•••

''God dammit Odetta. Next time I strike, I won't hesitate to hit you hard." Victor shouts from the other side of the training field.

My back hurt, my feet, my thighs—screw it, my whole body hurts like hell. I was close to tears.

It's been a week since Casper and I went out on our first official date. I'd have loved to go on more but I've been busy with sorcery and combat trainings with Dakota in the morning and Victor during the afternoon.

I am hugging myself in a fetal position on the ground while Dakota just watches in silence and Sebastian screams at me.

"Odetta come on, you haven't had a solid, clean hit at me and you are just lying there helpless. Think of Javier." He screams.

I blink back tears and stand up. Every move I makes me want to cry out but I bite my lips to stop myself.

"Come at me again and this time, come hard." He says and crouches. I look at him before running at him. I throw a weak punch which he dodges and takes hold of my arm. He pins my arm behind me takes hold of my second arm when I try to hit him. He flings me to the other side of the field.

"Oh come on Odetta" he growls.

I start to sob "Is that the best you can do. Come and hit me."

"I can't." I say slowly as I sob harder.

"I can't let you go if you can't knock me off my feet."

Standing up straight hurts my muscles. "Please no more."

He just shakes his head at me. I sob as I lunge at him but I kick his knee which causes him to lose balance for a split second. As he straightens himself, I punch him which hurts my knuckles but I ignore the pain. I punch him again in the stomach and he doubles over, before I could hit him again, he grabs my hand. He bends my left hand at a painful angle. I hear a sickening crack which causes me to cry out. I swing blindly with my other arm which manages to hit is eye and he let's go of me.

I a flash of rage, I transform and charges at Victor again. I'm reminded of why he's the Beta. He doesn't even waste a second before he transforms too and blocks me. I aim to bite a leg of his front paw but he shifts and grabs the scruff of neck in his jaws. I whine and struggle for him to let go but he seems to clamp down harder. I let out a painful howl.

"That's enough." I hear Dakota say and I feel my wolf form drop to the ground as Victor let's go. I shape shift back to human form not caring about my state of undress.

"Come dear." Dakota murmurs as throws a huge blanket over my shoulders. I wrap tight around my body.

"I'm sorry Odetta." Victor says with pain laced in his voice.

"She needs it. She's getting better." Dakota says.

I cry and bury my face in Victor's chest as he carries me to Dakota's cabin. We arrive and he sets me down on her bed. She prepares a mixture and gets me to drink it then she has her special healing candle burn in the room.

"Will she be okay?" Victor asks, I could hear his worry.

"She will. Now go." She tells him.

He says something else but I don't hear because I'm falling asleep.

I don't know long I sleep for but I know I wake up to the sound of a very pissed off Casper.

"I don't know what you were thinking training her like that?" He says then sighs "And you too Victor. What were you thinking?. You of all people should know to be careful. Why could you let her train with Dakota?"

"If I fought her, She'd be dead. Plus she's getting better. She managed a few hits on Victor. This is for her and your own good."

I don't think I'm getting better. Victor beat the shit out of me today. Might have to cook for him and make him eat it.

"I don't care. As long as she's with me, she's safe. No need for all this." he hisses and I feel myself being picked up bridal style. I inhaled his scent and snuggled closer.

"I'm doing what I know is best."

I open my eyes and try to tell them to stop arguing but it comes as an incoherent jumble of words.

"Don't speak. Just go to sleep." He murmurs.

"At least next time be careful with her." I can feel him holding his anger in.

"You know He won't be careful with her if—when he finds her." She simply says and for a while No one says anything.

"He won't come near her and if he lays a finger on either her or Javier, I'll fucking kill him."

Dakota scoffs "This is greater than you Casper. Don't let your emotions blind you."

"I've failed once, I won't fail again."

I don't want them to keep on arguing to a interrupt. "My head hurts." I manage to slur.

Casper pulls me closer, "I'm leaving." He states and starts walking away. I sleep off and wake up on my bed in my room.

"Odetta." Casper immediately rushes to my side when I moan out in pain. "Are you okay?"

I finally open my eyes and his face is the first thing I see. I manage a nod at his question.

"Does your head and arm still hurt?"

I shake my head, "No." My voice comes out hoarse and scratchy.

"You don't need to talk." He stands up and heads for the door. "I already ran a hot bath for you. Let me bring you something to eat." He tells me and leaves the room.

I lay in bed for a few minutes before moving my left arm around for a bit. It hurts and I wince in pain. It takes a while for me to stand up straight and this time it doesn't hurt.

I make way to the bathroom and carefully strip myself of my clothes, then I put my hair in a messy bun. I sit at the edge of the bath tub and dip my fingers into the water and it's the perfect temperature, leaning a bit more to the hot side.

"Fuck." I sigh as the water engulfed my body and the bubbles gather over my breast. I could already feel the hot water loosening my muscles.

I stay in the water for some time while humming to myself. I hear the door leading to my room open and close and I tense up. Javier's scent fill my nostrils and I immediately relax.

"Javier is that you?" I call out.

"There you are." I see his tiny head peek out from behind the door to the bathroom. He fully steps in when I smile at him.

"Sebastian and I went out today and got you an acai bowl from the best breakfast diners we could find since it's a favourite." He says sheepishly.

"Thank you, that's really sweet of you. You're way too cute. Come here." I laugh and he comes to me. I kiss his cheek as he hands me the acai bowl his little hands are struggling to hold.

He sits on the edge of the bathtub looking at me.

"Daddy said that you were hurt."

I frown at his expression. He looks like he's about to cry. "But I'm okay now. See." I try to convince him by smiling wider and wiggling, doing a little dance in the bath tub. He doesn't seem convinced enough but he just purses his lips and nods.

"I could give you a massage." I throw my head back in laughter.

He pouts, "I swear that I give the best massages. Ask dad." He wiggles his little fingers.

"I believe you." I decide to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Or I could go make you my awesome pb and jelly sandwich. That will make you feel better." He says as his face lights up like it's the best of ideas.

"Javier it's really—" I start to say but he's already out the door, "—no problem."

•••

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------so it's me again and I hope you guys like the double update in one day even if it's not compared to the the quadruple updates that I used to give before.
-Please tell me what you guys think of this chapter.
-I have been experiencing writer's block lately and it's really annoying so I might not update for a while to get everything right.

Byeee till next time and have a great weekend.