Page 52 of Ava: Part Two

“What’s the matter, Morgan? Can’t play in the big leagues?” the coach sneered.

“You made us practice with one weapon and said that would be our evaluation weapon. This is so irresponsible. Weapons aren’t toys; people will get hurt.”

There was complete silence again as the coach’s gaze turned even colder. She could hear her heartbeat as everyone waited for the coach’s reaction. He had such a fragile ego that he couldn’t take being openly criticised, but his issue was with her alone. Why did the others have to suffer? She didn’t like most of them, but she had never been one to shut up when she saw something wrong.

“You’re more than welcome to yield right now,” Coach Baxter growled. “If you’re not, pick a weapon and shut your damn mouth.”

The coach resumed calling the names, and she watched as four other beginners came to pick their weapons. She saw the worried looks on their faces as they tried to pick weapons they were unfamiliar with, so she held back so they could pick first.

“If you’re unsure, pick something of similar weight,” she whispered to them. “Something heavier would throw you off your balance, the same if it’s too light. Focus on your movements, and make sure your weapon flows with your whole body. Don’t try to be heroes; there’s no shame in tapping out. We’ve all done well.”

“Ava Morgan!”

She ignored the coach and gave her fellow beginners a nod as she picked a sheath full of throwing stars. They still looked worried but she hoped they would tap out as she intended to do. She secured the sheath to her side and followed them to the rings without looking at the coach.

She didn’t need to look at him to feel his anger and hatred. She could feel it scorching her as she slipped into the first ring and backed into a corner to wait.

When her opponent was called first, she finally looked at the coach and saw the smirk on his face. There was such joy on his face that she wondered why the other Instructors and faculty members weren’t saying anything. His prejudice was so clear for everyone to see.

But she supposed they wouldn’t care, either. She was worse than an Omega to them.

Her gaze went to her opponent when he picked his weapons, and then he turned to her with eyes full of ice-cold hatred and fury.

Douche Dexter.

She had been paired with Douche Dexter, an Alpha who likely wanted to kill her, as if her life meant nothing to them. She had humiliated him in front of the whole school, and now he had come to collect his pound of flesh.

Dexter had been arrogant and a joker in all their matches as he had effortlessly pummelled her. She had never faced him like this. He was cold, subdued and deadly serious.

He was there to kill her.

Chapter 35

Avaquelledthehintof excitement she felt when Dexter walked into the ring with a sharp axe in each hand.

She didn’t understand where this excitement came from. Usually, in the face of such danger, her fear would have crippled her and she would have been on the verge of a panic attack. Dexter gripped both axes as he stood in his corner without moving, his gaze not leaving her face for a second.

Her heart should have been pounding. She’d dreaded seeing Dexter again, but right now, all she felt was the adrenaline rush because she wanted to beat him again. She wanted to bring this jerk to his knees again and have him beg for mercy.

They were impossible thoughts. Luck had been on her side last time; Dexter certainly wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. But it didn’t stop her from imagining it. She wanted that so bad she was practically drooling, even if Dexter’s axes looked sharp enough to slice a limb right off.

She pulled herself back at that thought. She would be enclosed in a magical barrier with an Alpha holding two deadly weapons, and she really doubted the academy would do anything to stop him.

Would she die today? A hint of fear settled in her when she saw the hatred in his eyes again. It pushed back her earlier excitement as reality sank in. This wouldn’t be a fair match.

The coach’s whistle blew before she was ready, but Dexter had been waiting for it. He rushed towards her straight away with a sneer on his face.

She had only seconds to think as she dodged out of his way. She forced her brain into gear to observe his movements, and one thing she noticed as he lifted his arm and prepared to swing was how sloppy he was. He didn’t look comfortable with his weapons and had likely chosen them while imagining the damage they could cause her. He was just like the beginners she had helped to pick their weapons, with only a few weeks of the academy’s training under his belt.

As an Alpha, his training should have started early in his pack. He should have been on her level with the weapons. Maybe Dexter didn’t take his duties as seriously as he should have. That was easy to assume, seeing how he behaved here, completely disregarding everyone else.

The other thing she noticed was that he was aiming for her head. That was a death blow if she had ever seen one, and that was not allowed in any training.

Dexter swung again. She easily dodged and rushed to the opposite corner. As expected, Dexter couldn’t properly balance himself as he turned to follow her. She hoped they wouldn’t let him fight anyone else without proper training after this because he would kill someone. No matter how well the other students healed, nothing could be done for a headless supernatural.

“You little bitch. Come here,” Dexter growled.

He swung again, and this time, when she dodged, she pulled a throwing star from the sheath and threw it. A race of humans called these stars shuriken, and the art of throwing them was shurikenjutsu. She had mastered it long before she had known she wasn’t a wolf. The star embedded in Dexter’s arm and made him drop one axe with a scream.

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