Charles too looked like he had spent some time in the bathroom, and he looked more like he was going to a job interview or to church than just showing up for the training that this day would offer. He wore jeans and a nice shirt, but he carried them well. His long strides carried him quickly to where William was waiting, and Katherine was only a few steps behind him.
William knew the question was pointless, but he figured that someone should ask anyway. “Where is Nicolas?”
Katherine glanced back over her shoulder but said nothing. Charles turned around and pointed with a slight wave of his hand down another side street. “Nicolas lives on the far side of the city. He should be here soon.”
William shrugged. Should and would are two totally different things, with Nicolas especially so. William stood up and waited with the rest of his pack. His mind started to wander, and he felt unprepared for what was going to happen to them today. After what he had been through, he should have been confident and ready for anything but for some reason he couldn’t shake the feeling of apprehension. He kept his body still but even that was an effort. He was given a momentary reprieve as Nicolas emerged into the city square. The tanned skinned, blonde-haired boy in a man’s body wore a look of disgust on his face. While Katherine and Charles looked awake and ready to go, Nicolas looked like he had been up all night on some binge drinking excursion. The contrast to how he looked when they left their den was stark and disconcerting.
“What happened to you?” William asked.
Nicolas looked up at him from under heavy eyelids and angry puffy bags under his eyes. “Why don’t you worry about yourself, douche bag.” He was monotone in his response. Nicolas shifted his gaze back down to the street and trudged forward to sit down heavily on the street, separated from the rest of the pack. The mirror image of Achelois was almost funny. William had to consciously stifle his laughter. He did however let a small smile crease his lips.
William was just about to sit down again when a man and a wolf walked out from an alleyway and approached the Tower. William was jerked back to a full standing position. The man was shorter than William by no more than an inch. He had tanned skin with black hair. His brown eyes were piercing. He walked with a confidence and a grace that belied his size. His well-muscled body was very much in shape and his broad shoulders spoke of a very real and natural strength that had come from long hours of training and good genetics. The wolf walking at his side was Ares.
William was shocked to see his teacher in wolf form here. He wanted to ask a few questions, but Efraim cut off all hope of friendly conversation. “First of all, I’d like to extend my congratulations on your pack passing its test.” He spoke with an exotic accent that William couldn’t place. Efraim looked at each member of the pack. “If it had been up to me, you all would have failed.” He didn’t raise his voice but his tone took on acidic qualities that were even more dangerous sounding than yelling and screaming. “From this day on, until I say, you are under my instruction.” He paced in front of the young pack. “This little spat that you’re having between yourselves ends now.” He said this as he looked dead at Achelois and shot a withering stare at Nicolas. “Your pack is the most important thing in your lives. Whatever happened in the past means nothing from this moment on. My name is Efraim Goldstein. From now on you belong to me. You will do what I say when I say it. There will be no debate and I will not tolerate anything less than your best effort and I know what your best effort is.” He looked sideways at Nicolas. “Some of you have a better effort threshold than others.” He turned back to the main group of the pack. “But after I’m done with you, you all will be performing at a respectable standard. The longer it takes, the more painful it will be.”
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Efraim turned his back on the young pack. “I don’t enjoy putting young pups through what I will have to put you through, but we all have duties here in the City under the Mountain.” He turned his head and looked down at Ares standing beside him in wolf form. “Ares, take Aceso and Achelois, you know what I expect.” Ares nodded his head once in acknowledgement. “We will meet back here in two hours.”
Ares barked once into the quiet morning. Aceso stood up and Achelois was not far behind. Ares barked again and turned and ran off into a nearby alley way. Aceso and Achelois kicked off the stone street simultaneously and quickly disappeared, following the large form of Ares.
When they were gone Efraim turned back around to face the remainder of the pack. “The rest of you, I want you to run as fast as you can, that way.” Efraim pointed behind him. “If you come to a fork in the road, I’ll tell you where I want you to go.” Efraim stood there for a moment. When nobody moved Efraim barked out, “NOW.”
The sudden noise startled William and he jumped forward a step or two. Charles took off running and Katherine was not far behind. It took Nicolas a moment to get going, he still hadn’t even stood up. William was running now but he glanced behind long enough to see Efraim haul Nicolas up by the scruff of his shirt collar and handily toss his up onto the street. Efraim did not throw him down to the ground but up so that Nicolas was able to get his balance and start running.
Two hours later they returned to the tower in the center of the city. William was certain that Efraim knew by now that he was benefitting from the pack bond that he and Aceso shared. He was the only one who didn’t look ashen with exertion. He watched as Nicolas bent over and threw up on the black obsidian street. The vomit splattered in front of him and William did nothing to hide his disgust. Katherine covered her nose with the back of her hand and stepped away as Nicolas heaved once more.