Staring around the room, her eyes wide with surprise, Isabe took in the vast array of fitness and martial arts equipment that adorned the room. As her eyes travelled toward the centre of the room, they alighted on arge boxing ring and a man with his back to them shadow boxing, jabbing his fists and dancing across the mat as he fought his imaginary opponent. Her eyes narrowing, Isabe scowled as Rowan''s face swung into her view when he turned toward the door, hearing the soft click as it shut behind them.


    Grinning down at her angry stance, Rowan walked over to the ropes, leaning against them as he nodded his head in her direction. ''Good morning Princess'' he said jovially.


    Ignoring his greeting, Isabe retorted, ''Nice to see you are keeping up your fitness, is this in case your drugging doesn''t work when you try to kidnap your next victim?'' she asked tartly.


    Her hope that her barb would anger him was short lived as he smirked at her, ''Nope, I just need to keep up my physique so that silly little teenagers are too focused on my muscles to think about how dangerous it is to allow aplete stranger to engage with them, let alone buy them drinks'' he replied evenly.


    Flushing slightly, Isabe dropped her gaze as Rowan raised his eyes to the hooded stranger who remained in the shadows of the dimly lit room. ''What''s the n ''G''?'' he asked.


    Her face snapping back to Rowan''s, Isabe blurted out, ''G?'' why do you call him G?''


    Eyeing her amused, Rowan took his time replying, ''Has he not told you his name?'' he inquired, enjoying her frustration as she shook her head.


    ''He said his name is unimportant, so I call him A*s hole, isn''t that right A*s hole?'' she asked, tossing her words over her shoulder to the secretive figure behind her.


    Throwing back his hair, Rowan roared withughter, ''Well I have to admit, you''re feistier than I thought you would be, I''m going to enjoy working with you Be.''


    ring at him Isabe tossed her hair over her shoulder, ''My father calls me Princess, my friends call me Be, you are neither dog breath so keep your little pet names to yourself!


    Rowan smiled easily, unfazed by her outburst, ''Whatever you say Princess Be'' he replied with a wicked grin.


    Huffing, Isabe turned to her captor and followed his finger as he pointed toward the running machine, indicating for her to warm up on the apparatus.


    Marching over, she stood on the belt, setting off at a slow walk before quickly elerating to a jog that steadily got faster and steeper as her muscles started to stretch out ready for her workout.


    As her feet thumped onto the rubber belt, Isabe imagined herself running from the building, speeding towards her home and family as the miles thundered underneath her feet.


    After ten minutes, ''G'' called her over, waiting till she had stopped before pointing to the weights and having hery on the bench and press 60lb weights, gradually adding more until she was heaving against 180lbs, swearing loudly as she pushed the metal bar from her chest over and over again.


    Exhausted Isabe mmed the bar into the holder, sitting up and wiping the sweat that was dripping down her face. A water bottle was thrust into her hand, and she gulped the ice cold water down like she was a survivor lost in the desert.


    ''Your upper body strength iscking Be'' ''G'' intoned as she gasped for breath, ring at him savagely through the veil of sweat that still poured from her forehead.


    Ignoring her anger, ''G'' led the way over to a wooden karate training dummy, showing her the moves before moving aside and watching as she copied him. Watching her movements, he urged her to go faster and faster, growling when sheined about her hands, forcing her to continue until tears poured down her cheeks and her hands were blistered and bruised, blood seeping from the injuries she''d sustained.


    ''Press ups Be'' ''G'' ordered, indifferent to her whimpering as she dropped to the floor, wincing as the pressure of her body rubbed the damage on her hands against the mat.


    As she pushed her arms straight, Isabe''s mind went back to her training with Merrick where she had moaned about the 100 push ups he had made her do, beginning to realise that she had had her training easy.


    ''198.. 199... 200, and rest'' ''G'' called out, grunting in disapproval as her body crashed to the floor. Giving her only a few minutes rest, ''G'' got Rowan toe over and pull her up from the floor.


    ''I''m done'' Isabe screamed, trying to fight off the warrior as he pulled relentlessly at her arms, forcing her to stand!''


    ''You have not even begun Be'' ''G'' replied easily, ''I would expect this from your everyday she wolf, not a warrior and certainly not a future Alpha'' he spat. ''You expect to protect your pack and you are crying like a little child after an hour of training? I wouldn''t trust you to guard my toothbrush let alone my life, you are a disgrace'' he snarled.


    Feeling her anger boiling up within her, Isabe raised her chin determinedly, his words cut through her but she refused to allow either of them to see her as week any more.


    ''What else have you got?'' she shot back growling.


    Nodding approvingly ''G'' muttered, ''That''s more like it'' and led her toward the boxing ring, Rowan handing her a head guard and gloves before mbering up and holding the ropes open for her to step inside. Following behind her, he ced his own gloves on, taking his position as he waited for Isabe to ready herself.


    |Taking her stance, Isabe watched Rowan carefully, studying his feet as they slowly circled each other, Merrick in the back of her mind, ''Fights are won with brains not brawn Be''. ''I know Merrick'' she muttered to herself before dodging sideways as Rowan suddenly threw a punch toward her face. Sneering Rowan eyed his female opponent, ''Well at least you can see a punching, that''s something'' he said, before throwing a three fistbo at her. She dodged the first two but took the third to her ribs, staggering backwards she growled angrily before getting back in position and going on the offensive, giving and receiving punches as she learnt Rowan''s technique, memorising his moves to be able to use his predictability against him.


    Suddenly Rowan, lifted his right knee up to his waist, rotating his leg inward before extending it sending his full force through his heel into Isabe''s abdomen sending her flying backwards into the ropes.


    Grunting in pain, Isabe stumbled to her feet, glowering at Rowan who stood back waiting for her to return to her spot. ''There are no rules in War Be'' he said confidently, ''you need to remember that, wars are dirty so don''t expect your opponents to y fair just because you were trained to be a good sport, they''ll take your manners as weakness''


    Taking a painful breath in, Isabe lifted her hands to her face again, watching Rowan as he began to circle her again. Picking her moment, Isabe threw her fist toward Rowan''s ribs, gasping in shock as he deftly caught her arm under his own, bending it sharply as a loud crack echoed through the gym along with Isabe''s scream of pain. Using her distraction to his advantage, Rowan dropped her arm and brought his elbow up until it was horizontal, pulling his arm across his chest before jabbing it backwards into her face causing blood to flow from her nose and her right eye to start swelling shut.


    Dropping to the floor of the ring, Isabe held up her gloved hand over her head in an attempt to protect herself whilst cradling her broken arm in herp.


    ''She is weak G'' Rowan roared, ''I should have never managed toy a fist on her, did her father teach her nothing?'' he growled angrily.


    ''My father is the best warrior in this region, he would destroy you'' Isabe yelled back, paincing her voice as she tried to stop her body from shaking.


    ''And yet you, his daughter, know nothing ofbat or protecting yourself'' Rowan shouted back, ''He''s been training you for how long? Twelve years? And you know nothing! What use would you be to your pack in a Rogue attack when you can''t even protect yourself against me?'' Isabe whimpered defeated, the pain in her body and from Rowan''s words destroying her spirit as she gave into the tears,ying down on the canvas as the sobs racked her body.


    Feeling two arms lift her up, she kept her eyes closed as she was carefully lifted clear of the ring and carried upstairs to her room, her ankle cuff being reattached after she wasid on the bed. Isabe didn''t bother to open her eyes knowing either Rowan or ''G'' must have carried her and she had no fight left in her to deal with which ever one it was.


    She felt her arm being checked, making sure her broken bone was in the right ce to heal before a nket was draped delicately over her aching body and soft footsteps moved toward the door, silently opening and closing it as the lock clicked into ce. As the ckness overtook her, Isabe''s mind was drawn to her training lessons with her father, ''Why didn''t you push me harder, why was I not worthy of your training?'' she whispered destely before her body gave in and she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.