“Loud and clear, sir.”
Mia saluted her superior and took the folder from the table.
“And Mia..”
She stopped right before the door to face him.
“Don’t fall for the brat’s charms. Do you understand?”
She wanted to laugh but held it back when she saw that he was dead serious. She nodded instead and went out.
The conversation must have taken longer than she anticipated. The sky was already bright with the morning light and the field was filled with new faces, aside from the facilitators and the guards.
She walked back to the dining hall and settled on her designated place. As she waited for the food to be served, the trainees in platoons had entered together with their immediate supervisor. Minutes later the food was served and she filled her growling stomach.
After breakfast, everyone was given another thirty minutes to digest and prepare for the training, which will last the entire day. The next meal would be served after sundown. Scavenging for food deep in the forest was part of training so the young wolves would have to fend for themselves during lunch break.
A ceremony commenced before the distribution of assignments and training proper would start afterwards.
Mia was assigned to close hand-to-hand combat and was one of the three instructors for the program. She was the only female instruction and one of the few abled humans in the camp. And thus, her battle to prove her worth and to gain respect would start again.
Her team had eleven members, mostly they were young boys with overly developed body and towering height, except one. He stood out in so many ways, one could never miss recognizing the man.
He had golden blonde hair with spikes at the top, his fierce eyes were grayish, his skin tone was tan that wrapped neatly around his proportionally trimmed muscles. And unlike the others, he was quite an observer. The aura he carried was that of a wolf who had seen bloodshed and the cruelty of the world against the supernatural.
Mia stood silently in front of the boys who were playfully talking and punching their friends. No one bothered to look at her until Nate, the golden haired boy, spoke.
“Are you the famous human instructor?” His voice was firm but a bit commanding. It was clear he was in control because the other boys were now looking at her.
She raised her head, looked at them in the eye before pulling out a weapon. It was a wooden knife with a long wooden blade. She held it backwards and the dull side of the blade was against her arm.
“My name is Mia and I Am your instructor.” She raised her arm and made a combat stance. “We shall begin the training. All questions will be answered later.”
“A piece of wood for a knife? Do you teach toddlers?” He was mocking her. “Should we expect the enemy to bleed to death with your toy?”
The group laughed and giggled at his comment. Mia had to count one to ten to calm herself. They’re just boys, nothing more. She kept telling herself.
“And what can you actually do against a wolf, who is ten times stronger than you?”
There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice and even though Mia had live with sarcasm for two years, his way of saying it angered her.
“I bet you can’t even hit me.” The boy standing before her said, smirking.
Mia smiled and with great speed and agility she attacked him. One solid punch on the face followed by a sideways kick on the back of his knees and the boy fell to the ground. She pinned his neck with her knee and the knife against throat.
The boy gasped with surprise and raised both of his hands to surrender. Mia stood up and stepped backwards to looked at the group once more.
“Anyone else with a question?”
“Fair enough.” Nate answered and the rest of the group finally listened to her.
“Good.”
Mia kicked the box that contained the weapons they will be using for practice. When everyone had theirs she told them to get a partner. Everyone had a pair except Nate, who didn’t budge. He just stood there with a bored expression on his face.
“You! I’ll be your partner. Come over here.”
Nate just shrugged his shoulders and walked towards her. He stood beside her, facing his group.
“Hand-to-hand combat is important in protecting yourselves, especially when you haven’t turned into a wolf and gets attacked. You can also use these skills when fighting another wolf in your wolf form.”
She grabbed Nate’s arm and placed it on her shoulder. With one arm she blocked his hand and made a counter attack, but to her surprise, he blocked her and counter attacked. She had to use both arms to block the blow, leaving her lower body open.
He took the chance to bend his body for a side kick. She blocked it with her arms again and held his leg before using his own weight against him, and gave him an upper cut using the heel of her palm. It landed on his face and he fell backwards. Mia pulled out two wooden knife from her side and locked his neck with it.
She was breathless. The strength she had to use to block those attacks would give her shoulder muscle a sore. He was strong and a wise fighter.
She loosened her hold to release him, but he jumped up with his elbow aiming at her neck. He kicked her foot to disrupt her balance and used his body to pin her to the ground. He held both of her hands over her head with one hand, while the other peeled the knives off her hold. He threw it away and stared down at her.
He was big and heavy, and Mia, for the first couldn’t free herself from the clutches of a wolf. She wriggled in desperation but with no luck, she was his prisoner. He gave her a warning look before looking around. The other group members were now absorbed in the practice fight with their partners.
“You’re pretty face don’t belong here.” He whispered close to her ear. “You may be one skilled fighter for a woman but you are no match for me.”
“Get off me.” She glared at him. “We’re supposed to be practicing.”
“I will practive whenever I want little Mia. So don’t bother me. Go teach those little boys with your little toys.” He released her and stood up.
Mia dusted away the sand on her hair while her insides burned with anger. How dare he insult her.
“And you think you are better than me because you have the advantage in strength? Why, aren’t you too full of your self?”
“Don’t test my patience.”
“You have drained mine. Well, you are not as mighty as you think.” She knew it would be wiser to let it go but she was too angry at him. “Whatever your problem is, you will still obey the rules of the camp. You will practice and practice with all your might because you are not getting out of here until I say so.”
“And what power do you have over us wolves? Oh, please, enlighten me.” He was angry too.
“Rules are strictly followed in this camp. If you misbehave, I’ll punish you. And if you refuse to obey, I’ll lock you up.”
Nate guffawed whiled looking at her in disbelief. His laughter echoed throughout the training grounds and all attention was focused on them.
“And if I refuse, would you dare to lock me up?”
Mia smiled while crossing her arms. She signaled the guards near them. Four men marched towards them and held Nate’s arms. He tried to free himself but they held him firmly and dragged him away. She followed them to the underground detention.
There, both of his feet were cuffed with a very strong metal able to bind even a wolf in his complete form. When the guards left, she stood a a few meters away from him.
“I’m a woman of my word, Nate. And I honor discipline among other things.”
“Hah! Between you and me, you don’t stand a chance. But you were clever enough to call on the guards, if you didn’t I may have ripped your head off.”
It’s the way he said, his voice low but lethal, it gave her chills, but she kept her chin up. A wolf will always be a wolf. They’re animals, savage animals without their moral and honor.
“Scared?” He mocked her again.
Mia took a few steps closer to him to hand him the Rules of Conduct book.
“You better start reading if you wish to get out of here.”
She handed him the book without breaking eye contact. He glared at her before reaching for it, or so she thought. Nate wasn’t ready to give up yet.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her against him. His strong arms wrapped around her small body like heavy metal chains trapping both of her arms in between their bodies. One of his hand pulled down her braid, forcing her to look up to him.
Mia grasped in pain because it felt like her scalp was peeled off. Her eyes watered as she tried to free from his hold. He was hurting her and she was totally defenseless. His strength overwhelmed her so much she was about to beg him to release her.
The plea was visible on her eyes and she felt so soft and fragile in his arms, Nate was now seeing a woman. Her eyes, though laced with fear, were a beautiful shade of green. It mirrored her strength and determination. Her fair skin felt soft against his. And her lips, luscious pink and moist, were partially parted he could almost smell her sweetness.
The attraction came to him like wildfire. Instead of a human trying to fit in, he saw a woman of will and character. Instead of a woman hungry for control and power, she was a woman of grace and beauty. And instead of the annoying little know-it-all girl, she had this beauty that blooms the more you look at her.
She tried to free herself again and this time he gave a little space but kept her in his hold.
Mia felt his grip loosening a bit and she stared at him again, hoping he would release her. She was starting to feel uncomfortable under his intense gaze. Too many emotions danced around his eyes while the expression on his face kept changing. She felt a blush rose to her cheeks.
And when she locked eyes with him again, he slowly leaned closer. Mia closed her eyes and waited for what was to come. His lips barely touched hers, just a brush and the warmth of his breath.
He released her right away as descending footsteps echoed inside. He gave her one last look, before picking up the book and leaned against the wall.
A week had gone by and the training continued. Mia had instructed her team to keep switching partners everyday. Whoever ends up without a partner would have to turn into a wolf and circle the entire forest land until sundown. It was to ensure that their lungs are healthy enough to give them a good run and last them a long life.
As much as she could, she avoided physical contact with any of the trainees, especially Nate. She didn’t want to loose control during training. The sight of him made her weak. She distanced herself discreetly to avoid unnecessary confrontations.
Nate had been a bit obedient and had not caused any commotion. He was opening up to his group as well, but the air of authority still hang around him.
Mia knew he had been trying to gain her attention and had attempted several times to be alone with her, but she would always find an excuse to prevent it. She had already admitted to herself that she was attracted to him, but she refused to give it a chance to grow. As much as possible, she wanted to ignore her feelings for both their sakes.
Part of her contract that had strong emphasis was to never develop feelings for any of her trainees or superiors. She was forbidden to seek the affection of a wolf, wether within or outside the training camp.
Another week passed and her program had officially ended. A celebration was to take place during dinner. Mia felt nervous. She wore a black, knee-length dress and tied her hair in a bun. She only had lipstick and pressed powder on her face. She took one last look at herself in the mirror before leaving her cottage.
The dining hall was packed with partying wolves. Food was abundant, alcohol was unlimited and there were girls sent from the city by the wolf society to entertain the officials and guests.
Mia walked nervously towards her table. She had attended this party so many times, it bore her. But tonight was different. Tonight, for the first time, she felt uncomfortable knowing a pair of fierce, gray eyes could be watching her.
She let out a deep breath before taking a sip from her glass. She was having wine and nothing more. As soon as the official program ends, she would slip out and head back to her cottage, lock up and sleep. She would be leaving the next day to take her in-between training break so she would be needing enough rest for the long road trip.
As the celebration continued, Mia laughed and smiled with the rest of the crowd. The wine, which she lost count of just to calm herself, had started to kick in. She stood up and walked to where the Commander was seated.
“Sir, wine’s making me dizzy. With your permission, I’d like to take my leave.”
“You look beautiful tonight, Mia. The wine gave your cheeks a good color.” He teased her.
She blushed and smiled shyly. It must be the wine. It was making her too friendly and too happy.
“That’s a yes then.”
She paid respect before walking out of the hall. The night sky was beautiful with a few stars sparkling. Mia inhaled the evening breeze and marched back to her cottage. She nearly yelled in surprise to see a shadow of a man waiting for her, but held it back when she figured out who it was.
“What are you doing here?” She asked him in a stern voice.
Nate came out from the darkness and walked towards her.
“We need to talk.”
“Training has officially ended. If you have questions about the program, save it for tomorrow.”
She walked passed him while firmly holding the key. After unlocking the door, she pushed it open and Nate got inside before she did. She sighed and followed him in.
“Alright. What do you want?” She asked stoically while keeping a good distance away from him.
“You’re pretty tough for a woman.” He shook his head. “You’ve managed to keep me away for the past two weeks. You cut me off and didn’t bother to look at me even once.”
He took one step closer.
“I had my eyes set on you but you kept you chin up. You were cold and unfeeling.” He shook his head again and smiled.
“You should leave. You’re drunk and this is inappropriate.”
“See? You’re in the I-can-knock-you-down-so-back-off mode again.” He kept getting close.
“Just leave.” Mia opened the door and stood aside. “Leave.”
Nate’s eyes grew dark and sharp, his facial muscles hardened. He crossed the distance between them and shut the door close. She was trapped between him and the door.
Mia inhaled in surprise and it was all it took to heightened Nate’s burning desire.
He held her by the waist and crushed her lips with his. His tongue made its way inside her mouth, urging her to respond, to kiss him back. He gently pressed her against the door while kissing her boldly, she had to let out a sigh.
And when she finally kissed him back, he pulled away and carried her to the bed. Her dress was torn in half right away, she didn’t even have time to marvel at the beauty of what was about to happen.
Nate was hungry, deprived of her affection over the last two weeks. He was mad, about to go crazy over her will to ignore him and treat him fairly like she would with the rest of his group. And he was desperate to find out if Mia was his mate. And tonight he would get answers.
“Nate...” She placed her hands against his well sculptured chest. He was a big man and her small frame wouldn’t stand a chance if he decides to take her by force. She had to calm him down.
Her voice seemed to have reached the logical side of him, he paused midway. For a fleeting moment there was a glint of concern in his eyes and he stared at her.
“Don’t do this.” She nearly begged him, pleading with her eyes. She was scared and it clearly showed on her face.
“You’ll regret it.” This time, she said it with a little conviction.
He let out a heavy sigh before rolling off her. He sat on her bed, rested his elbows on his knees and stared at the darkness of the night. Silence filled the room.
Mia wrapped the bed covers around her bare body while she slightly quiver from the negative images she had in mind if he pushed his intentions on her, and a bit relieved that he stopped before things got out of hand.
“I’m sorry... Mia, I didn’t mean to...”
“I know. And I’m glad you stopped.”
He faced her and reached for her hands. Regret was all over his face which gave him a whole new different aura. The smug look he often wore was gone, what remained was that of a man who knew he had done something wrong and was reflecting on it.
A Bride Worth Billions Page 12