My Fated Mate Can Have Her-Chapter 71: Again and Again

Violet

Another series of roars and cheers echoed from the courtyard. The grey wolf finally pinned the other down. Then, the brown wolf went still after a few attempts to get the other wolf off its frame. The grey wolf released it immediately, and both of them shifted back to their human forms.

A man and a woman, breathing hard, both grinning despite their injuries and bloodied bodies.

They clasped forearms, and exchanged words I couldn’t hear.

"First match of the evening," Darnel spoke up, sounding pleased. "Should be a few more before the night’s over." His eyes narrowed as the corner of his lips tilted up in a quick smile that made him appear too happy. "You picked a good night to join us, Violet."

I forced a weak smile, but my hands quivered under the table.

His words felt like a threat.

Around me, the conversation resumed. Ana said something about needing to check inventory tomorrow. Meribel laughed at someone’s joke. The other wolves at the table debated who would win the next match.

Normal. This was normal to them.

But to me, it felt like I had just gotten a proper glimpse into their savage world, and how exactly far I had to go.

I stood up and a few heads turned to look at me.

"You’ve not eaten," Ana eyed my empty plate and looked back at me.

"I really don’t feel like eating," I mumbled, doing my best not to look at the others at the table.

Ana hesitantly stepped out, allowing me space to leave.

"Leaving so soon?" Darnel called out, taunting.

"Shut up," Ana snapped at him, sitting back down.

I offered a small bow at the table and made my way out of the crowded hall, ignoring the fixed stares that followed me.

Heading to my room had been relatively straightforward, and by the time I got there, my head was pounding.

I sat at the edge of the bed and buried my face in my palms, remaining still in the dark as frustration set in.

Why exactly was I even trying to get stronger?

’Stop it!’

I sat straight, slapping my palms to my cheek. I let the stinging bite at my skin, dispelling the negative thoughts that were starting to consume me.

I was starting to hate this place, but I needed to get a hold of myself. I would face this everywhere I went. I needed to get stronger.

I collapsed backwards onto the bed. Loud cheers in the distance occasionally disrupted my peace, drawing my thoughts back to the display I had seen.

Darnel... Corin... all of those wolves.

I wasn’t going to let them have their way. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

[ - ]

Sleep eluded me that night. I did some of the exercises Kael had taught me. Even when he had recommended rest during intervals, I didn’t rest. I kept at it till my body could no longer do anything else. Crippled on the floor, my muscles crying and unable to do anything else, I focused on my syzygy next, and by morning, I had figured out a way to use it to ease out the soreness in my aching muscles.

Ila had returned late that night, long after most of the settlement had relaxed. And by morning, she had gone off again to attend to important matters in the city, but not before apologetically assigning Meribel to teach me for that day instead.

Most of the other wolves had already left for the day, a lot of them having gone to train in the woods. The training grounds in the settlement had felt strangely empty without them, and it had eased the tension in me a bit.

Meribel led me to a smaller training area behind one of the outer buildings, and under the morning sun, I got to discover how good of a teacher she was, in ways I hadn’t expected. She taught me a few basics. How to stand, distribute my weight, and many other things that Kael had already pointed out to me.

Afterwards, she demonstrated techniques. Blocks, parries, basic strikes, and made me repeat them again and again until the movements felt slightly less foreign. Though they were still far from natural.

It was in the evening when she finally had me to try the techniques against her. She wanted me to actually try to hit her, to implement what she had taught me. She wouldn’t attack, all she would do was defend herself.

I didn’t hold back.

Or at least, I tried not to.

Meribel moved.

And with everything I tried to carry out, she was faster, stronger, and taking advantage of every weak point I left open.

Along with pointing out certain moments I could have died if this were a real battle.

I would have used my abilities regardless, but without it... she was right.

We tried again.

And again.

And again.

And I still couldn’t touch her.

I tracked her movements. I saw exactly what she was doing, how she evaded, and where she countered.

But I constantly failed to keep up.

The gap between knowing what to do and actually applying them against a real opponent was so vast and humbling that it left me confused and frustrated.

Throughout the day, she continued to teach me and have me carry out what she taught. But with more failed attempts to land even a single strike, I became increasingly certain of something else I had suspected, but hadn’t wanted to admit.

Meribel was holding back.

By the time night fell and more wolves returned to the settlement, Meribel had halted things. I was exhausted, bruised from my own clumsiness, and acutely aware of just how far I had to go.

Not once had I ever managed to surprise or catch her off guard, and all I could think of was how much worse I would fare against someone who wasn’t holding back.

"What kind of stamina do you even have?"

I was pulling myself off the ground when her whisper caught me off guard. I glanced up at her. "What?"

A light frown crossed her face. "You haven’t noticed that you have not eaten at all today?"