"Where have you been?"

I spun around on my heel, startled by the voice of my sister.

It had been four days since we brought her back here, and she had settled surprisingly well. She had not tried to run away like I did, and found herself comfortable in the walls of the grand library.

"I went to pick up something from town." I cocked my head, flickering my eyes down at her clothes. "What have you been up to?"

She blushed, adjusting the elastic hem of her sports top. "I was in the gym."

My eyebrows rose. "The gym? Working out?"

"Not working out, no."

"So... sunbathing?" I drawled.

She laughed, but I could sense the awkwardness in her tone. "I was learning."

"Arabella, just spit it out." I huffed, adjusting the dress bag on my shoulder.

"Mya was teaching me self-defence." She shrugged.

I groaned. "Out of all wolves you could have chosen, you chose the most inappropriate?"

"She isn't inappropriate."

"Oh yeah? How many times has she tackled your ass?" I mused.

"This is day three." She blushed, dropping her head with a faint smile. "She offered to train me; said I was an immature mind and body waiting for muscles."

I had only introduced the two of them on the evening she arrived and already she was training with Mya.

I laughed. "Mya would say that because she loves to win."

"I enjoy it." She mumbled.

My gaze softened, and I rubbed the back of my fingers down her cheek. "Just be careful. They are wolves and we are human. We have to fight differently."

"We? I have never seen you fight a day in your life." She snorted.

I smiled sadly. "How do you think I survived nearly three years with Darius?"

Her humour vanished, and she winced. "Maybe you could teach me then?"

"I know someone who is good, who will bring out your potential." I began, and she raised her eyebrows expectantly. "Unfortunately, she is already training you."

Arabella laughed, nudging me softly. She had become a lot more vocal in the past few days than she had her entire life. It was rather refreshing to see, and she never shut up about the book she found in the library. Apparently, she had already read four, and she had only been here four days! It would take me twice as long as her to read books; I struggled with the longer paragraphs.

It made me question how much time she had to sleep.

"What did you get from town, anyway? I have never been to town. What's it like?"

"First, it's great. There's a bakery, butchers, a dress shop, a trinket shop..." I rattled off. "Second, I picked up my dress for the ball. Rebecca, the seamstress, had to alter it for me a few times. This time it definitely fit me."

"She cannot be that good if it didn't fit after the first time." Arabella tutted.

I rolled my eyes. My sister's other hobby was making clothes. I should've known she would've been envious that I got to go to a boutique and try on fabrics. Little did she know, I hated being primed. They had primed me most of my life, and the past two years especially. I would rather live in basic clothes for my entire life, and as much as I tried to here, I was struggling with the concept. There were always eyes on me, much like in Evermore, and it made me on edge.

What if I looked crap? Would they judge me?

"I have gained weight." I admitted awkwardly.

It wasn't nice for me to admit. My relationship with my body started when I was a young teen. My mother's perception of a woman's body wasn't what I looked like. I was too tall, my hips too wide, my breasts too small. Even down to the curve of my nose and my freckles, my mother would pick me apart from a young age.

When I got with Darius, he controlled my appetite. I already had a terrible relationship with the food I ate, especially with the lack of options we had. So being forced to starve some days to look better or because I was bad really messed with my mind.

Arabella's eyes widened, a loud, exaggerated gasp escaping her. "How horrible."

"Arabella." I rolled my eyes at her teasing, knowing she was trying to diffuse the situation. "It just meant she had to let it out a little..."

"You will have to show me the dress." She beamed, running her hands down her clothes. "But I was supposed to meet Mya in five minutes..."

If I was a wolf, my ears would perk up. "Well... How about I join you?"

"Join me?" Arabella wondered. "As in, work out?"

I grinned, cocking my head. "I can work out, Arabella. Can you keep up?"

***

Adorning myself in gym leggings and a tank top, Arabella and I entered the gym together. There were a few wolves littered around, but Mya was in the centre of an empty circle with mats on the floor.

"Oh, you brought a date!" She cheered.

I rolled my eyes, holding the door open for my sister. "I'm here to whoop you ass."

Mya laughed, shaking her finger at me. "Like to see you try, Luna."

I noticed the curious look Arabella sent me, but I just smirked, shaking my head at Mya. To add to my poor sister's curiosity, two wolves on nearby weight benches called me out.

"Hey, Luna, here to watch us train?" One called, putting down his drink.

I smirked, shaking my head. "I'm here to show my sister how it's done."

They looked at my sister, and I narrowed my eyes when their eyes wandered. I half-stepped before her, crossing my arms. They retreated, dropping their gazes and looking to the floor when I caught them.

Is that what Asra called submission?

Huffing, I took my sister's wrist and dragged her to the mats Mya was training on. They were soft and squishy under my feet, and I scowled down at them.

"What's that face for?" Mya wondered.

"This seems rather off-balance." I stated. "Wouldn't a hard floor be more beneficial?"

"Your sister has baby skin. If I slam her to the ground, she will break a limb." Mya snorted.

I scowled at both of them. "You are a wolf. You need to look after her."

"She is not a child." Mya tutted. "She has to learn she won't always have it easy. What if a wolf tackles her?"

I crossed my arms, understanding her point, but wanting to get mine across.

"If a wolf caught up to her, or even a vampire... You are telling me, even with full strength and defence training, she would win?" I clicked my tongue, burning my gaze into hers.

Mya whined softly, avoiding my direct eyeline. "Well... No."

"Hey! You said I was doing good." Arabella huffed.

"You are doing good!" Mya insisted, patting my sister's bicep. "But Luna has a point."

"What is the point? And what is with this Luna stuff?" Arabella asked, a frown line dimpling her forehead.

"She is mated to Alpha Asra, so she is Alpha female." Mya pursed her lips. "Luna is the title."

"Well, you didn't tell me that part," Arabella mumbled. "Now I look stupid."

I shrugged before grinning. "You always look stupid."

She grumbled, sneering at me. "Least I don't have orange hair."

I let out a low whistle. "Watch out! Your inner bitch is coming out!"

"At least I'm not always a bitch." Arabella scoffed.

I noticed Mya shift uncomfortably, but I couldn't help grin at my sister's little game.

"You are right-I am a bitch." I laughed. "I am the head female wolf, after all."

Her soft giggle had Mya's scowl deepen. "You two confuse me."

"You confuse me." I teased. "Now, show me the silly stuff you teach my sister."

"It's not silly."

I made a pointed exaggeration of having her demonstrate to us and stepped off the matt. With firm encouragement, Mya had Arabella warm up. I copied from the side-lines, even opting for a run on a treadmill whilst she explained in depth to my sister all of her body parts and muscles. I listened attentively, unable to waver my gaze from the pair.

When they got into the sparring position, I slowed my run, my eyebrows furrowing at my sister's positioning.

"Why is she stood like that?" I wondered aloud, barely out of breath.

Mya scowled at me. "It's a fighting position, duh."

"No, she's left-handed. Why is she stood like a right-handed person?" I probed.

Mya dropped out of her offensive position, her hands in the air. "You're left-handed? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think it was necessary!" Arabella shrugged.

"It is very necessary! Your dominant side is usually your strongest side!" Mya huffed. "Change position. We are back to square one."

I laughed, shaking my head. Arabella had always been quiet and often let things like that slide because of her anxiety. I wondered if she knew she was the wrong way around and refused to comment on it because it was too late and embarrassing. She could be a pushover, and people found it easy to take control of her. But that happened when a woman who thought so little of personal independence raised you.

Even now, watching Arabella attempt to spar with Mya had my frustration grow. She couldn't follow through with her punches, pulling them back at the last minute. She was hardly making Mya shift her weight, with barely a sweat on her forehead. Arabella had a frightened, or maybe bewildered, look on her face.

Evermore always taught girls to be feminine and graceful, never to say a bad word and to use her manners. Her etiquette for a town like Evermore was exceptional. But she wasn't there anymore. She didn't have the shadow of my mother and the town breathing down her neck.

My emotions darkened at the thought of my mother, and I stepped from the treadmill with determination. I took hold of Arabella's shirt, fisting the fabric in my hand before tugging her from the mat. She fell off it with a cry of protest, but I barely paid her any attention before fisting my hand and swinging for Mya.

My ability to defend myself still came from an uncertain place, and even as I stepped onto the mat, I wasn't sure what I was going to do. My body seemed to move to its own accord in these situations, much like the time I fought against Eliza in the training fields.

The she-wolf jumped back with alarm before landing perfectly on the balls of her feet. I watched the grin erupt on her face, watched how much she enjoyed the fact I had tried to get her. My appearance had made the wolf appear, her canines glinting back at me.

I barely gave her a moment before I went for her again and she dodged it. I cocked my head, narrowing my eyes as she crouched and went for me. We came together in a flurry of movements and although she was holding herself back from hurting me; she landed a couple of solid hits on my shoulders.

I stepped away from her, straightening my spine. "Are you holding back on purpose? I thought you were a wolf."

She narrowed her eyes at my taunt. "If I hurt you, Asra will have my ass."

"I won't let him." I grinned. "If Arabella and I are to learn how to fight a wolf, I think she should learn it through observation. So come on, wolfie."

A low growl tumbled from her lips as I edged her on and within the blink of an eye, she was lashing out at me. I blocked her swinging legs, caught her flying fists, and dodged her as she charged at me. Wolves were sporadic when annoyed, it seemed. She had no honest tactic other than land as many hits as she could. I wasn't sure if this was the norm, but they acted on offense rather than defence. The moment I raised my fists to fight back, she would take a step back or block them.

Wolves were not so brave when they were human, were they?

Mya's growl was cut short when I passed a faux-jab to her left stomach. Her hands shifted downward, going to dodge what would've been a stomach hit with my left hand, but I changed my motive. Diving upward with my right hand, I pushed all of my strength into her neck. She yelped, alarmed, as I knocked her backward, barely having a moment before I jumped onto her.

With an odd fluidity, I forced her to the mat. My thighs pressed into her sides, ankles locked into her groin. I grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing my fingers between the bone. She groaned with protest, trying to pry me off, but I pushed all of my weight into her. She bucked and writhed and I went with her, gritting my teeth.

Eventually she stopped, shouting that she gave up. I grinned, sliding from her body with triumph. I was hot and sweaty and my ribs and head ached from where she punched me, but I had beaten her at her own game.

Sitting up, she blew her hair out of her face. "How did you manage that?"

"You are instinctual. It was easy to guess what you were going to do." I shrugged. "We, as humans, have no strength compared to you, so we have to fight with our brains. Teaching Bella otherwise will not help her."

Mya's eyes were scrutinising, and I knew she wasn't happy with me taking control of the session.

"I think that is a valid point."

My gaze shifted to the fresh voice in the room, finding Rio stood at the doorway. He nodded once at me before his curious gaze drifted over my sister. Mya huffed, standing on her feet.

"I see you got your ass kicked, Mya." He mused.

"She sure did." I grinned and Mya sighed, defeated.

If my sister was going to learn anything today, it was that wolves were not all that tough.