"Who are you?!" she asked, earning not just herself but me the attention of the whole group.

The moment the others saw me they gasped in surprise and she noticed because she raise her brow at them before returning her gaze to me.

"I said who are you?" she asked sternly.

"Oooh, looks like someone doesn't like to not be the center of attraction." Rieka said mockingly.

"Rieka, now is not the time." I said as I walked toward the blond with a stiff smile.

"I am Silveen. I arrived yesterday." I replied and the others broke into a murmur.

It looks like everyone heard of me the moment I arrived or was it before I arrived?

"Her eyes, isn't that the symbol of an Austan wolf with bloodlust?" I heard someone say among the gossiping crowd but didn't look for the speaker I only stared at the blond girl who was staring back at me with a scowl.

"Why are you just coming?"

"I got lost." I said not conceding, not that Rieka gave me a choice.

From the moment she declared that this blond was another Layla, she has been pushing her anger through me, looks like the 'doing things differently' she once told me about in winter hollows was exactly what she wanted to do.

And I vaguely knew how this would play out, stating that she was another Layla was not just stirring Rieka up, it was staring up the inner demons of me, who kept on having dreams of Layla stabbing me. If I don't try my best to keep my cool, this training ground would be a blood bath.

Not that I didn't want the opportunity for a blood bath with Layla, I just don't think I can achieve that without losing the right to stay here for my training so I had no choice but to focus on my breathing, breathing in, and out deeply through my mouth as I felt the anger pulse in my hands just a moment away from growing my claws and reddening my eyes.

"Why didn't you come out the moment the roll call was made?" she asked again and I tried not to roll my eyes.

"I wasn't used to waking up early yet." I said as calmly.

"Are you giving me an excuse for your actions right now? Or is this complaining? You think because you have red eyes, you have some sense of presence here?"

"What the hell?" Rieka said and I scoffed before I could control myself.

The blond widened her eyes in surprise at my action.

"I am so sorry, I....." I began to say,

"Enough! Don't ever come late to my training class again, if you are, I would have you thrown out and as for your eyes, wear contact or something." she said angrily and turned around to face the others.

"I'm sorry I can't do that." I said calmly again looking at her.

She turned around to face me. "What?"

"I can't wear contact lenses, I don't have one."

"Then go get one from the infirmary." she shouted at me earning us the attention of more than just the group members.

"I still can't. I have never worn them before and hiding my eyes doesn't solve anything." I explained coolly.

"So you are willingly disobeying me?"

"Why not? You are in charge of my training not my looks and even if you are, I don't think you should be concerned about my eyes, they are natural." I said calmly getting a thumb up from Rieka as we both watched with pleasure as the blonde's face squeezed in anger.

"How dare you....."

"Uhm July, Ben is coming, why don't we stop this." The guy who had been standing beside her silently touched her elbow and spoke through grit teeth while smiling at me but I heard it loud and clear.

"Get your hands off me!" The angry July yanked her elbow away from him.

"What is going on here?" We heard someone cut in and I looked at the other man with dark raven hair who walked to us, he must be the Ben guy. The blond, July turned to him smiling sweetly and I couldn't help but raise a brow.

"Ben. It's a good thing that you are here, this bitch won't....."

"You must be the Austan wolf from winter hollows." Ben said smiling a little as he walked toward me interrupting and ignoring July's existence.

I nodded looking at him but not before seeing how much July was fuming.

She likes this guy?

"I am Ben, commander of the intermediate-level trainers." he said as he stretched his hand out to me. Rieka raised her brow and I had the urge to do the same.

We didn't like people who hated us like the blond, but nice men are even more suspicious. So I didn't take the hand.

Seeing that I wasn't going to take it, he let it fall to his side before tucking it into the pocket of his pants.

"July isn't from around here, she's not very informed about your kind so pardon her," he said and July's nose almost gave off steams, if that is possible.

"I don't give a shit who she is." She said silently

"Language July, we're not a band of uncultured people here." Ben said sternly shocking July, raising a new wave of murmur from the spectators and of course causing me to raise my brow.

"Did he just call her uncultured? Why do I have a feeling we are in the midst of a lover's quarrel?" Rieka asked me excitedly and I shrugged my shoulder,

"I could work with that," I said as my brain suddenly started to work on ways to make the new Layla to explode in anger.

"I understand." I said to Ben ignoring the angry look on July's face. "I'm just trying to keep a low profile and not cause any trouble here." I said and Rieka nodded proudly in agreement, she knew what I was doing, she knew I was pushing someone's buttons and when I act just like her I always become her favorite person in the world.

"I understand, I'll talk to July." Ben replied as if July wasn't the blond who was standing beside him with a face red with anger.

"What on earth are you doing?!" July finally exploded.

"Mission accomplished!" Rieka said in excitement and I shook my head internally, she does love a good show.

Before Ben could give July an answer I went to join the spectators whose interest was now more focused on the drama that was about to unfold between the two mates.

Maybe the Ben guy took the cue that he and his mate would end up embarrassing themselves, I don't know, he also left without saying a word in reply to her, embarrassing July more.

July turned to us and glared at me angrily but I looked away.

"Twenty laps up and down the hill all of you!" she ordered loudly and everyone groaned in frustration before breaking off into a jog.

Just as I was about to follow, July walked up to me,

"You think you are something, hun? You think you are some kind of legend? Well to me, you are nothing. I don't care if you have a bloodlust or a blood rage, when I look at you all I see is a weak girl who doesn't belong here and soon others would see it too." she said before she jogged ahead to lead the group.

I stood on the spot watching her retreating back, I can't believe how similar she is to Layla.

"I am going to kill that girl!" Rieka said angrily but I calmed her down and began my run at the back of the group.

..........................................................................................................

I came to a stop panting loudly along a footpath. We've been running for God knows how long, whatever 20 laps was but we don't seem to be stopping and now we were going to run up a hill.

This girl must be doing this to punish me or maybe punish every member of the team for being unfortunate enough to witness the drama between her and her mate.

"You should hurry and catch up with the others." Rieka suddenly said.

Ever since we started running, Reika had gone quiet and the work-out seem to dissipate my anger as I only have to worry about my burning limbs now.

"I am exhausted, I might as well walk the rest of the way." I said wiping sweat off my forehead as I regretted taking a shower that morning.

My skin was all sticky now and.....

"No, you would not!"

"What?!"

"You're not walking the rest of the way, how can you even think of that as an option, you are going to make us a laughing stock and ruin my reputation as the Austan wolf from winter hollows." Rieka said and I frowned.

"Okay Rieka, I know what you mean but this isn't about you. I am exhausted, I can't run anymore not to talk of running up that hill, and by the way I am a beginner, who would care if I don't make it on my first day."

"I would. That July girl would. She would only prove the point that we are weak. I am not and even though you like pretending and deceiving yourself that you are, you are not. So get running now." Rieka said sternly again.

"God no! I don't care what she says, I am not punishing myself to gain other people's approval."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah."

"Fine. I'm taking over then."

"What! No....."

Before I could finish the statement she took over and like drugs the pain in my limbs disappeared as I watched her angrily from the back of my head as she sprinted off.

"You're going to get me killed. Normal wolves don't run like this."

"Well you are an Austan wolf, not a normal wolf, you have to start using your abilities." she said angrily as she continued running up the hill.

Within a few minutes, the other members of the group were within eye range and soon we caught up and passed a few who stared at me in shock. When we got to the front of the group, we met July and the other guy whose name I didn't catch yet.

While the guy lifted a surprised brow, July only sneered and Rieka scowled in response before running past them towards the training ground.

I could only stare at her in wonder as to how we could run so fast.

........................................................................................................

"Rieka! My legs hurt!" I shrieked in my head at Reika.

By the time we got to the training ground, the sun was already high in the sky. Rieka walked to where water was made available and gave herself a fill before coming back to lie down in our group's training space while we wait for the other group members who were far behind.

"Bear with it, it is just a little pain to show dominance."

"No! This is you torturing me to stroke your stupid ego!" I exclaimed and she rolled her eyes angering me more. "Why did you give me back the reigns, why don't you spend the rest of the day doing the rest of the training since you are so sure of yourself."

"I promised Adela to let you be in charge, that's the only way for you to get stronger."

"And just when I should be in charge you take control and show off your might. So much for promises."

"I agreed to let you get stronger not your show of weakness."

"I was tired! I was really tired. If you keep this up I would lose my limbs in two days!" I argued in frustration.

I don't know how I ended up with a wolf who does nothing but bully me.

"Then try to improve your strength." she said and cut of the links.

I lay on the ground in frustration and soon I dosed off, which was a bad idea because a few minutes later I was woken up by the panting of the others as they sat on the floor all around me and I realized I couldn't even move my legs. July eyed me then turned to the others.

"We return here in the evening for the spar, don't be late and don't forget. the morning laps are for jogging not running marathons!" she said the last part eying me, I rolled my eyes and tried to force myself to stand up but fall back on my butt, my limbs were so stiff and they hurt so much. I think they're broken.

July gave me a mocking smile and walked away. The other members of the group also dragged themselves up and walked away slowly, I could only sit there and watch them all leave my face red with embarrassment.

Rieka's great plan to bring me honor has done nothing but brought me shame, now I can't even try to stand in front of other people without embarrassing myself with my wobbly and weak legs.

"You need help standing?" I heard someone say behind me and turned around to look at the guy who was previously beside July. I still don't know his name and he didn't wait for me to reply before he came and helped me get to my feet.

I groaned in pain and he chuckled causing me to raise a brow.

"You know the laps were supposed to be a jog, not a sprint," he said as he glanced at me. "But I am very impressed, you run really fast. I just hope you would be able to make it to the evening spar and tomorrow's run." he said still smiling sweetly as the wind blew his sandy blond hair.

"It can't be that bad, I'm sure I would be fine." I murmured immediately dismissing the words even though those were my exact thoughts.

"It's Jake by the way."

"Silveen."

"You want to go to the dining hall for breakfast?" he asked as if he knew I might not want to go there.

"NO!" I said quickly. "I would go to my room first."

He only nodded chuckling as he helped me walk there.

*****

An extremely long chapter.

I know that Silveen's constant avoidance of a bloodbath is seeming overrated, don't worry, we'd give ourselves the chance to enjoy one of those blood baths she fears so much in the future.