Chapter 194: Competition

Henry's POV

What's going on? Swayer, Rachel and I go to the door where Aunt Marla was at.

It's a bunch of kids, and SHE'S with them!

"Hello kids, what can I do for you?" She asked them hesitantly. Our little holiday ended yesterday and today we started in school and training... After I was tested they insisted I was capable of joining the other Betas. This is way harder than school back home, Dad used to tell us stories about how much stronger than other packs The Osupa were and as I saw them training today I could see why.

"Hello ma'am, we're going to the beach and wanted to know if the new kids would like to join us if that's ok with you?" One of the girls that was in my class today asked, I only caught HER name in class... Inaaya. She's really cute and finished her trigonometry answers really fast!

"Ummm, well... Rachel maybe is too young... Do you boys want to go?" Aunt Marla asks getting an angry scowl from Rachel.

"I want to go too!" Rachel bellows, but I grab my brother's hand and go change.

"Good thing we went shopping yesterday and got new swimsuits!" Swayer says while changing. We've never lived in a place like this, we don't have to hide what we are or link everything out of fear of human's ears.

"It's fine, just hurry up!" I'm not missing this chance to get to know her better!

We ran out with a towel and Aunt Marla chuckled amused.

"Why can't I go?!" Ugh! Rachel!

"Now honey, these kids are bigger. How about you and me go to the lagoon and you can try to race the Mermaids, ok?" She started pouting but it looks like it worked.

"Now you boys behave and remember that we're guests here, understood?" We both nodded and grinned at her and ran out.

"So your name is Henry right?" The tallest boy asked.

"Yeah and this is my brother Sawyer, what're your names?" I asked as we ran out The Fort towards the beach path that leads to Fortaleza Beach by Cofresí Bay. Everett promised Uncle Robert that he would make sure that we adjusted to life here, and besides everywhere we've been so far we've learned how to get from place to place. One of the Betas gave us a map and told us that as guests of The Fort we also can borrow a horse if we wanted! The kids here get to race horses from place to place... My Mom's grandpa tried that in our pack but the horses were always spooked, here they're super chill for some reason.

"My name is Miguel, this is my sister Soleil and my cousin Zoé, they're Jimmy, Benjamin and Jeremy, they're originally from Blood Moon and this is Inaaya, she's originally from Chandrama. Are you guys liking it here so far?" Whoa! She's from India! For a second I thought she might be OG Osupa.

"Definitely! Being able to go to the beach as often as we can, eating the food here, getting to ride horses... How did you guys get them to be so calm around our kind?" We're not riding now, Fortaleza Beach is the closest beach to The Fort, but man I REALLY like that we can now do so!

"Well that's because when our people arrived to Karaya they started bringing horses that the pups started using when the Spaniards brought them over. At first we drugged them with Tunu to remain calm, however the ones we have now have been bread here for centuries and are descendants of those that were brought long ago. We have scientists who's only job is to care for them and to make sure that they're not inbred! Basically we drugged them and their descendants became used to our scent, the howling, they noticed that the apex predators of the island, us and our wolves, wouldn't hurt them, so they got used to us. Some died in the blast, but when we got Karaya back most were scattered all over and were very happy to see us back! How do kids in your pack get around fast?" Soleil explained nonchalantly as we dropped our towels on the sand and we all jumped in the water.

"We run! My great grandfather tried to implement it but I don't know why it didn't work. Maybe we didn't drug ours." Sawyer said. I don't care about the other boys' old pack so I just ask her...

"Did you have horses in your past pack Inaaya, you're from India right?" I HAVE to pay more attention to the training! I asked Master Cahuey to allow Sawyer and me just observe today and I had to remind my brother to pay attention, he's a Delta and even they have a very particular fighting style. But from what I saw just today I can already determine that they don't waste any move, they have definitely perfected their human fighting forms to be the most precise to finish your opponent with the last wasted moves and energy. I saw how Zoé DESTROYED Inaaya every single time, then get healed and get back up to get trashed all over again, yet every time the fight would last LONGER. Zoé's not getting tired, Inaaya was just learning and adapting.

This reminded me of how Uncle Dominic trains Elizabeth and us, he always tells us not to play with our food and get cocky and to finish our opponent as fast as possible. After a while, I was able to determine who were OG Osupa and who weren't but she was tricky... She's a Beta after all! Our minds think differently from other ranks. We can register every fighting forms and just take whatever we think will finish the job faster. And yet I was explaining to my brother that here EVERY warrior adapts to each other's fighting forms as well.

From what I'm learning from the Greek Alphabet coding it makes way more sense than what we do. Betas can calculate from here to the Moon but the reason why there are always more Gammas and Deltas is their ease to change or trade one fighting from to another. My Beta pride got a hit when Everett showed us the battle between the then Gamma, now Alpha Loiza, with TWO Betas with what I was explained were Epsilon and Kappa technics! I calculated the speed and power she used on her hits... I don't know if even Dad could have achieved that and he was also a Gamma. I'm determined to learn their ways if it'll make me as powerful as possible, and from what I could see from Inaaya, so is she.

"Yes Henry, we did actually... In the end we had to leave what was left of our territory. We lost precious hunting grounds and we had to eat them... I don't want to talk about it, I remember when we had to put my Nala down. I couldn't eat from her... My Baba traded her with a friend so that they didn't eat their own horse either." Oh shit! No wonder she is so determined to get stronger!

"I'm sorry Ina, can I call you Ina? I--I didn't mean--" DUMMY!

"It's ok Henry! It's in the past! My Uncle got me a new mare, she's not Nala, but she's my Shakti. Don't get bummed, ok? New home, new life and Izzy, Ura and Auntie Lola already promised to teach us how to drive! She learned at 14 because she was in Avalon, but Maco, Ura, Auntie Tali and Auntie Lola learned at 11!" Izzy? Avalon? Does she mean the Alpha?

"Inaaaa! You shouldn't refer to her so informally!" That kid Benjamin whined.

"Give me a break Ben! Just cuz your dad is a super stickler for formality doesn't mean I have to be! Haven't you noticed on your OWN how much she hates all that grandstanding! Yo Henry, Sawyer, when you guys arrived she just wanted to invite you to dinner at the house, not the whole Throne Room show! Is she SUPER scary and not to be messed with? Yes! At this point I assume you've both seen what she can do... But she's also a really sore looser at Halo! I'm sorry, she gave me the green light to call her Izzy and Imma taking it! And yeah Henry, you and Sawyer can call me Ina." I look at 'Ben's' face and he's not liking her response at all... Interesting.

"Still, you should chill out on that! You may be closer in hierarchy but still everybody calls her with formality! Dude, even Domingo and Berto aren't being as informal in front of her, even with outsiders around her own siblings call her by title most of the time now!" Hierarchy? Are they related to the Alpha?

"Hey Ina, are you related to the Alpha?" Might as well ask. Yet...

"Her Auntie is cousin of the Alpha!" I don't remember asking him! The moment I open my mouth to give him a piece of my mind...

"Is YOUR name Ina now?! Hey Henry, Ben's a sore looser too! Especially if Jeremy CREAMS him, which is usually the case!" Oh man, she's the cutest girl I've ever met!

"Can you two SHUT IT! This is hella embarrassing! Seriously!" Jeremy is DONE with both of them. I can already scent Benny's frustration and I can't help but smile! He ALSO thinks she's cute! I looked into Miguel's eyes and I he saw it too... He looked neutral but I'm pretty sure he might have caught some bias from my end.

"I'm sorry for what happened Ina, would you teach me some good trails Saturday?" Oh and the weekends are SACRED here! Please be quiet Sawyer!

"Sure! I live up there is the Mirabal home, do you want to meet at dawn?" Oh man! She totally said YES! And Benjamin is turning blue! Ha! This has been the best first day of school ever!

"SURE! Can you help me pick a horse?" I now notice that Zoé isn't happy... Hmm.

"Oh brother!" Benjamin apparently is annoyed.

"Tsk! Sure Henry don't worry about this dummy, he's just a nag sometimes!" I smirk at her, she gives me a little smile and dodges my eyes.

"Hey guys someone cleared out one of the pits!" Soleil and Jeremy run out of the water towards one of the round fire pits on the beach. The Sun was setting, I've never seen it on this beach. I held out my hand to help Ina with the final waves out of the water and she took it and smiled at me! I got my towel and wrapped it around her shoulders, she gave me a look with those large dark eyes...

"Hey guys my Abuela gave me the parafernalia!" Soleil seems pretty cool... I grabbed some of the s'mores stuff and prepped one for Ina, she blushed a little and Dane was purring! He's never done that!

"Hey Henry, when we were getting ready I heard that Master Cahuey may pair us to spar, just know right now, I'm REALLY sorry!" Miguel said before taking a bite off his s'more. From what I saw today I already warned Sawyer and Rachel to hold their tears as much as possible. My father would've absolutely approved of this training.

"That's fine man! I get it! How much pain do you endure until it doesn't hurt?" I start prepping my own s'more and Ina sits next to me and Dane is a little dizzy. I take a breath and command him to control himself.

"It ALWAYS hurts dude! It's just that after a while you're adrenaline rush is so high that it's like if it didn't hurt. Remember, pain is there to help us determine the damage we suffer, however the more we control that adrenaline rush, the more we can ignore the pain and fucus on survival, get it?" I nod. Yes, that does sound about right.

"Guys I have to go, my Mom just linked me to go get some grub! Bye!" Jimmy gets up and leaves.

"Yeah, my Mom linked, too, Imma out!" Zoé said glumly.

"Ben, you heard Mom! And we have a longer walk." The two brothers leave with Benjamin giving me a sinister look. Whatever dude!

"See you tomorrow in class Henry, nice to meet you, see you tomorrow Ina!" Jeremy excused themselves. She waved at them and I linked my brother.

'Sawyer go back, I'll meet you later! Just do it and don't argue! I mean it!'

"See you later guys!" And he leaves! And just at that moment Ina started getting up until I stopped her.

"Ina is your wolf purring?" My Dad told me that his wolf started to purr for Mom since he was nine!

"Yes! Nala is purring! She's never done that before!" I looked at her and kissed her cheek softly.

"My wolf is Dane, and he's purring too!" I held her hand and she put her head on my shoulder.

We sat until it got dark and my Aunt Marla linked me to get my butt back.

"I have to go Ina, see you tomorrow?" I looked at her sparkling eyes and she kissed my cheek this time.

"Sure, I'll be going this way home." I walked with her to the entrance and she waved goodbye at me... I love it here!