The Not So Sad Rejection

Forgotten Past

~Severn Years Ago~

"Oof!" My back hit the floor and the air was knocked out of my lungs, again. This was the umpteenth time this session. I looked up at my own personal trainer from hell. I've never actually been told her name because she feels that I need to earn the right to that information and until such time I was to address her as ma'am.

What a bunch of bull. "Your balance was off," she criticized without compassion as I struggled to get back on my feet. It wasn't easy. Everything hurt and I could feel bruises beginning to form. "We're down for the day," my trainer said eyeing me.

"No," I gasped stubbornly as I straightened out. "Again."

"You're spent," she said. "Go lay down, we are done."

"No," I repeated. "Let's go again." I fell into a fighting stance.

She looked ready to argue when someone interrupted. "Good evening ladies."

My trainer dipped her head slightly in the direction of the man. I recognized him as one of the men present when I first arrived. Aside for Alpha and Luna Greyson I'd only spoken with Theta Church. "Trainer Marold."

"I can take it from here if you want," he offered her while gesturing at me. I pushed down a spark of irritation. I hate when people talk about me like I'm not here when I'm literally standing right next to them. My trainer nodded and left. I openly glared at the man. It irked me even more that he wasn't ugly. I like when people who annoy me are ugly. I hate when they're actually quite attractive, and he was quite attractive. "Attack me."

I remember lunging and then suddenly I was looking up at the ceiling. I have no clue what happened between my attack and my being knocked on my ass. I blinked sweat out of my eyes and rolled onto my side to inhale a deep breath before pushing against the floor to get back up. "Again," I said through gritted teeth.

He knocked me on my ass again. "Just stay down," he said as I tried to get up. It was hard to hear over my labored breathing and my blood pumping in my ears.

"No," I hissed and attacked. I tried to land a punch to his jaw. He caught my arm and kicked my feet out from beneath me so I fell back to the ground.

"Don't get back up," he ordered. I did my best to ignore him. I think I actually caught him off guard when I mimicked his move and swept his feet out from under him. He fell to the ground and I rolled on top of him and tried to pin him. Maybe if I still had any real strength left I could have been successful. But I did and he rolled over and pinned me beneath him. I'm really beginning to hate this guy. "You've been here three weeks," he hissed. "Do you really expect to be able to beat any of your trainers after such a short time?"

"Of course not," I snapped.

"Then take a break, get some sleep," he said.

I gritted my teeth together and tried to flip him off of me unsuccessfully. I hated it. I felt like a failure and I hated it. Since coming here and becoming Alpha Greyson's Beta it'd been made abundantly clear that I was laughably unprepared for the job. I wasn't used to failing at things. Back at Silver Moon I'd always been the best, I'd been at the top of my class. Even my fighting classes.

Here was different. For the first time in my life I felt as if all of my training was useless. Even worse I felt like I was letting Alpha Greyson down. He'd taken me in and knowingly promised to hide me from Grant when anyone else would have sent me packing straight back to Silver Moon. If anyone found out Alpha Greyson would be in serious trouble. Silver Moon could declare war and despite everything they did they would still have more packs willing to side with them simply because hiding an Alpha's mate from him is considered to be a far worse crime. And after all of that it turns out instead of being a great Beta to him I'm just a useless liability.