4. New friend

Liberty pov

As I get ready for school and make sure that I pack my workout clothes for after school so I can practise some moves in the gym. I have a lot of catching up to do in technique, strength and stamina. So I’ve taken up the habit of hitting the gym after school. Naveah turns out to be a good teacher helping me with technique. 

I look at myself in the mirror. Cooper and dad have given me a strength and stamina work out schedule and it shows. My body, once soft and supple, is now toned, scrapes, cuts and bruises in various stages of healing litter my skin. Over the past weeks I have trained hard and made good progress. 

After school I walk into the sparring area only to find the twins Verity and Viera there. Their father is my fathers beta and once my father, mother and Cooper were gone he took the Alpha title. I never paid much attention to Viera as she wasn’t after my mate like her twin was. I think I even liked her in my previous life. But between Verity and me it was always tense. She was obsessed with Hartley. 

/We were naive, thought that everyone would be loyal to us because we were the Alpha’s daughter,/ Naveah cringes thinking back. 

/We learned the hard way,/ I grit out. Chills running down my spine thinking back to all we endured in the dungeon.    

Verity and Viera are looking for a fight, picking on me, challenging me to fight both of them simultaneously. Knowing full well that they would easily beat me, they weren’t looking for a spar or training, they were looking for a reason to hurt me. 

While they are cornering me Madelin walks in. She immediately catches what's going on,

 “I’ll team up with Liberty and fight the both of you,” her voice clear, not leaving room for the twins to dispute. 

“Come on Liberty, we got this,” she smiles at me. 

Grumbling Verity and Viera ready themselves knowing full well that I’m an easy victim but Madelin won’t be. She’s trained since she was six years old. I stopped training when I was 8 having passed the basic defense training I was done. As the Alpha’s daughter and future Lnua of a pack I would always be protected by guards so why would I put effort in learning how to fight?

As expected Viera and Verity go full on me. They ignore Madelin completely. This isn’t a spar, it's a beating. They land fists and kicks everywhere, within seconds my left eye is swelling shit, my lip is busted and my nose is bleeding profusely. 

From under the twins I can hear Madelin shouting and I can feel the bodies of the twins shaking as she lands her punches and kicks. Madelin is desperately trying to pull them off of me. The moment she pulls one of them off me I shove the other off and get on my feet.

/Show them Liberty!/ Naveah cheers me on, coaching me on my stance. Helping me keep my defences up and throwing punches. To my utter surprise Madelin and I finally manage to take them down and they both tap out. 

Sweating and panting we smile at each other and high five. 

“Honestly Liberty I didn’t expect you to kick ass the way you did,” Madelin pants out.

I feel pride in my chest, not only Naveah is proud of what I did but also someone else. Someone I just met. 

“Thank you,” I mumble. “Still a long way to go before I'm at your level”. 

Madelin looks at the twins who’re scowling at us from the ground. “Let’s go and clean ourselves up.” 

Together we make our way to the changing rooms where we splash water in our faces and clean the blood off ourselves. 

“That’s one hell of a shiner and your nose might be slightly wonky” Madelin drily remarks. 

“It gives character to a face.” I grin back. 

When we’re cleaned up Madelin seems to hover, wanting to ask something but not sure if she can. 

“Madelin, shall we go for a high tea? That way we can get to know each other a little better. I’d like to treat you as a thank you.” 

A wide smile spreads on her face causing her split lip to bleed again, “I’d love that!” 

We spend the afternoon in the little English tea shop gossiping about Verity and Viera. She too has heard Verity lusting after Hartley, hoping that he would be hers. The way she spoke about him was somewhat degrading. As if he’s nothing more than a piece of meat. Viera wasn’t into Hartley’s bad boy image and womanising ways. She was more attracted to the quiet and broody Maverick. 

Where Hartley is all over the packs Maverick keeps to himself. Seemingly always on a mission, always busy with something. Generally the oldest son takes the throne but it is clear that Hartley wants it. Everyone can see it. 

With lead in my shoes I walk home after a fun afternoon with Madelin. My face is busted up and I can not hide it with makeup.

“Liberty what happened? Your beautiful face!” My mother almost faints when I enter the living room. “You should stop this nonsense about the royal academy. It’s not for you, your made for finer things than fighting. Harrison, can you just put her on the list?” 

“No mom! I want to earn my spot. I don't want a hand out!” I put it in before my father get the opportunity to respond. 

Cooper raises an eyebrow and gives me a wink. Ever since I’ve been putting in effort he and I get along a lot better. 

“Shania, it would be better if Liberty got selected on merit but maybe Cooper…” My father starts, only for me to interrupt him. 

“Mom, Dad, you know Cooper needs to stay here to help lead the pack. It’s fine. My opponents got some hits in but I got in more.” 

Cooper grins, my father looks proud and my mother looks appalled.

It’s almost bedtime when I hear a knock on my door. Cooper enters holding a pot in his hands.  

He sits down on my bed and pats beside him. I sit down next to him, he opens the pot which contains a foul smelling brown ointment.

“Sit still, so I can apply it to the deepest gashes,” he murmurs as he dips his finger in and gently applies the ointment to my eye. “I got this from Olwyn, to help me heal but it seems you need it more now.”

While he treats my face, arms and legs we talk about a lot of things. We never did this in my previous life. My heart stings. Cooper and I always got along fine and we were close but it is now that I realise that we never talked about things the way we are doing now in my second life.

/It’s not Cooper that changed…..,/ Naveah says.

No it’s us, mostly me. Naveah always wanted to put in more effort. She had knowledge on fighting but I ignored her. A warm feeling gushes over me.

/You’re doing great now. You’re putting in the effort. We still have to figure out how to prevent the tragedy to happen again but will figure something out./  

“All done, Libby. Hope you sleep well and that the ointment helps Naveah heal you up nice and scarless. I’ll leave what's left for you to use tomorrow.”

He stands ready to leave my room.

“Cooper,” my voice comes out shaking and soft, but he hears me and stops in his tracks.

Quickly I get up and throw myself in his arms, unable to stop the tears from flowing. He wraps me in his strong arms. I wrap my arms around him. “You’re the best brother ever Cooper,” I sob out. 

“Thank you Libby,” he whispers in my ear as we let go of each other.

Just before I fall asleep a thought strikes me, Olwyn. Maybe she can help me in some way. She’s a potion master and seeer. Most people avoid her because she’s a witch and she lives in the marshes.