We finally arrived at the training center. I had managed to avoid this place for many months, but now I had to go in. Alpha Sebastian must have called the Beta to empty the building because there was a large group of people outside milling around. Beta Amelia, our dear Beta and second-in-command, pushed the door open and welcomed us in. I felt somewhat reassured that we would only have the women in the building with me.

"Damir and Sebastian were insistent on there being no males present. They truly do care about you." Alpha Violet spoke as we made our way down the hallway to the arena. Usually, training in the form of sparring took place here, but today would be different. I hadn't been in to spar in almost a year, so I had avoided the room quickly.

I walked into the arena and pointed the Alphas and Beta to the chairs on the outskirts. "I'm going to run for a few laps and warm up my joints. Can you get the shirts laid out and let me know which is which?" I asked generally, and Beta Amelia nodded and took the backpacks. I began to jog around the track, feeling my joints loosen. This was going to be tough, but I knew it needed to be done.

"Black is Alpha Prince Griffin. Green is Alpha Caelan."

I nodded and thanked the Beta before continuing my laps. After four or so laps, it was clear that the Alphas were getting restless. I walked to the middle and knelt to the floor. I pulled the dress off my frame, not wanting to ruin it within the switch.

"Alena, if you need us, let me know," Calliope called, and I nodded to her. I knew I had their support, but this was something that I needed to do on my own.

I closed my eyes and tried to picture my wolf form. Years ago, I would imagine her as tall, slender, and quick, but that image no longer helped. Instead, I pictured her, still her beautiful brown long hair. Her eyes were still the same golden hazel, but her frame was thinner than it used to me. The wolf in my mind was almost sunken into the ground.

I felt my bones begin to pop and rearrange, but I paid them no mind. I was honestly more concerned with the color of my fur. Instead of being a solid brown color, I had developed white spots. Inside my mind, I groaned.

I look like a Guernsey cow.

Except I'm smaller.

A calf. I look like a Guernsey calf.

I finally completed the shift, and I laid on the ground, trying to regain my strength. It took a lot of energy to shift, and I wasn't used to it at all.

I looked up to the alphas who were sitting on the sidelines and whined at them. Finally, Violet stood and walked to me. I nudged her legs with my head, silently willing her to shift so I wasn't alone. I felt so naked.

Damir was the only person I had allowed to see me in my wolf form for a long time because he never made fun of me and how small I am. When I was younger, I was a strong fighter. My height made it so I could attack then retreat quickly. Now, I could barely stand.

But man, my wolf was loud in my head now.

*Alena, you dear idiot, why did you leave me in here all alone for months?*

*I was scared, dear. I wasn't nearly strong enough in my human form to deal with everything, and I knew you wouldn't be strong enough either*

*I was so much stronger than you knew, Alena. You held me in and made me weak.* She bit me with her words. I knew that she was strong when we were young, but I ignored her needs when I tried pushing down my hurt.

She stood and pushed me to the back of my own mind. Any other time, I would have fought her for control, but I needed this time. She yipped at Violet, and I was appalled at her nerve.

*That is an Alpha, wolfie. Chill it out.*

*So are we, Alena. And you know my real name. Do I need to sound it out to you?*

*I know your name, Skadi. I'm just ashamed of how I've treated you.*

Skadi is the perfect name for her. My mother picked it before she died. Skadi was the Norse Goddess of winter and wolves. From the stories that my mother told me, Skadi was also a mountain lover, which makes excellent sense. I couldn't go a year without begging for a trip to the mountains, and I was utterly content living in the hills of our kingdom. I also would travel to visit my cousins in Frostclaw during the winters because Skadi loved the snow and winters. Mother really couldn't have picked a better name for her.

*Caelan is the Alpha of Frostclaw. If he is our mate, we would live there in the Frostclaw pack forever and be in the snow year.*

I sighed. I knew that within me, I had a Luna wolf. Even Skadi's attitude toward Alpha Violet showed her strength.

Thinking back to her name again, I thought about the goddess Skadi's love for the mountains and brought that to Skadi's attention.

*Skadi, what about the mountains? Frostclaw isn't mountainous like Riverkeepers is.*

*Oh, but the Kingdom house is in the mountains. If we are Griffin's mate, we can live our lives in the mountains and travel to the Frostclaw pack during the winter to let me play.*

I rolled my eyes at her childish ideas. Of course, she wants to play in the snow.

"Luna, you need to check the shirts to tell which Alpha is your mate." Alpha Calliope said.

Despite my protests, Skadi pushed me so far back into my brain that I couldn't quite sense her reactions to the shirts. I watched her walk up to the bag with the black tee shirt. Griffin. She lifted her head to the roof, then moved to the green shirt. Caelan. She repeated the motion of a sniff, then a look to the heavens, not giving much of a symbol of which one was our mate. She went back and forth between the shirts and didn't give me even the slightest hint. I watched all of her movements, but not even a paw was out of place.

Skadi walked to Alpha Violet and nudged her knees again. Finally, Violet relented and tore off her shirt and pants, shifting into her wolf form. Periwinkle was the name of her wolf, something that not many people got to know. Skadi somehow knew, though, and the two acknowledged each other as if old friends.

As if planned, they looked to Calliope and barked for her. She rolled her eyes but stood and pulled off her dress, shifting into a beautiful red giant. Her wolf's name was, for some reason, not revealed to me. Her red fur was long and wavy. Skadi made her way to Calliope and rubbed her head against the red wolf's neck. It was clear that the women allowed their wolves to take control and played like puppies in the arena. None of them moved to truly attack, but little nips on the heels and underbelly made them jump and race.

Skadi was very clearly slower than the other two, but they made no note of it. When Skadi had to settle down and rest for a while, the other wolves took place on either side of her. Then she allowed me to take a bit more control and look at Violet's wolf. Periwinkle was truly beautiful. I found it slightly ironic that her name and wolf's name were different shades of purple. That, though, did not surprise me for long because I could see the color of her wolf more closely. It was grey, but it indeed appeared to be slightly purple.

A loud thump was heard against the door, but before the Beta could get there to open the door, it swung open. Damir walked in, nearly entirely out of breath.

"Alena, the men are on their way back. The conflict was resolved before they even arrived." I looked toward the wall and saw that I had been in wolf form for at least five hours, alternating between playing and resting, and it was bound to be dark soon.

I tried to get Skadi to let me have control, but she didn't want to relent. So instead, she walked to our brother and stared at him. He knelt down to pet her head, then led her into the arena, where he flopped to sit on the floor. Skadi rested her head on his lap and nearly purred into his touch.

"Skadi, it has been much too long since I've seen you." Damir buried his face in Skadi's fur. The female wolves walked to the places where they had left their clothes and shifted back. They dressed quickly and packed up the tee shirts, carrying them out of the arena. Damir and I remained together in the gym for hours. Finally, I moved off of his lap, and he shifted into his wolf form as well. We played back and forth, watching the sun set outside of the training center. Skadi walked back to my clothes and allowed me to shift back into my human form. I pulled my dress over my head quickly and stretched my arms, getting used to the feeling of having fingers and toes again. I stood to my feet, a bit shakey.

As I walked to where Damir was standing, already dressed and ready to go, his eyes became clear after being clouded over. "Alena, I'm sorry to tell you about what is about to happen."

"I would much rather hear the truth than being left in the dark. You, of all people, know that."

Damir ducked his head. "Alpha Caelan and Prince Griffin are preparing to have a true fight. Caelan has challenged Griffin." My heart dropped in my chest.

A challenge wasn't something to be taken lightly. It was a fight to the death, and I wasn't prepared to watch an Alpha die for the position as my mate, especially as I knew which one truly was my mate.

"I need to go see them. I can't just wait."

Damir grabbed my arm to try to hold me back. "Alena, I don't want you to get hurt again." He rested his hand on my shoulder.

"Where are they meeting for this fight? Is it here, or is it at the boundary?" We were lucky that our pack bordered the Frostclaw pack and the Royal grounds, as it afforded us the most protection.

Damir stared me down, "Alena, I don't think this is the safest for you."

"Dang it, Damir, I am your Luna, and I cannot just sit here and watch two Alphas try to kill each other over me."

"My Luna died years ago, Alena." He staggered back, watching me closely. It was as if he was afraid that I was going to lash out at him.

"Your Luna Princess has not." I stared him down. "Tell me where they are meeting, now, Delta." I felt terrible using the position to my advantage, but I needed to know where to stop the brewing fight.

"Boundary line, Luna." His words bit, but he knew I wouldn't bring him harm, not when there was a fight getting ready to happen.

I squinted in his direction and turned. "I would be cautious with your tone, Damir. Wouldn't want Griffin to hear you speak that way to me." And with those words, I left the training center and took off towards the woods where the boundary lie, already hearing the snarls of beasts prepared to fight for the death. 

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A/N: Please remember to vote or comment if you're enjoying this! I love feedback, and I'm happy to clarify anything that is unclear! 

<3 - Liv