Alpha Gray: six-pack series book one Read online

  No. I can’t think about her like that.

  As hot as she is, she’s twice as frustrating. I’m still pissed at the stunt she pulled yesterday, talking back to me in front of the other recruits. I immediately realized that she’s definitely not my type. I pictured her being sweet and submissive, but that girl is all alpha female. Sure, she’s sexy as hell, but she’s also more trouble than she’s worth.

  Fallon lunges toward the guy across from her and just as he’s about to block her move, she catches him off guard by juking to the left. It throws him off balance just long enough for her to duck down and sweep his feet out from under him with a leg. For a second, I think he’s going to land on her, but she’s quick- she tucks and somersaults out of the way, springing back to her feet and balling her fists in front of her, bouncing.

  Atta girl.

  I have to admit, I’m impressed. As mouthy as she is, I assumed Fallon was the type that fought with her words instead of her fists.

  Apparently I’m wrong.

  Fallon’s partner groans, struggling to push himself up. It looks like the fall knocked the wind out of him and he takes a moment to gather himself before he charges at Fallon, fists cocked.

  Again, she’s too quick for him. She ducks out of the way at the last second and he nearly loses his balance and falls over. Her lips spread into a self-satisfied smirk as the guy turns back around to face her, now seething.

  I make my way closer to them.

  “Perhaps you need more of a challenge,” I suggest, looking to Fallon and cocking an eyebrow.

  She gets this adorable deer-in-the-headlights look, but quickly buries it takes a step backwards, settling her hands on her hips.

  “Oh yeah?” she asks. “You want some of this, sir?”

  Game. On.

  I shake my head. “Tsk, tsk. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to cop an attitude with me again.”

  “No sir,” she says, feigning innocence and putting her hands up in surrender.

  Her tone is still dripping with sarcasm. I can see right through her; she’s challenging my authority again. My temper flares and my wolf claws to the surface, but I shove him back.

  “Good girl,” I cluck, knowing full well that my patronizing tone will insult Fallon’s alpha nature. I know I’ve succeeded when her eyes flash silver, her wolf showing.

  I’m surprised how quickly she’s able to shove her wolf back down, and she doesn’t respond- she instead raises her fists and begins bouncing back and forth on the balls of her feet, ready to spar.

  My lips twitch into a half-smile as I position myself across from her, crouched slightly and ready to defend. She comes at me fast- faster than I expected- but I’ve got years of training on her. I duck out of the way and she skids past me.

  When she turns to face me again, I can see that she’s flustered, but focused.

  “Is that the best you’ve got?” I challenge, and she flies at me again, drawing back her fist to deliver a left hook.

  Again, I’m quicker. I maneuver out of the way at the last second, and in doing so, I catch her bicep with my hands. In one swift motion, I flip her body over and she lands on her back with a thud.

  I’m not worried about injuring her- shifters heal fast- but we still feel pain. She winces a little, but she looks more angry than hurt as she pulls herself back to her feet. I’m surprised when she puts her fists up and starts to bounce, ready to try again. This girl has even more fight in her than I’d thought.

  She comes at me again, and I use the same move to take her down to the ground for a second time. This time, the impact is harder- I bet it knocked the wind out of her. She lays there on the ground for a moment, panting.

  I stand over her, folding my arms across my chest. “Looks like you’ve still got a lot to learn, recruit,” I taunt.

  I offer her my hand to help her up, but she just scowls at me, picking herself up off of the ground and brushing off her shorts.

  I turn away from her, giving her original partner a nod to step back in and continue. I swear I can feel Fallon’s eyes burning into my back as I walk away, and I can’t help but grin.

  She may have won the first round, but I’ve just evened the score.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Fallon

  Gray’s a prick. I knew this summer was going to be tough, but I thought that the training would be the grueling part, not dealing with the asshole alpha running the place. He proved today that he definitely has it out for me. If I was smart, I would try to behave, get in his good graces. But I’ve never claimed that I’m smart.

  At the end of our training today, we were directed to a posting of a schedule for patrols. They’re throwing us right in; we’ve been assigned to rotations for night patrols of the six-pack’s borders. Patrols are run in pairs, so they’ve assigned pairs of recruits to each pair of squad members running the patrols each night. I’ve been paired up with a trainee named Vienna, and we get to shadow Brock and Casey. Our first patrol is tonight.

  After I rush through dinner, I grab a quick shower, change, and head down to the field to meet my group for patrol. It’s dusk, and the training arena has taken on an eerie glow in the fading light. I spot Brock right away and make my way over to him, where he’s standing with two females.

  Brock’s one of the five guys that runs the training camp. He looks like a young Jason Momoa with long brown hair, tanned skin, and tattoos all over his chiseled chest and arms. He’s really nice to look at, but he’s tough. He pushed us to the brink yesterday with planks and squats, and his no-nonsense demeanor is all business. The two girls with him are chatting, but he’s just standing there silently.

  I recognize one of them as another trainee, and I’m surprised when she sticks her hand out toward me as I approach. Cautiously, I take it.

  “Vienna,” she introduces herself, shaking my hand and grinning.

  Vienna’s shorter than me, though a lot of girls are. She’s beautiful- exotic looking, with black hair, creamy tan skin, and dark brown eyes. She looks strong but voluptuous, with curves in all the right places.

  “Fallon,” I breathe, venturing a smile.

  The girl beside Vienna steps forward, offering me her hand to shake next.

  “Casey,” she offers, and I’m immediately struck by how muscular her arms are. She’s tall, too, but she’s got a lot more bulk on her than I do. Her auburn hair is pulled back into two braids and a smattering of freckles dots her nose.

  “Nice to meet you,” I smile. “How long have you been on the squad?”

  Casey grins. “Oh, I was in your shoes two years ago,” she says, glancing over at Brock. “Don’t let this guy intimidate you, he’s a big softy.”

  Brock shoots Casey a scowl, then his expression softens into a smirk as he punches her arm playfully. “Don’t blow my cover here, Case. We’ve gotta keep these guys scared.”

  The two of them laugh, and I’m already feeling better about this patrol arrangement. It’ll be good to get to know Brock and Casey a little better and learn more about life in the squad. Vienna and I exchange glances, and I can tell she feels the same way.

  “Well, we should probably head out,” Casey says, and Brock gives a curt nod.

  The two of them start toward the gate and Vienna and I follow eagerly on their heels. We leave the squad complex and steal into the forest, ambling along at an agreeable pace.

  “Everyone does patrol every third night,” Casey explains as the four of us walk down a forest path. “We’re all in pairs and you usually run patrol with the same partner. I’ve been with Brock for the past year, but I’ll inherit one of you newbies at the end of the summer when Brock becomes alpha of his pack.”

  I cast a glance in Brock’s direction, but he’s focused on the path ahead. I hadn’t realized that he was an alpha, but I should’ve guessed. I wonder which pack he’s poised to take over.

  “Though I think he’ll miss me more than I’ll miss him,” Casey continues, elbowing Brock playfully. He
tosses her a smirk but doesn’t say anything. He’s a man of few words.

  “Which pack?” Vienna pipes up.

  “Riverton,” Brock supplies.

  “Oh!” Vienna seems excited. “That’s my pack! Alpha Rowe must be your dad, then?”

  “Yep.”

  There’s a pause, but Brock doesn’t elaborate.

  “I didn’t know he was stepping down. That’s exciting for you, though!” Vienna’s a little too chipper and Brock looks annoyed.

  I clear my throat to speak in an effort to break the tension. “Will you be leaving the squad, then?” I ask.

  Brock shakes his head. “Nah. I can do both. Gray and Reid do. I just won’t be taking patrols.”

  I suppose that makes sense. Alphas have a lot of duties to their packs, so they wouldn’t be available to be on patrol all through the night. I don’t know what their daily tasks require, but I know that Alpha Anders spends a lot of time in his office because my dad is always visiting him there. I wonder how Gray keeps up with running both the squad and his pack.

  No, I don’t. I don’t care what Gray does. Fucking prick.

  The trees are thinning in front of us and I can tell that there’s a clearing ahead. I haven’t ever been out to this area of the six-pack territory, so I’m still trying to get my bearings. I wish I was in wolf form- my wolf’s a great navigator. My human side, not so much.

  “Alright, kids,” Casey sings out, hopping off the path. “Time to shift.” She spins around, pulling her tank top off over her head.

  As shifters, we’re accustomed to nudity. If we shift while we’re clothed, we’ll rip right through them. I ruined my favorite shirt that way, once.

  All four of us dip off the path to turn away from each other and shed our clothes. I toe my shoes off first, then shimmy out of my shorts. Once I’ve removed my t-shirt and sports bra, I quickly call my wolf forward.

  My vision goes shimmery and I feel the familiar surge of energy as my bones snap and rearrange, and in a few seconds I’m down on all fours, shaking out my fur. When I first learned to shift, the transformation was painful. Now, it’s second nature. I barely feel a thing. I glance down at the soft earth under my tan paws, stretch, then circle back to the path.

  A beautiful black wolf slinks out of the brush across from me. She’s small, and I immediately recognize her as Vienna. I look over to see Casey’s wolf, recognizing her by her auburn fur; the same color as her hair. Brock’s wolf is the last to return to the path, and he’s huge. Definitely an alpha.

  While we’re in wolf form, we can communicate with other wolves in our pack through a mind-link. I’m a little taken aback when Brock’s voice slips into my head, saying ‘follow me’.

  I have so many questions. How can I hear him if we’re not in the same pack? Is it because he’s an alpha? Vienna looks a little dazed too, and as we start off, Casey seems to pick up on it and fills us in.

  ‘You’ve never linked with a wolf outside your pack before, have you?’ she laughs through the mind-link.

  I test it. ‘No. How…?’

  ‘The whole six-pack is linked. I didn’t figure it out either, until I joined the squad. Pretty cool, huh?’ Casey’s wolf nips at mine playfully.

  ‘Enough chit-chat’, Brock quips. All business. ‘The border’s coming up, let’s fan out.’

  We follow his command, breaking off from one another to spread out in the dense forest. My wolf navigates the rocky terrain effortlessly, slinking between trees and over fallen branches. With how frustrated I’ve been, she’s been pent up and dying for a run. I get lost in the feeling of the earth under my paws and the cool night breeze in my fur for a few minutes before I remember that I’m out here for a purpose; border patrol. I focus my senses, scanning the treeline and the clearing beyond, watching for any movement and listening for any potential dangers.

  The hours on patrol pass slowly as I pace the territory’s border. Every twenty minutes or so, Brock checks in through the mind-link and we each confirm with an ‘all clear’. I thought border patrol would be exciting, but it’s actually rather… boring.

  After what feels like an eternity, Brock gives the command for us to circle up and head back. We return to the path where we shed our clothes, shift back, and dress quietly. In my human form, I’m even more exhausted- the full day of training and staying out all night while on patrol have worn me down. The four of us start walking the path back to the squad complex just as the first slivers of pale daylight peek through the trees.

  We’re all silent on our trek back, and when we reach the gate, Brock turns to Vienna and me.

  “When you run patrol, you’ll be excused from the morning session afterward so you can rest up,” he says, his voice gravelly from lack of sleep.

  Vienna and I just nod like zombies.

  “You did well tonight, recruits,” Brock says, giving us a curt nod before turning away to head to the barracks.

  I feel my lips curl into a grin in response- I’m pretty sure those are the first words of encouragement I’ve received since I stepped foot onto the squad complex, and they made the entire sleepless night worth it.

  I’m slowly getting the hang of things, and it’s not so bad. I can totally do this.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Gray

  Brock’s walking into the barracks as I’m walking out, and I almost run right into him.

  “How was patrol?” I ask as I dodge out of his way.

  Brock runs a hand through his long wavy hair, leaning against the doorframe. “Quiet. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

  I nod. He looks whooped- and I’m reminded how glad I am that I don’t have to run night patrols often. I only jump in when the threat levels are high, because my wolf gets all worked up in response and won’t let me sleep anyways.

  “How’d the recruits do?”

  Brock smirks, like he knows why I asked the question.

  Sure, I knew Fallon was assigned to patrol with him, but that’s not why I’m asking. I mean, not the only reason. I have to keep tabs on all of the trainees.

  “They were fine.” Brock’s always short and to the point.

  I nod again, then clap him on the shoulder and head out through the doors to the arena. I don’t want to stick around and risk him giving me a hard time. I’m not even interested in her, anyways.

  I know Fallon has been up all night, but I have half a mind to make her train this morning anyways, just because I can. I quickly think better of it, though. I’m not a sadist. I haven’t yet finished punishing her for her disrespect, but I’ll think of other ways.

  Why does this female bug me so much? Honestly, I should just send her packing, and I might’ve, if I hadn’t seen her spar yesterday. She’s good; she shows a hell of a lot more promise than most of the other trainees. I keep trying to tell myself that’s the only reason I haven’t dismissed her from training camp.

  Theo and Reid are already out in the arena, and I head in their direction. Since Jax and Brock were on patrol last night, it’ll just be the three of us for morning session today.

  “Gray,” Reid greets me with a tip of his chin as I approach. I return the gesture, then greet Theo with a slap on the back.

  “You guys ready for one-on-ones?” I ask, rubbing my palms together.

  A few days in, we always test the new trainees with what we call ‘one-on-ones’. It’s exactly what it sounds like- each of us square off to spar with a trainee, one-on-one. This method is the only way we can really test the recruits’ fighting skills, because when they’re paired up with one another, they could do well purely because they have a weaker partner. Employing this method, we can more accurately determine each trainee’s skill level and assign sparring partners that are evenly matched.

  I love the one-on-ones. I don’t mind observing and giving orders, but I’d much rather fight than stand on the sidelines. It’s just my nature. They help me brush up on my own skills, too, because when I’m running training camp for the recruits, I’m missing out
on my regular training with the squad. I’m always trying to get better, stronger, faster. The leader of the shadow pack, Alpha Xavier, is a crazy sonofabitch. I’ve never seen anyone fight like him. I’ve been obsessively training for years because I vowed a long time ago that I’m going to be the one to finally end him someday.

  The recruits start to spill out from the barracks into the arena and the three of us watch as they hustle over, eager for instruction. The group is smaller this morning- about a third of them ran patrols last night- but they’re all keyed up and raring to go.

  I don’t waste any time.

  “Listen up, recruits!” I call out, and a silence falls over the gathered trainees. I glance back at Reid, and he nods, stepping forward.

  “Yesterday, you all had the chance to show each other what you’ve got,” Reid starts, resting his hands on his hips. “Today, you’re going to show us.”

  A dull hum of confused chatter rises as the trainees look to one another, whispering.

  Theo steps forward beside Reid and claps his hands together to get the recruits’ attention. “Form three lines,” he instructs, “and each of you will get the chance to spar with one of us.” He waggles his eyebrows.

  The trainees seem nervous at first, but they comply. Once they’ve formed three even lines, each of us takes one of them, beckoning the first volunteers forward. Not only is this exercise fun for us, but it’s amusing for the other trainees- they get to see how their peers fare in a matchup against an alpha.

  The arena erupts with the sounds of whooping and cheering as the trainees watch the matchups, egging their fellow recruits on as they try to take the alphas down. Of course, none of them have a real shot at winning- we’ve got years of experience on them- but some of them perform much better than expected. I’m finding myself more and more impressed with this new class of recruits.

  We make quick work of the first round of one-on-ones, then switch up the groupings and go again. It’s exhausting, but exhilarating. I’m taking mental notes the whole time- which recruits are stronger, which are weaker, which have the most potential. The three of us will sit down later to make a list and put them each into categories, which we’ll use for future training exercises and when we ultimately cull the ranks.