Episode 4

The following day, at the break of dawn, Luana made her way to the arena as she had been commanded. She didn't tell Luna, nor her mother, slipping away secretly to find him already there, waiting.

"Excellent, right on time. Go on and start by running around the arena."

He decided to replicate the training regimen his own coach had put him through, initially to strengthen her muscles and then to start combat training.

"Why do I have to run, Rique?"

"To build strength. Those are your little legs; you can't have strength in your legs and arms without toning the muscles. Once you've done a hundred laps around the arena we'll start lifting some weights."

"A hundred?"

"Yes, and keep your mouth shut or you'll run out of breath."

After the run and the exercises with light weights, she was utterly exhausted and sore all over.

"This isn't training, Rique, it's torture."

"What a nuisance of a girl, always complaining. Would you rather I hit you?"

"No."

"Then off you go, little pest. Come back tomorrow and don't tell anyone."

She grumbled, but when he sent her away, she dashed off. A week went by, and only then did he start to genuinely train her.

"Hi, Rique, I'm here; where are you?"

He leaped at her, knocking her to the ground with force, sat on her, and slapped her face.

She raised both arms in front of her face, trying to shield herself, and attempted to push him away by arching her body, but he was too heavy, and she couldn't manage. Then, flailing and attempting to punch him, she also failed.

"Stop, Rique. You're hurting me."

"I want you to try to escape, fight, show what you can do."

Anger flared within her, and with such intensity that a blue shimmer radiated from her eyes. He stopped hitting her to figure out what it was, and she seized the moment, biting his arms, pushing against his chest, twisting side to side until she broke free of him.

"I did it, I did it!" she exclaimed, leaping away from him.

"Come here, you nuisance! Explain what that was."

She stopped, puzzled, unaware of what he meant.

"Explain what?"

"That blue glow in your eyes."

"I didn't see anything, I was just really mad at you. But if a blue glow made you stop and let me win, then I hope it shows up every time."

"Now you know what it's like; let's go again. I'll attack, and you defend."

"You need to teach me first; how can I defend myself if you don't show me how?"

"I'll teach you as we fight. First, when I throw a punch with this arm, you block with the arm from the same side, like this. When I go with the other arm you do the same, got it?"

She understood but didn't expect him to move so fast, taking multiple hits, and dreaded when it would be time for leg techniques. She was grateful when it was over, rushing back home and hiding in her room until she recovered.

Two months passed and she was able to defend herself reasonably well, bearing fewer injuries, and started to realize Henrique was truly teaching her. After another six months, she turned seven years old and had learned to fight, although she never managed to beat Henrique.

Luna decided to throw her a birthday party, arranging everything from a large table with a beautiful cake, to sweets, lollipops, and candies. The alpha and Luana's father prepared a barbecue after spending the day hunting.

The alpha was proud of his son Henrique, who had skillfully used a bow and arrow to hunt a moose.

"Ah, that's my heir, improving his skills with weapons every day. He's been training hard and is getting as strong as his father."

"Indeed, whenever I arrive at the arena for training, he's already there, working up a sweat."

"Really? I never imagined he'd take to fighting so eagerly."

At that moment, Luana appeared at the house door, near where they were grilling meat, and shouted:

"Rique, Rique, Luna is calling."

He looked at her angrily and muttered through clenched teeth:

"That little pest, she never leaves me in peace."

He ran over to her quickly, grabbed her by the neck, and hoisted her up to meet his eyes.

"You impertinent little pest, who said you can talk to me like that?"

"Let her go, Henrique!" the alpha shouted, fearing he might hurt the girl and cause his Luna to turn against him.

What the alpha didn't anticipate was Luana's ability to defend herself. She kicked the young alpha in the groin, which instinctively made him release her to clutch his injury.

Luana landed on her bottom but promptly stood up, looked at the alpha, and said:

"Don't worry, alpha, now I can defend myself," and she ran inside, her flouncy skirt swaying around her legs.

The alpha stared at the scene, unable to believe that the child had fended off his son. He was baffled because, despite the pain, Henrique was laughing at the girl.

Henrique was still taking lessons from his uncle, learning much about males and females, about their duty to protect them and how he would eventually need to find a mate.

But today was about the little pest, and despite his dislike for children's parties, he endured, at least while he could stay with the men. At cake-cutting time, however, his mother insisted he stand by her side, so after the celebration, with her beaming from blowing out the candle and clapping, he grabbed her by the nape and plunged her face forcefully into the cake.

Natalia was so taken aback that it took her a moment to react and assist her daughter.

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