Demon Huntress (Alt Collector)

Chapter 13

Dad pumped me full of healing potions, because he said that Saturday we were starting our training, no matter what. Next weekend we were having a birthday party for Sean and Nate, since we'd actually missed Nate's birthday in April. My exams were done, so I actually was on summer break already. I was taking advantage of it since Brody and I were going to be training every day once he was finished. Ugh!

Saturday I dressed in yoga pants and a tank, very appealing you know, and waited for Brody to pick me up. July couldn't come soon enough. I'd finally be sixteen and hopefully get a car. Being dependant on people for rides kind of sucked. I sat down in the family room to wait and saw Sean and Nate looked like they were headed for lacrosse practice.

"What are you two doing?"

"Going with you," Sean said. "Dad decided after you got attacked at school, it might be a good idea."

"Both of you?"

"That's what Dad said," Nate shrugged. It still kind of freaked me out that he called my parents Mom and Dad, but I also liked that he felt welcomed enough here to do that.

"And Emily," Dad began as he walked in with Brody. "Frank is going to be testing you to see exactly how strong you are. Do not hold back. He's also going to teach you how to hold back so you don't hurt the boys."

"Ok," I stood up to greet Brody. He'd stayed with me one more night, but came over every day after school to check on me. He said my friends are going crazy to see me, so they're all coming over to the party. They figured by next weekend my bruises would have been faded enough on their own that everyone could see me without me having to put on a ton of make up so I could pretend. "Are we ready?"

"Yep," Sean stood up and followed me and Brody out.

Since I had become so much stronger, I had to work with just Frank. I watched as Kyle started putting the guys through the paces, and starting them at the bottom.

"You'll be over there soon enough," Frank assured me. "We just have to make sure you don't hurt them."

"Won't I hurt you?" I hoped I hadn't hurt his male ego.

Frank laughed. "I was asked because of how fast I heal, on top of how fast weres already heal. I'll be your sparring partner until you learn to pull back so you don't break the others. Let's start out with seeing how much you can bench. We're also going to be out of their sight so they don't give you a hard time."

I followed Frank down the hall into another part of the building. He pointed over to the bench that had been set up. There were hundreds of pounds on there, and he expected me to lift that? At least the equipment wasn't like the traditional, and I wouldn't need a spotter. I took a deep breath and walked over and laid down under the bar. I just kept staring at it.

"Well, get on with it," Frank was trying to be encouraging, I think. "Kyle's got the others distracted so they won't distract you. We really need to find out how strong you are, so that we know how to train you. This is only two hundred pounds, but I'm going to keep putting on until you tell me to stop."

"Ok," I gripped the bar and pulled it toward myself. "How much did you say is on there?"

"Two hundred," Frank said. "What does it feel like?"

"Nothing," I admitted.

"Alright then," he added more weight. "That's two hundred more, let's see it, strong girl."

Without hesitation this time, I repeated the movement. "Go ahead and put more on. It's a bit more of a challenge."

I heard him messing with the weights again. "That's all it's got. Six fifty. If I have to hold on, I will. I'm one-ninety."