Chapter 4

_{Just as promised, 6 a.m. arrived, and a hint of light broke the darkness. Outside, on the grass, sat Logan, Julian, Simone, and several other children; drowsy, bewildered, and in a daze. A little past six, people were talking amongst themselves, trying to make sense of things.} 

_{“Do we really need this training to be so early?” Julian questioned.}

_{Logan said, "My dad says we all have to train to become warriors; I'm unsure about it."} 

_{"I'd prefer to be in bed instead of here," Simone stated.}

_{The moment someone opened their mouth, a growl shattered the silence, making everyone leap in fear. The unexpected appearance of three wolves sent shivers down everyone's spine, with some children wetting themselves out of sheer terror. Instantly, the wolves changed into Alpha Eugene, Beta Mitchell, and Gamma Ulysses, surprising everyone. With their clothes on, they turned to face the kids again.}

_{Welcome to your first day of training, everyone! Good morning. It's great that you're all here on time. Through studying the eyes of everyone, he sought to evaluate each child and identify them accordingly. Fear was mostly what he saw in them. Mitchell stepped aside, saying, "Okay everyone, Alpha Eugene will continue."}

_{To make eye contact, Eugene moves to each child before he starts.}

_{“Future warriors, welcome! I'm your Alpha, and I appreciate you all being here on time. It highlights your commitment to becoming a member of a famous pack. You all know we're omegas; we're the lowest rank in a wolf pack. Giving in to any force is not an option. “We’re the River Rock Pack, a very well-known pack,” Eugene said.}

_{It's true: The River Rock Pack was among the first packs led by omegas. All types of wolves—refugees, rouges, warriors, former alphas, and so on—are accepted by them, and this is highly regarded. Their reputation as a pack is well-established, especially since they have paved the way for other omegas aspiring to establish their own packs. “I’ll turn it over to Gamma Ulysses now,” Eugene said, making way.}

_{Stepping forward, Gamma Ulysses greeted his assembled warriors, "It gladdens me to see every one of you here today. “Get ready, this training will be extremely intense, and full participation is expected from everyone. Respect is the foundation of this pack, as the alpha stated, and we'll uphold that.” The more Ulysses described the training, the more nervous everyone became. Julian addressed Simone, saying,}

_{“Simone, your dad is out of his mind.”}

_{Simone responded, “I live with him.”}

_{Logan said, "You never mentioned that he was this way."}

_{Ulysses concluded his speech with a whistle blast, shouting, "Three-mile run, warriors, go!"  The warriors immediately began to run. During the run, Logan, Julian, and Simone were neck and neck in the lead. As it was their first run, exhaustion set in for everyone. A mere twenty minutes had passed, yet everyone was breathless. Training left everyone completely exhausted and sprawled on the ground. Many of the children were too exhausted to move. Okay soldiers, we're done for the day. See you bright and early at 6 a.m. sharp tomorrow.}

_{"What?" everybody yelled.}

_{"This is just the start, not the finish," Ulysses declared.}

_{Despite their aching bodies, everyone struggled but managed to get up. “I’ll see you all tomorrow,” Simone said, approaching her father.}

_{Logan and Julian said, "Okay, bye," as they walked home. As they live near each other, they always walk home together. Atop the hill sits the alpha house, a two-story log cabin boasting five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a converted entertainment room, and scenic land views. The beta house, a ranch-style home, differed significantly; it boasted four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and fireplaces in both the living room and master suite. The cozy houses were built with the help of everyone in the pack. As Logan and Julian walked home, they debated like Batman and Superman. "Superman will lose to Batman," Julian confidently stated.}

_{With flapping arms, Logan mimics flight, saying, “Superman’s much stronger than Batman, dream-wise.”}

_{Julian proposed: "Logan, a race to your house! I win, Batman's better; you win, Superman's better."}

_{Logan says, “I accept.”}

_{In unison, they stepped forward with their right foot, their left foot trailing, and leaned ahead. Julian says, “On the count of three.”}

_{Julian confidently said, "1, 2, 2 ½, 3," as they left for Logan's house. It was only to be expected that Logan won. Julian had no choice but to admit defeat.}

_{"Fine, you've won this time, Logan, but I’ll beat you in a race eventually," Julian says.}

_{“Don’t bet on it,” Logan said, turning to face him.}

_{Logan always beats Julian in their races; it's a long-standing pattern. Now 18, Julian, Simone, and he went for a run, but this time was unusual. Having shifted young, the three decided to run as wolves. Logan, whose wolf name is Phoenix, is a gray and white wolf with deep, dark blue eyes. Julian's wolf, Hunter, is light brown with black stripes and boasts green eyes. Simone's wolf, Bailey, is chocolate brown with yellow eyes. Logan's wolf, the biggest of the three, was irrelevantly sized; his destiny as the future alpha superseded physical attributes.}