Training for war
Stefan (Marco) walked before Amber and the elders and other leaders of Star Fire Pack. They had been training for only a day and a half but both Stefan and Amber had both identified the weaknesses within Star Fire Pack.
Stefan looked straight ahead, half in actual thought and half for simple intimidation. He had already shown them some rudimentary techniques that they could all use against vampires. He had learned a lot from Luna Azul Pack and he had shared what he had learned here.
Now he had to help them perfect, adapt and prepare for its usage in actual combat.
He turned to face them and smiled to himself when more than a few of them actually flinched. He scanned there face, his facial expression stern but relaxed.
Stefan organized them into groups of ten to fifteen and had Amber and himself in the front of them all to demonstrate the new techniques. He and her were connected in such a way that they each knew the other's move before they actually performed them. In this way they countered each other perfectly. They were becoming more and more evenly matched in every way.
And this worried a silent deeply hidden part of Stefan very much. He knew he was in love with her but he kept his hate and anger alive and stirred and it continued to override this affectionate part of him. Even with this he was beginning to notice how his heart sped up every time he saw her or was near her.
It was both frustrating and exhilarating at the same time.
He looked to the groups before him and his fate-chosen-mate. "We are going to show you the techniques you have been shown in action then you and your partners will perform the same sparring routine for your groups and as groups you will help each other improve.
"Myself, Alpha Amber, Adonis, and Elbon will begin walking through the groups and giving critiques or helping groups understand how to improve. Okay. Pay close attention."
He looked to Amber with a smile and she smiled in return. When she did he heard the two distinct heartbeats that he always heard now when they connected and interacted. It still amazed him that she was both pregnant and he could actually sense the life within her.
Internally he shook himself from his revelry, admonished himself for the emotion toward his unborn, and focused on the task at hand.
He took his stance. Amber frowned for a quick moment then followed suit. Again he admonished himself: She had sensed something.
Suddenly, seemingly with no warning they began using the blink step technique and seemed to flash across the small distance toward each other. With a loud bang the appeared before each other, claws bared and Amber making contact with Stefan's shoulder and Stefan making contact with Amber's upper arm.
A ring of power flowed out from them and harshly washed over the spectators groups. Efore they could process the first moves the two were apart and on the move again.
The elders and leaders of Star Fire Pack watched their two Alphas spar with awe and wonder on their faces.
Adonis shook his head. "Show offs."
Elbon scoffed. "Jealous much?"
Adonis smiled and looked to his counterpart. "Of course I am. Aren't you?"
"Everyday I wake up and train with him."
Adonis' smile broadened. "It's the same for every Beta I suppose."
"Most likely."
Amber spun through the air to land on her feet and lash out with two slashing punches. They were aimed at Stefan's throat. He stepped back a fraction to allow them to pass by harmlessly just as she turned her body to the side to allow a blow to her midsection to softly gliders across her body.
Amber smiled to herself. He was going easy on her since the pregnancy and she was taking full advantage of it. Her leg rose and landed square in his chest. He flew back and looked at her with a startled smile.
'You're actually taking advantage of the situation?!'
'I am.'
He was before her before she could fully enjoy the moment.
They should actual martial arts and hand to hand techniques and minor forms of magic any strong high level werewolf could perform. But all of the techniques were changed to fight a specific target. They targeted the vulnerable areas of the vampire and their mental and physical weaknesses.
It proved to be a good training session.
As Amber and Stefan trained the elders and leaders Tiffany trained both Talon and the most promising and powerful Psi of both the Star Fire and Luna Azul Packs.
Tiffany was walking amongst the pairs of Psi. For her psychic energy was a visible thing. She could see its flow and she understood, from what she saw, just how strong or weak the energy was.
Today she as doing full assessments. Some of the Psi she knew and some she didn't but she did not truly understand their full capability. That was going to change today. She was going to understand what they could do and what they could potentially do.
For her, Marco was her big brother, maybe even her father, and she was prepared to make any of his goals a reality. She was ready to do what was needed to achieve said goals as well.
Her only true hesitation was his revenge goals. He was hoping he would somehow change what he wanted in that regard. Not because she did not want to help him, or she felt some moral outrage, but because she knew his heart and she knew it had already softened when it came to Amber.
"Okay stop." A surge of psychic and healing energies flowed through the trainees as many of the Psi gasped back to awareness unaware they had ever been deep in illusion. Many had been over confident and been brought under quickly others were just incompetent.
Tiffany shook her head and pointed to six of the thirty-five Psi in the room.
"How were you chosen for this?" She looked at them sternly, feeling they may be spies. When neither answered and looked at her with confusion she entered their minds and found the information herself.
She did this with no regard for them. If either of them wanted to harm anyone she cared for they would die right there right then.
She tool a breath and the six all gasped and fell to the floor as one. She healed five of the as Talon and the others watched quietly.
Five snuck in because they wanted to improve and help both the pack and their families the sixth was another story. One she would read slowly and alone.
Dark Howl had become an underground back. It seemed to be leaderless with Margot and Kristof's three daughters helping to stabilize it. The truth was the three sisters recognized Marco as their Alpha as soon as he came to speak to them at their grandparents' pack.
Elena is a Delta, Breen is an Omicron, and Malase is a Gamma. All three respect and trust Marco. Everyone found it odd and suspicious until Triss confirmed it, and did so painfully. Afterwards she healed them and as she was making them forget all three asked her to allow them to remember.
They all said they never wanted to forget the mess their parents left behind. The truth was they were triplets and werewolves of a multiple-birth had a psychic-kinetic connection and both Elena and Breen knew Malase would not want to forget. So what was the use of blocking their memories when they would see their sisters. They all bore each other's burdens and they all helped each other through.
With Malase being the cornerstone, stabilizer, and even the shield, of the three.
Tiffany felt half guilty but she was soon okay after talking with and befriending the Gamma sister.
Dark Howl was now the center of Silver Moon Pack's resource and production hub. As they repaired homes and buildings they grew crops and produced goods. When other packs came to take over the lands they were surprised to find well trained werewolves within the Dark Howl ranks. Most of the well trained had been slaughtered by wither Marco or Amber and to find some within the territory was confusing to many.
The three sisters were strict but fair and kind. They wanted their people to thrive and be productive for their new Alpha. And so Dark Howl was left to its own devices and they quietly thrived as an unknown branch of the Silver Moon Pack.
Finally, the last true refuge of the Silver Moon Pack, their mountain stronghold was quietly refortifying and strengthening itself. Caleb and Dale were both running this area. Thanks to Triss' training they had a larger and more elaborate illusionary ward at their main entrance and they had dug out more tunnels and found deep hidden caverns within the mountain.
They also found rich veins of wolf's bane gold and blood stone within the two ranges they maintained to protect their stronghold. The Pack grew as more and more smaller groups and even packs joined their ranks. They spread across the mountain ranges and began working to strengthen Silver Moon Pack to a greater level than it had ever been before.
Marco's goal was growing closer and closer. He not only had two babies to torture Amber with he had two locations of escape and a network of loyal people so that he could enjoy her pain from a distance and then return when the time was right to take all that she held dear from her.