For the third consecutive time, I landed on my ass, literally, on the merciless grass of the training yard. I twisted my body into a roll and sprang back up on my feet, mere milliseconds before Sarah's elbow came crashing down to the hardened earth. I lunged and tackled her to the ground, straddling her chest with my hand wrapped around her throat.

The brunette grinned at me, her voice full of approval when she said, "You're learning, Phoebe."

Her calf wrapped around me and she used her weight to roll me off of her and onto my back; her hand found my throat. The movement was so quick my breath was forced out of me and I grunted in pain as my back met solid earth.

"You're going easy on me," I wheezed.

She chuckled. "I don't go easy on anyone—that includes my queen."

She slid off of me and let me stand on my own. She dusted her hands on her shirt and brushed off strands of grass that stuck to her clothes. "Do you know what your mistake was?"

"I went for the obvious," I answered smoothly.

Sarah nodded sharply in agreement. "Instead of incapacitating me completely, you lunged and went for my throat. Do not go for the obvious kill. Make sure your prey is completely vulnerable before moving in. Going for the throat immediately exposes your upper torso to the wolf below you. Your organs and vital veins are unprotected. Werewolves like a challenge—they're headstrong, but eventually, they know when they've been beaten."

I nodded, making mental notes for myself that I added to the notes I'd gathered over the last couple of days. The sun was starting to go down and most of the other wolves who were training earlier had gone inside for dinner.

I had asked Sarah to continue practicing with me, but I felt bad asking her to skip dinner completely so I said, "Pick this up again tomorrow?"

Sarah grinned. "Oh, I'm not letting you off that easy, Phoebe." She nodded to the left. "Sprints."

I groaned half-heartedly. "Seriously?"

"You want to train like the pack?" She raised an eyebrow.

I huffed, already knowing where this was heading. "Of course. You know I do."

She pointed to the field. "Sprints."

I mumbled something unintelligible under my breath and took off down the field. An agility training exercise was set up for the younger wolves, using ropes and markings in the field to build up endurance and help them learn to move quickly. I was currently the only pack member using the agility course because the wolves it was originally designed for had since shifted and graduated to training exercises for fully-matured werewolves.

I ran through the exercise, which began with suicide sprints then led into quick footing techniques before ending with upper-body strength. I kept quiet while I went through the course I had gone through half a dozen times over the last couple of days. My breathing was rough and out of rhythm but my heartbeat was strong and unfaltering.

I learned after the first training practice that I had unlimited access to Alpha Alexander's werewolf abilities. I was stronger and faster than I normally was. I could move a lot more quickly and I relied more on my instincts as I sparred with Sarah. It troubled me at first, me being a more advanced version of myself, because I was 100% human, and humans cannot do that things I discovered I could do. Humans could not spar with a fully grown werewolf and be her equal in strength and endurance. Humans could not run through an intense agility course without spasming into an asthma attack. And humans certainly could not tap into their significant other's energy force as if it were an easily available Red Bull or protein shake.

However, I soon came to terms with the fact that I was mated to the strongest Alpha in the country. In the two days I had been training with Sarah, I could feel my body getting stronger. Jason told me that it was because of Alpha Alexander and the mating bond, but it still made me feel a little better that I was actually being productive in the matter of my own defense rather than just sitting around the house like a damsel locked in the tower.

As I worked on my upper body, I felt the tug of the mating bond somewhere behind my belly button—Alpha Alexander was near. I pointedly ignored his presence. From the corner of my eye, I saw Sarah discuss something with him briefly before turning and heading back to the pack house.

I pulled my body up, my arms shaking with effort as my chin almost touched the bar. My limbs hummed as he stepped closer. His arms were crossed over his chest as he calmly stood directly to my left. Every time I came down from a pull-up, his shirt tickled my arm. I swallowed and tried to calm my nerves as I finished my set. I dropped my arms, tilting my cramped neck and rubbing my sore shoulder before turning to him, my chest rubbing against his folded arms.

"Sarah says you are improving."

"Sure doesn't feel like it." I rotated my neck slowly.

A hand wrapped around my throat and I froze. My eyes opened and I calmly met his gaze through hooded lids. He broke eye contact first, his golden eyes roaming to my neck where his mark burned my skin. His hold on my throat wasn't tight, but it was confident . . . even dominant.

Instinctively, I titled my head, exposing his mark. His thumb rubbed a slow circle into the small ball at the center of my throat. His fingers dug into the back of my neck as he pulled me into him. His lips caught mine briefly before pushing me away. His hand fell away and I watched his fist fly toward my face. I ducked instinctively and slipped to the side, putting distance between us, like Sarah taught me. My eyes found his and I glared at him, my eyes wide in shock. His own irises gleamed with amusement as he stood with his hands by his side. Realization dawned on me and a playful grin slowly came to my lips.

"So you want to play a game, Alpha Rex?" I chuckled.

"I want to see your improvements, Phoebe," he corrected.

He lunged at me. He moved too fast, but I managed to dodge his attack to my torso. As I turned, I moved to land a crippling blow on the pressure point near his shoulder, but he maneuvered so effortlessly, I didn't see his hand as he wrapped his fingers around my wrist and tugged me backward, forcing me around as my back collided with his chest. He managed to trap my hands to my chest, his other hand wrapping around my throat once more. He forced my head to tilt, exposing his mark once more. His mouth closed over my shoulder, his canines pricking me but not breaking any skin.

"You are quick," he murmured against my throat.

"Are you impressed yet?" I softly panted, my heart beating hard, but not from the workout.

"Nearly."

I clenched my jaw. One of the first techniques Sarah taught me was how to escape multiple holds. I took in a deep breath, mentally summoning even more strength through the bond. I felt the hum in my blood intensify and I knew I was successful.

I set my feet apart, with one in-between his legs and slightly behind his right foot. I leaned into him, curving my body around his. His hold on my throat tightened. I glanced up at him over my shoulder. His mouth found mine once more and I nearly lost myself in the kiss. His hand loosened around my throat until he cupped my cheek. I locked my knee and shoved him backwards with my body weight.

He tripped over my leg, shocked by the strength, but he recovered in an instant, his frown of amusement deepening. I smiled at him before I lunged with a speed that was borrowed from my dominant mate. He grabbed for me, but I ducked beyond his reach, jabbing a fist into his side with less force than I had used with Sarah. His frown turned to one of concentration as he continued to play defense, deflecting every attack I threw at him.

Finally, I threw a punch and when he dodged, it left him slightly off balance. I launched my body at him; the force of my weight colliding with his chest knocked him backwards; he landed on his back and I landed straddling his torso. My hand wrapped around his throat. If he had been in a real fight, with an actual enemy and not his human mate, there was no doubt in my mind that he would have won within the first minute.

Even so, I grinned triumphantly as I leaned forward and whispered into his ear. "Impressed now?"

He rolled, forcing me on to my back before settling between my thighs. He let some of his weight rest on me as I struggled against him, pinning me to the ground. I huffed as my half-hearted attempts at escape failed me. My fingers curled around his shirt. His lips twitched in a small smile, his eyes danced with amusement. "Almost, Phoebe."

I frowned—disappointed in myself but also content with him caging me with his arms, his nose nearly brushing against mine. I lifted my head to kiss him, but his next words stopped me. "You should have told me it was your birthday."

I let my head fall back against the earth. "You've been . . . preoccupied."

The last two days, Alphas from every corner of the continent have been visiting my mate, offering their allegiance and making vows to stand by him in the war to come. He was locked in his office from dawn until well after dusk. I hadn't said anything—it wasn't my place to.

Whenever I was done with training for the day, I showered and dressed appropriately in order to be presented to whichever Alpha was currently having an audience with my mate. If I had a dollar for every time someone called me their queen or Alpha Regina, I would probably be nearing a thousand bucks.

However, even though the majority of North America's Alphas have pledge their allegiance to Alpha Alexander, from what Seth has told me, only three Alphas haven't made an attempt to swear their allegiance. I wasn't sure of the number of Alphas on the continent, but I knew there were at least twenty packs on this side of the Mississippi alone, and two of those Alphas fell into that category. This was weighing heavy on Alpha Alexander's mind—the possibility of civil war on top of Leo's rebellion.

"I didn't want to make a big deal out of it," I said lamely. "It's just a birthday. I'll have more."

He frowned. "You should have told me, Phoebe."

I shoved against his chest. He stood effortlessly and I ignored his hand as I stood on my own two feet with less grace than a newborn calf. I dusted the grass off of my leggings with more force than necessary.

"It's not a big deal," I muttered. I glanced up at him, but quickly realized that was a mistake when our eyes locked and I recognized the look of disappointment glazing over his pupils. I turned and started for the house. "You have bigger things to focus on than my stupid birthday."

"Phoebe," he said sharply. I almost stopped—I faltered, but I didn't stop.

I barely made it to the porch, grabbing the screen door, but as I swung it open, a hand came behind me and slammed it shut. He molded his chest against my back and I tried to step sideways to escape his heat, but his hand caught me and gently turned me around to face him.

"Are you telling me that you didn't tell me it was your birthday because you think it doesn't matter?"

"Why would it matter?" I said with a little more strength than I thought I had in me. "With everything that's happened in the last few days, why would my birthday be such a big deal? Why do you care so much about it anyway?"

He stared at me and I had the smallest urge to flinch, but managed to resist. He spoke, "You are, without a doubt, the most stubborn female I've ever encountered."

I opened my mouth to argue, which would have only proved his statement, but he cut me off, "It matters because everything about you matters to me, even the smallest things, like your birthday, apparently."

"It's fine," I said softly. "It's just a birthday. I'll have another one."

His eyes hardened and I watched as he opened his mouth, then closed it. I knew what he was going to say, and a shiver of fear tickled my spine. The next birthday isn't promised.

He released me, stepping back so I could escape into the house. Before I stepped inside, Alpha Alexander spoke again, "Be ready in ten minutes, Phoebe."

I looked back over my should. "What?"

A younger wolf came onto the porch and cautiously approached him, his head bowed, speaking in a low voice. Alpha Alexander nodded at whatever the boy said and with a wave of his hand, the boy stepped off the porch and waited on the grass. Alpha Alexander looked back at me, his face hardened a little more than a few minutes prior.

"Ten minutes." He stepped back off the porch, landing on the ground gracefully. "Don't be late."

With that, he and the boy jogged away.

___

Author's Note:

Hiiiii, guys. I am SO SORRY about the wait. Thanks for being so understanding. I am back. I have not abandoned this story and never will, I promise.

Comment and vote! I'd love to hear your feedback!

xo -Willow