The Transfer

When we left the campsite, there was two hours until mid day. Alfie told me that since I'd be one of the first ones to take down a bear, that I'd probably struggle the most. Apparently the bears around the area were easier to take down once they'd eaten and then laid down to relax in the sun.

But I wasn't nervous. I wasn't scared.

I was thriving with so much energy that I was sure this killing this bear would be like playing a game to my beast.

She was giddy with excitement and bouncing off the walls inside my mind. I was beyond excited too. My stomach occasionally rumbled in an attempt to remind myself that I was hungry. I was sure that after eating my bear, I wouldn't be hungry for a while.

We ran through the trees. No one wanted to use all their energy before they hunted, so we didn't run fast. I wanted to sprint ahead and burst through the trees. I wanted to declare my excitement to everyone and the entire world

But I knew that I had to contain my excitement and save my energy for when I needed it.

When we came to the river that we were going to be looking for bears at, I noticed that there was in fact one a little further down. That one would be Veronica's kill

"Everyone, make room. We don't want to scare away the bear that we can see up here. Back off from Veronica until she's done. We'll only step in the moment she needs the help,” Liam ordered the group.

We all parted from Veronica, leaving her and two other girls that she was going to share this kill with. I licked my lips in anticipation.

My beast wanted to laugh. How could we be intimidated by a female who couldn't even take down her own bear? It was funny. She wasn't worthy for our male.

As much as she wanted to think she was good enough for him, my beast and I both knew she wasn't. Her mate would be at her level when she finally met him.

We walked on our tip toes up the river. We all stuck to the trees whilst Veronica and her friends crept out, keeping hidden enough so that the bear wouldn't see them coming.

"When you see the next bear, if it's too big, you'll let someone else take it down," Liam said as he came up beside me. I looked at him and frowned.

What? Was he serious? No way!

I growled at him lowly, a warning.

"Don't growl at me. I'm being serious. You aren't going to try to take down a bear that's easily able to overpower you. It's your first bear. You shouldn't bite off more than you can chew.”

I growled again and he growled back. I stopped walking, as did he. Everyone else continued walking, Lila awkwardly glancing at me as she continued past.

Did Liam really think I couldn't take down a bear? Was he actually worried or was he thinking that I wasn't strong enough to do it on my own?

I was getting angry, my blood boiling. The hunt was supposed to be my first impression. As a new member of the pack, I had to make sure that everyone knew I wasn't a damn pushover.

"I'll take down the first bear I see, whether it's big or small," I told him sternly. Liam tensed and stood taller. I didn’t back down from him.

I could tell that Liam was the type of guy to get over protective and then get angry about it. Lila told me that he was a good guy, but he had been through so much in his life that it made him worry a lot.

I believed her. I understood what Liam had been through. I had lost my mother just as he had lost both his parents. But I wasn't going to let him tell me to back down.

"Please don't argue with me. I know what's best,” Liam replied. I shook my head at him and bit back another growl. I didn't really want to get into an argument with him.

Would this be our first fight?

Damnit. Damnit.

"Do you really think I'm so weak that I can't take down my own bear?" I asked him. Liam didn't reply, and I took that as a yes. I stared at him, my feelings hurt.

I don't know why it meant so much to me. Why did it hurt so bad that Liam didn't believe I couldn't do this on my own?

My beast was bitter. She knew that she hadn't grown up as strong as other Alpha children did. She knew that she was still learning things that her and I both should've learnt a long time ago. But it didn't make us any less strong in our hearts.

Our will to push on was the strongest thing about us.

I turned and walked away from him. Veronica and her friends had already killed their bear whilst Liam and I were arguing. They were surprisingly quick. It would be my turn once we found another bear.

At least I had all these emotions to take out of the bear now.

I didn't feel any better as I walked up to Lila. I felt like crap now. I felt stupid for believing that Liam would think of me as a strong wolf who could take down her own damn bear.

"Don’t worry about him. You'll take down your own bear all by yourself and he'll realise he was wrong," Lila nudged my cheek with her nose and I stood next to her. I nodded my head at her, not feeling so sure.

The bond twisted. It burned, but it wasn't a good fire this time. It hurt now. Was it because I was upset with Liam? Was he mad at me?

"Veronica wants to skin her stupid bear so we have some time to wait for yours to show up," Kade told me as he trotted over. I nodded my head at him and sat, enjoying the warm sun beating down on my back.

"Your kill will be the kill of the day, Ali. I promise,” Lila said as she nudged me again. I felt better with her praise but not much better.

When I looked back, Liam was sitting with his head hung slightly whilst we was with his brothers and Quo. They all probably already knew.

I watched Ezra help Veronica skin her bear which was mostly eaten. Veronica and her friends sat back and didn't bother to help Ezra at all. It made me angry. She thought of herself like a literal princess.

From what Lila told me too, she ordered everyone around like slaves.

Veronica made my blood boil.

A while later, we spotted another bear up the river. I felt myself grow giddy and even a little nervous. This was my time to shine. Time to show Liam and everyone else that I can in fact handle myself. I wasn't just the transfer girl. I was an Alpha female who was strong.

Everyone parted as I stalked closer to the end of the trees. The bear had just finished taking a long drink from the water and was sat against the river bank, scratching its back.

The bear was a male. He wasn't a huge bear, but he was bigger than me. Muscles rippled under his fur and skin, and I could see every part of him that he'd use to take me down.

He looked a little fatter than the last bear we'd seen and I assumed that he was at the river to catch some fish to finish off stocking for the winter hibernation coming up.

The bear had a lot of scary scars littered across his body. This male must have had his fair share of fights.

He was about to meet his end.

I waited carefully and then struck out at the right time. I leaped from the trees and ran for the bear while he had his back to me. When he noticed me coming, he was too late to get up.

I slammed into him and swiped my claws at him. I raked them across his side and snapped my teeth. The bear threw me off before I could take a bite.

I landed on my feet, panting with adrenaline and desperation. I was so ready to take down the damn bear.

The male growled at me. He was already angry. He was worked up and disturbed.

My beast was thriving off his anger.

I ran at him. I slashed his leg with my teeth and narrowly avoided his claws to my side. I dodged out the way as he pounced for me.

He scratched my shoulder. I felt the stinging from the blood but I didn't even care. I was pissed at Liam for not believing me. I was angry at Veronica for being disgustingly snobby and rude. I was angry at how people underestimated me.

I was strong.

I was going to take my anger out on this bear and make sure that he knew who was boss.

The bear swiped at me again. I dodged and then lunged at him. I jumped high into the air on onto his back. I clawed hard and bit into his shoulder as I began to fall to the side of him.

The bear roared loud. It echoed through the trees and I made my beast even more giddy. I sat back and let my beast have this fight. She needed to have some control too.

She swiped at the bear as he knocked us off. She narrowly missed but didn't stop. The bear lunged at us this time. He knocked us over and clawed our back.

I heard a deep grow! from the trees behind me and I ignored it. My beast dodged out the way to avoid another set of claws to our back. She lunged at him and bit into his front leg, clamping our jaw down hard. The bear roared out again and clawed the back of our neck this time.

My beast channeled our strength into pushing so hard that the bear toppled over. He tried to get up, but he was too slow. My beast slashed open his belly and bit hard into his fat.

She pulled away, taking a chunk of his flesh with us. The bear roared but got up. We gave him a moment and then stared him down as he growled at us. He wasn't going to win this fight and I was sure that he knew it.

His time was up.

My beast powered forward. We faked a left and dodged right as the bear swiped. She bit hard into his back leg. We felt the skin, the fat, and then the bone. We crunched down harder and the bear groaned loudly in pain.

He swung around and knocked us to the ground again. He clawed our leg, and I hissed in pain. It hurt, and it stung badly. I would get him back for that.

I thought about how weak I had felt before I came to Takiani. I wasn't strong. I was barely an Alpha. But now, I was so much stronger and I was ready for people to start seeing that I wasn't just a transfer or the girl from Terialta. Killing this bear was one big step for me.

My beast kicked the bear away and then jumped up again. She was getting bored now. We needed to end this. My beast pulled me forwards so we could do this together. It was a joint effort.

We jumped at the bear and got our claws on his shoulder. We knocked him to the ground and clamped our teeth around his neck.

His blood filled my mouth. It was sweet and warm. I loved it. I craved more.

We kept biting hard into his neck. He clawed and clawed at our back. It was hurting badly and probably bleeding worse, but it was worth it.

We bit down until we felt the bone and then but harder. The bear struggled and squirmed until finally felt him go weak and then completely limp.

My beast yipped as we pull away. He was dead.

I nodded my head subtly in respect to the male. He was a good fight. He didn't let me get away without a few scratches. I respected that.

But not enough to not eat him. I looked back into the trees as Ezra came out and bounded over.

I made an arrangement with him that he'd drink the blood of the bear and then I'd eat the rest. Ezra hadn't had any blood in a few days and I thought I'd be generous and kill something for him.

We was more than grateful.

"Good job, princess. I filmed the whole thing," Ezra said with a cheeky wink. I rolled my eyes and let him drink from the bear.

Once Ezra's belly was full, he pulled away and I ripped into the bear. I ate everything that my tongue came across. I was starving and I was so damn happy that I had just taken down my very own bear. My brothers would be proud when I told them.

After I'd finished with my bear, Ezra motioned for me to go wash my face in the water. I nodded and quick trotted over. The water was cold and refreshing on my hot face.

I felt like I had just accomplished something huge. I wanted to prance around the bear and make everyone look at what I had just done all on my own. My mind was wild with thoughts and I could barely contain my excitement as I walked back over to the group with Ezra by my side.

I looked straight to Liam. He wouldn't meet my eyes as I passed him and I know that he now knew he was wrong. But I wouldn't rub it in. I would wait for that apology that would turn everything sweet again.

"Let's continue on. We've got a long day ahead," Liam said before he passed everyone and continued running down the river.