Past.
5 years ago...
Angela's whole body ached as she stood alone in the chilly weather on the training grounds. The sky was still dark. She couldn't even get proper sleep because of that damned man.
She used to take a day off from training if her body hurt this much because of the last sparring but today she couldn't do that because of her jerk of a trainer. What did he think of himself? Just because he was huge and had colossal strength, he expected her to be the same as him.
She was young and still trying her best. What did he expect?
Angela shifted her weight from one foot to another. The cool breeze swept past her hair as she breathed slowly rubbing her arms. Thank God, she was wearing a hoodie otherwise she would've frozen to death by now.
She glanced at the time, and it was 5:15. He was late. His audacity to command her to be on time and didn't even bother to show up on time.
Last night after tending to her wounds she called Hunter and fought with him. She complained about why he made Luca her trainer and the nerve of him to drop the call saying, 'he was busy, and I shouldn't disturb him on his honeymoon.'
Angela noticed a sweeper cleaning the place as he gave her a confused look. After a couple of minutes, he decided to approach her.
"You're early, child. The training grounds open at 6." He spoke.
Angela's face flushed. What was she supposed to say? Her vengeful trainer ordered her to be there at five or else he'd make her day a living hell.
"My trainer told me to be here at five. Please, don't worry about me." She said politely.
The man gave a slight nod and continued cleaning the place.
Angela glared toward the palace; he was nowhere in sight.
A frown settled on her face as she stomped into the gym. She was the only person there.
Trying to remain calm she began her day with the warm-up. She was doing cardio when trainees began to show up one by one. Once there were a few trainees around her, she felt more comfortable.
Angela stepped out of the gym for the lap. He was still not there and now it was getting on her nerves.
Once she was done with her lap. She grabbed a sipper and chugged the water down when she noticed Connie and Nolan showing up as they gathered their students.
She checked the time, and it was 6. Angela was about to ask Nolan to train her when she noticed Luca approaching her from a distance.
He looked cold and gloomy. His signature look that he carries all the time.
She stood there with her arms crossed over her chest and a death glare donning her eyes. She was scowling.
Luca came to a halt in front of her and regarded her with a casual look.
"Are you done with your warmup?" He was two feet away from her. Both of his hands were tucked in his pockets.
"You're late." Her voice was thin, and she was tapping her foot on the floor. Anger would be an understatement. She was fuming.
One hour! He wasted one whole damn hour. She would have slept more and felt so much better. It was such a pain to get up so early and get to the training grounds in such icy weather.
"So?" he asked, raising a slight brow at her.
"So! Why did you make me come here at five when you showed up at six." She gritted through her teeth. Her eyes were fiery, and her lips sealed in a thin line.
"So, you were on time?"
"You told me to be here at five. What did you expect?" She fumed.
"Considering you're a brat, I thought you wouldn't comply but it's good that you did. We can now proceed with your training. If you're done with the warm-up, come to the gym. I'd like to see how you exercise." He said walking away from her towards the gym while she stood there glaring daggers at him.
"He's cold," Kevin popped up behind her.
"I want to kill him so badly." She hissed. Kevin laughed, throwing his head back and covering his eyes with his hand.
"Am I joking?" She gritted setting him with a glare.
"Of course, you are. Look at him then look at yourself. He could kill you with a single flick of his finger on your forehead. What are you high on?" Kevin grinned.
She wanted to smack him so bad but her smacking on Kevin only works when he wasn't looking.
"Just shut up."
"I believe he has some beef with you?" Kevin asked.
"Beef? I don't know what sort of beef-" She shut up recalling that kitchen incident.
"If he wants to be a pain in the ass then fine, I can show him the same enthusiasm." She said smirking and Kevin stopped grinning.
"Don't. Don't even think about pulling any pranks on him. He looks mad enough. What if he kills you in his fit of rage?" Kevin had a dead serious look as he asked that.
Angela frowned. "You need help." She spoke.
"Help?"
"Yup, because you're a coward." She mused and walked away from him as he yelled after her that he wasn't a coward.
Luca, who was standing inside the gym, watched their whole interaction through the glass wall.
Angela stepped inside the gym and there were a few trainees there.
"Here, can you punch this?" he asked, pointing his thumb at the punching bag.
Angela's brows furrowed. That was the dumbest question. Of course, she can. She wore the gloves and took her position in front of the punching bag. Angela threw a few punches, and he observed her silently. After a couple of punches, she stopped and faced him. "What should I do next?"
"You have the worst form I've ever seen." He said, and her jaw ticked.
She thought he was mocking her and would insult her but all of a sudden, he stepped closer and took a position beside her. The way his muscles flexed had her gulping.
He was jacked.
"Do it like this." He said and she followed him.
He punched the punching bag, and it rattled badly sliding a few inches back. Angela licked her lips when she found him looking at her. His eyes said now it was her turn.
She imitated him and punched the bag. The bag barely even flinched.
Angela stilled when he stepped closer, and his fingers poked at her lower back causing her to arch. She wasn't breathing as he grabbed her wrist with his forefinger and thumb and adjusted it into the proper position. He stepped further closer, grabbed her waist with the tip of his fingers, and helped her to a proper position.
"This is the proper posture," he said, his hot breath fanning her ear causing her hands to fist as he stepped away from her. "Focus on one point and I want you to deliver all your strength at that exact point. Use your lower body to gather more strength in the punch. Make it more impactful." He instructed, watching her while standing beside the punching bag.
Angela didn't realize that she was holding her breath as she inhaled deeply.
She did as he told her and punched with all her might as the bag slid a few inches back and a huge smile caressed her lips.
"Did you see that?" she asked, grinning. "It's just okay. You need to be strong enough to rip this bag with a punch."
"What?" She stared at him dumbfounded.
"You need a lot of training to reach there."
"You talk as if you can do that."
Luca stepped closer, causing her to step back. He positioned himself and then punched the bag so hard that not only did it rip but the lock broke and it slid back to the end hitting the wall.
Every single person in the gym paused and gaped at the cause of that loud noise. Angela had her mouth open wide and her eyes resembled saucers as she gaped at the tortured punching bag which was ruined.
She couldn't help but shuddered recalling the punch that was about to land on her last night but he stopped. God saved her. She was even more scared of him now.
"You're a girl and still young. I don't expect this same level from you but if you stayed disciplined and worked hard. You'll achieve it in a few years." He said, shoving his hand in his trousers.
Her eyes shined when she heard him. "Really?"
"Yeah. It's all about hard work." He said and walked over to the weight training area.
"Do you lift?" He asked.
"I don't."
"Well, you're starting from today."
Luca guided her and refrained from touching her. He would take the position and she would imitate him. The gym session was the toughest. It was like she never knew how to use anything at the gym at all before what Luca taught her today.
"Very well. Let's go. We'll have ten sparring rounds. You'll attack in five and dodge in five." He said walking ahead of her.
She was already spent but the sparring was still left. Angela had the urge to request him to let her off for today. She was dead tired, and her muscles were sore but a part of her told her he wouldn't listen and just mock her.
During the gym session, she realized how serious and focused he was on the task. It was like he put his weird animosity toward her aside and was training her wholeheartedly. But she couldn't say if he would be that kind out of their training session nor did she want to check that.
If they could coexist through their training, then she'd gladly accept it. After all, it was no joke. She was being trained by the best fighter in both kingdoms.
They took their positions, and she noticed a few trainee girls who were taking a break watching them curiously. No. Scratch that, they were watching him. They were the vampire girls. Most of the trainees were vampires and only a few of them were werewolves that were sent to the vampire kingdom to train for better agility.
Angela had to coax her parents to let her train. Thankfully Xander agreed otherwise her brothers would've never agreed.
"What do you want first? Attack or defend?" Luca's deep voice brought her out of her daze.
"Attack," she said quickly. She didn't want to make a fool of herself in front of those girls.
"Alright. Attack." He said and she was still distracted looking at those girls who were giggling and whispering in each other's ears and then blushing.
She frowned.
What were they blushing for?
Angela was so consumed by them that she didn't notice when Luca prowled over to her. A whiff of his strong scent had her head snapping in his direction and she stiffened, finding him standing in her space glaring down at her.
He was so big that all he could see was his chest. She had to crane her neck to meet his eyes. This man was too intimidating.
"I don't tolerate non-serious behavior, Angela. This is your first and last warning. Now get back in your f*cking senses and attack." He growled lowly causing her to flinch.
Present... "So, you're her bodyguard?" Angela heard Daphne's voice as she was walking down the stairs. "Sort of. I'd rather not call myself her bodyguard but unfortunately, I am for now." His deep voice sounded gruff and thick as if he had just woken up. Angela slowed down her flight down the stairs so she could eavesdrop more on the conversation. "Are you, her family?" Daphne asked. It wasn't Daphne's fault that she was asking so many questions. That woman has an inquisitive nature and she always interviewed all of Angela's friends to make sure the girl was surrounded by good people. And Daphne has excellent observing skills. She often reads people like an open book. "Not blood related but we grew up together at the same place." "How old are you, young man?" "I'll be turning 30 in about two months." "Oh, you must think of Angela like your little sister." Daphne smiled. Angela poked her head inside and watched how Luca frowned. Even Angela was scowling. From w
Past. 5 years ago... "You don't have to be so rude." She countered glaring up at him as her eyes turned misty. How dare he yell at her like that? Her father and brothers never scolded her. Who did he think he was? "Your non-serious attitude is pissing me off," He gritted lowly. He was standing in her personal space. But she didn't care, Angela leaned forward glaring up at him. "Don't yell at me." They both maintained eye contact and the way he glared at her with that ruthless look had her taking an involuntary step back. "D... Don't scare me like that." She said in a small voice blinking desperately so as not to cry and show him that he scares the living daylight out of her. Luca closed his eyes for a brief second and stepped back. Giving his back to her he raked his fingers through his hair and inhaled deeply to control his temper. "You're done for the day. Leave. Be on the training grounds at 5 tomorrow." He said in his rough voice. Angela didn't wait a s
Present... Angela gaped at his massive shoulders as he dragged her from there. Her eyes narrowed and she tried to free her wrist. Angela didn't think of the consequences at all. This was Luca she was dealing with. She should've thought about the aftermath, but she didn't. It completely slipped her mind. But it wasn't like he could hurt her or anything. She didn't understand the fear that began to coil in the bottom of her belly. "Let go of me," She demanded tugging at her hand, but his hold was ferocious to the point she was sure he would bruise her skin. If Angela weren't drunk, she would've fought him tooth and nail but at that moment she couldn't fight him. "You're hurting me," She clawed at his hand and his hold on her loosened. Angela didn't wait a second before she freed her hand and dashed in the opposite direction. She hurried to the back door and stepped out, inhaling the cool air deeply. A loud gasp left her lips when a hand appeared behind her and cla
Past. 5 years ago... Her brows scrunched in her sleep as she slowly blinked her eyes open. A groan left her lips feeling the wild pounding in her head. She rubbed her temples to ease the pain as she closed her eyes. "Ugh, what the hell?" She groaned. Angela had never felt such an immense headache in her life. Her head felt so heavy. Angela turned to the side and placed the other pillow on her head. If only she had more time, she would've slept the whole day, but Luca would kill her for being late for training. With much difficulty, she sat up straight and rubbed her temples. Angela blinked her eyes open to look at the clock and her eyes almost popped out of her sockets in shock. It was 11 in the morning. How did she sleep all this time? Her alarm didn't go off. What in the world was happening? Angela stepped out of bed in a hurry only to wince as she closed her eyes tightly and paused. Luca was going to kill her. She was sure of it. He'd made her train for 24
Present... Just as their lips touched, she pulled back, dropping to the balls of her feet. Angela blinked at him muddled. "I think I've kissed you before. It feels like Deja vu," She mumbled, touching her lips. "So, you remembered," He rasped. Eyes darker than ever and jaw clenched. He looked mad. "Remember what?" She slurred, cluelessly. "That you kissed me 5 years ago when you were drunk. It was your dare," He breathed. Her eyes lit up and she blushed, pressing her fingers on her lips and looking up at him with those big sparkling eyes. "Of course, I remember it but you don't need to know that. It was so embarrassing. I still couldn't believe I wasted my first precious kiss on a cold emotionless jerk like you," She grumbled huffing in annoyance. The muscles in his jaw feathered as he glared at her. "Jerk?" His deep voice sounded clipped, icy. "Yeah, of course, you're a jerk. Listen Luca and listen well," she said, stepping closer to him as s
Past. 5 years ago... "I'm so excited," Angela beamed joyously. "Me too," Ella squealed. "Me three," Emily clapped her hands. Ella and Emily were Violet's younger half-sisters. These girls were the most adorable on this planet, and their sass was out of the charts. "We'll swim in the pond," Emily said. "For sure," Angela winked at the little girl. Violet ensured they got all the stuff they needed for the picnic. "You guys are being a third wheel for no reason. I just wanted to spend some time with Violet," Lennox sulked. "You took her on a dinner date just last night. Such a simp," Ella said, earning a chortle from Angela and Lennox narrowed his eyes at the little girl. "So what? She is my wife." "And she's our sister," Ella retorted. "Okay. Okay. No fighting. Let's get in the car," Violet said and they all settled in. Angela took the back seat along with the girls as she checked the messages from her mom when Lennox pulled over to the side and stepp
Present... Angela woke up with a heavy pounding on her head. She groaned and lay on the bed, trying to recall last night. Her head felt so freaking heavy. She rarely drank but last night she wanted to feel free and enjoy herself. That was why she drank. She wondered who dropped her home. Probably Maeve and Milo. She snuggled more into the pillow feeling her body relax. Blinking her eyes, she glanced at the clock and groaned in annoyance. She had classes in the afternoon. She groggily sat up on the bed and stared at nothingness, a bit dazed. Her head was throbbing badly, she hated this pain but still, she liked to drink once in a while. Angela stared down at her clothes. "Jesus, how did I even sleep in this?" She mumbled to herself, staring down at the dress. Pulling to her feet she winced because of the headache. Angela shimmied out of the dress and laid out her clothes on the bed. She was roaming in her room butt naked. Pouring herself some water she chu
Past. 5 years ago... Angela glanced at Luca who stood a couple of feet away from her. His eyes were void and cold. Not a hint of a smile on his face. She just landed two blows on Nolan today, despite how fast the man was and yet there was little to no appreciation from Luca. Nolan appreciated her, and even Kevin gave her a thumbs up, but Luca didn't seem satisfied. He tipped his head at Nolan who walked away. Luca stepped closer to her and stared at the number of bruises on her. "Landing a punch isn't a success when you look like this. You were so into having a hit on him that you presented yourself on a silver platter for him to hurt you, if it were the enemy, you would've been dead by now," he said looking somewhat furious. "Okay," she said in a small voice, and she noticed how surprise flashed in his eyes because she never listened to him before and just now, she didn't counter back with a sassy response so of course he'll be surprised. "Are you following the die