Chapter 18 The Nature of the Fight
The training field was a muddy, churned-up patch of land behind the main house, lined with logs, tires, and climbing walls.
“Run!” Elana barked, blowing a silver whistle.
Leela took off.
She wasn’t running against a clock; she was running against a clock; she was running against Jax. And Jax was fast–wolf fast. He was a blur of motion, tearing across the grass.
But Leela wasn’t far behind.
She pumped her legs, feeling the new muscles in her calves fire. Spandex pants allowed her to move without restriction. When they reached the obstacle course—a series of waist-high logs and stacked hay bales—Jax vaulted them with ease.
Leela didn’t hesitate. She didn’t stop to think I can’t. She just leaped.
Her body felt lighter than it ever had. She cleared the logs, landed in a roll, and sprang back up, sprinting to the finish line just a stride behind Jax.
She bent over, hands on her knees, gasping for air. But she wasn’t dying; she was exhilarated.
“Good,” Elana noted, marking something on her clipboard. “Cardio is acceptable. Now, let's see if you can hit.”
She pointed to the sparing mats laid out in the center of the field.
“Hand-to-hand. No shifting, Finnegan, you’re up first.”
Leela stepped onto the mat. She raised her hands awkwardly, mimicking the stance Finnegan showed her.
She had never fought a day in her life. In her old house, “fighting” meant enduring. It meant standing still while her parents screamed, making herself small, taking the emotional hits without ever raising a hand in defense. Her only rebellion had been accidental–shattered light bulbs and cracked glass.
But this was different.
Finnegan lunged.
It wasn’t a real attack, but it was fast. Leela’s brain didn’t have time to panic. Her body just knew.
She side-stepped, grabbed his wrist, and used his own momentum against him. She pivoted on her heel and shoved.
THUD.
Finnegan hit the mat flat on his back, the air whooshing out of his lungs. He lay there for a second, blinking up at the sky looking impressed.
“Get up,” Elana barked. She narrowed her eyes on her son. “Stop flirting, Finnegan. If you go easy on her, you aren’t helping her.
“I wasn’t going easy!”Finnegan protested, sitting up and rubbing his lower back. “She’s strong!”
“Unlikely,” Elana scoffed. “Jax. You’re in.”
Jax stepped onto the mat, cracking his knuckles. He smirked at Leela.
“Don’t worry, sis.” Jax teased. “I won’t treat you like a porcelain doll. But try not to cry when you hit the dirt.”
He didn’t wait. He moved.
Jax was faster than Finnegan, and he was aggressive. He swept low, aiming for her legs. Leela stumbled, almost going down. She scrambled back, her heart hammering.
Jax came at her again, grabbing her shoulder to spin her around.
Leela didn’t think. She reacted.
She dropped her weight, twisting out of his grip. As Jax overcommitted, she drove her shoulder into his midsection and swept his leg.
It was messy, but it worked.
Jax’s feet flew out from under him. He hit the ground hard, staring up at the clouds, his smirk replaced by pure, dumbfounded shock.
Leela stood over him, her chest heaving, sweat dripping down her temples.
She felt ... .incredible.
She liked this. She liked the power in her limbs. She liked that she wasn’t the victim anymore, she was the one standing. She looked at Jax, lying there in the mud, and she felt a surge of fierce, protective joy for this newfound freedom and this strange, violent, loving family.
Stay there, she thought, a playful but firm command echoing in her mind.
The earth listened.
RIIIIP.
Suddenly, the ground on either side of Jax’s head exploded. Two thick, green vines shot out of the dirt like snakes striking.
Before Jax could even yelp, the vines whipped around his wrists and slammed them into the mat, pinning him to the ground in a spread-eagle position.
Jax pulled, but the vines held fast, tightening like handcuffs.
“What the–” Jax yelled, struggling against the plants. “Are you kidding me?”
Leela stared at her handiwork, her eyes wide. Then, she started to laugh.
Elana lowered her clipboard. She looked at Jax, pinned by the greenery, and then at Leela.
“Well,” Elana said dryly. “That counts as a win.”
Leela stepped forward, her laughter into a sheepish smile. She willed the earth to let go.
Release.
The vines instantly obeyed. They uncoiled from Jax’s wrists and slithered back into the churned-up mud, disappearing as if the they had never been there.
She reached down, offering her hand to the prone werewolf.
“Sorry,” she said, though her eyes were twinkling.”I didn’t mean to turn you into a trellis.”
Jax stared at her hand for a second. “You’re not going to turn me into a flower if I touch you, are you?” he asked seriously.
Leela didn’t pull her hand back. She just shot him a playful wink.
“You never know,” she teased.
Jax let out a bark of laughter. “I’ll take my chances."
“You’re a hazard, Sparky,” Jax grumbled, rubbing his wrist where the vine had held him. But there was no malice in his voice. He bumped her shoulder with his own, “Nice move, though, I didn’t see it coming.”
SCREEEEECH
A high-pitched burst of static cut through the air, followed by an urgent voice on the walkie-talkie clipped to Elana’s belt.
“Alpha. You’re needed in the conference room immediately.”
Elana snatched the radio off her belt, her relaxed “proud mother” expression vanishing instantly. She was back to being the General.
“On my way,” she clipped into the device.
She looked at Leela, giving a sharp, approving nod.
“Well, my newly found daughter,” Elana said, clipping the radio back in place.”I do believe your training is well under way. You have the instinct, and clearly, you have the power.”
She turned toward the house, then paused.
“The physical defense is good. But the real work starts next. We need to get you completely grounded. Because soon, you’re going to have to let that wolf free…and you need to be able to control her when she comes out.”
She signaled the boys.
“Showers. Then food. I’ll see you all later.”
With that, she turned and marched toward the back door, leaving Leela standing in the mud, feeling stronger—and more ready—than she had ever felt in her life.
“Well, you heard her.” Finnegan said. “Let’s get cleaned up. Besides, I think you’ve traumatized my brother enough for one day.”