Ruthless alpha shadowed.., p.31
Ruthless Alpha: Shadowed Heirs book one, page 31
When I finally emerge from the woods at the path to the swimming hole, Archer is waiting for me on the bank, tipping his head in greeting as I approach.
“What’ve you got for me, Arch?” I ask cheerfully, picking my way down the bank to join him.
“Swim out to the deepest spot and tread water for thirty minutes, initiate,” he says bluntly.
Well that doesn’t seem so bad.
At least it’s not a challenge of how long I can hold my breath underwater or something.
I bend at the waist to untie my shoes and slip them off, stuffing my socks into them. “You’re scared of the water?” I ask dubiously, glancing up at Archer as I straighten.
“Not the water. Of Drowning,” he clarifies. Then he pauses, shrugging. “Everyone’s afraid of something.”
He’s not wrong, and these little peeks into my friends’ psyches are enlightening, to say the least. I can’t help but wonder what the others are afraid of- though I suppose I’ll learn soon enough.
The cold water stings my skin as I wade into the swimming hole, momentarily stealing my breath. I move further from the bank until I can no longer touch the bottom, then I swim out to the deepest part beneath the waterfall, glancing back at Archer for confirmation that I’ve gone far enough. With a nod from him, I start to tread water, moving my legs and arms to stay afloat.
It’s not so bad at first. Truth be told, it’s almost relaxing. The forest is calm, and the tranquil waterfall is a soothing soundtrack to this leg of my initiation. I slip into almost a meditative state, keeping a steady pace and regulating my breathing so that I don’t get too winded.
I seriously underestimated how difficult it would be to keep this up for thirty minutes, though.
By the time Archer calls out that I’m at the twenty-minute mark, my muscles are screaming for relief, my lungs burning. The last ten minutes are hell, and when Arch finally declares that my time’s up, my muscles slacken with relief and I forget to keep my head above water, slipping under.
I sputter as I resurface, pushing my body to cooperate and swim toward the bank. I manage to make it to a shallower spot and get my feet underneath me, then wade through the water on wobbly legs, dragging myself out of the swimming hole and onto the bank. My wet clothes cling to my skin as I make my way over to Archer, panting as I approach him with my hand out, palm up.
“Key, please.”
“You earned it,” Arch declares proudly, depositing it in my waiting hand.
I slip the elastic over my wrist, the second key joining the first with a metallic clink. “Please tell me the next part is easier?”
He chuckles, shaking his head as I stoop down to pull on my socks and shoes.
“What?” I ask nervously, straightening.
“You’ve gotta run to Pike’s Point.”
“You’re kidding me, right?” I deadpan. “That’s like four miles!”
“Yeah, and one more thing…” Archer trails off, throwing a thumb over his shoulder and glancing toward the forest behind him.
I draw a short gasp at the sight of a sleek tricolor wolf slinking out from the foliage, baring its teeth in a snarl.
A smirk curls Archer’s lips as he adds, “Don’t get caught.”
I want to curse at him, beg for a five-minute reprieve to rest my aching muscles and catch my breath, but the wolf starts advancing and my fight or flight instincts kick in. I spin around, taking off into the forest at a dead sprint.
The soles of my shoes pound the dirt, my heart slamming against my ribcage as I tear through the woods with the animal in hot pursuit. I’d recognize Lo’s wolf anywhere, and I wonder if she’s deriving some sick sense of satisfaction from chasing me like this.
Honestly, if she really wanted to catch me, she could. It’s impossible for me to outrun her in human form. As I continue to flee, though, it becomes clear that the purpose of this exercise is for her to toy with me more than anything.
At first, she’s right behind me, snapping at my heels while my adrenaline spikes. Then she seemingly backs off- or at least I think she does, until I’m startled to see her coming up on my left, closing in. I weave through the trees, trying my best to evade her advance, and just when I think I’ve finally lost her, she’s coming up on my right side instead. For the whole four-mile run, she varies her pursuit just enough to keep me unnerved the entire time, my heart racing, lungs burning.
By the time I finally reach Pike’s Point, I’m so exhausted that I feel like I could pass out at any moment. The wolf emerges from the forest behind me and the air shimmers as Lo shifts to her human form, rising up on two legs with a satisfied smile on her face.
“What the fuck, Lo?!” I demand, doubling over and pressing my hands to my knees, struggling to catch my breath.
“Fear of being chased,” she says flippantly, barely even winded. I eye her warily as she steps over to a downed tree where a folded stack of clothes are waiting for her, along with a pair of water bottles. She tosses one to me and I snatch it out of the air, moaning in relief as I twist off the cap.
While I suck the water down greedily, Lo tugs on a t-shirt and a pair of sweats, reaching into the pocket and producing a key. Water dribbles from the corners of my lips and down my chin as I gulp the entire contents of the bottle, watching Lo warily out of the corner of my eye as she approaches and offers it to me.
“Thanks,” I breathe, trading her the empty water bottle for the key and adding it to the others on my wrist. I’m almost afraid to ask, but… “Now what?”
She winces. “You’re not gonna like it.”
My stomach sinks like a stone and Lo turns around, pointing to the mouth of a nearby cave.
My blood runs cold.
I know exactly whose fear this is, and I could kill him for leaving it out of his warning.
40
“Good luck,” Lo sing-songs, tossing me a wave as she retreats.
I throw her the middle finger in return as she leaves me to tackle my next challenge, mentally cursing every one of my so-called ‘friends’ that put me up to this.
Everybody knows this cave- or rather, everybody knows to stay away from it. It’s dark and damp, and it stinks from the way water collects on the floor in a shallow pool, making it the perfect home for creepy crawlies. The real kicker, though? It’s infested with snakes.
My throat bobs with a hard swallow as I glance back toward the mouth of the cave, recalling how my brother and I stumbled upon it by accident when we were out playing as kids years ago. We ventured inside, seeking a thrill, and boy, did we find one.
Tristan slipped on a rock and lost his footing, falling into the snake-infested water. In his panic to escape, he kept slipping back into the water and was bitten several times. In the end, he was so shaken by the whole ordeal that he never went back, and he’s had a visceral reaction to seeing snakes ever since.
I shiver at the memory, and as if on cue, my brother comes walking up behind me, setting his hand on my shoulder.
“Can’t you just give me the key and pretend I went in?” I ask warily, lifting my chin to glance back at him.
He shakes his head with a frown. “No can do, sis. The key’s in the back of the cave. You’ve gotta go in and get it.”
I spin around to face him, folding my arms over my chest and furrowing my brow. “Bullshit. There’s no way you went in there to hide that key.”
“Of course not,” Tristan scoffs. “When I said I’d never go back in there, I meant it. The only time I have was for my own initiation.” His eyes flicker over my head to the mouth of the cave, a shudder running through him. “Never again.”
“Then who put it in there?” I challenge.
He shrugs. “Beats me. One of the other guys, I’m assuming. All you’ve gotta do is go in and get it.”
“That easy, huh?” I mutter wryly.
This challenge is more of a mental one than anything. My shifter healing can combat venom from a snake bite, so entering that cave won’t put me in mortal danger. That doesn’t mean it won’t hurt like hell if I get bitten, though, and something about slithering snakes just gives me the heebie-jeebies.
I stare at the entrance to the cave for another solid minute before I shore up the courage to start toward it, dread pooling in the pit of my stomach the whole way. Tristan follows me silently, but he stops short a few feet from the opening, not daring to venture any farther. I don’t blame him. I can already smell the stench permeating from inside.
I remove my shoes and socks again, not wanting to get them all wet in case there’s another running aspect of this initiation ahead of me, and with a final mental pep talk, I head in.
“Fuck,” I whisper to myself, my feet sliding against the slimy stone floor of the cave as I wade into the shallow water. The smell is so overwhelming that I hold my breath, darkness closing in around me and a dank chill settling into my bones.
This is fine.
Mind over matter, right? I’ve already broken free from a locked box, tread water until I could barely stay afloat, and endured a harrowing run through the woods while being chased. Wading through a grimy cave should be a cakewalk in comparison.
At least that’s what I tell myself until I feel something slither across my toes.
A startled gasp escapes me as I jump away, dirty water splashing around my shins. I curse under my breath, taking another step only to feel something move beneath my foot.
Damnit, I hate this place.
I pause to gather myself, steeling my composure and deciding that I just need to move quick, regardless of what I feel underfoot along the way. Lifting a hand to plug my nose, I make my strides as long as possible as I venture further into the cave, my heart beating a riot in my chest.
It’s impossible to ignore both the movement in the water at my feet and the icky feeling creeping up my spine, but I grit my teeth and keep pushing forward, determined to accomplish this task. And when I finally make it deep enough inside to catch sight of a metallic glimmer on the rear wall, I basically lunge for the key hanging there. I pluck it up, spin around, and get the hell out of dodge.
My feet slide against the slippery cave floor while I make my exit, but somehow I manage to remain upright and not befall the same fate as Tristan did in childhood. He’s still there waiting for me when I emerge, and I drag in a greedy gulp of fresh air, a shiver tracking all the way down my spine.
“See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Tristan asks with a smirk.
“You’re sadistic,” I groan, shoving at his chest.
He stumbles back with a laugh.
“Tell me the next one is easier?”
“Wish I could,” Tris sighs, handing me my running shoes. “C’mon, get these on. I’ll run over to the complex with you for your next challenge.”
“The complex?” I question, arching a brow.
My brother doesn’t elaborate further, though at this point, I don’t really expect him to. He just waits while I get my shoes and socks on again, then follows my lead when I depart, keeping pace with me as I jog to the squad complex.
I try to conserve my energy, knowing that I’m not done with their tasks yet. I have no idea what awaits me next, but given what I’ve already endured, I can only imagine. I’ve already been at this for hours.
At least Tristan’s a little more helpful when we arrive. He directs me through the gate and onto the practice field, where I find Ares standing there waiting for me beside a big rolling whiteboard, his thick forearms folded across his chest.
I slow to a stop in front of him, lifting my shirt to mop the sweat from my brow as I look from the blank whiteboard to the empty field surrounding us, holding my breath in anticipation for something to jump out at me. It’s suspiciously quiet, no sign of boxes or wolves or snakes anywhere.
“Well?” I finally ask, looking to Ares in question.
A grin spreads across his face and he takes a step backwards, reaching out to grasp onto the whiteboard and swivel it to the opposite side. The hinges creak as it swings and turns over, and as soon as I see what’s written upon it, my posture deflates.
60 Push-ups.
60 Sit-ups.
20 Burpees.
5-minute plank.
I turn my gaze back to Ares, completely stumped. “Fear of working out?” I ask, wrinkling my nose.
“Fear of failure,” he clarifies.
I blow out a slow breath, shaking my head. “Damn.”
“What?”
“Nothing, I just respect the hell outta you for admitting that.”
He stands up a little straighter, lifting his chin and rolling his shoulders back. “Yeah, well you might be whistling a different tune when you’re trying to keep up.”
“Come again?”
His face splits into another wide grin. “You’ve gotta keep up with me, babe. Miss one rep and we start over.”
I scowl, kicking at the ground with the toe of my shoe. “Dick.”
Ares chuckles a little too gleefully, rubbing his palms together. “Ready to get started?”
I drop down to the ground with a groan. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Tristan wanders off to watch from afar while Ares steps beside me and sinks down into a push-up position, waiting for me to do the same. I roll onto my belly and plant my palms in the grass, pushing up with my arms, then glance over at him with a nod.
We begin.
The push-ups are brutal. The sit-ups are worse. By the time we get to the burpees, I’m on the verge of calling it quits, but somehow, I grit my teeth and push through, focusing on getting to the finish line. The plank at the end nearly kills me, though.
When we’re finally done, I flop onto my back in the grass, my chest heaving and muscles burning with exertion.
I feel like I could pass out right here.
Tristan brings over a bottle of water for each of us, and I guzzle half of it down, then dump the rest over my sweaty face.
Ares reaches for my wrist and slips a fifth key onto it.
“How many more?” I croak, my head falling sideways to stare at him lying in the grass beside me.
I’ve been keeping a tally in my head, trying to figure out who’s left. I haven’t encountered Iver’s challenge yet. What’s he afraid of?
“You’re almost done,” Ares reassures, curling up to sit and giving me a nudge with his fist. “C’mon, let’s get going. It’s time for the grand finale.”
“I can’t move,” I groan.
Tristan nudges my foot with the toe of his shoe. “C’mon, don’t give up now, Sloane,” he urges, giving me a little smile of encouragement. “You’re in the home stretch.”
I blow out a breath, then move to sit up. My ab muscles feel like they’re on fire when they constrict and I cry out, doubling over and hanging my head between my knees. “I can’t.”
“You can,” Tris assures. He crouches down in front of me, reaching out to lift my chin so I meet his eyes. “C’mon, don’t you wanna go see Madd?”
Just the mention of my mate’s name gives me a surge of motivation. I nod weakly, taking Tristan’s hand and allowing him to help pull me to my feet. Then I hobble along with him as he and Ares lead me off the practice field and to the parking lot, where we pile into Tristan’s SUV.
Thank fuck we’re driving to the next destination rather than running. I don’t think I would’ve been able to handle another run after Ares’ challenge.
I lean my head against the window as Tristan drives, spacing out and not paying much attention to where we’re going. My shifter healing is currently working overtime to try to repair my aching muscles, and I’m so tired I feel like I could sleep for a week. But like Tris said, this is the home stretch. I’m almost finished, and then I can rest.
I’m too drained of energy to even speculate as to where we’re headed, but when we pull up to the old lodge, a pit of dread settles in my gut. They said that the final challenge would be facing my own greatest fear. This is exactly what Tristan warned me about.
A feeling of numbness settles over me as the three of us climb out of the SUV and load up in an ATV instead, my brother behind the wheel. He starts it up and drives away from the lodge, following the path of the ski-lift cables overhead.
I see a cluster of people waiting up ahead at the base of a support tower, and Tristan slows the ATV to a stop as we approach them. The rest of the gang’s all here- Lo, Avery, Archer, and Madd- but it’s Iver who steps forward to greet me when I disembark from the ATV.
“This one’s mine, fear of heights,” he says, pointing up at the support tower.
I feel the color drain from my face as I tilt my head back to look up. The support tower is a round metal structure with a ladder running up one side and a T-shaped platform on top. It’s at least thirty feet above the ground, and the mere sight of it sets my teeth on edge.
I lower my chin, meeting Iver’s eyes as I subconsciously retreat a step.
Madd abruptly breaks away from the others, shouldering past Iver and approaching me. He gets right up in my space, reaching out for my face and framing it in both hands as he gazes down into my eyes. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” he says, the low, gravelly tone of his voice soothing all the sharp edges of emotion that have risen in my chest. “But I have no doubt that you can.”
Our gazes lock and I feel the bond between us pulling taut, followed by a wave of calm, like he’s pouring it from himself right into me. I stare at him mutely, wringing my hands to try to hide the way they’re trembling.
“We’ve done this a few times before,” Madd continues. “We’ve got a harness rigged up, so even if something were to happen, you won’t be in any real danger.”
I nod, glancing up at the tower again. Though Madd’s reassurances should alleviate my fears, they don’t. This may not be the exact spot where I fell, but for the torrent of memories that flood my brain when I look up at the support tower, it may as well be.
“Plus, I’m coming with you,” he adds.
