The next day, as soon as dawn broke, Luana went to the arena as she'd been ordered. She didn't tell the Luna or her mother -- she slipped out quietly and found Henrique already there, waiting.
"Good. Right on time. Get in and start running laps around the arena."
He'd decided to replicate the training his instructor had given him. First, he'd strengthen her muscles; then they'd start sparring.
"Why do I have to run, Rique?"
"To build strength. Look at those skinny legs of yours -- you can't have power in your legs and arms without building up the muscles. After you've done a hundred laps around the arena, we'll move on to weights."
"A hundred?"
"Yes. And shut your mouth, or you'll run out of breath."
After the running and the exercises with small weights, she was exhausted and aching all over.
"This isn't training, Rique. This is torture."
"What a whiny girl. All you do is complain. Would you rather I just beat you?"
"No."
"Then go. Get out of here, pest. Come back tomorrow, and don't tell anyone."
She'd been complaining, but the moment he told her to leave, she took off running. A week went by like this before he finally started training her for real.
"Hey, Rique! I'm here. Where are you?"
He leaped on top of her and slammed her to the ground, sat on her stomach, and slapped her across the face.
She threw both arms in front of her face, trying to shield herself, and attempted to push him off by arching her body upward -- but he was too heavy, and she couldn't budge him. She kicked and flailed and tried to punch him, but nothing worked.
"Stop, Rique! You're hurting me."
"I want you to try to get free. Fight. Show me what you can do."
Her frustration boiled over. She glared at him with such fury that a blue glow flashed from her eyes. He stopped hitting her, trying to understand what he'd just seen, and she seized the moment -- she bit his arm, shoved his chest, and twisted her body side to side until she managed to wriggle out from under him.
"I did it! I did it!" she shouted, jumping away from him.
"Get over here, pest! Explain what that was."
She stopped, confused, not knowing what he was talking about.
"Explain what?"
"That blue glow in your eyes."
"I didn't see anything. I was just really mad at you. But if there's some blue glow that made you freeze so I could win, I hope it shows up every time."
"Now you know how it works. Let's go again -- I'm going to attack, and you're going to defend yourself."
"You have to teach me first. How am I supposed to defend myself if you don't show me how?"
"I'll teach you while we spar. First -- when I throw a punch with this arm, you bring up the arm on the same side to block, like this. When I swing with the other arm, you do the same thing. Got it?"
She understood, but she hadn't counted on him going so fast. She ended up taking so many punches that she dreaded what would happen once they moved on to kicks. She thanked the goddess when it was over, ran back to the house, and hid in her room until she healed.
Two months passed, and she could already defend herself properly. She wasn't getting hurt as badly, and she began to realize that Henrique was genuinely teaching her. From that point on, she started learning to strike back, and after another six months, she turned seven and could hold her own in a fight -- though she could never beat Henrique.
The Luna decided to throw her a birthday party and prepared the very best of everything. She set up a large table with a beautiful cake, plenty of sweets, lollipops, and candy. The Alpha and Luana's father, meanwhile, put on a barbecue after spending the day hunting.
The Alpha was proud of his son Henrique, who'd handled the bow and arrow expertly and brought down the elk.
"That's my heir -- getting better with weapons every day. He's been training hard and growing strong, just like his father."
"It's true. Whenever I get to the arena for training sessions, he's already there, drenched in sweat."
"Really? I never thought he'd take to fighting so eagerly."
Just then, Luana appeared in the doorway near where they were grilling the meat and called out:
"Rique! Rique! The Luna's calling you!"
He glared at her and muttered through clenched teeth:
"That little pest won't leave me alone."
He charged over to her, grabbed her by the neck, and lifted her off the ground until they were eye to eye.
"You impertinent little brat -- who said you could talk to me like that?"
"Put her down, Henrique!" the Alpha barked, afraid the boy would hurt the girl and bring the Luna's wrath down on them both.
But the Alpha hadn't counted on Luana's defense. She kicked the young Alpha square between the legs, and his instinct to protect himself made him release her, both hands clutching his groin.
Luana landed on her backside but sprang right back up. Looking straight at the Alpha, she said:
"No need to worry, Alpha. I can defend myself now." She turned and dashed inside, her flared skirt swirling around her legs.
The Alpha stared after her in disbelief that this child had stopped his son. None of it made sense -- because even through the pain, Henrique was laughing at her.
Henrique had continued his lessons with his uncle and learned a great deal about males and females, about the duty men had to protect women, and about how one day he'd need to find his mate to bond with.
But today was the little pest's day, and he didn't care for children's parties -- though he endured it, so long as he could stay with the other males. When it came time to cut the cake, however, his mother insisted he stand beside Luana. So after the celebration, with her beaming and clapping after blowing out the candles, he grabbed the back of her head and shoved her face down into the cake with force.
Natalia was so stunned that it took her a moment to react and help her daughter.
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