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 fra. The grey wolf released it imdiately, 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 , the conversation resud. Ana said sothing about needing to check inventory tomorrow. ribel laughed at soone’s joke. The other wolves at the table debated who would win the next match.

Normal. This was normal to them.

But to , 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 .

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

"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 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 .

Heading to my room had been relatively straightforward, and by the ti 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 consu .

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.

[ - ]

Sleep eluded that night. I did so of the exercises Kael had taught . Even when he had recomnded 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 settlent had relaxed. And by morning, she had gone off again to attend to important matters in the city, but not before apologetically assigning ribel to teach 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 settlent had felt strangely empty without them, and it had eased the tension in a bit.

ribel led 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 a few basics. How to stand, distribute my weight, and many other things that Kael had already pointed out to .

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

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

I didn’t hold back.

Or at least, I tried not to.

ribel 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 monts 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 movents. 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 confused and frustrated.

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

ribel was holding back.

By the ti night fell and more wolves returned to the settlent, ribel 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 soone who wasn’t holding back.

"What kind of stamina do you even have?"

I was pulling myself off the ground when her whisper caught 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?"