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“Adrian’s not going to be real happy about this,” Robert warned.
“Adrian doesn’t need to know,” Luna replied, shouting into the roaring wind. “If you’re too afraid to fight me, why don’t you just say so.”
Herald gave her a grin, the children staring back at her with their weapons drawn.
It was the first time they were allowed to use real weapons, just for the training demonstration. Her alpha healing capabilities would mend any major wounds, not that there was any real risk for her.
Mostly, she just didn’t see much point in practicing with training wheels. Victor wasn’t going to swing at her with wooden weapons. And he could come at her at any point with no forewarning.
As she was lost in thought, she saw the sheen of a long sword reflected by the sliver of the moon. Dodging quickly out of the way, she could practically see herself moving in slow motion, ducking under the metal blade.
“Nice try,” Luna said, chuckling. “Why don’t you give the ‘kiddos’ a shot first, though?”
Herald snarled as Robert charged, this time brandishing a mace.
“Stop calling them ‘kiddos,’” Herald demanded right as Luna flung her body out of the way of the mace. “They’re the precursors of an elite training force, destined to protect the pack from threats within and without.”
“Oh,” Luna chided. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t aware that only Adrian could call them that.”
Herald spat and stood, weapon at the ready. Flanking Luna’s other side, Robert brandished his mace.
She could see the approach of the rest of the enforcers, all dashing recklessly toward her, weapons drawn.
“Now, come on,” Luna said in disbelief. “I said I could take you with no armor, but six against one isn’t fair in the slightest.”
“I thought you said you were ready,” Robert said with a toothy grin. “If you’re not, I suppose we could start holding back. You know, since you’re a woman and all that.”
Her pulse quickened, showing her teeth in anger. Her inner wolf growled at the slight.
Seeing an opening, she punched Herald in the place where his armor met his stomach, and he cringed under the force of the impact.
She punched his sword, watching as the longsword fell out of his grasp. But before it could touch the soil, she caught it, retrieving it by the handle.
Swinging it back around and then tossing it in her hand, she noted how well-balanced it was.
Luna grinned mischievously, and as she could see Robert’s mace swinging into her from out of the corner of her eye, she ducked and threw her body backward, lowering herself even below Robert’s waist and sliding under his legs.
She watched as four men darted all at once, moving directly at her. But unable to stop their momentum in a split second, having seen that she was now behind rather than in front of Robert, they all crashed into him, forming a dog pile.
Dusting her hands off and looking at the junior enforcers, she smiled.
“Now, what was their mistake?” Luna asked suddenly.
She got no response from the crowd of teenage junior enforcers, nor from the children and pre-teens. She saw several dropped jaws and heard a few coughs.
Luna shook her head.
“Fine,” she said. “I’ll give you each a chance to fight me, one-on-one. If you can beat me, I’ll put a special word in with Adrian.”
She heard a voice from the back of the crowd. “But they all fought you at the same time and lost. What chance do we have?”
The six enforcers groaned, climbing to their feet despite the heavy armor weighing them down. Perhaps without the armor, they might have stood a chance against her. But they failed to see how the thing that helped them also hindered their mobility.
Turning, Luna dropped the blade at Herald’s feet.
“Gee, thanks,” Herald said.
“Oh, you’re welcome,” Luna replied. “If you want to have a chance, next time, maybe don’t say that, and I’ll let you win.”
