Chapter Twenty-Six

ALPHA JOE POV

Emerging from the training grounds I was not expecting this, this is unbelievable this was definitely not here when I entered the training grounds an hour ago. The whole area has been transformed there isn't a sole insight, how did she get this set up so quickly? She must have had help as she has been with us all this time. I did see her on her phone a few times texting, I found it strange at the time as she is serious with her training but it makes sense now but who was she texting? It has to have been my mate, she would have needed someone with authority to pull this off.

'What have you been up to mate?' I ask through our mate bond.

'Nothing. Why what is wrong?'

'You don't do innocence so well my love. I hope you are ready for your punishment tonight' I feel the desire through our bond. Oh, it's going to be a fun night.

'Punishment for what my love? Where are you anyway?' hmmm…does she think, she can lie to me or is she actually telling me the truth and she doesn't know.

'Training my love' I offer trying to catch her out.

'Training? You never train this time of day.' I feel the confusion in our mate bond and now I am uncertain whether it was her that had helped Jenni but if not her who?

'Cayden requested me to join him and Harry. Thought I'd spend time with them even if it was to train.'

'I'm glad you are spending more time with them. Let me know when you are all finished, and I'll make you all something to eat.'

'I can think of better things to do but they can wait until tonight. See you soon my love.' Desire floods are bond and I have to stifle a groan as blood ruches down below, now is not the time for a hard on, Dean chuckles beside me and I realise that I didn't stifle my groan quick enough. "Shut up." I mutter at him; I'm soon drawn out of my thoughts as Jenni comes to the front of the group gathering our attention again.

"Alright so as I said you need to put all your skills to the test and remember you are in groups. Points will be allocated and deducted accordingly." The excitement in the group increases, even myself and Godric are excited to see what she has put together. "The route is marked out and gives you room to spread out. Good luck and without further ado. Go"

"Shit come on dad we need to get across that finish line first I don't want to lose." Cayden blurts out sprinting towards the treeline, Caspian matching his eagerness.

"You shouldn't rush" Harry scolds "did you not learn anything from the training session yesterday?" I see Jenni glance over with a grin making him blush, looks like his crush is still going strong but I'm starting to get the feeling he is not the only one vying for her attention with the way certain members of my pack have been acting around her.

"Fine but let's go look everyone is almost through the treeline." Cayden points out frantically.

"Ok let's go but let's go as we would into a hostile environment." I suggest trying to placate everyone, who knows what Jenni has planned for us but knowing her it will not be a walk in the park just like her training sessions aren't.

No sooner than we breech the treeline I am soaked by water, what on earth? Then I hear the pups laughing with so much joy from the bushes and trees, as they try to get us with their water pistols.

'Pup too good for our pack. She even making our pack pups happy.' Godric says with pride standing tall as I'm blasted again by one of the pups making me laugh along with them, which only seems to encourage them to try and get me more as I try to dodge and weave around the trees and shoving Dean in front of me to shield me from another blast.

'That she is now head in the game Godric. We are getting soaked. Who knows what obstacles she has.' finally replying to him as I take cover behind a tree. I already know his desire to adopt her and her siblings his need to protect them strong, just as it is with our pups. Hoping its clear now I dash forward "OOMPH What was that?" looking down I find a small hole covered in leaves.

"Traps on the ground Joe" Dean shouts out as he trips over something and landing in a heap on the floor as Harry falls over the trip wire too.

"Stupid bloody-" Cayden curses as he tries to avoid a trap and lands in a bush dragging Caspian down. How I wish I had a camera on me right now.

"AHHHHHhhhhhhh!!!!!" Someone screams to my right, spinning I go to help whoever is in danger only for a hand to grasp me on my bicep.

"Dad where are you going?"

"Look I am not waiting for you lot whilst you muck around. I am not losing." Caspian snaps out.

"Go then but I am going to check on whoever just screamed." I state ripping my arm and carrying on in the direction I was going.

"Fine. I am going with Caspian." Cayden snarls "Hurry up, come on Harry."

"Nope going with dad" that's my boy, if only Cayden could go back to his caring nature, ever since Scarlett hooked her claws into him, he has changed and not for the better.

Reaching the commotion, I find one of Phoebe dangling in the air with some of the other groups below her, mainly Jenni's pups, Carl and a few warriors and Danny.

"This is a simple trap" Conner announces, "Me and Sam made them all the time to catch bigger prey back at the Red Moon Pack." Some of the warrior's swivel to stare at the boys in shock. It may be simple to them but not many of my pack have experience with them. Seems yet again that Jenni is much smarter than we could ever imagine. Perhaps when I pull her in for a meeting about her wages for training the pack, I can talk to her about putting on some workshops for those wanting to learn new skills. Something I definitely need to think on but now I need to work on getting Phoebe down.

"We just need to find the other end and slowly lower Phoebe down after undoing the knot" Sam tells everyone.

"Let's spread out and look" Carl commands falling into his natural leadership role on the field. Joining them Harry is the first to locate it hidden amongst the vegetation of the forest. With the guidance of Sam and Conner they instruct him into how to release the trap rather than taking over and doing it themselves. They both ensure anyone interested in learning around them can hear them too, Jenni has trained them well.

"Are you hurt?" Lily asks crouching down to Phoebe once she is on the ground safe and sound. I feel so out of place whilst the pups take charge and I see some of the others feeling the same.

"Just my ankle. It's sore from the rope."

"Ok. Let's split up and find that plant sis showed us that we can use to help with the soreness." Sam instructs but I have no idea what plant that is, perhaps I should just get her to Doc.

"Wait" Danny says unsure of himself "I have that cream she makes" he plucks out a small tin from his back pocket. "Do you mind?" he asks Phoebe with a bit more confidence when no one stops him. Lifting her foot up gently and balancing her leg on his he gently rubs some of the cream on her ankle.

"It doesn't hurt. Oh, look the red marks are going." She says stunned and I can honestly say so am I, I've never seen something work so fast, looks like we will be having to ask Jenni about her magic cream now.

'Guessing the mysterious she-wolf Jenni is bothering you again with the face your pulling' Dean snickers through our link, glaring at him I sink to the ground.

"You ok now Phoebe?" wiping a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yes Alpha"

"Ok well we should be getting you back to the pack." I don't want her accidentally falling into another trap of the obstacle course Jenni laid out for us and getting hurt.

"No need Alpha. I can take her. I heard her scream and came to investigate but it seems you all have it under control."

"Thank you, Edward. Ok I suppose we better get on with this obstacle course."

CAYDEN POV

Where the hell is the rest of my group? At least Caspian is taking this seriously. I still don't understand why he decided to join in, but I am glad he did. I don't want to miss my opportunity to finally get some one-on-one time with Jenni, her avoidance is infuriating, and Hunter is so eager to be around her that he has gotten hostile around Scarlett, mind you that could be the rumours that I am ninety nine percent sure she is spreading about Jenni.

"Why have we not come across another obstacle yet?" Caspian asks suddenly coming to a stop and searching the area for danger. "We managed to avoid all traps on the ground at least ten minutes ago after being attacked by water pistols but now nothing." Something doesn't feel right and on top of that we are just about to reach the borders of the territory. The markers however tell us to continue onto Alpha Chris's territory.

I know dad and him are talking about an alliance but due to Alpha Rick and Caspian showing up it got put on hold, I still cannot believe we have a partial alliance with them at the moment soon to be full alliance after years of animosity.

"I'm not sure but we are following the route" I point out the next marker even though it is obvious.

"Why have we not come across anything yet then? And where is the rest of the group?"

"I have no idea. Perhaps another group cleared it first" I panic what if another group has taken the lead and where were the rest of our group 'Dad where are you?'

'We're on our way Son'

"Dad says they are just behind us" I tell Caspian in the hope that they aren't too far behind is, we need to win.

"Hang on isn't this the border of your territory? Why is it going into the Blood Eclipse Pack?"

"Looks like Jenni has organised for it to go into unknown territory to make it harder for us." I don't know Chris's territory at all and not sure if he has traps of his own laid out or if he even knows about the obstacle. No Jenni isn't stupid she would have informed him but that still doesn't help me, I don't know the terrain or what is around here.

"Hmm…she seems different" Caspian ponders out aloud as he searches the area for any traps.

"She certainly is." I absently reply before mentally kicking myself.

"Do you know much about her?" he asks peering at me over his shoulder.

"Why the interest? She is originally from your pack." I growl out annoyed at his interest in what is mine. Wait a minute Mine?

"I have been away on training so I have not met her before today, but I tend to get to know her" over my dead body, if it wasn't for Scarlett, I could have probably got her by my side by now. Hunter is infatuated with her.

"Why?" I ask trying to remain civil.

"That is none-"

Wolves dart out of nowhere surrounding us growling and snapping at our ankles as they tear at our clothes. We had been so distracted talking to hear them approach and with the two of us we had no chance against ten. "Shit" Caspian snarls spinning around in a circle.

"Rogue attacks can happen any time, any place. They will not always fight fair. What should you do?" A voice calls out cheerfully.

"Another obstacle. There is too many to fight without getting seriously injured" one of the wolves swipes out with its claw and I only narrowly dodge it in time.

"True. Logical thing to do is get away and fight on our own terms." Caspian adds, nodding I show a perfect gap we can escape through; we somehow work as a unit pretending to attack before dashing through the gap and dashing forward following the markers.

"They're not following" Caspian observes, checking over my shoulder I see his right "obviously completed that obstacle."

Breaking through the treeline we come across another set up. How did she get this all organised in an hour whilst being with us in the training grounds.

"Ah if it isn't dear Cayden and Caspian you seem to be the first to arrive, where is the rest of your group?" Chelsea chimes looking around.

"We split up; they shouldn't be too far behind us" I glance around trying to work out what this obstacle is about. It is definitely unlike any other obstacle course I have participated in before. In front of us are six tables each labelled with a different category with a member of Chris pack sitting down at each one of them. So, she got Chris involved too. "What is happening here?" I ask raising my eyebrow at Chelsea who smirks in return.

"Well, this is your next obstacle of course" she rolls her eyes at me before laughing at us.

"And that is?" Caspian ask exasperatedly.

"Fine" Chelsea huffs out "As you can clearly see there are six tables spread out in front of you with different categories. Each member of your group must sit at a different table to complete the test. Wrong answers will lose you points. Right answers will gain you points and if the answer is beyond what is expected you will gain additional points. So, choose wisely. Good Luck. Oh and no mind linking."

"Alpha knowledge" we both say at the same time before turning to glare at each other.

"You cannot both do the same" Chelsea snickers.

"Well, I don't know about the others" I admit to Caspian "I have some knowledge but being trained as an alpha it was the most obvious one to me. I've never been good at math so-"

"Oh, shut up" Caspian groans "Now come on I can hear the other groups catching up" using my wolf's' ability to enhance my hearing, I too can hear the thuds of footsteps heading in our direction. We need to move and quickly.