Chapter 10 Blood on the Field
Maddie Pov
The combat training field smelled like sweat mixed with dirt. The kind of smell that makes your nose wrinkle but you can't escape it because it's everywhere. I stood at the edge with the rest of the class, my stomach was doing flips. Everyone around me was stretching. Cracking their knuckles. Looking ready.
I was not ready.
Coach Brennan stood in the middle of the field. Big guy with scars on his arms, he blew his whistle. "Alright listen up. Today we're doing combat drills. Everyone pairs up. No holding back. This is real training for real fights."
My heart sank. I raised my hand slowly.
"Yes?" Coach Brennan looked at me.
"Um," I said. My voice came out too quiet. I cleared my throat and tried again. "I'm wolfless. I can't shift. So maybe I could sit this one out?"
A few people snickered. I felt my face get hot.
Coach Brennan walked over. Stopped right in front of me and looked me up and down. "You wolfless?"
"Yes sir," I said.
"Hmm," he said. He scratched his chin. "Well I don't care, everyone fights. You think enemies are gonna go easy on you because you don't have a wolf? No. So you train like everyone else."
"But I don't know how to fight," I said. Panic was rising in my chest. "I've never done this before."
"Then you'll learn," Coach Brennan said. He turned away. Started calling out pairs. "Martinez with Chen. Roberts with Kim. Vale with..."
He looked around. His eyes landed on someone behind me.
"Dawson," he said. "You're with Vale."
I turned around. A tall guy stepped forward. Third year based on the patch on his shirt. He was huge and muscular, had this smirk on his face that made my stomach drop even more.
"Easy match," someone whispered.
More snickering.
Dawson walked up to me. Looked down at me because he was at least a foot taller. "Try not to cry too much," he said.
"I'll try," I said quietly.
We moved to our spot on the field. Other pairs were already starting. I could hear grunts. Thuds. The sound of bodies hitting the ground. My hands were shaking.
"Begin!" Coach Brennan shouted.
Dawson started circling me. Slow. Like a predator. His smirk got bigger. "Come on wolfless. Make a move."
I didn't know what to do. I didn't know where to put my hands. Didn't know how to stand. I just stood there frozen.
"Pathetic," Dawson said. He moved faster. Circled behind me. "Absolutely pathetic."
"I don't want to fight," I said. My voice was shaking now too. "Please can we just not do this?"
"What's wrong?" Dawson asked. He was enjoying this. I could hear it in his voice. "Scared?"
"Yes," I admitted. "I'm scared."
"You should be," Dawson said.
Then he moved. Fast. His fist came at my face before I could even react. Before I could put my hands up, before I could do anything.
The punch landed square on my nose. Pain exploded through my face, it was hot, sharp and blinding. I heard a crack, felt something warm gush down my face. Blood. So much blood.
My knees hit the dirt. The world tilted sideways. Everything was spinning, ringing in my ears. The taste of copper in my mouth.
"Oops," Dawson said above me. He didn't sound sorry at all. "Guess you should've dodged."
Laughter. All around me, people laughing and pointing. I could hear them even through the ringing.
"Did you see that?"
"One hit!"
"She went down so fast!"
"Wolfless freak can't even take a punch!"
Blood was pouring from my nose. Running down my chin. Dripping onto my shirt onto the dirt. I pressed my hand to my face but it didn't stop, just kept coming.
"Get up Vale," Coach Brennan called. "You're fine. Walk it off."
I wasn't fine. My nose was definitely broken. I could feel it, the shape was wrong. Everything hurt but I tried to stand anyway. My legs were shaking so bad I almost fell again.
"Stay down wolfless," Dawson said. He was still smirking. "You're embarrassing yourself."
More laughter.
I stayed on my knees. Blood dripped between my fingers, salt from tears mixed with the copper taste. I was crying now, i couldn't help it. The pain was too much, the humiliation was worse.
"Alright Dawson that's enough," Coach Brennan said. He didn't sound mad though. Just bored. "Vale go to the nurse. Get cleaned up."
I tried to stand again. This time I made it. Barely. Everything was still spinning. I stumbled toward the side of the field. I had to get away, to get out of here before I completely fell apart.
"Weak," someone said as I passed.
"Why is she even here?"
"Total waste of space."
I kept walking. Faster. Blood was still streaming from my nose. My shirt was ruined. Soaked red. People were staring. Whispering. Some were laughing.
Gory was silent in my head. Not one word. Maybe even she was ashamed of me.
I made it off the field. Kept going past the nurse's office. Didn't want to sit there and answer questions. Didn't want anyone else to see me like this. Just wanted to hide.
The girls' bathroom. That's where I went. Pushed through the door. Checked all the stalls. Empty. Good.
I went to the last stall. Locked the door. Slid down the wall until I was sitting on the floor. The tile was cold against my legs. Blood was still dripping. Making a small pool on the floor.
I pulled off some toilet paper, pressed it to my nose. It soaked through immediately. More paper, more blood. It wouldn't stop.
My whole body was shaking. Sobs came up from my chest. I tried to keep quiet but little sounds kept escaping. Whimpering. Gasping. The sounds of someone breaking.
This was my life now. Getting beat up in front of everyone. Being laughed at. Being called weak. Being nothing.
At my old school I was popular. Protected. The Alpha's daughter. Nobody touched me. Nobody dared.
Now I was the girl who got knocked down with one punch. The wolfless freak who couldn't defend herself. The joke.
"I can't do this," I whispered. My voice echoed in the empty bathroom. "I can't keep doing this."
But what choice did I have? Nowhere else to go. Nobody else to turn to. This was it. This was my life now.