The Lone Wolf

Predation

    Training wasn’t what Isabella had expected. She had trained in hand-to-hand combat with her parents before they were attacked, but that was a long time ago. She had spent almost nine years now in her wolf form. Rarely did she transform back into her human form and she knew that it was lacking when compared to other she-wolves. She was much smaller than others. Less muscular. No one, except maybe Kane, could match her in her wolf form. But in her human body she was weaker than even the younger fighters that had gathered today to join in the training.

    Isabella walked in circles, watching everyone. Studying their fighting techniques. Nothing had frustrated her more than the fact that not only she, but everyone else in the room knew, that she was inferior to them.

    The first couple of years she had been on her own, she lived in constant fear. She was just a pup, alone in the world full of rogues. She couldn’t even trust other packs. They would chase her out of their territory just because she wasn’t one of their own. She knew that there was something different about her. Something that had separated her from other werewolves. Though she didn’t know what it was. Her parents never told her. They never got the chance.

    Now she finally feels like she had found a place where she belongs. Being with Kane makes her feel safe. Like she might be able to finally stop running. But if she’s going to stay, she will have to prove to others that she’s worthy of staying. Kane might not care about that. But she has to do it for herself.

    Finally, she steps in front of a girl that has been gawking at her for some time. As Isabella was watching everyone else train, she had noticed that the girl had barely taken her eyes off of her. For some reason, her glare was somewhat hostile filled with animosity.

    “Can I help you with something,” the girl snarled at Isa.

    “Can we fight?” Isabellas’ voice showed no emotion.

    “Sure,” she snorted in response. “As long as you don’t run crying to Kane afterwards.”

    Isabella chose her for a reason. She will most likely be the easiest to fight among those gathered here. She was emotional. For some reason angry with her and that will make her act irrationally. The most important thing in a fight is to stay levelheaded. Not to allow your opponent to manipulate your emotions. And the girl had already done Isabellas’ job for her.

     “I’m Isabella”

    “Everyone knows who you are,” the girl rolled her eyes. “You’re the rogue that had decided to sweep in and claim Lunas’ position in our pack,” she spat out the words like venom. “I’m Joan, I guess it would be fair to let you at least know my name before I wipe the floor with your face,” she laughed and a few girls that were standing next to her, giggled as well.

    People have started gathering around them now. Most were interested to see their future Luna fight. Some were hoping for her complete and utter failure. And Isabella could feel that. She could smell their excitement be it for the former or the latter of reasons.

    She knew that she couldn’t fully transform, but she let her wolf surface. It gave her confidence, strength and most importantly the instincts of an animal. Her hearing sharpened and her eyes could track every minuscule movement Joan made. The girl had become her pray without even knowing it.

    With every hit that didn’t land Joan became even more and more enraged. Her attacks lost any precision that they had from the start and for the most part Isabella didn’t even have to put in much effort to evade her. Isabella looked like she was dancing around her. Moving so fluently, like water flowing in a river.

    It was time for retaliation. Joan was getting tired and their strength should be pretty equally matched by now. Now for every blow that she missed, Joan was rewarded with a blow: to the side, to the jaw, to stomach, to the side of her face.

    As Joan lunged with full force at her, Isabella used the momentum of her attack and jumped on her back snaking an arm around her neck. Both landed to the ground with a thud. Joan tried to claw at Isa, but her actions became slow and aimless.

    Just seconds before she would pass out, Isabella relieved the pressure from her throat, stood up and nonchalantly walked over to where Kane and Dora were standing.

    “I’m hungry,” she complained looking up at Kane and then buried her face in his chest.

    “After what we just saw right now, I don’t think it would be wise to keep her waiting,” Dora laughed.

    “Where did you learn to fight like that?” Kane asked as he lifted her chin with his thumb. He was rather worried for what might happen during training because he knew that intervention would not be an option. Everyone sees him as a leader, but just like he did, Isabella would have to earn the same respect herself. To see her fight was something phenomenal. Everything about it was absolutely mesmerizing. Not to mention that even though Joan wasn’t the best fighter in the pack, she was still someone to take seriously.   

    “I don’t know,” Isa shrugs casually. “It was like hunting prey.”