Eleonora stepped into the big hall. The room looked like a gym on one side and a training area on the other. Some people were lifting weights, but most stood around in a circle in the training area. Eleonora stepped closer to see that the ground was covered in blue exercise mats.
"You're faster than I thought." Dexter greeted her from the middle of a group.
"Hey Leo!" It was Donna who greeted her friendly.
"Didn't think you'd be coming here, kid." Jace put his arm over her shoulder, rubbing her head.
"Stop that!" She laughed, pushing his arm off her.
Rachel came into her vision. "Never thought the Alpha would send you too."
She shrugged. "It was my decision; I needed a change of scenery." She looked at her friends. "So, how does it work here?"
"Can you see the bulky guy over there?" Jace pointed over to a brown-haired man while he leaned on Eleonora. The man was tall, bulky, and looked to be around thirty. "He's the instructor for the Crescent Moon wolves."
"What about you guys?"
"He mingles us in but it's not really a fit program." Donna interrupted. "We've only sparred the past two days."
"More like challenged." Dexter smirked.
"Testing the waters, I see." Eleonora concluded. She wasn't surprised that the packs had a few troubles working things out. She was interested to see how it would work the next days.
Eleonora looked around her, it was clear that the packs stayed to their own little groups. She looked over to the Crescent Moon wolves only to see one guy standing alone at the side. He had dark brown hair and a piercing in his left ear. She remembered him. He was the younger man she saw the night she followed the brown-haired woman.
Eleonora looked further but she couldn't find the woman she was looking for; it only confirmed her suspicion that the woman wasn't a fighter or warrior in her pack. She looked at the pierced man again. He was wearing grey sweatpants and a black pullover, she could still see that he was tall and muscular beneath it.
Her thoughts were cut off when she saw the pierced man walked over to the instructor and whispered something to him. After that he gestured into her direction. This was interesting, she thought.
"Oh, will you look at that. Punching bag is looking for a fight again." One of the Crescent Moon guys said in an amused voice. He had blond hair and a tall figure, but he didn't look too strong compared to a few others.
The men who stood with him laughed together, giving mocking looks to the piercing guy.
Eleonora stepped forward as the instructor came her way. She knew what he wanted.
"I heard you would join us today. Let's keep the introductions short, I'm Steve. In this hall everyone does what I say so you should abide to that as well."
Eleonora scoffed internally, she hated to be bossed around by others. "It's Eleonora, Leo -"
He cut her off. "I know who you are. You see -" He pointed at the pierced guy behind him amused. "He wants to fight you. Get your protective gear and get ready."
"I don't need that." Eleonora pushed Steve to the side and walked onto the fighting mat, she could only hear her pack members laugh behind her. Steve scoffed offended and walked to the side, seemingly to play the judge in this fight.
The pierced man stood on the other side, ready in a fighting position. Eleonora took her own position.
A few Crescent Moon guys joked and laughed and some bet on one of them to win the fight. But as she looked around the crowd again, she realized that there wasn't a single female fighter in the Crescent Moon Pack. She had a feeling why they were laughing like this. But most mocking glances weren't directed at her but at her opponent. She remembered one of the guys calling him 'punching bag'. Not a nice treatment for a pack member, she thought. Even Steve, the instructor, looked mocking as if he had a different goal in his mind.
"Come on weakling, give us a good fight!" Another person screamed. Eleonora was starting to get pissed off by their attitude.
As Steve gave the start sign Eleonora and the pierced guy started to circle each other on the mat. Seeing his precise and graceful movements, Eleonora could tell that her opponent had a lot of experience in fighting. He moved as if it was second nature for him, he matched her speed and movements in time. She couldn't understand why people said he was one of the weakest fighters in this pack.
"They call you the punching bag?" She asked her opponent.
"They say a lot when the day is long." He scoffed, obviously not happy. Was he angry about the comments or that he had to fight a girl? Eleonora was anything but pleased to be underestimated.
None of the two started the fight, both waiting for the right moment.
"Get it done already!"
"I want to be the next fighter he is up against!"
People, mostly from the Crescent Moon Pack, started complaining that they didn't fight. Eleonora's glanced over to her own pack members. They didn't chant or complain, they were watching, knowing full well this was a serious fight and not a little spar with her opponent. Dexter stood in the front, his eyes furrowed, and arms crossed. Eleonora smirked.
She looked back at her opponent only to be met with a fist to her abdomen. She was impressed by her opponent yet again, he noticed her drifting off and took his chance, she should have expected as much. She pushed her body back a little to avoid the damage from the punch. The punch connected and it still hurt. If she had taken a full blow, she doubted she would stand on her feet much longer.
She sidestepped, standing behind him now, she kicked at his side only for her leg to be stopped by his hand.
The audience started to scream and chant for their favorite, only the White Claw members were silently watching.
Eleonora got her leg free and stepped back taking in her opponent. He looked anything but friendly at her. His eyes were filled with hate and rage, he wanted to win this fight. Her pack must have felt the tension because she saw Dexter forming fists and Donna getting into an attack position. She internally sighed at her friends.
"Come on omega, get her!" The same blond man from Crescent Moon screamed as before.
That's when Eleonora realized it. The insults and the taunts, her opponent was the omega who Rachel had fought. Fighting him herself and defending against his attacks made her wonder how Rachel got away without a broken bone at least.
But she couldn't deny that she hated the interruptions of the Crescent Moon members and Steve didn't seem to do anything against that, he just laughed at the snarly remarks and continued to watch.
Eleonora defended against another punch to her face and placed at kick to his leg, making it connect this time.
"Come on red head, finish him!" Someone in the crowd screamed and Eleonora was caught of guard for a split second as piercing guy kicked her legs making her fall hard to the ground.
Eleonora rolled on her back in time to defend a punch to her face. Her opponent was now sitting on her giving her punch after punch. She avoided the most and some landed on the ground next to her face.
Piercing guy towered over her throwing another punch to her face. This one connected and Eleonora could taste blood in her mouth.
"ACE!" A loud voice screamed through the hall making her opponent stop in his tracks. Everyone looked to the side to see a middle-aged man walk up to the training mats.
Her opponent released her and stood up. Eleonora did the same and Dexter walked to her in a hurry.
"I won't let the White Claw Pack look down on me!" Piercing guy said back to her while he retreated to the other side
Dexter gave piercing guy a warning look andreached out to Eleonora to see her bleeding lip, but Eleonora pushed his hand to the side.
She faced her opponent. "Wow. You must really hate my pack. Sorry to hear that." She walked up to him and reached out her hand. "But I'm not my pack. It's nice to meet you punching boy, my name is Eleonora, Leo for short." She said in her sweetest voice.
"It's Ace." He shook her hand, not changing his expression. Suddenly he drew her closer to him, whispering into her ear. "Next time don't get distracted, Freckles. Bad things could happen to little girls like you." He moved back and their eyes met.
She met his dark blue eyes; a sudden sting ran through her hand.
"Looks like the pack members are as bad as the Alpha." He finished.
Eleonora withdrew her hand quickly she had planned to be nice since her opponent was a good fighter and a lot of potential. He had a bad attitude, but Eleonora thought she could oversee it. But his comment changed that. People could say anything they wanted about her, but she drew a line when it came to her family. Without any hesitation her hand connected with his cheek and the sound of a slap rang in the hall.
Loud gasps were heard from the crowd. Looking up at Ace she saw a dark red mark forming on his cheek where she had slapped him. She could see a tear forming in his left eye because of the pain she must have caused him.
"Screw this!" She turned around and left the hall, not taking a second look at the people who made way for her.