23

23
Some minutes later, Xoey came to the training grounds but unfortunately wasn't allowed entry. Undeterred, she kept yelling her mistress' name desperately, successfully getting the latter's attention.

Bellatrix placed her half-finished bottle of water on the bench and ran towards the entrance, ignoring the two stern-looking guards stationed on each side of the black double bar gates.
"Breeder Bellatrix, you're not allowed to leave, nor is your maid allowed entry. No rules will be broken just because the Alpha let you train here," one of them, the jacked one on her right, a little taller than she was with a beard and moustache warned. 
The one on her left, although silent seemed to be of one mind with his fellow.

"I know that," Bellatrix said with a small smile. She and her maid were separated by the gate. 
"I brought you some cookies, My Lady," Xoey said excitedly.
"The breeder's already eaten," the tallest of the two guards spoke for the first time, drawing the ladies' attention.
"The Gamma didn't say I couldn't eat anything besides what I was given," Bellatrix shot back, arms folded in front of her chest.
"You will not be allowed bathroom breaks once the 'fun' session starts," the shorter guard who had auburn hair warned.

"Then... how about you guys have the cookies?" Xoey proffered with a sigh. "It's not a bribe or anything. I made them for my mistress, they're best eaten while still warm. So, you guys can have them then," 
"Return to your mistress' residence, Omega," the shorter guard said with ire evident in his tone.
"Do you like me or something?" Xoey suddenly asked, one hand on her hip.
"What sort of question is that?" the auburn-haired guard asked with a disgruntled look.

"Yes or no? Coz I see no reason for you to be so adamant about my mistress not eating what I made for her," said Xoey without a care for his expression. 
 Foaming at the mouth, the shorter guard resorted to baleful words, "If you don't want to get hurt..."
"You will not hurt Xoey," Bellatrix cut him off, annoyed by this guard's words.
"Oh, she would, and no, the Alpha wouldn't blame me. I'm just following the rules,"
"Oh really? I could fall down right now and say you pushed me down. I may be of lower descent but I am the Alpha's breeder. Do you think you will go scot-free if I claim you hurt me?"
"Then do so and let's see," the shorter guard taunted.

"Well, thankfully, I know how to cry quite well," Bellatrix said, preparing to make it look like the guard pushed her.
"It's fine. Just let her have the cookies," the taller guard said with a sigh.
'Women are really troublesome,' he thought, thankful he wasn't mated yet. 
 Xoey successfully handed the box containing the cookies to her lady who thanked her and told her not to come fetch her. She would return home by herself.
The maid nodded before blowing a raspberry at the shorter guard who looked away, afraid he might really scale the gate to teach her a lesson.

With the delicious cookies now in her hands, Bellatrix grinned.
"Want some?" she offered.
The taller guard who was enraptured by the delightful aroma subconsciously took one and with one bite took a few more.
 The shorter guard scoffed, "I'm not eating any of that nonsense," arms folded before his chest, he looked away.
"I'll take his share then," the other guard said, taking a few more, "That girl's fucking gifted," he praised, eliciting a snigger from his peeved fellow.
Finally, Bellatrix was out of the two men's sight.

The short guard stopped crossing his hands and tried to ask for his share from his fellow.
"You said you didn't want any," the latter reminded.
"Yeah, but I changed my mind,"
"Teylon, she still has more. Put down your pride a little and go get some. As for these babies, I'm not sharing them with a hater,"
"I'm not a hater, Auden,"
The latter chuckled, "Who was the one who called them 'nonsense' earlier?" 

Teylon harrumphed, "I don't even care about those damn cookies anyway,"
"That's right. So you won't be taking the one I wanted to give you out of pity," Auden said with amusement.
"I don't need anyone's pity," Teylon snapped. He looked at the time, "It's time to switch,"
He was already walking away as he said this after opening the gate. Those who were to switch with them were already on their way and Auden offered them a cookie each to which they praised their deliciousness. Teylon, sulking, sped up his walking pace, with the laughing Auden behind him.

At exactly 4 pm, the Gamma returned and the 'fun' session began.
By the end of the session, Bellatrix was drained, her muscles aching from the unfamiliar exertion. But despite the fatigue, there was a sense of accomplishment that filled her- a feeling that she hadn't experienced in a long time. She had done it. She had trained, and she had done well. Or maybe he just went easy on her considering her descent.

Gamma Sergei nodded at her as they finished, a hint of a smile on his usually stoic face. "Not bad for your first day, Bellatrix. Keep this up, and you might surprise a few more people."
She managed a small smile in return. "Thank you, Gamma. I'll... I'll do my best."
As she turned to leave, she could already hear the whispers starting up around her, the envious looks from some of the females nearby. 
~,~

6:57 pm...
Bellatrix trudged down the path toward her quarters. 
Her legs felt like lead after all those hours of rigorous training. Each step sent a jolt of pain up her calves and muscles. Her back ached, and her arms felt like they weighed a ton. 
 At this rate, she wasn't sure if she'd even be able to make it to her room on her own. Thankfully, she didn't have to go far. Xoey spotted her from the door and hurried over, eyes widening at the sight of her exhausted mistress.
"Oh dear, you look like you've been hit by a boulder," Xoey said with a teasing grin, slipping an arm around Bellatrix's shoulders to help her inside.

"Not just one boulder, I feel like I was run over by a whole herd of them," Bellatrix muttered, managing a weak smile. "Remind me why I thought training this hard was a good idea?"
Xoey chuckled. "Because the Alpha commanded it, and you wanted to prove everyone wrong for thinking you're just a weak breeder. Besides, I heard people whispering about how good you did, it seems that you're a lot stronger than you think."
"Yeah, well, tell that to my muscles," Bellatrix groaned, shifting her weight against Xoey as they shuffled down the hall. "I don't think I've been this sore in my entire life."

As they made it into Bellatrix's room, Xoey helped her onto the bed, where Bellatrix immediately sprawled out, groaning as she tried to find a comfortable position. Every inch of her body protested.
"I'd suggest getting up and taking a nice, hot bath, but I suppose you'd rather lie here moaning like an old lady?" Xoey teased, hands on her hips as she looked down at Bellatrix.
"Oh, I'm not moving," Bellatrix replied with a sigh. "I might just sleep here and hope that by some miracle I wake up feeling like myself again."
"Well, if you want to enjoy the hot bath I prepared for you, you'll have to get up," Xoey said, arching an eyebrow playfully. "Come on, mistress, up you go."
With a lot of groaning, some reluctant laughter, and Xoey's gentle prodding, Bellatrix managed to sit up. She glared half-heartedly at her maid, though she couldn't keep the amusement from creeping into her expression.
"I'm starting to think you enjoy my suffering," she said.

"Dear goddess no," Xoey replied with a grin. "But I know you'll get through this and come out stronger. Now come on, let's get you cleaned up before you pass out right here."
With Xoey's help, Bellatrix shuffled into the bathroom, where Xoey began to draw a bath, carefully adjusting the water temperature until it was just right. The warm steam filled the room, easing some of Bellatrix's tension just by its comforting heat.
"Oh, that smells wonderful," Bellatrix murmured, inhaling the scent of lavender and chamomile that Xoey had thoughtfully added.

"That's the idea. It'll help you relax," Xoey said, stepping back and gesturing for Bellatrix to get in. "Now, let's ease some of those sore muscles, shall we?"
Bellatrix gingerly lowered herself into the tub, hissing as the hot water touched her bruised and aching skin, but soon a sigh of relief escaped her as the warmth soaked into her tired muscles. She closed her eyes, letting the tension melt away.
"You're a miracle worker, Xoey," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I know," Xoey replied with a laugh, leaning against the sink with a smirk. "But I'm not done yet. Once you're out, I'll give you a proper massage. We can't have our Alpha's mate collapsing before she even gets started, can we?"
Bellatrix chuckled weakly. "I might not survive tomorrow if it's anything like today. The Gamma was relentless, and he said it's only going to get harder."
"Oh, don't worry about that," Xoey said with a dismissive wave. "You're tougher than you think. Besides, if anyone can get through this training among the both of us, it's you."
"Yay," Bellatrix said with sarcasm.
...
After soaking in the bath a little longer, Bellatrix finally stepped out, wrapping herself in a towel as Xoey handed her a soft nightgown. Once dressed, she padded back into the bedroom, feeling slightly more human but still worn out.
She requested two apples, that would be her dinner tonight. She was too tired to think of devouring anything else.

True to her word, Xoey had her lie down on her stomach and began kneading her back with strong, skilled fingers. Bellatrix let out a long sigh, the pain of sore muscles giving way to deep relaxation as Xoey worked her magic.
"Oh, that feels amazing," Bellatrix murmured, feeling herself melt into the bed. "You know, I could get used to this treatment. Maybe I'll demand a massage after every training session. You're practically a lifesaver, Xoey. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"You'd be curled up on the floor right now, groaning like a grumpy old lady," Xoey shot back playfully.
Bellatrix let out a sleepy chuckle. "Probably true."

After a few minutes, Xoey shifted to massaging Bellatrix's legs, gently working out the knots in her calves and thighs. Bellatrix winced occasionally, but overall, she felt herself relaxing more deeply with every passing second. However, the memory of Gamma Sergei's warning about the next day's training suddenly came back to her.
"Xoey," she said, a hint of nervousness creeping into her voice. "The Gamma told me that tomorrow's training will be even tougher. And that I'm not supposed to eat anything... just some herbal drink he'll give me."

The maid paused, her hands still on Bellatrix's leg as she looked up in concern. "Just an herbal drink? Nothing else?"
Bellatrix nodded, sighing. "Apparently, it's supposed to make me lighter and faster. But I'm not sure how well that's going to go. I can't even imagine doing today's routine on an empty stomach."

Xoey raised an eyebrow, looking sceptical. "Sounds a bit extreme, but if that's what the Gamma said, I suppose he knows what he's doing."
"I guess so," the breeder mumbled.
Her maid smiled warmly, giving her mistress' calf one last, gentle squeeze before moving up to her head. "Let's make sure you're as relaxed as possible, then. Just close your eyes and let me work on that headache of yours."
Bellatrix closed her eyes, breathing deeply as Xoey's fingers began to massage her temples in slow, soothing circles. The tension in her head began to ease, each touch erasing a little more of the lingering stress.
"Xoey, you're the best," she murmured, half-asleep already.
"I know, I know," Xoey replied with a chuckle. 

They fell into a comfortable silence as Xoey continued her gentle massage, letting Bellatrix drift in and out of sleep. The quiet rhythm of Xoey's touch was all she needed to feel at ease, even with the looming challenge of tomorrow's training on her mind.
 Finally, Xoey gave Bellatrix's shoulder a light pat. "Alright, you're done for the night. Rest up, okay?"
Bellatrix barely managed a nod. "Thank you, Xoey... for everything."
With a soft smile, Xoey gathered up the towels and quietly left the room, leaving Bellatrix to drift off into a deep, restful sleep.