"Hannah, watch out!" 

She caught wind of the nightmarish-looking demon that was charging for her. He jumped and in mid-air, she could see his razor-sharp teeth. She immediately swiped her blade in his direction and sliced him in half. Another one down. Dozens more to go...

She had no time to stop and see this creature up close. They were coming from all corners of where she stood. She could see in the distance as Michael and Gabriel were in a full-blown battle with their own demon. Maddox, in wolf form, launched from where he stood and completely obliterated the one before him. 

Pack members all in wolf form had joined in and were in their own little skirmishes in their areas of the forest. She continued on with all her might and fought using all of her strength and skills that she learned. She was in awe of how this had all unfolded before her. It took her all by surprise. 

She swung her sword up and sliced another demon that charged for her. She was overwhelmed by them aiming for her on all sides, refusing to back down, refusing to leave. Her legs were in agony as she stumbled back and ran to one that had pinned a wolf on his back. She jumped in mid-air and plunged her sword down the gruesome beast's back until stopped and the wolf chomped on his neck and tore him apart. 

"Thank you, Luna," the wolf said before running off to attack another demon.

The battle continued on as she drew in deep breaths and look at her surrounding. A moss of bodies and parts of demons lay everywhere. The forest floor was covered in blood and goo. Limbs, body parts, and chunks of far were everywhere. 

She suddenly heard a loud growl behind her. She swirled around and stood face to face with the most grotesque-looking beast she had yet to fight. Her heart seized and her lungs slowly followed as it snarled and stepped close. She stepped back some and gripped her sword tight as drool slowly dripped from its mouth. He prowled with his deadly gaze locked with hers.  She needed to remember more of her teaching at this precise moment. But her mind drew blank the way her body ached and she felt so exhausted. She froze to the spot as its bones slowly began to pop and it slowly and shockingly morphed into...a man. 

She drew in deep ragged breaths as he slowly stood to his full height covered in blood and stalked eerily slow toward her. His face, no longer that of the beast but of a beautiful rendition of a male of her creators's design.   She shook her head as he continued on. 

"A wolf Hannah, change in to a wolf," Mia yelled in her head as her inner beast gazed in fright at the man still walking slowly toward her. 

Quickly she turned and began to run with him giving chase. She disgarded her jacket and continued around a tree and dashed over a low brush. His foot steps were getting closer. 

"Now! Hannah. Change," Mia yelled again.

She couldn't do it. she was panicking. This was too much. She felt overwhelmed and filled with terror. She came up to a clearing but was blocked immediately by a bolder and now cornered. she spun around to see that the man stopped a few feet away from her. 

In all his naked glory his chest heaved and his gaze turned dark. He stepped closer and she just as quick stepped back and stumbled more as his long strides corned her up to the wall. 

"Strike, Hannah!" Mia begged.

The weight of her sword felt heavy in her hands. She was now a toes length from the closeness of this unknown male that formed from the beast. Her insides hurt so much from the blows and being knocked about. Her legs and knees shook. She wanted to take flight but she couldn't. Her wings, itched to be free, but it was forbidden. She was not allowed to use angelic powers of any kind. Not even her light. It was forbidden.

So much was forbidden of her. Cast out from above and she was to save them all. With no help at all.

He stood before her. He hadn't moved. He just gazed down at her with pitch-black soulless eyes. 

She had a choice to make. Strike him down and continue on to the next, or stand there and meet her fate. 

He lunged forward and hissed furiously. 

"Hannah, strike him now!"

She shook her head. She couldn't. Regardless of what he was, he was of a human form. Confusion and doubt filled her nerve endings. Then suddenly he grabbed her and she cried out. She fought with him. But she had no time to weld her sword to kill him. Her fate was met. 

Within seconds, she tightened her eyes shut and swung her sword up to attack, it was too late. It yelled in agony and she felt the warm spray of something wet on her face. A low thump followed. 

Slowly she opened her eyes and took in the horror before her. Blood was everywhere. On her, her hair her face and a crumpled bloodied mass of flesh lay at her feet. 

Slowly a pair of boots formed in front of hers. Slowly she looked up. Still in shock unable to move as she peered into familiar sad grey eyes. 

"You hesitated, Sweetheart," Maddox informed her.

She lowered her head.  "I know," she murmured, "But he was in human form." she added looking up to him.

"As most of them will are. but you can not underestimate a demon, my child." Gaia said softly as she raised her hands and swiped down.

In the blink of an eye, everything around them changed. The dead bodies, the blood, the gore it was all gone. The day before them reappeared sunny and beautiful.  It was all an apparition that Gaia along with the help of some light Fae created. None of it was real. It was part of her practice. Without warning when she had stepped out of the house and followed Michael and Raphael, they led her into an apparition. She understood that she needed to fight and not hold back. But when this demon appeared before her as a human, she retreated into herself. A part of her, somewhere deep down in the dark recesses of her mind and soul, she wanted to stike. Angel or not she had to. But She was Seraphim. not really any more but she was. The conflicted side of her says she can not harm a human. She is benevolent and must protect them at all costs. But the other half of her says...no...she is no longer a benevolent one. she was cast out because of what she felt. She needed to let that go, be free, and do as her gut dictated.  

She frowned with such thoughts. They were confusing. Hannah exhaled and drew in another shaky breath as Maddox pulled her close tilted her chin up then gazed down at her. 

Their emotions mingled and swirled. He could tell something was different. But he remained quiet about it. Today was a strenuous and tiresome day. All he wanted to do was retire for the evening, and lock himself up in his room with her. Shower then make love. 

Koda Preened with that idea as Mia shook her head and rolled her eyes. 

"You did good today, regardless." he smiled.  "You were amazing," he added as he caressed her jaw and lowered his lips to hers.

Those around them snickered and others looked away while Michael cleared his throat. 

Always the strict one, he waited for Maddox to turn his gaze on him as Hannah Shyly buried her face in his chest.

"Are we done practicing?" he asked.

Maddox exhaled and looked down at Hannah. He could see the internal battle within her. The internal battle of beating herself up for hesitating and not fighting as she was taught in the end. He needed to change that feeling in her. In the human world, she would be considered a self-recriminating perfectionist. She would critique and berate herself then work at perfecting her faults until she got it right. Working herself to death about it. 

Not this time. 

He could see it under her eyes. the tiredness. the exhaustion. 

He did not like it one bit. His mate needed rest.

"I say we call it a day. I am sure everyone is exhausted and needs to eat and rest." he looked at Michael who frowned a bit. But the satisfying smirk on Rapahel, Gaia, and Uriel's face was enough.

"But, I am not..." Michael began.

"Give it a break brother, not everyone is eager and overachieving like you," Uriel exhaled shaking his head and turning away.

Raphael snickered and turned away with Gaia.

Maddox looked down at her for a while. 

"Let's go eat and shower."  He said as he led her along.

They all walked off and left Michael standing there alone.