Challenged - Skinwalker Book 2

Chapter 39

Sierra wasn't going to make the same mistake twice, despite feeling a strong desire to rush at him again the moment she laid eyes on him. Instead she approached the mat calmly and took up a ready stance, her anger simmering under the surface steadily.

That surprised Kal, because very few people had the ability to think clearly through their anger. It was one of the reasons so few people ever beat him. Even Anthony had only got in a lucky shot due to his immense strength. Senka, on the other hand...

He grimaced in memory and pulled at his gym pants subconsciously.

Being a nanaue, anger and aggression were two completely separate entities for him. While Kal seldom felt anger, aggression was virtually a reflex for him. It had taken him half of his life to learn to cage that beast.

They circled and Kalko decided to make the first move. Sierra countered in a way that he didn't expect. It caught him off guard and forced him to step up his response. He was impressed that she kept up with him until he eventually managed to throw her off balance. She recovered effortlessly with the grace that only feline instincts can lend a fighter. They circled again.

"I have never seen her move like that," Geoffrey remarked inside the lab, spell bound.

Senka threw Adele a questioning glare and the teen tried to avoid her eyes, thereby confirming her suspicions. A wry smile crept onto the were-cat's lips as she turned her eyes back to the match more eagerly.

The match lasted much longer than anyone had expected it would. Kal even began to work up quite a sweat in his effort to keep her at bay. Sierra's aggression never waned, but it was tempered by dogged determination. She struggled to get past his defences, but her body had learnt well from all the lessons and recovery was virtually effortless for her.

At last the point came where she saw her chance and took it. She feinted, dropped low to the ground then rose as he swung over her to catch him in the chest with her fist. It was more than just a lucky shot – she caught him right at the point that jarred his heart and made the air rush from his lungs. Her success barely registered. All she saw was another opening so she took it.

In a move she hadn't learnt - and was pretty sure wasn't even in any text books – she somehow dropped her shoulders to the ground and swung her legs up and around. She caught him on the jaw with her foot as he tried to recover himself. She heard a loud smack and saw his balance falter for the first time. He fell to the side, rolled out the way, then stumbled awkwardly while he tried to get himself into a ready pose. It was easy to see that she'd done some damage: he looked dizzy and was still struggling for air.

Inside the lab, everyone was watching in shocked silence. A handful of popcorn fell from Ken's fingers as he froze in place, awed. There was no chewing, no movement, no talking – just amazed, shocked silence.

Kal shook his head to try and clear it, then forced his body to deal with the shock it had received. He smiled proudly to himself, then mustered his aggression and looked up at Sierra. He only had one more test for her to pass – the most important one of all.

"Let's finish this," he growled menacingly.

Sierra wasn't thrown by his attempt to intimidate her, but she also wasn't entirely prepared for what he did next. Instead of circling and planning his attack, he rushed her and took her up at the waist. She twisted in his arms and nearly escaped him, but then his dense nanaue muscles clamped down on her, holding her prisoner.

"What. Are. You. Doing?!?" she shrieked as she squirmed and struggled against him.

Kalko marched her right over to the large pool of water near the entrance and threw her in it.