CH 1 PAINFUL MEMORIES
It was the same dream every night. She had been having it for two years now. Nikki heard herself scream and she felt Claire’s fear in the back of her mind. The sound of metal being crushed as the car was shoved over the guardrail and crunched as it rolled over and over. She felt the zap of her mate’s disconnection before the SUV stopped and then everything went black.
Nineteen year old Nikki Grey woke up sweating and grumbled as the alarm clock raised hell with its incessant beeping. Hitting it hard enough that it went flying into the wall she got up and went into the bathroom to get ready. She stared at herself in the mirror before getting into the shower. Her light brown hair was longer. It was at the middle of her butt now. Derek would have loved that she thought with a wry smile that disappeared all too quickly. Her body was slim and fit. Her muscles were more toned and her skin was tanned from the outdoor training. Her eyes were tired and they looked it. She never slept well anymore and she hadn’t laughed since the accident. She got into the water and hurried to get to training.
Coming down in shorts and a sports bra she grabbed a plateful of food scarfing it quickly and went straight to the weight room. She had just started training her muscles with some of the lower weights that she was working with when she heard a voice in her head.
Nikki I need to talk to you in my office in twenty minutes. She groaned inwardly and responded.
Yes Alpha Ramone. I’ll be there.
Getting up she looked at the twenty foot training wall and she ran at it top speed. She leaped as she got to the bottom of it and she managed to easily grab the bar third from the top and swung herself over and sat at the top for a moment. Dropping off the side, some of the others came in and she headed to the alpha’s office. Upon entering the Alpha’s office
She could hear Claire singing in her head. Her frustration with her wolf was growing at an alarming rate.
CLAIRE! If you sing that stupid gummy bear song one more time I’ll shut you out for a week! Nikki threatened. She could hear her wolf’s giggles but the song ended.
With a short knock she opened the door to the Alpha’s office. Ramone was looking at some papers. He glanced up at her and smiled. He had been trying to get Nikki’s attention on something other than training for over a year. He just couldn’t get her to see anything else since the accident. She refused dates, only went to pack functions and was often found asleep in the gym or weight room. She certainly had been focussed since the accident but she had lost more than her mate. She had lost herself. He cleared his throat and sat back.
“You know about the growing rogue problem we are having.”
“Yes, is there a plan yet on what we are going to do?”
“Well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I’ve spoken to a few of the more local alpha’s and so far the ones closest to us are on board. I have the Alpha of the Iron Wolves Pack coming here tomorrow. I want you to show him around and let him see the training in action. He seems to think we must be weak since he isn’t having those rogue problems over there. We need his help so please don’t argue with me about this.”
Nikki grumbled as if it were a huge imposition but nodded. “Fine. Anything else?”
Ramone stared at her for a moment “Smile Nikki, that’s an order.” She stared at him for a moment and then gave him the fakest most annoyed looking forced smile she could muster. He threw up his hands in defeat. Frustrated with her he sighed and ordered her out.
“Just go!”
Nikki went back to grumbling and walked outside. Feeling the sun on her face she closed her eyes and took off jogging at first. After she ran the perimeter of the territory. She grabbed a water bottle from the packhouse and guzzled it down ignoring the water than ran down her chest and neck.. Restrapping her gloves tighter she climbed up onto the pack house’s roof and since it was a three story building she climbed up to the top and straddled the eaves overlooking the land. Looking for her father she used her hand to block the sunlight from her face. Spotting him coming towards the house she climbed down from one level to the next and then she flipped off of the last story onto the ground below her father was about twenty feet away from her looking at her angrily.
“Why are you trying to give me a heart attack Nikole? What is wrong with you! I didn’t even notice you up there!”
“You are overreacting again father.”
Nikki ignored his words of sheer disappointment in her and headed inside. Zura was already at the table and Lucas was sitting across from her chuckling. “I don’t even know what you are talking about but get a room!” She snapped at them. She had been irritated by all displays of affection with couples for quite a while. Many of the pack accused her of being cold and cut off from her inner self. OOHHH! Quit being an icy bitch to them Nikki! They don’t deserve it!
And we do?
No, but they can still be happy, let them!
Fuck off Claire! I said to her shutting off my link to her.
Zura gave me a frustrated look and Lucas just frowned at me sadly.
She could feel Claire’s anger even if we weren’t talking. Nikki just went back to the woods and went for a long and exhausting run. She didn’t come back until after dinner and trained until she fell into her bed around midnight or so.
