: A New Face

AVA

I hated the lessons I had on Tuesdays. Double maths, biology and geography was torturous.

Fortunately, today was different.

Mr Jones, our maths teacher, jolted me out of my thoughts. “Class, we have a new student joining us today. This is Isabella, she has transferred here from a pack in Wales, and will be finishing her schooling with us. I hope you will all welcome Isabella.”

I glanced around the room, suddenly realising the only empty seat was next to me.

She sat down, more graceful than I could ever hope to achieve, holding out her hand to shake mine. “Isabella, call me Izzie,” she smiled.

“Ava,” I smiled back.

She was tall, slim. The exact opposite of me. She had that kind of figure everyone thinks they want.

It wasn't just me that noticed either. Leo, our future Delta, turned to stare at her, no embarrassment at all. I shook my head, suppressing a giggle, before pointing him out to Izzie. “You've already got an admirer,” I laughed.

She giggled, before retorting back at me. “You've got a couple, Ava.”

I turned in the direction of her gaze, noticing the alpha twins staring at me. I blushed, looking down, but not before I saw their sinful smirks.

“They don't even know who I am, Izzie.”

“I think they are starting to work it out, the Beta twins too.”

Yup, they were staring too. I rolled my eyes, giggling a little under my breath.

Isabella was in my next class, as were the boys. “Isabella!” Leo shouted after us. She winked at me, before turning back around to face him.

She had one eyebrow raised, an indifferent expression on her face. I just about choked back a giggle at the sight.

“Can I help you?” she asked, one hand on her hip.

He looked shocked, he was used to girls just falling at his feet. Isabella wasn’t going to be that easy. I couldn’t help but smirk at the interaction.

“I’m Leo,” he suddenly said, holding his hand out for her to shake.

“I know,” she grinned, ignoring his hand and turning back to walk away.

“Wait!” He shouted after her. “We’re having a party this week, do you two want to come?”

Isabella stopped suddenly, so he ended up just a couple feet behind her. She turned, looking up into his eyes. “What’s in it for me?”

A devilish smirk appeared on his face. “The best night of your life.”

“Promises, promises,” she smirked. “Can you live up to them though?”

He nodded. “Of course I can, baby,” he lifted her chin with two fingers so she looked directly at him. She tiptoed, her fingers dancing along his scalp and winding into his hair, her mouth very close to his, her head tilted back. He looked down at her lips, getting ready to close the distance between them.

I couldn’t keep back the smirk while watching the display, and it looked like the Alpha and Beta twins couldn’t either.

She leaned in so his lips were just an inch away from hers, and his eyes fell closed.

At that, she smirked, ducking out of his arms and walking back towards me.

“So is that a yes?” he shouted after us.

“Maybe,” she retorted, not even turning to look back. “What are you doing after school, Ava? Shall we get dinner?”

I nodded. “I can do about 8.30? I have training at 6 but I’ll be done by 8.”

“Training at six? I thought it started at 3.30?”

“Pack training does, but I currently train on my own and have done for a while. Not for long though,” I grinned.

She looked confused. “What does that grin mean?”

“I would tell you, but it’s a surprise for everyone else and wolves have really good hearing, so you’ll have to wait and see.”

“Can’t wait,” she giggled.

After school, she ran off for pack training, and I headed home to get homework done before my own training session with Beta Alexander.

Training was rough. After running my usual ten kilometre warm up, we moved on to strength training. I hated weight training, but it was a necessary evil.

Once we’d both had enough of that, we moved on to defensive drills. Beta Alexander would demonstrate a move, and I’d then attempt to block, dodge or counter it. We got through his list quicker than he expected.

“I wish everyone was as easy to teach as you, Ava,” he grinned. “That’s why you’re helping from tomorrow though! Are you ready to go with that?”

“Of course, Beta. I’m kinda looking forward to it.”

“I’m definitely looking forward to it,” Artemis chuckled.

Beta Alexander noticed my smirk, one of his eyebrows raised.

“Artemis is jumping around excitedly, Beta,” I laughed. “She’s looking forward to showing everyone how awesome she is.”

“She is pretty awesome, Ava,” he chuckled in response.

My voice deepened slightly when Artemis pushed forward. “Thank you, Beta.”

“Any time, Artemis. Now, Ava, shall we call it there? I’ll see you tomorrow at pack training.”

“Sounds like a plan, Beta.” He threw his arm around my shoulders as we turned to leave the training grounds.

Training finished slightly early gave me enough time to have a shower and even do my hair and a little makeup before Isabella met me for dinner.

“Ava!” she squealed. “You look amazing!” She flung her arms around me. “You definitely don’t look like you’ve just done a two hour workout.”

We found a table in the corner of the diner, one that gave us a perfect view across the room. Just after our food arrived, cheeseburgers, chips and milkshakes, I saw the Alpha twins, Beta twins and future Delta all walk in. They spotted us, smiled, and walked over our way.

“Ava, Isabella,” Leo grinned. “Fancy seeing you here.”

I didn’t respond, other than to just drink some of my milkshake. The Alpha twins were staring intently at my lips wrapped around the straw; I couldn’t help but chuckle.

They pushed a second table up against ours, and even with that, the table became very cosy with the five of them.

The Beta twins shouting out “hey, dad!” interrupted my total enjoyment of my burger. Beta Alexander walked towards us, a massive smile on his face. “Hey, kids! Good job at training today, all of you.” He winked at me. “Especially you, Ava.”

I grinned, my cheeks slightly tinged pink.

“Wait…” Noah called out. “Ava wasn’t in training?”

“She was, just not yours, son.” Beta Alexander smiled at me. “I’ll see all of you tomorrow in training.”

He turned and walked off, leaving the boys and Isabella staring at me. “Ava, you said you had training after regular pack training today because you train on your own…” Isabella started, voice low.

I nodded.

“Is the Beta training you personally?”

I glanced over, seeing Beta Alexander looking in my direction with a smile. He nodded.

I gave him a small smile, then turned back to Isabella. “He is indeed.”

The Beta twins' mouths were open. “How come dad is training you one on one?”

“Something for me to know and you to find out,” I grinned.

A chuckle in my head tore my attention away from the Beta twins. Beta Alexander’s wolf, Kieran, was laughing at my response.

“Artemis, you’re my favourite wolf,” Kieran laughed.

“Aww, Kieran, you’re nice too.”

I coughed, trying to hide my laugh at Kieran’s snort in response.

: Don’t Underestimate Me

AVA

I woke up bright and early the next day, looking forward to what the day would bring. Artemis was excited to show off in training. Even though we wouldn’t be shifting because very few people knew that I could, she was still looking forward to putting everyone in their place if needed.

It was going to be a good day!

I was up early enough that I headed over to the training ground, planning to let Artemis out for a run. Beta Alexander was already at the training ground when I got there, which is surprising since it was 5am… I was expecting to be the only one.

“Ava? What are you doing here at this time in the morning?”

“Artemis is feeling cooped up, she needs to run before school today.”

Beta Alexander nodded. “Want me to run with you? I’m going to be letting Kieran run too.”

“Go for it, Beta,” I smiled, before ducking into one of the little shacks to shift.

I trotted back out just minutes later, shaking my fur out. Beta Alexander was still standing in the middle of the training ground, smiling in our direction. He bowed his head at Artemis, who bowed right back. Artemis was an incredibly powerful wolf, one that demanded respect and deference without me even trying. Even the Beta felt it. He believed the Alpha and Luna probably would too, but I’d never shifted around them to know for sure.

The Beta dipped into another hut, a stunning grey wolf walking back out shortly after. Typically, Alphas were the biggest wolves, followed by other powerful wolves. Artemis was the size of an average Alpha, so stood a couple inches taller than Kieran, and he wasn’t exactly a small wolf either.

The two bowed their heads slightly at each other in respect, before turning and sprinting into the woods. I ran for a couple hours, enjoying the feeling of the wind in my fur.

“Ava, I need to head back,” Beta Alexander said over the packlink. “You should too, it’s already 7.30.”

Damn it, that meant I needed to get ready for school.

“On my way,” I grumbled back.

School was nowhere near as fun as running in the woods, and I was even starting to get a little nervous at the concept of helping Beta Alexander lead pack training from now on.

The boys sat with Isabella and I at lunch; the tension between Leo and Izzie was starting to get disgustingly thick, they just needed to do something to relieve that already.

“Looking forward to training tonight, Ava?” Isabella asked.

“Yup,” I smiled, over pronouncing the ‘p’.

“How come you’re joining us from today rather than training on your own?” Noah asked.

“You’ll find out.”

Noah and Theo looked at me, one eyebrow raised.

By the time we reached the training grounds, the Alpha and Beta twins had asked me another three times each what was going on. I just ignored them, they’d find out soon enough.

As soon as I got there, I left my bag in my usual hut, before heading back out into the middle of the training ground where Beta Alexander was waiting for me.

“Ava! I’m glad you came,” Beta Alexander pulled me into a hug.

“Me too,” I grinned.

“Shall we do this thing?” he asked, voice low? I nodded, giving him a smirk, before taking my place at his side, my hands behind my back when he turned to address everyone in attendance. The faces of the twins, Leo and Isabella were all a picture; their eyes were wide and mouths slightly open as they watched my interaction with the Beta.

“Okay, people! As I’m sure you’ve noticed, Ava is up here with me today. Some of you know Ava, some of you probably don’t. From today going forwards, Ava is going to be assisting me in training you all.”

Some of the wolves in the crowd snorted. Artemis growled; she hated being underestimated. “Don’t worry, Artemis,” I consoled her. “We’ll knock them on their asses soon enough.”

“Oh, kids, you’re going to regret that.” Beta Alexander smirked, his arm winding around my shoulders. “Who do you want to take down first, Ava?”

“Might as well start with those who snorted, Beta.”

He grinned. “Come on then you four, if you think you can take Ava down, be my guests.” He stepped back, motioning for the rest of the class to form a circle around me and the four wolves.

Isabella, Leo and the twins ended up at the front where they could see exactly what was happening, all of them looking concerned.

The four wolves started circling me, looking for their opening. As soon as the wolf behind me moved, I winked at Isabella, before ducking under the wolf’s leg, and bringing my knee up into his stomach.

He bent over double, ending up face first in the mud when I kicked the back of his leg, taking him down easily.

The crowd went quiet as they watched the display, the other three wolves ending up on the floor within minutes, one with a dislocated shoulder. The crowd cheered for me once they got over their surprise, but then fell silent again as anticipation spread through the group when Beta Alexander stepped into the improvised ring and started circling me.

“I knew I should have made it harder for you, Ava,” he laughed before making the first move. I ducked his arm, spinning behind him to land a series of punches and a kick to his kidneys. I knew he was weak there.

He spun back towards me, one of his legs sweeping around to take mine out. I let him make the hit, but as I went down, I used my grip on his shoulders to bring him down with me. This went on for a while, the crowd silent as I kept up with him, the Beta and I both repeatedly taking each other down, but neither getting the pin in.

“I think that proves the point, don’t you, Ava?” he chuckled after I knocked him down again. I smirked, giving him my hand to pull him up. “If any of you make the mistake of underestimating Ava again… well.” He looked down at me, a proud grin on his face.

“I’ve got no problem knocking you on your backside, is what Beta Alexander was about to say there.”

He laughed.

“Alright people, partner up. Ava, with me, can’t have you knocking everyone on their backsides quite yet.”

Beta Alexander and I demonstrated offensive moves and how to counter it, with us taking turns in each position so the pack could see how to adjust the take down depending on their height and muscle mass.

Once we’d demonstrated the moves, we split the group in half with us both walking around correcting postures, giving advice and helping people work out what they were doing wrong.

“Beta,” I called out when I started spending more time helping the shorter wolves take down the taller ones. “Fancy doing a second demonstration so I can talk people through how I’d counter the move from you?”

He nodded, walking towards me. “Basically, Ava, you just want to knock me on my backside again,” he replied through the mindlink.

“Guilty as charged.”

He laughed, out loud, drawing curious glances from across the field.

I had him demonstrate the takedown slower this time, so I could talk through each move I made to defend against it. After talking them through it, we did it again at full speed, ending up with Beta Alexander on his back on the grass.

Applause rang out from behind me, with the Alpha twins and Leo clapping louder than the rest. The Beta twins just looked shocked at how I’d taken their father down, and Isabella was doing a full cheerleader routine for me.

I gave them a bow, laughing as I did, only for Beta Alexander to suddenly appear behind me. I felt the air move as his leg went to sweep mine out from under me, but before he could, I jumped over his leg, rolling to the side and jumping back up to my feet.

“That was a low blow, Beta,” I taunted.

He smirked, before asking me to help him demonstrate the move again but slower. He pulled me back up after, and cheers surrounded us again.

: Dinner with the Pack

AVA

At the end of training, I walked back over to where the twins, Leo and Isabella were all waiting for me.

“That was amazing!” Isabella squealed, throwing her arms around me. “Now I see why you were training on your own!”

I grinned in response, “thanks guys.”

“Now I know why dad comes home looking like his ego has been hurt some nights, Ava,” Oscar, one of the Beta’s sons, laughed. Callum, his twin, just nodded in agreement.

“Yeah… I would apologise for that, but I’m not going to.”

“Are you joining us for dinner at the pack house tonight, Ava?” Oscar asked.

I very rarely did, but perhaps now I could? It would just mean I had to get through an evening of comments and questions about how I knocked Beta Alexander on his backside…

“Sure, why not,” I smiled. “I just need to shower and change, so I’ll meet you there in an hour?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Oscar replied, pulling me into a hug. Callum looked jealous, right up until he joined the hug from behind.

The Alpha twins looked left out, but they didn’t attempt to join in, fortunately. It was awkward enough being in between the Beta twins like that, I didn’t need the Alphas getting involved too.

“See you all in a bit,” I smiled, squeezing out from in between the twins and heading towards my house at a sprint.

“Hey mum, hey dad,” I called out as I burst through the door. I was adopted when I was younger, but they were the only parents I could really remember. They were amazing and always had been.

“Hey, sweetie,” my mum replied. “You’re back early, how was training?”

“I’m helping Beta Alexander train the pack now,” I smiled.

“How did the pack take it?”

“They weren’t convinced at first, but then I knocked four of them on their backsides and Beta Alexander too.”

She pulled me into a hug. “I’m proud of you, sweetie.”

“Thanks mum. I’m heading to the pack house for dinner tonight too.”

She nodded, kissing my forehead.

Forty five minutes later, I was ready to head to the pack house for dinner. Evidently Isabella and the twins thought I’d bail, because they were all standing outside my front door waiting for me.

“Ava!” my dad called out. “Kids outside waiting for you.”

“On my way, dad!”

I ran down the stairs, pulled my heeled boots on, and headed straight out the door.

“You came!” Isabella squealed.

“Of course I did, Izzie, I told you I would.”

She grinned, grabbing my hand and pulling me in the direction of the pack house, the boys all following close behind. I could feel eyes on me, and when I spun, it became pretty clear that the Alpha and Beta twins were watching me walk.

My cheeks tinged pink, but rather than letting myself get embarrassed, I wiggled my hips, giggling when their eyes went wide.

Before I could turn back, Noah had bent over and grabbed me around my waist, throwing me over his shoulder, laughing. He ran, with me still laughing over his shoulder, his hand running up and down the back of my legs.

As soon as he wasn’t expecting it, I tickled his ribs, before using his distraction to flip myself over his shoulder, landing perfectly behind him.

“That was a low blow, Ava!” he shouted, before running straight at me.

I laughed, running in the direction of the pack house, somehow faster than Noah even in heels.

When it became clear that Noah wasn’t going to catch me, Theo, Oscar and Callum all joined the chase, sprinting behind me, but they couldn’t catch me either.

It did feel good to laugh with people I could call friends, I didn’t do that often.

By the time we reached the pack house, the twins were still a good ten metres behind me. I’d started slowing down as we got closer, but they still couldn’t catch up.

Beta Alexander was standing on the front steps with a smile, he’d evidently heard the laughing and sound of footsteps coming towards him at speed.

“Hey, Beta.” I laughed as I worked to catch my breath.

“Ava, I’m glad you’re joining us tonight,” he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a hug. We turned and walked into the pack house dining room, his arm still around my shoulders.

The room went silent. Most of the wolves here had seen me knock Beta Alexander on his backside during training, and those that didn’t see it had definitely heard about it.

“Ava, good to see you,” Luna Amelia smiled as she stepped towards me, pulling me into a hug. “I heard about Alexander,” she whispered in my ear. “Good on you, he needs knocking down a peg or two.”

“She knocks me on my backside regularly, Luna, this time there was just an audience.”

Luna Amelia laughed again, waving her mate, Alpha Jacob, over to meet us too. “Ava, I’m glad you could join us for dinner tonight.”

“Of course, Alpha. I should really come here more often than I do.”

“Try to get your parents to as well, Ava, we don’t see them enough.”

I nodded as Luna Amelia wound her arm through mine, dragging me over to her table. I glanced behind me to see the Beta, Alpha and then the twins, Leo and Isabella following behind us.

I sat next to Luna Amelia, but before I could get comfy, Theo wrapped his arms around my waist, moving me over a seat so he and Noah could sit on either side of me. Luna, Alpha and Beta all laughed, attempting to cover it with their hands but failing miserably.

“I prefer you in between us, Ava,” Theo whispered in my ear.

“Definitely pressed in between us,” Noah whispered in my other ear.

I blushed, smiling as I turned back to my food.

I jumped when their hands landed on my bare thighs, trying not to squirm when their hands moved up my legs towards my waistband.

I leaned into Theo’s ear, close enough that only he should be able to hear. “Hands to yourself, mister. I’ll have to knock you on your ass otherwise.”

It didn’t work, because Noah then leaned in on my other side. “Promises, promises, Princess,” he whispered back, leaving me shivering when his breath trailed along my neck.

I punched both of their thighs, trying not to laugh too loud when they both winced.

“You okay, Ava? Sounds like the boys are getting handsy” Luna Amelia’s voice came through the pack link.

“Of course, Luna.”

“Good, let me know if you want me to kick the boys’ backsides for you.”

“I’ve got this, Luna. You know I’ll knock them both on their backsides before the end of the night if it comes to it, you might want to be ready with bandages for their bruised egos.”

She laughed so hard she nearly choked on her dinner, the Alpha ending up rubbing her back. I grinned at her around Theo, seeing her wiping her eyes. “Are you okay, Luna?”

“Of course, Ava. I’m just so glad you could join us today.”

The six of us moved into the garden behind the pack house after dinner with beers in hand. The benefit of being a wolf meant our metabolisms were so good that the 18 age limit on alcohol didn’t really apply.

I was laying on the ground, watching the stars when a hot body suddenly appeared on either side of me.

“Boys,” I acknowledged. Theo was on my left, Noah on my right. Apparently they liked being that way around.

I sat up when I heard laughter, noticing that Isabella was sitting on Leo’s lap leaning against a tree. The Beta twins were looking at me longingly, scowling at Noah and Theo on either side of me.

Old, shy me would never have done what I was about to do, but the new confident me wanted to. I waved them both over, motioning for them to sit behind me so I ended up leaning against their chests with the Alpha twins leaning against my legs.

Being in between the four of them was more comfortable than I expected, it almost felt like home. Right up until they started arguing with each other.

“If you four are going to argue, I’m going to knock you all on your backsides and then go home,” I retorted.

“I’d like to see you take all four of us at once, Ava,” Theo whispered in my ear.

I heard laughter behind us; Alpha Jacob, Luna Amelia and Beta Alexander were standing on the steps, watching our interaction.

“Beta Alexander,” I called out. “Did you hear that challenge too?”

“I did indeed, Ava. Tomorrow at training?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“I want to watch this, Ava,” Alpha Jacob called out.

“I’ll see you there, Alpha, you too if you want to watch, Luna.”

The four boys' faces dropped slightly, I don’t think they were expecting that.