Chapter 38

Aiden

I had heard from Jesse that Lexi was going to be at Riverclaw today for training. I needed to talk to her and I couldn't wait for her to be at school tomorrow. Melissa had helped me plan the perfect date and I wanted to do it as quickly as possible. Jesse told me about her jam packed schedule between training and school so I only had a small window to work with. And time was not on my side. The rejection was coming soon. Out of respect I had to call ahead to be granted permission to be on their land. I didn’t want a confrontation.

I pulled up to the packhouse and was greeted. “ I’m Scott, future Beta. I will escort you to the Alpha.” I shake his hand “ Aiden.” I see him try to hide it but he sneers at me. I want to say something about his disrespect but hold it. I need to stay on good terms with these guys. If I win Lexi we will be working together and emerging packs. I want to be on good terms with them when that happens. And I deserve it. No doubt Scott has heard about me rejecting Lexi so I get where he is coming from. I don’t have time to look around. I'm a man on a mission.

I follow Scott through the house to the Alpha's office. He knocks on the door and we are granted entry. Scott opens the door and motions for me to enter. Once I’m in Scott closes the door and Alpha Riverclaw rises from his seat and walks around his desk. We greet and shake hands. “ I must say I was surprised when I got the call you wanted to meet. What can I do for you?” Alpha said. “ Thank you for allowing me on your land. I came to see Lexi. I was told she was training today.” I told him.

“ You could have talked to Lexi at school. Why come to my pack to visit her?” he asked. A reasonable question. “ What I have to talk to her about couldn’t wait.” I told him. “ I will allow you to see her on one condition. You have to give me your word Alpha to Alpha, that you will not cause any trouble.” he said. “ You have my word. I need to right a wrong not cause problems.” I told him. “ Very well,” he said. I saw his eyes glaze over. When his eyes came back to normal he was smiling. “ You are in luck. Lexi is on the warrior training field. She is just about to run the Gauntlet. I walk with you.” he said. He escorts out the back of the packhouse towards their training fields.

The Gauntlet? Are they crazy? I don’t know what their gauntlet looks like but I know how ours is and only the toughest wolves make through. “ Sir, I mean no disrespect. But is it wise to let Lexi run it?” I asked. I couldn’t help myself. It scares the shit out of me the thought of Lexi running that thing. “ Aiden, I know your history with Lexi. So I’m going to give you one word of advice. Don’t underestimate Lexi. That is what got you in the situation you are in now.” he said. He is right. I did underestimate her and it got me where I am.

“ I don’t know what your intentions towards Lexi are but I won’t see that girl hurt,”Alpha said. “ Sir, in the interest of keeping the peace between our packs, I will tell you. I plan on winning Lexi’s trust and heart to stop the rejection.” I told him. Alpha Riverclaw stops walking and looks at me. “ I hope you are prepared. Lexi isn’t like some she-wolves that only see your rank and will do anything you ask. She knows her worth. She is going to make you work for it.” he said. “ She should make me work for her. But I am determined to make thai right. Even admitting I was wrong.” I told him as we continued walking.

“ Then I wish you luck. You are going to need it.” he says. We walk in silence for five minutes before we arrive at the gauntlet. There were already two people running through it. I see Lexi standing off to the side talking to an older man with salt and pepper hair. Alpha leads me in their direction. “ Stay by my side and be quiet. Lexi needs to focus.” I don’t like being told what to do but for Lexi I will. “ Who is she talking to?” I asked. “ That is Elder Ross. He has been working with her on fighting skills.”

I tune into their conversation. I hear the Elder say “ Tune everything around you out. Just like we practiced. Let your body do the work. Focus on the path in front of you.” I see Lexi take a deep breath and close her eyes. When she opens her eyes they are glowing a little and she nods. The Elder smiles, “ That’s our girl.” I see the course has cleared. I watch the elder step back. “ Ready,”he said. I watch Lexi take a running position. I see the Elder pullout a stopwatch and set it before he yells go.

I am glad I didn’t blink because I would have missed her. Lexi took off in a flash towards the first part of the quantlet. Pillars set up at uneven heights and thicknesses. She passed it in under a minute. She moved one to the second phase. Lexi had to climb a tree and leap from one to the other silently. There were a total of six trees to the next obstacle. Not only did I not hear her but I couldn’t see her. I can do it now but it took me a year to master it. I hear cheering coming from my side. I see Luther and four others yelling encouragement to Lexi.

Lexi drops down from the last tree with a thud that could be heard across the field. She takes off towards rows of swinging pendulums. Some are logs, saw blades,swords and various other items. They come at you from all different directions. I can’t stand to watch her go through this part. She is going to get hurt. I start to shut my eyes when I hear the Alpha say “ Believe in her.” I pop my eyes back open.

I feel Razor pushing forward to have a look and I let him. He needs to see thai for himself to know Lexi is going to be ok. Before I know it Lexi is though, going to the last phase. Swing bridges. Sounds easy, right. Nope. It is pieces about two feet long by two feet wide, spaced three feet apart, swinging back and forth over a pit six feet deep. Lexi speeds through like she is going for a casual jog. Razor is cheering her in my head. He is proud of her. She gets to the last one and does a front flip. She lands and throws her arms up in the air as if to say ‘tada.’

The Alpha laughs “ We only allow Lexi to do the first part of the gauntlet for now. But as you can see she is doing amazingly well.” He wasn’t kidding. Razor is bouncing up and down yelling “ Did see how awesome she was? She made that course her bitch.” “ Yea, she did, buddy.” I told him. I see Lexi run back to the Elder, Luther and his group. Alpha and I walk that way. Lexi leaps into Luther’s waiting arms and wraps her legs around his waist. “ Did you see I didn’t fall this time?” Lexi giggled. Luther wrapped his arms around her “ Yes, I did baby. You were awesome. I could hardly see you at one point, you were so fast.”

Lexi beams. “ Really?” she asks. “ Yes, really.” Luther says before leaning down and kissing Lexi. I watch Lexi tighten her arms around Luther’s neck. I see Lexi start to glow but this one is more blue and is beginning to surround both of them. I can smell her arousal from here. I smelled it just before she started glowing. I’m going to guess this color means she is turned on. Good to know. Alpha clears his throat making Lexi jump. If Luther hadn’t had a good grip on her she would have fallen on her ass.

Luther places her on feet. “ Evan, I didn’t see you. Did you see me?” Lexi asks running over to him. Alpha hugs her “ I did see. I was impressed. You are improving faster than any of us had expected.” I know dad said the Riverclaws accepted Lexi but it was different to see with my own eyes. Alpha is looking at her with the love a father would have for his daughter. I know because my dad had the same look on his face when he looked at Lexi. I want to be able to give that back to my dad.