11. Morning Blues

Nikolai

I tried to wake up Avalyn early in the morning at my normal time. Key word—tried, because it's not easy at all. Ava loves to sleep.

"No." She groaned and turned around, snuggling with the pillows and the blanket.

"We are training with the pack today." I told her and pulled the blanket away from her. She was holding on to it pretty tight.

"This is my last warning, Ava. Wake up." I crossed my arms.

"And this is mine—leave me alone." She mumbled groggily.

"You sure you aren't going to wake up?" I got no reply because she was already asleep again.

Chuckling softly, I picked her up and started walking in the bathroom. Her hold on the blanket was so tight that she dragged it with her too.

She squinted her eyes open in confusion. "Wha—" I threw her in the pool.

I saw her struggle to come up to the surface because of the blanket. She coughed out the water and glared at me.

"You're finally awake!" I grinned.

"I am going to kill you, you sadist." She threatened.

My head tipped back as I laughed. Her hair turned silver and I braced myself because I know she would throw me in the water too.

But nothing happened.

I saw her frown and concentrate harder but I didn't move an inch. A scowl formed on her face.

"Why is it not working?" She growled. And then a basket full of rose petals kept in the side rose in the air and emptied itself in the water.

"Why are my powers not work on you?" She looked irritated and annoyed.

I guess she really wanted to throw me in the water.

"Maybe I'm immune to your charms." I smirked, shrugging and turned around to walk out. "We need to go train. Get dressed and come out quickly."

"Immune to my charms, huh?" She appeared in front of me and placed her hand on my chest, stopping me.

Her hair was all messed up, most of them had escaped the bun she had put them in last night. The hair poor tie was barely hanging on. She had bags under her eyes from waking up hours before her normal time. And there was a mark of drool on the corner of her dry lips.

But she looked just as beautiful as she did when she applied makeup.

Her baby hair were curly and they framed the edges of her face delicately. Her eyes that were spitting fire at me right now were narrowed slightly and the chocolate brown colour that I loved was turning darker by the second. Her cheeks were flushed because of the soft breeze floating in through the open door and her pointy chin was tipped up in defiance.

But slowly, the fury in her eyes melted into a heated glaze, her touch on my naked chest turned inviting. She shook her head slightly and then hair tie fell out and her thick long brown hair tumbled down to her waist in slow motion. The lips that were set in a scowl slowly moved to form a seductive pout.

And I knew I was a goner.

She stepped closer and kissed my throat, the pink tips her breasts grazing my diaphragm. My head tilt back in pleasure and my eyes slid shut. Sparks coursed through my veins and my heart-rate spiked. And then she began sucking on the juncture between my neck and shoulder, where she would mark me one day. Fuck. A shiver went down my spine. And by the time she nipped me lightly and pushed her breasts against me, my dick was throbbing.

"Maybe not completely." My eyes flew open and I grabbed her waist, feeling the need to feel close to her and feel more of her soft, velvety skin.

"You aren't sure?" She kept sucking on my skin, leaving burning trails as she moved down my chest. She ground her hips into my erection and grabbed my ass.

"Umm..." My eyes focused on her lips as she rose on her toes to kiss me. Her lips were just about to touch mine. And then suddenly, I was flying backwards before I was drowning in the pool.

She pushed me in the freaking pool.

My little minx.

I rose to the surface to see her flat face and mirthful eyes. "You expect me to seduce you after you woke me up at," her eyes fell on the clock and widened dramatically, "five thirty in the morning?" She shrieked. "Keep dreaming!" And with that, she stalked out.

I laughed as I got out of the water and followed her. "You're cute when you are mad."

"I'm always cute." She flipped her drenched hair back, splashing more water on my face.

"That you are." I grabbed her waste and pulled her into me. I dug my nose in her neck and took a deep breath of her scent. Damn I need to calm the fuck down. We have things to do. Important things. "Get dressed, Ava. Please. We need to be there in five minutes." I said softly but seriously and kissed her neck.

She turned around and smiled, "only because you asked nicely," pecking me on the lips. "And because you're hot." She grinned.

I winked back and smacked her ass before squeezing it, "right back at you, Love."

We both quickly dried ourselves and I wore a pair of shorts and a loose tee. Ava wore a sports bra and and tights before we made our way to the training ground.

Andrei wasn't here so his responsibility went to Mikhail. He stood in front of the pack, on the stage while Ava and I stood with the people. My brothers and I normally trained after everyone or we trained separately because no one really matched up to our level. So they were definitely surprised to see us standing with them. Also, Ava had never really trained with everyone since we came here so that was a bigger surprise.

"From now on, every Saturday, we will have a sparing competition of males versus females. Each of you will be assigned a partner according to your level and once you defeat them, you will move to the next level and you will be assigned a new partner. Each person will participate in two fights a day." Mikhail announced. "To make things more interesting, I will keep score of each match. One point will go to your team for each win. We will do this for four Saturdays, that is to the end of this month. If the females loose, they will throw a party for the males and vice versa."

Determined grins spread across everyone's faces and the excitement of the crowd grew.

"We will start with the warm up first. Start with hundred laps around the ground. The last fifty to complete the laps will run fifty laps extra."

After he said, everyone started running, not wishing to come last. Ava and I shared a look and we took off too. I maintained my pace with Ava.

Twenty rounds in, she was panting and sweating way too much.

"Come on Ava." We were among the last few people.

"I c-can't do hundred." She panted. I know that. Her wolf isn't strong enough to do a hundred laps as warm up and then do the training too. But I didn't expect her to get tired so quickly.

"Yes you can." I encouraged her. "Use your inner strength. You can do it. Focus on pulling out your inner strength."

She took a deep breath and after a couple of seconds, her pace steadily started increasing. Her panting had reduced and she wasn't sweating as much. We also started passing more people.

She turned to look at me and her eyes were electric blue.

Huh?

Is she using her powers to run faster?

But I didn't feel the her wolf at the forefront. Instead, I felt the energy her powers normally radiated when she used them.

Then suddenly, it clicked.

Instead of using her wolf strength, she is using her faye strength.

I wanted to see just how strong she is.

I increased my pace further and she kept up but with a little difficulty.

"Faster Ava. Use your strength. You are their Luna Queen. Show them." I encouraged further and her strides grew stronger.

We started passing more people.

I increased my pace more and then Ava's hair turned silver as she kept up with me. In a minute after that, we were the ones leading everyone.

"Faster?" I asked.

"I can do it." She nodded and then we both increased our pace. My wolf was at the forefront as I ran at my top speed and Ava ran besides me, a proud grin splitting her face.

We both completed the lap and passed everyone again, and again till we were done with the hundred laps.

We came to a stop at the finish line, where Mikhial was standing.

"Nice one, Avalyn."

"Thanks." She panted. Both of us were breathing heavily. It has been a long time since I ran so hard.

Ava sat down on the ground and a slave rushed to her with a bottle of water. Ava started downing it quickly.

"Slowly." I told her and her pace decreased a bit.

I too, took a bottle and drank some water.

Once everyone had finished, we got a break till the last fifty people finished their extra laps.

"We will be quick with the warm up so all you have to do is five hundred pushups and five hundred sit ups before we move on to sparing." Mikhail announced.

"This is way too easy for you. You have huge muscles and you do this everyday. Not fair." Ava poked my biceps.

"Yes, not fair Alpha!" Eveline appeared besides Ava and grinned at me. Ava winked at Eveline.

All the females gathered around Ava and agreed with her.

What is she doing? Is she trying to get herself out of training today?

Not on my watch.

Ava gave me a slight smile and then I got it. She wanted to make things fun and challenging.

"What do you suggest?" I asked. "We men can do anything."

"Yes!" Everyone agreed unanimously.

"Ya ya." She waved it off and then grinned, "I think I should make it more difficult for you."

"What do you want us to do then?" I looked at her and she stood up.

"You will do five hundred pushups but with me on your back for extra weight." I laughed at her demand. She hardly weighs anything at all.

"Fine." I agreed. "Let's start."

I got on the ground and Ava climbed on top of me and folded her legs.

I started doing push ups and I saw everyone around us started doing it too.

Some men were struggling while some were having fun showing off. And all the women were having fun.

Ava was trailing patterns on my back, trying to distract me but I finished my pushups easily anyways.

Ava got off and pursed her lips. I jumped to my feet and grinned at her.

We waited from everyone to be over. Once they were all standing, I looked at Ava. "Now since you made it harder for us, we should return the favour."

The men unanimously agreed, excited at the prospect of doing something different and fun.

Ava narrowed her blue eyes. "Bring it on."

"Yeah!" The females cheered.

"I believe that men and women are equals. So if you all sat on us, we will return the favour." Shock masked everyone's faces. "However, considering that your training has started recently, I will reduce the pushups from five hundred to one fifty."

Before anyone had the chance to say anything or protest, Ava nodded her head. "Sounds fair."

"Do you all agree with your Luna?" I smirked.

They all begrudgingly affirmed.

"Good. Go back to your partners then." I told and then motioned Ava to lie down.

She lied down in position and I climbed on top of her. But I kept my feet on the ground on either side of her instead of taking them off the ground like she did.

"Fat ass." She muttered and started her pushups.

I pinched her ass. "You love my ass."

Her hair were silver as she did pushups and I was very proud of her. She was learning how to control her powers. I wasn't even holding my weight up. She was carrying me all on her own. Seeing her small frame, no one can say she can pick me up. But it's a new surprise with Ava everyday.

She was panting at the end of it but she completed the last pushup and rested flat on the ground. I got up chuckling. "That was good."

"I know." She replied, panting.

I motioned a slave to get me some water. I took a water bottle and opened it before handing it to Ava.

She sat up and drank it. "I can't believe you do this everyday."

"It's fun."

"You're crazy."

"You're lazy."

"I have powers which do my work for me."

"They won't help you do sit ups. So start." I smirked at her frustrated pout and we both laid down side by side and did five hundred sit ups. I completed before her and then sat there, watching her do them. She sat up once she was done.

"Tired?" I asked.

"No." She replied, taking her silver hair out of the ponytail she had tied them in and put them up in a tight bun. She means business now. "I'm ready to fight you."

My eyebrows shot up at her confidence. "Let's go then."

We walked to one of the circles and stood in the middle. "You will fight in skin, okay?" She is stronger in this form.

"Okay." She nodded.

With her confirmation we both took a couple of steps backwards.

"Start." Mikhail, who had just appeared, announced.

I waited for Ava to make her first move. Realising that I wasn't going to make the first move, she ran towards me. Before she even touched me, I moved.

Turning around her, my arm shot out to grab her from behind but she turned around and tried to punch me. I ducked and swiped her feet off the ground, making her fall down. Grunting, she jumped to her feet and then started doing a combination of punches and kicks I forced her to practice everyday in the gym because she didn't train in the mornings. There were a few moves that I hadn't taught her too. They must be Javier's doing.

She didn't even touch me.

Her guard lowered and I kicked her side, making her fly back on the ground. She winced as she stood up and focused the heat of her glare on me.

I gave her a bright smile, taunting her.

Her eyes narrowed and then she disappeared and then I felt a hard kick on my back, making me fall on my hands and knees.

Getting back on my feet in an instant, I saw her motioning to me come at her with two fingers.

"You are going to use your powers?" I asked.

"What's the point of them if I can't use them to win a fight?" Fair point well made.

I took off my tee and threw it aside. I clenched my abs and saw her eyes lower. In a flash, I ran to her and grabbed her head in a choke hold but she disappeared and was on my back, holding my head in a headlock. I grabbed her arms, opened them and then threw her on the ground from over my head.

I circled around her, thinking of all my possible options. Ava with powers can be a dangerous opponent. What she was doing right now is nothing in comparison to what she can do. Both of us knew that.

I could feel the eyes of people around us on us. They were all watching the spar with unconcealed interest.

I waited for her next move.

In the blink of an eye she was in front of, throwing a punch at my face, I blocked it. And then one came from the back. And then my left. And then my right.

She would disappear and appear in the blink of an eye, attack and then disappear again. I could barely see her so I focused on my senses to judge where she would attack from.

I defended most of the attacks but she got in a couple of good ones.

Then I started punching and kicking too. But didn't pack a lot of strength in them. I didn't want to hurt her.

It was like a dance. She would appear, attack. I will defend and she would disappear. I would sense where she is, attack, she will defend and disappear.

Over and over.

I need to brake the cycle.

Apparently Ava thought so too, so this time, she appeared on my shoulders with her legs locked around my head and then in the next second, I was on the ground and she was holding me down in a chokehold with her legs.

"Shift." Mikhail said.

But I didn't shift. In this case, I will be at a disadvantage in my fur. I will have a longer body to protect and it will take me time to turn around. Also, there is no way I'm biting her with my teeth or wounding her with my claws.

I grabbed her legs and twisted. The moment her hold loosened, she appeared on my chest and was straddling me.

I was so focused on her legs that I didn't sense this and she got in a good punch on my jaw.

A smile grew on her face. Using her slight distraction as my opportunity, I brought my legs up from behind her and locked them around her neck and twisted her so she revolved around herself and fell down, her butt on the ground.

Now, I had her on the ground with my legs wrapped around her body, and I grabbed her head that rested on my thigh.

Like this, I could have easily snapped the head of my opponent.

The crowd broke into a round of applause and lots of cheers. The females who were rooting for Ava were cheering too.

I pecked her lips Spiderman style and released her before we both stood up.

"You did good." A lot better than I had expected actually, considering she does not train everyday.

"Thanks." I wide grin stretched across her face.

"The winner of this match is Alpha Nikolai. So one point to males." Mikhail motioned towards the slave who stood on the stage and he wrote one in the male section.

"That's alright. My females will make me proud. Won't you all?" Ava asked loudly to all the women who cheered in return.

"Let's see who wins. Now go to your partners and begin. You will go to the stage with your partner and mark a point for the winning team. If you don't go with your partner, the point won't be marked to avoid cheating. I will be keeping an eye. Disperse." Mikhail announced and everyone bounced on their heels in excitement as they went off to spar.

"What are you planning?" Ava asked me.

"What?"

"Creating competition that motivates people to fight and train harder." She said suspiciously. "I don't think this is the normal way you train everyday."

She is too smart for her own good.

"Just wanted to change things up a bit." Mikhaik smiled. "A healthy competition never did anyone bad."

She eyed us both and we gave her innocent looks.

"It's my turn to fight you, Luna." Dimitri appeared.

"You're late." Mikhaik told him.

"I slept late. I was...working out." He grinned. The asshole was getting laid. I know my brother. I can bet my life on it.

"Two hundred laps around the grounds." I ordered. He gave me a salute before he took off.

We spend about half an hour making rounds, checking on different fights. I could see that our presence made a difference, they fought harder.

Then Dimitri came in to spar with Ava.

This should be interesting.

I watched them walk into a circle.

"Start." I commanded.

To Dimitri's surprise, Ava attacked immediately.

Dimitri and I's fighting techniques were very different. While I directly went in for the kill, Dimitri made a show out of it. While sparing, I focused on making my opponent submit, Dimitri dragged it out by tiring his opponent and then brutally killing their ego by making a show of him dominating the fight and winning in the end.

The only person Dimitri hasn't defeated yet is me. But he gives a darn good challenge. The major trick up his sleeve is tiring the opponent because he is quick on his feet. Ava has the same technique which makes this fight much more interesting.

Dimitri started dancing around Ava, throwing punches and kicks here and there. Ava calmed down and watched at him move around her and blocked around half of his attacks.

After a couple of minutes, Ava started using the same technique she used on me of disappearing, appearing at a different place, attacking and then disappearing again.

That threw Dimitri off his game. Apparently, Ava had observed his patterns and attacking style and was using it against him.

For a good amount of time, Ava dominated Dimitri in the fight, getting in good punches and kicks. So much so that his side was injured enough to slow him down and his nose was bleeding.

Slowly, Dimitri caught up with her and used his wolf to sense her instead of trying to look for her, exactly what I did.

But then suddenly Ava was on his back and was about to grab his head in a dead lock, Dimitri grabbed her and threw her in front of him.

But Ava grabbed him too and brought him down with her. She appeared on his chest and managed to punch his nose again before he threw her off him.

A resounding crack hit my ears.

Ava broke his nose.

She lay on the ground and looked at him with wide eyes. I don't think she intended to do that.

He stood up and popped his nose back and motioned her to come at him.

A smile formed on Ava's face and she lunged at him. She realised her mistake a little too late. Attacking Dimitri from the front when he was much stronger and experienced than her was a bad idea.

Dimitri moved, grabbed her her arm and spun her so his arm caged her body and her back was against his front and his other hand came up to grab her neck.

Everyone was stunned at that.

There was a possibility that Ava would have won if she had continued to use her powers.

Dimitri released her and she turned around. She swiped her hand over his face in the air and his nose was fixed again and it stopped bleeding. Then, she showed him her tongue, making a face. "A couple of days of training and I will win."

Everyone cheered again and chuckled at that.

"We will see about that." Dimitri called and I chuckled.

Ya, it definitely bruised his ego.