Scarred

RAINE

Eleven long hours later, we finally arrive in Italy. The jet lag is crazy. It’s 9:30 in the evening, and all I want is a long, hot shower and a bed.

I can tell True is exhausted too, but her eyes are wide, and her smile is contagious. “Raine, look at this place,” she says excitedly. “It is amazing. The weather is different too.”

I smile at her, then scan the crowd outside the terminal for our ride. After a moment, my eyes land on an older gentleman—probably late thirties or early forties. He’s standing next to a black SUV with a sign saying “Bennett’s Two.”

As I walk over, I give him a genuine smile. “Hello, my name is Raine, and this is True.”

“Hello ladies, my name is Ron, and I will be your driver this evening.”

Ron takes our bags and throws them into the trunk, then opens the rear door for us. “Here you go, ladies.”

Such a gentleman. And I am loving the Italian accent.

“Well, ladies, we have about an hour’s drive back to the pack house. I figured the airplane food would not suffice, so I took the liberty to stop and get you a few pizzas. Trust me, they are nothing like those in America; they are better. I also got a few sodas and a bottle of red wine. I went with my wife’s preferences, so hopefully you approve.”

True smiles, and I laugh.

“That was very thoughtful, Ron,” I say. “Thank you. I must say your wife is one lucky lady to have such a gentleman for a husband.”

He chuckles. “My wife is the one who turned me into such a gentleman. I was a wild one back in my day, but she toned me down and made me the man I am.”

I smile. Just by the way Ron talks, I can tell how much he loves his wife.

“Listen to me blabber on like an old fool,” he says. “How about you ladies—anyone special?”

True replies, “No, sir. I’m waiting for the one who can handle my Latina fire.”

We all share a laugh. From the time I spent training True, I know she’s right about that Latina fire.

“And you, Ms. Raine?”

“No, Ron. No one special here, and I’m not looking. I have other things to focus on.”

I turn and look out the window to regain my composure.

“Don’t mind my intrusion,” Ron begins, “but do not close yourself off to love. We are men, not animals. We are not all the same.

“Love can make you feel so many things but, most of all, happiness. If someone can bring the light out during your darkest day, that’s worth finding.”

I smile and take a sip of red wine before digging into the pizza.

As we drive to the pack house, True and I look out the windows. Italy is just beautiful. If it’s this beautiful at night, then I can’t wait to see it in the light.

Ron interrupts my reverie. “I hope you do not mind,” he starts. “I am going to turn on a bit of music.”

I smile again. Music has always been an outlet for me.

He turns on Tom Jones’s classic “She’s a Lady,” and I giggle. Ron begins singing along, and by the first chorus, True and I are moving a bit to the beat and singing along with him.

Not long after, a giant house comes into view. It’s so elegant that it looks like a castle, and I’m in awe. I swear it could’ve been plucked right out of a fairy tale.

True wastes no time exiting the SUV. Turning back briefly, she beams at me and says, “Raine, come on.”

I climb out behind her. Ron assists us with our bags again, saying, “Ladies, the alpha is busy at this time, but he has asked me to escort you to your rooms for the evening.”

We nod and begin following Ron, but I have the weird feeling we’re being watched. I stop and turn toward the forest line. I feel like there’s something out there, but I see nothing. Wary, I follow the others into the house.

A minute later, Ron stops in front of a door. “This is one room and the other across the hall is open as well.”

“Thank you, Ron,” I say. “We appreciate it. Tell your lovely wife we said hello.”

He smiles and takes his leave.

“Raine, can you believe this pack house? You could fit three of ours in here. There’s even another floor above us!”

She’s right. This place could be in a magazine.

“Yes, it’s biggest place I have seen. Which room would you like?”

True looks back and forth between the doors. “That one,” she says, pointing. “At least we are close together since neither of us know anyone.”

I nod and wave before entering my room.

The expansive room is just as gorgeous as the rest of the house. The white walls are textured, and a huge chandelier hangs in the middle of the room over a giant bed. I feel like a princess.

I put all my clothes away in the closet and dressers, then go into the equally elegant bathroom. After storing my necessities, I waste no time jumping in the huge shower. The hot water on my skin is relaxing, and I must spend an hour in there, just letting the water hit me.

Eventually, I put on a cotton bathrobe and wrap my hair in a towel. I then go to the balcony to look at the grounds I’ll be traversing for the next six months.

The air is warm, but a small breeze is blowing. I see that my room is the only one with a balcony, and I feel a bit privileged.

“Raine,” I hear True call from inside my room, “are you in here?”

“Yeah, out on the balcony.”

True appears a moment later, dressed in fresh clothes and smelling like her usual vanilla body wash. “Raine, I have a question about something that has been bothering me.”

I just stare at her.

“Before we left, the alpha approached me and gave me his cell number. He said when he calls to answer or text back. Why would he do that?”

That is odd.

“I do not know,” I reply carefully, “but when he does, let me know what he wants. But don’t tell him you talked to me.”

True nods. “By the way, nice room,” she says. “I am going to crash for the night. We have a big day tomorrow.”

I smile. “Good night, True.”

“Night, Raine.”

When she leaves, I close all the blinds. I sleep naked, so I want to make sure no one can see. I then drop my bathrobe and curl into the giant bed, feeling like I’m lying on a cloud floating in the sky.

***

In the morning, I am awakened by a knock at the door. I grab my bathrobe off the floor and wrap it around my body before answering.

“Hello, my name is Enzo,” the man says when I open the door. “I am the beta here at Blood Ridge Hollow. I wanted to introduce myself and let you know our training starts in an hour.”

“Thank you, Beta,” I respond. “My name is Raine. I will be there, thank you.”

He nods. “It’s just to the east of the pack house—you can’t miss it.” He then turns and leaves.

I walk back inside my room and decide to stick to my usual workout outfit: black bodysuit and camo pants. The pants are very comfortable, like a combination of jeans and sweats. I then throw on my Nike tennis shoes and go to the bathroom, where I brush my teeth and put my hair in a tight ponytail.

Once I’m ready, I walk into the hallway and find True waiting for me. She’s in her usual tank top, sweatpants, and black Nike shoes. She also wears a tight ponytail.

“Ready, Raine?” she asks.

I nod, and together, we walk outside to find the training grounds. We turn left, toward the east, and quickly spy the warriors. True looks eager to join them, but for me, training is just business as usual.

We walk over, and Beta Enzo greets us. “Hello, ladies.”

True blushes and shakes his hand in silence. I simply say, “Hello, Beta.”

Our presence does not go unnoticed for long. In response to the warriors’ stares, Beta Enzo calls out, “Everyone, listen up. This is Raine and True. They are from the Bennett pack in Colorado, in the US. They will be here six months and will show us their techniques and strategies, as we will do for them. Today, they will observe, and then we will go from there. Gamma, back to you.”

The beta then turns back toward us. “Sorry, ladies, only observing today. You can have a seat over there. Alpha’s orders.”

I roll my eyes when he leaves. “Come on, True. Let’s observe.”

We walk to a bench on the side of the training grounds and watch as the warriors begin. Their regimen feels like a bit too much to me. They’re only warming up, after all.

Then the warriors are paired up and begin working on offensive positions and techniques. I take note of a few things for when we train with them, and I know True is too.

After an hour, the beta comes over. “Hello ladies. How is everything so far?”

“Good,” I say, “though there are few things I’ve noticed.”

He nods, waiting for more information.

“You guys have a very strong routine, but not every warrior is the same. You need to pair them up with someone that challenges them. If you ever go into battle, the opposing side will not fight the way your pack does. You have to be ready for those different techniques as well.”

True chimes in, “You have to see each member’s weakness and work on it until it becomes a strength. We are only as good as our weakness.”

I smile in pride at my own little prodigy, but Beta Enzo just says, “I will let the alpha know of your findings.” Then he leaves us alone again.

Once the training is finished and the warriors exit the field, True and I go over to begin our own warmups and workouts for the day. We’re not just going to sit around for six months, though I have the feeling that’s what the beta expects.

A few minutes later, I hear, “What are you guys doing?” I turn to see Enzo once more.

“Working out. Is that a problem?” I ask.

He does not answer.

“We did not get to participate or do what we came here for,” True says. “We are not going to just sit on our asses. We are going to work out.”

Enzo looks taken back by her intensity, so I try to ease the tension. “Our job in this alliance is to teach our skills and learn yours, not sit on the sidelines and act like fangirls. I take my job very seriously. Observing can be a great thing to do, but you guys did not involve us in any way.

“Just because you are number one in the world does not mean you’re the best. It means your alpha has made his mark.”

I then turn on my heel and walk away. Sidelining us was clearly the alpha’s doing, but he has not even bothered to show himself.

***

Despite our obvious frustration, True and I are told to observe, not participate for the entire week. Having had enough, I turn to her during training and ask, “Want to go for a run?”

She smiles, fed up as well, and we take off. We run laps in the woods until we near the training grounds again and notice that the warriors have stopped training. They’re just watching us.

The gamma and beta both approach, but the gamma is the first to speak. “It was very disrespectful for you two to walk out on our training like that. You are on our pack grounds, not in your backyard. You will treat us with the respect we deserve.”

My blood boils. “Respect? Respect is earned, not handed out like candy on Halloween. Where is our respect? We were brought here as part of an alliance, yet all we’ve done is sit on a bench and in our rooms.

“I get it—you’re following the alpha’s orders, right? Well, tell your alpha to get over his ego. We are here for a job—a job that we do very well—but he wants to treat us like we know nothing.

“I did not get where I am because I have a pretty face, Gamma. So, if you ever shout in my face like that again, I will show you exactly how I became what I am. Are we clear?”

For a minute, we both just glare daggers at each other. The others are speechless. Then Beta Enzo says, “Everyone, calm down.”

Gamma snaps his head toward his beta. “No. She wants to talk the talk, then pay up.”

I smile. I’m not going to give them the satisfaction of me fighting him. “Pick your best fighter then, Gamma.”

He lets out a low growl. “Gio, get up here now.”

A well-built warrior rushes to the gamma’s side.

“True, would you do the honors?” I ask.

She smiles widely.

“What’s this?” the gamma demands.

“You chose your best fighter, and I choose mine.”

Beta Enzo glances at the tower of the pack house, then sighs. “All right. True versus Gio. Human form only. You win by knock out or submission. Are we clear?”

They both nod and move toward the middle of the training grounds. Everyone forms a giant circle around them, and then the beta shouts, “FIGHT!”