«ʀᴇᴄᴛʀɪx» [ʙᴛs]

CHAPTER 34. KNIVES

They all exited the shooting range and started walking towards the main hall. The girls were at the back of the group. Tora was walking with her head low, she was still upset for her result during the training. She wanted to be cool just like Malia and Lilith. 

The other two girls had notice Tora's sad mood and looked at each other. Their eyes were saying "We should say something who's gonna start?". Lilith nodded at Malia. She knew it was Malia's who had to say something. After all Tora was her Beta. 

Malia was about to say something when Tora suddenly spoke. "I sucked" she said  with a really sad voice. "I though for once I was good at something but...I was wrong" she continued complaining "My life is a total failure" she then added. That phrase pissed both Malia and Lilith who stopped abruptly.

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Malia scoffed out annoyed. "STOP BEING SO DRAMMATIC YOU BAKA" Lilith said right after "You didn't even try your sword, how can you say something like that!?". Tora kept her head low, she was convinced of what she was saying. Malia and Lilith continued saying things in order to cheer her up but she wasn't listening.

"Enough" Malia was now loosing it, she grabbed Tora's wrist and started dragging her back to the shooting range. "Malia what are you doing?" Tora asked listlessly while staggering behind Malia's fast pace. Lilith raised her eyebrow "What the.." not understanding what was going on for then going after them.

"I'm not staying here hearing you complaining about your life" Malia extended her free arm and opened the metal door with a big thud. "Malia it's useless I'm never going to be as badass as you and Lilith are so lets just give u.." in that moment Malia faced her making her eyes glowing. Tora freezed when she looked her in the eyes. Her presence was changed. 

"DON'T. EVEN. SAY IT. WHAT? YOU WANNA ALREADY GIVE UP?" Malia was furious, she just couldn't believe what she had just heard. "YOU THINK ME AN LILITH BECAME GOOD WITHIN A SNAP OF A FINGER? WELL I'M SORRY FOR DISAPPOINTING YOU BUT NO" she screamed out with a severe tone. Tora never saw her like that. She felt afraid.

"DO YOU KNOW HOW BLOOD I SPIT? HOW MANY TEARS I CRIED BEFORE REALLY ACHIVING SOMETHING? I HAD MY ASS TO BECOME AS GOOD AS I AM NOW, AND SAME WILL BE FOR YOU YOUNG LADY." Malia's breath was heavy and her face changed. Tora was sure about it. Malia was about to cry. 

As she was starting calming down, Malia added "Now. It's not gonna be easy but...I promise you that once we finish here. You will kick everybody's ass." She said smirking lightly at her. Lilith was still. She felt afraid too when Malia lose it. She was threatening and scaring and Lilith begun to understands what kind of effect an angry Alpha could do.

Malia took a deep breath trying to control her feelings, squeezing the fists from which fell small drops of blood caused by the wounds of the claws embedded in the palms of her hands. "Calm down. Breath Malia breath. Don't let them take you" she kept thinking as she calmed herself down more and more. 

"Tora, grab your knives" she simply said. Tora obeyed without spitting out a world as she grabbed her Kunai knives set and put herself in the workstation. "What about the target? You know how to.." without even letting her finish the phrase, Lilith pushed an orange bottom who was on a console right back the workstation.

The siren. Tora prepared herself and took the first knife between her fingers. There the first target, she aimed and threw. She hit it but not in the centre. Another target, another throw. Miss. Tora was lowering her head when Malia's voice stormed out. "DON'T GIVE UP".

Tora continued until the last target. Miss. "UGH!" She scoffed out annoyed. She went to recover her knives and when she came back, "Again" Malia said stiffly and Lilith pushed the bottom again. Tora took her position and began the exercise again. 

They kept going for almost an hour, but Tora didn't seem like she want to improve. It was then that Malia went to her and took her from the shoulders. "Okay look, it's obvious this doesn't work for me. I keep trying but.." Tora's eyes filled with tears. Malia just starred at her and after sighting she hugged her. 

"You know, you're not gonna do this in just an hour." she started, "You'll have to work a lot harder than this, every single day. And I assure you, it will be worth it. Look at me" she broke the hug and made eye contact with her. "Take a breath. I wanna reveal a secret to you." she paused and Tora looked at her raising her eybrow "a secret?" she asked. 

"when you have reached the limit, remember that the strength of the pack runs through you." Malia smiled at her. It was one of those smile that made you believe in yourself. And Tora felt it. "The strenght of the pack? But...how?" she was confused, she never felt such a strenght.

It was then. Malia made her eyes glow in red. For some reason Tora did the same, like it was some kind of link between them. Suddenly Malia did something that Tora wasn't expecting. She howled. It was a real wolf howl and Tora felt something different in her. It was as if her senses had become more affiliated. 

Malia faced her one last time for then turning her towards the targets area. "Lilith, again".  Lilith pushed the bottom one last time and the siren rang. Without even think, Tora threw the knives one after one. She seemed different. She felt different, like something had clicked in her. She moved in completely different way. Her throws were much powerful than before. 

She stopped gasping. She took a look at he targets. Eight out of ten. Malia and Lilith smiled. "I did it" Tora thought as she turned towards her two friends. "In how..uhm, how many seconds?" she asked still not believing of what she just did. Malia looked at Lilith as to make her tell her the result. "Eleven point eight seconds" Lilith said looking at her amazed.

"WHA..? HOLY...wow!" Tora could believe it. This was something incredible for her and she could stop smiling. Malia was still looking at her with pride "I told you could do it" she smiled. Tora went straight to her and threw her arms around her neck "Thank you...thank you" she whispered. 

After celebrating Tora's success, the girls talked a little more, sharing some advice with each other. "You know you could use gloves for those knives" Lilith suggested Tora who was about to respond when a chime of a clock rang. 

"Maybe we should go, I think it's dinner time" Malia started walking towards the door followed by Lilith and Tora who passed her hopping like a fawn "FOOD, FOOD, FOOD". Malia and Lilith stopped admiring her all happy "Are we sure that that thing is a werewolf? Lilith asked playfully to Malia who just laughed lightly as she started walking down the hall.