Burnt Lies

Fighting Against You

Cameron

I walked over to the central ring in the training grounds, feeling the members of my gang's rest on me and Alara. They were curious looks wandering who this new girl was with me, the message about my marriage had yet to spread and with the recent attack on Alara I wanted to keep it that way. 

"Who's ready for a fight?" I announced to the room and there were several interested murmurs but no one stepped forward, obviously fearful of my reputation for being a ruthless fighter. 

I smirked at the reaction it was good boost to the ego knowing that people were too afraid to challenge me, "I'll go easy I promise."

Still no one wanted to face me that was until someone piped up, "I'll fight you,"

I turned to see who was brave enough to go up against me and was surprised to see a smiling Alara who was already pulling up her sleeves.

"You sure about that darling? I wouldn't want you to get hurt." 

She laughed, a light airy laugh that distracted the whole room, making them all turn their attention to that pretty sound that wavered through the room. It was a sound that drew you to her, "I thought you wanted to see what I was made of?" 

She had a sharp smile spreading across her face and a sparkle of something dangerous in those deep dark eyes. They swam with mirth and unadulterated confidence. She was sure of herself and it was admirable, not that she would ever be able to beat me in the ring. 

"Sure. Let's see what you can do? But don't say I didn't warn you."

She pulled herself into the ring and squared herself in front of me, she spread her weight on both legs making her stance as stable as possible, she leaned forward a little, her small hands balled into fists with her thumb wrapped over her knuckles. At least she knew not to have her thumb under her fingers or else we would have a few broken thumbs on our hands. 

Protecting her chest with her forearms, her stance was almost perfect. 

"First person to yield wins." I stated before placing myself in a similar stance, the only difference is that I put slightly more pressure on my back foot, not so much that I was unbalanced but just enough so I was lighter on my front foot, the only mistake she had made. By having a slightly uneven distribution of my weight meant hat I could move more freely. With her stance her movements would be slower as an equal amount of pressure would have to be released on both legs for her to move fluidly. With my stance I could pivot in the blink of an eye.

"You ready darling," I flashed her a grin as I watched determination flare in her eyes, her lashes fluttering as her gaze flickered over my stance. 

"I was born ready," confidence dripping from each word. 

Leo counted us in and the fight began. 

She was clearly waiting for me to make the first move, I could see it in her face she was going to take the defensive which was perfectly fine with me, I always was one to initiate a fight and when I started something, I always finished it. 

It didn't take long for me to swing forward, I watched as she effortless dodged the blow, and aimed one for my shoulder but I had already seen the movement in her arm to anticipate it and dodged her blow too. 

She let out a frustrated breath and something switched in her, one failed attempt on the defensive and she decided the offensive would be a better option. 

She rebalanced herself then faked left, before jabbing me square in the stomach, the punch had some power to it but it didn't hurt me much. 

"Whoop, Go Alara. First blow." I heard Mel's voice ring throughout the training area which incited more people to join in either cheering for me or Alara. 

As pay back for that fake out punch, I pretended to swing right and then swerved left catching the arm that was flying towards me and landing a pretty blow on her left side. She keeled over a little at the punch and I wondered if I had been too harsh, I stopped a little but the vixen just smiled back at me anticipating my reaction. In my moment of hesitation, she reached over to me and landing a damning blow in the middle of my stomach and then another to my chest. Her punches were holding more power now. 

"I didn't know you were one to play dirty, sweetheart," there was a fire in her eyes that couldn't be quelled, a wide toothed grin that showed she was thoroughly enjoying herself. 

"Like you're one to play fair," she quipped back.

We were circling each other now, neither one of us tired enough to yield. For a while we matched each other blow for blow. Then the punches came faster from her and I responded by increasing my own speed. 

It was then I felt I was going too easy on her. The next time she went to punch me, I curled my hand over her tight fist, stopping her blow immediately. I manipulated her arm so she was turned away from me, and then I kicked her legs out form beneath her causing her to lose balance and fall to her knees. 

"Hey," she cried out struggling from my grasp, "That's cheating this was hand to hand combat, you can't just kick me like that, or I would've kicked you ages ago, " she steeled her breath, "And you know exactly where."

I laughed at her whining, "Well, darling in the real world there are no rules. If someone's coming to attack you their not going to abide by the rules. Lesson one expect the unexpected."

She cursed under her breath but then I saw the look in her eyes, reflected in the mirrors around the training area. There was mischief in them. 

Before I could realise what she was about to do she used her free hand to pull me down to the ground next to her, because she had caught me off guard I fell too next to her, she twisted from her position on the floor so she was hovering over me, she pressed her lips together to contain her laugher and straightened her expression, "Lesson one expect the unexpected." she mocked my words as she pressed a hand down against my chest pushing my back against the mats beneath us. 

"Now Cameron Grayson do you yield?" Her face lit up with the knowledge that she may have won but I wasn't one to lose. 

I wrapped a hand around the hand that pressed against my chest and pushed forward our faces just inches apart I could hear the sharp intake of breath. The glimmer of gold in those honey browned eyes. The flicker of something intangible, a lost word or breath that was unsaid, a thick tension in the air. 

"Never." I whispered pulling her towards me and rolling to the side causing her to fall onto the mat. Our position switched with her beneath me and her grin now on my face.

Our hands were still interlocked but my other arm resting over her other wrist so she couldn't pull the same move I did on her. And then with the widest grin on my face I asked:

"Now Alara Mortello do you yield?"

She closed her eyes, the lids of her eyes concealing those eyes that were so enthralling, she let out a breath of air, it was cool against my own face, and sighed, "Yes."

I released her from my grip and stood, holding out a hand to help her up. For a moment I thought she would ignore my gesture but begrudgingly she took it. 

She brushed herself off and rolled down her sleeves. 

"You put up a good fight," I complimented her. 

She had the audacity to say, "You did too."

I scoffed at her response but smiled slightly when she wasn't looking. As I watched her run off to talk to Mel and Leo I thought to myself:

She's something I didn't expect.