Chapter 8
1167 Words
JASMINE
“You got yourself a deal,” I reply, keeping my fists up, my heart racing a million times a second. If I lose, I wonder what he’s going to ask of me.
He must have thought of something since he brought up the idea but it isn’t just that that has my heart in a frenzy, this is probably the first time that he’s looking at me without some form of coldness or hatred in his eyes and I wish it could always be like this.
I know it’s probably the adrenaline coursing through him or the environment but still I wish this subtle look of excitement would remain in his eyes whenever he looks at me.
He waves his finger in the air over his head and the rest of the group forms a ring around us.
“The rules are simple, if you pin or knock me down once, you win but if I successfully pin or knock you down three times, I win, fair enough?” He smirks, getting into a fighting stance.
I draw a deep breath to calm my racing heart, my eyes closed and I nod as he gives the signal to start.
The only reason I even took the combat classes in the Luna academy was for his sake. I knew how much of a fighter Alec was and how much he hated weakness, especially in combat, I wanted him to be proud of me.
I hoped if I was at least good at one thing he liked, he would look at me more kindly. It made me push beyond my limits and in just a year and a half, I was giving my elite warrior trainers a run for their money.
Today, I get to test my mettle against the man who motivated me to be the top of my class in everything but he’s not even my husband and Alpha as I had hoped, he might be my mate but even that doesn’t seem to change anything.
So sad.
I push the weary thoughts away and advance towards him, aiming a straight jab towards his face but he easily moves out of the way, slapping the side of my head with a smirk on his face.
“You’re gonna have to move faster than that. If that was my claw, your head would be split open right now,” he chuckles, “c’mon, don’t tell me that’s all our Luna has to offer.”
His gang of warriors chuckle and my stomach rumbles bitterly at his mockery. If only he knew my straight strikes were just to check his form and spot his weaknesses.
There’s an obvious difference in both our size and strength and if I am to even have a chance at winning this, I’ll have to get him to grapple but it’s impossible unless he goes on the offensive.
I’ll have to up my ante to taunt him into taking this seriously.
“You couldn’t take half of what I have to offer,” I growl, leaping towards him and attacking him with a bunch of deadly punch and kick combos but he skillfully blocks it all, taking an opening to yank the band keeping my hair up and it cascades down my shoulder.
“Maybe you should stick to being pretty,” he smiles, tossing the band to my feet.
I freeze. My eyes widen and my heart pounds.
He thinks I’m pretty?!
The butterflies in my tummy go on a buzzing spree. That’s like the first compliment I’m ever getting from him.
‘He doesn’t think you’re pretty Jasmine, he’s taunting you,’ My wolf interjects and I grit my teeth, feeling embarrassed at how easily he had me flustered for a minute.
“Pretty can also be deadly!” I yell, running towards him.
I fake a punch to his face and he moves his hands up to block it, giving me the chance to quickly duck underneath him and grab below his knees, using all my strength to pull him off the ground but he’s faster than I imagined.
Just before his back can touch the floor, he spins and uses his hands for support and kicks me off him.
The crowd gasps and cheers for me as I land nimbly on my feet despite the force from his kick. It hurt but I achieved my aim. Now he’ll take me seriously.
“No one has ever almost got him down,” one of the warriors says, making my face go red.
“The Luna is impressive!” Another one says.
“Go Luna!”
Alec scoffs, dusting the dirt off his palm, an amused smirk on his face, “Don’t let those praises get to your head. I own this training ground and until I say you’re impressive, you’re not.”
“And who says I need your approval?” I smirk, taunting him, the excitement growing in my stomach.
If we have to spa everyday for him to treat me without contempt for once, then I'll make this place my second home.
“My turn,” he c***s his head and in a flash, he’s raining deadly combo after combo on me which I manage to evade, panting and moving back but he’s fast and relentless, one catches me on the shoulder and I fall face flat.
“That’s one,” he says, “get up. If this was a real fight, I’d be on top of you and you’ll be dead.”
I groan internally, hating the image of him being on top of me that gets into my head…certainly not the one he meant.
I growl, clench my fist, determined to get him this time as I stand to my feet.
He comes at me again, fast and relentless as the first time but this time I change my strategy. Instead of evading and moving away, I block as fast as I can, matching his speed, calculating how he combines his kick and punches and when he throws which.
I finally get the combination and when he lifts his leg to kick me, I duck underneath it, the advantage of being smaller than him and with all my strength, I grab his other standing leg and lift him up, sending him to the floor and quickly jumping on him.
The crowd erupts in cheers and the ladies come to lift me up, placing me on their shoulders jubilantly. I look down at Alec and he gives me a thumbs up, a small smile on his lips.
My heart clenches both with pain and joy and tears involuntarily run down my eyes and I avert my gaze from him. If only he knows how much it means to me, how hard I worked to get this thumb of approval from him.
At the end of training, I’m about to leave when Alec comes to meet me.
“We had a deal, you won, so...what’s your wish?”
- Writer
