can resist a little but probably not fully based on the effect it had on her wolf, she knows if he threw out his full force of command, it would probably be automatic, but then, she has no reason not to obey it, so no point trying to fight it.

Plus, she doesn’t want to cause any issues in this pack, in truth she would be happy to stay here.

Delta Alek nods at his Beta while keeping his eyes on the group.

“What’s your wolf's name, Toni,” Beta Dan asks

“Tyra”

Dan nods not answering, giving the Delta a knowing look and a slight nod.

“Bring her out, time to see how well you’ve been watching.”

Delta Alek states, eyes never leaving the wolves in front of him.

“Frank, I want you working with Tyra here, Star join Arti and Chase and do the same exercise but with two attackers.

The aim is to avoid attacks and not to injure, so you are trying to flip each other, barrel into them no tearing, scratching or biting understand?”

“Yes Delta”

Toni nods her understanding, before stripping and shifting into her wolf, Dan looks at the size and build of the wolf in front of him, he can see what Alek meant about her wolf being big.

Tyra is asking to take full control, but she’s a bloodthirsty wolf, so Toni keeps some control initially, Tyra makes all the decisions, and Toni is only there to add control, just to be sure she doesn’t get hot-headed.

Watching Frank deciding to pounce, Tyra is grinning, she moves forward fluidly, as he leaps, and she ducks down, almost submissive, pushing her shoulders up violently, catching him underneath his stomach, she flips him onto his back, before jumping astride him snarling.

He bares his neck and Tyra stands down, without any question, Toni can feel how happy she is, it makes her smile, mouth open tongue out, her joy and pride makes her want to yip, but Toni holds that in check, no gloating she reminds Tyra.

After two more attacks, Alek swaps her opponent for Arti and the dance continues, best out of three, before partners are swapped, this carries on for forty minutes until she is stood against Max, who has trounced her twice quickly.

“Ok, apart from Tyra, Arti, Max and Apollo, the rest of you can shift and are dismissed for the day, good work all.”

Tyra, I want you to watch Max and Apollo fight, and see what a training bite is, in this stage, you are looking for a submission, but no need to draw blood beyond a scratch, this isn’t an adult warrior session ok?

All four wolves nod their understanding.

Max and Apollo fight for about five minutes before Max gains the upper hand with a submission, as Arti and Tyra step forward, Delta Alek gives the final words of encouragement.

“Remember submission is not you failing, or a sign of weakness.

It’s a learning experience, every fight is there to give you experience and grow from.

No shame in losing unless you fail to learn from it.”

He nodded his approval for them to start, it took Tyra six minutes to pin Arti, making Alek chuckle as she laid a long lick across Arti’s neck rather than using her jaws to signify a throat hold, gaining Arti’s submission and a lick back.

Max and Arti fought next, the conclusion was obvious as far as Alek was concerned, she’d done well using her speed against him, but she’d only had her wolf six months and was the weakest opponent he’d picked for Tyra.

He gives her plenty of positives from her fights and a few points to work on from the two fights, next up were Apollo and Tyra

Eight minutes later Apollo had fallen to Tyra, it was a harder fight for them both, but the Beta and Delta shared a look, Apollo was in the middle of the group, heading towards warrior status, but had a good eighteen months of training behind him.

“Good fight both of you.

Tyra, you have a break before your next fight.

Apollo, when fighting someone more agile, always be prepared for them to spin and twist around, you need to plan to dominate the area, give them less space if you can, but always protect your neck.

To control the fight, try and keep them closer, distance is their friend.

Tyra here is exceptionally nippy, the spins she did in your fight would probably catch out fully-fledged warriors, so don’t feel bad.”

Delta Alek calls out, but Toni can feel Tyra puffing up from the compliment.

Apollo beats Arti in the next fight after six minutes, leaving just Max and Tyra to fight it out, while Apollo and Arti have been dismissed, they’ve shifted and decided to watch the last fight, between Max and Tyra.

Max is almost too confident going into the fight, becoming the aggressor.

He lunges at her, aiming to roll her, going for a quick pin.

Tyra spins on her haunches, getting a small, insignificant bite on his rump earning an indignant yelp from Max for her efforts.

Swinging his head, snapping at her back legs, she kicks back, her paw connecting to with the face of Max, but claws in.

Tyra is grinning.

He pitches forward, and using his bulk he catches her haunches, legs going from under her, scrabbling she regains her feet, throwing herself forward, she comes in from the side, head under his elbow, lifting him slightly, he spins away before she can ground him.

They circle each other, drool dripping from their mouths, both the Beta and Delta watching like a hawk ready to command them to stand down, they appear more evenly matched than expected.

Tyra launches at Max, who meets her in the air, shoulders clashing, teeth snapping, Tyra, lighter than Max is pushed to the floor once more, Max pounces to pin, Tyra rolls, and Max gets his mouth on her tail with a small tug before releasing it.

For five more minutes they brawl back and forth and just as Delta Alek is about to call it, Tyra lunges forward throwing her weight into the fight, Max dodges away, she stumbles unbalanced, Max standing over her, paws on either side of her body, teeth lightly holding her neck, she relaxes, bares her neck, knowing she was beaten.

Hearing clapping she looks round, fifteen or so wolves had gathered around to watch the fight.

Delta Alek steps forward

“Good fight you two.

Tyra, you let yourself commit too much into your final lunge, Max hadn’t been dodging much, so you assumed he wouldn’t, yet he did with Apollo, but that led you to throw your body weight into it, causing you to stumble, but with no training, that was impressive.

Max well done for reading the fight, but against a trained opponent, your first move could have lost you the fight, don’t let inexperience lead you to open with a dangerous move.

Max you are dismissed, Tyra to me, I need to check for injuries, since you were fighting adults.”

Tyra yips happily, loping to Delta Alek, enjoying the chance she had to try fighting in wolf form, mouth open, tongue lolling she places herself in front of the Delta, who runs his hands over her body, beyond the odd scratch she’s unhurt.

By the time he’s finished looking for any strain or cut, Tyra is bouncing, she’s hyped and wants to run, but Toni shifts for now and throws her clothes on, the rest of the class already heading back to their houses.

“Delta Alek, I know I’m supposed to sign out when going for a run, but my wolf wants out, needing to run now, I have my band, may I go from here?”

“Yes, but come see me once you are in the pack house to ‘sign in’ even if I am not on my floor”

He starts to walk away to the Beta.

“Thank you and am I allowed to hunt?” she asks

“Hunt what?” he stops turning to her watching her carefully

“Deer, I smelled their scent when you showed me the perimeter”

There’s the briefest glimpse of surprise in his eyes before he hides it.

“Deer...solo?

Well, we don’t waste the kills, if you want to eat, you need to catch something smaller, or bring it back for the pack to eat.”

He’s looking at her curiously, deer aren’t a solo kill in wolf form, not unless it’s an old deer or the wolf is desperate, they are fast and agile, and herding, splitting and hunting as a pack works so much better, bringing them down as a team.

Hanging onto their belly and back legs, before the lead wolf takes them by the neck, is the usual way, a single wolf will struggle, they can be gored by antlers or trampled easily, but he humours the pup and her dream of hunting them solo, he doubts she’ll get that close plus she has trackers to help her, if she gets into trouble, better she learns her way.