Wolf Heart

Chapter 46

His sneer twisted while he kept a grip on the training knife with an expert hold.

"You heard her, Ranier," General Falae said. "Get off her."

A soft scoff escaped his lips as he got off her spine and brushed himself off. Maia caught her breath, where sweat plastered against her brow. Back on her shaking knees, she longed to slap the smug grin off his face as he slipped the training knife into its protective casing, but as she took the step forward, a hand rested on her shoulder.

"As Elites, one of your most vital skills is learning to assess all manner of situations," General Falae said as she pushed her back to the line up, where Iana supported her back into her spot. "You will have to deduce how to get a job done as efficiently as possible to minimise damage to yourselves and those you're meant to protect." She turned to Black Wolf, who reached for his jacket. "Care to demonstrate with me, Ranier?"

James snapped around and pressed his hands against his back and gazed at her without another smile. His attention drifted across her, up and down before he said in an even, cold tone, "No, Ma'am."

Everyone eyed each other, but General Falae folded her arms with her own devious smile while James picked up the jacket. "I had the delight to watch some of your spars, Ranier," she said. "Were your fellow recruits not enough of a challenge?" She drew her shoulders into a shrug while Maia recognized the taunt, General Falae's demonstration. "You had to push them around a little, prove that your bite is just as bad as your bark?"

Maia flinched at the intense expression which grappled Black Wolf when he sucked in his lips and turned back to General Falae. Hazel, firelit rage swallowed him when he brought his fists up with a huff.

"Good, I've got your attention," she said with a glance at the line up, and Maia leaned forward.

Black Wolf scowled, but never made an attack. General Falae rolled out her shoulders, then tipped her head with a blazing, taunting smile. "Come then, Ranier. I'm sure the recruits are waiting on tenterhooks. I'll even let you have the first move," she said, and copied his motion she made to her before raising her fists up. "Just one though." One wink, Maia widened her eyes when the lower half of her Elite mask raised up to cover her jaw, where a plume of cold, blue mist escaped from the initial exhale of breath.

Maia gaped at the lack of uncertainty within General Falae's gaze while Black Wolf took his charge. He threw himself forward, but when General Falae reached her elbow out, he dodged to the side with a quick huff. His footing straight and prideful, he sent another strike at her arm, but she kept a distance, tugging Black Wolf across the sparring ring, without ever making a strike herself. Every dodge, calculated. Every breath, never wasted while the cold smoke left the divots of the mask in steady, counted moments while Black Wolf continued his relentless assault.

He pulled his arm back, but Maia gaped when General Falae wrapped both his arms against her side, and tugged him closer. He dug in, but she pulled him forward like a petulant child. Free hand up, he grunted when she pushed into his jaw, and sent him back with a quick, almost playful foot into his back.

Black Wolf scrambled around with a scowl, and returned to his useless rush.

Something broke within the troop.

General Falae met him head on, but she latched onto his tackle, sending a hand into his ribcage. He grimaced, but gasped when she forced him to the side while her hand wrapped around his collar. Maia gaped when she hooked her other hand onto his belt, then used his own momentum to lift him but an important inch off the ground, and sent him back down into the dirt, his limbs flailing for control when his back hit the ground.