Prologue
Lakelyn Age 13
"Keep your hands up! Hands up!" Bellateen yelled at me. Mum, was too much of a loving pronoun to call the woman who birthed and raised me.

THWAP!!

My vision swam and my left ear rung as I momentarily lost my hearing as my coach kicked me hard in the side of the head.

"You're not focused! Stay focused!" Bella yelled as I stumbled on my feet from the impact. I made the mistake of lowering my gloved hands in my lucid state, and copped a fist to the face this time. I reeled backwards as hot sticky blood dribbled down my nose to meet with the blood leaking from my now busted lip.

"Ay! Suficiente, ella ha terminado, no escuches! Estúpida." Enough, she's done, you don't listen! Stupid girl, Bella yelled in Spanish as I vaguely listened to her insult, not really caring as I ripped the Velcro off my gloves and through them down on the floor. I lifted one of the ropes and clambered between them and down the edge of the ring, stumbling slightly.

I harshly wiped the blood from my face and neck with my sweat towel as my mother appeared standing over me as I sat back onto the bench behind me.

"You're not listening, not learning fast enough! I don't understand what else I can do to make to understand the importance of knowing how to defend yourself." She harshly snapped at me as refrained from looking up to meet her harsh, disappointed eyes.

"Marko, again!" She called as she walked away from me. My head shot up as I finally got the bleeding under control. She can't be serious! But she always was. She never gave me time to stop and recover because, 'In a fight, no one's gonna stop and wait for you to get back up'.

I begrudgingly pulled my gloves back on and climbed back through the ropes, into the ring to stand oppisite my teacher, a man three times my size with legs and arms as thick a tree trunks with pure muscle, and a shaved head.

"Bare fists." Bellateen called as she lent on the edge of the ring and reached in to take the tossed gloves Marko threw down. I trembled slightly as I undid my gloves again and threw them to her, revealing my wrapped hands and wrists, Marko's matching.

"Go!" Bella called as she slapped the bell on the outside edge of the ring. The high pitched ding of the small bell cut through my senses as I breathed heavily, trying to remain calm even though I was scared outta my mind.

We circled each other slowly before he launched forward. He swung twice landing to hits to my gut and I stumbled backwards. He wasn't going easy on me, and I suddenly worried if he'd broken something in me. I quickly struck back as I glanced at Bella out of the corner of my eyes. Two strong hits to his face before I bounced back to put some distance between us again, but he was quick to follow sensing my lack of confidence and exploiting it. He followed me and, using a front kick, slammed his heel straight into the front of my right knee, my leading leg. I let out a scream as I dropped to the floor on all fours. Marko bounced on his feet, still ready to fight and Bella didn't move a muscle, remaining relaxed and indifferent as she always did. I began to breath heavily as my lip knitted together in seconds, gone without a trace, no scar remaining.

Marko stepped forward, not checking to see if I was alright, but swinging his foot at my head in a low roundhouse kick. I caught it inches from my face and Bella leaned forward on the bench. I looked up sharply and knew my eyes were glowing gold. Marko's face hardened as he watched me waiting for me to let go of his ankle, or make a move while he was off balance. When I didn't he made to pull his leg back from my grip but I tightened it and dug my werewolf nails into his skin by accident. He glared down at me, and that's when I reacted.

I shifted forward on my knees as my right one popped back into place and began to rapidly heal. I didn't even react to the pain, I was far beyond that. I grabbed his thigh with my free hand and used both hands to twist his leg sharply, causing him to topple over and land face first on the ground. I growled deep in my throat as I stood up. Marko quickly stood as well as Bella raised her chin, the only sign she was proud of the move.

Marko quickly turned on me, holding nothing back as he punched me twice in the face, though I blocked the second, and then side kicked me, spinning the other direction to land a roundhouse kick too. My teeth still bared and my claws and eyes still visible, he was to fast and he kept on coming. A punch to the stomach, I lower my hands to defend it, and he hits me in the face, so I raise my hands again. It was like a rythm, a pattern, hit stomach, hit head, side kick, hit head, front kick, hit stomach, hit head.

I began to feel a burst of heat boiling in my gut as my heart thundered in my chest and my anger rose. I was in pain and I wanted it to end, I wanted him to end. I snapped and caught his leg mid swing and flipped him on his back. I lept on top of him and made quick work of beating the living hell outta him. I hit his face over, and over, and over again.

"Terminarlo!" Finish it, Bellateen yelled as she rose from her chair. With wild eyes and flailing hair, I bared my teeth in a loud roar and slashed my claws across his throat.