Thankfully Rhaella got to her room without any further pursuits from Wade and dagger glares from Victor. She chewed the side of her lip thinking about how she would only be seeing more of them tomorrow morning as if 4 hours of their presence wasn't exhausting enough.

She slipped off her borrowed clothes, neatly folded them and placed them on her dresser to give back to Aleesa in the morning. Walking back to her bed and saw the magazine resting on her sheets. Curled up under the covers and contently began flipping through it under the light of her lamp. "SEX THERAPISTS ANSWER 24 QUESTIONS CRUCIAL TO LOVE AFTER 30" 'nope, don't think it applies to centurions.' She flipped to the next page "HOT PANTS", read the title and displayed four beautiful women with very short shorts, 'My God the clothes have certainly gotten smaller over the years.' She flipped through a few more pages studying women's fashion, "WHY YOU ARE IRRESISTIBLY DRAWN TO THE SAME MAN." Rhaella rolled her eyes and skipped over the page looking at some beautiful evening gowns and reading about the designer until her eyes felt tired. She decided to read a little more and call it a night when she turned the page and was shouted at with another ridiculous article "HOW TO FIND OUT WHAT TURNS HIM ON'' she sighed 'alright that's enough' and flopped the magazine to the other side of her bed and flicked off the night.

As quick as sleep came, morning came quicker. Rhaella rubbed the sleep from her eyes and squinted at the red lights of her clock. '5:15' she rolled over and thought about going back to sleep, but remembered Wade telling her about training in the morning. She didn't want to give the men anymore reason to think her inferior by missing training. Her heart also sank at the thought of trying to keep up with these men who have been training for probably years and she was going to look a fool in front of them.

Reluctantly she put on her routine sweat pants, shirt, and sneakers. Braided her hair back and set out looking for where ever it was her teammates would be.

After a few minutes wandering she picked up a scent that was so utterly male it had to have belonged to her team mates. She picked up her pace to follow the scent but was met with the built form of Victor.

For a moment he looked just as surprised but that was soon replaced with disturbing darkness in his eyes and subtle smirk on his lips. At that moment Rhaella's feet felt like boulders, but the rest of her body instinctively straightened.

"Lost your way kitten?" His voice richly deep, but under laid a preditorial feeling that her other side could pick up on.

It made her teeth clench hard. "I'm looking for Wade. I was told we'd be training." She said her voice unwavering. She managed to maintain eye contact for as long as possible but broke as soon as Victor got closer. It was only when they he was a foot away from her side looking down at her she took in how much bigger he really was. Her head barely reached the start of his chest.

Victor looked over her instinctively sizing her up while Rhaella looked straight ahead, unmoved by his scrutinizing which would've caused most girls to shake. 'How the fuck did this little runt get me on my back?' Victor didn't know.

Rhaella was getting tired of letting him size her up and snapped her head up waiting for his answer. Victor almost snorted at her impatience, he motioned his head forward, "You're almost there." was his remark. Rhaella got a feeling there where two meanings to that. She turned and proceeded down the hall away from the feral, making sure to hold her head high for him to see that he would have to do much more to unnerve her. 'We'll that was your second encounter with the man and managed not to get your neck broken' she thought to herself. Maybe he had put that squabble behind him? Most likely not. We'll see how things go with the rest of the boys.

She ended up hearing the clank of irons which lead her to the area where they were training.

The blonde colossal, Dukes, was flipping tires from one end of the gym to the other. He didn't seem to notice her enter with those white things sticking out of his ears. She stepped in his line of vision and he quickly straightened up yanking the plugs from his ears which were playing some intense music.

"Sorry miss, didn't see you come in." He said.

"Oh that's alright, I was told everyone would be training this morning," she started then looked around to see nothing but equipment and no one there. "where is everyone?"

Dukes shrugged his big shoulders "dunno, maybe sleeping...I'm usually the only one here this early."

Rhaella sighed to herself, how she could've gone with a few more minutes of sleep.

"well, since I'm up I might as well get an early start too." She said.

Dukes gave her a blank stare but smiled non theless, "You wouldn't mind, um, showing me how to use all these things?" The contraptions where very intimidating to her, and she wanted to know what she was doing so she wouldn't look a fool in front of the rest of the men.

"well of course I would!" Dukes was aflutter with excitement.

After a half hour Dukes had almost completely forgotten his own training to help Rhaella get into a routine.

"Don't go easy on me Dukes, I'm stronger than I look" she smiled.

Dukes smiled but his eyes seemed to be trying to look everywhere but at hers. Maybe he was being bashful, or maybe he felt intimidated? She laughed at the later, a man as large as him couldn't be afraid of her. But then again she really didn't know what she was capable of, maybe he could see something she couldn't.

"You're gonna want to warm up first," he motioned her to the treadmill, and she gracefully got on. He went to the front and got it started for her until she was at a jogging pace.

She smiled a thankyou and he nodded and returned to his weights.

"Good morning sunshine!" Called out from the door. Rhaella looked over her shoulder to see Wade and Zero.

"Nice to see you got started without me" Wade said, as he walked to the treadmill next to her and got it started.

Rhaella had been at it for 20 minutes and still had not worked up much of a sweat, "So what did you have in mind for training?" She asked Wade.

"Oh, a little this and that, what kind of fighting experience you got?"

Rhaella's face went blank, she wasn't really a fighter. Maybe in her past she had used a sword for training but she didn't think 18th century dueling would help in any situation. But it was better than nothing "I've trained in swordsmanship..." She offered.

Wade's face lit up, much to her surprise. "Ya don't say! I knew I liked you for a reason!"

'Yes, because you're a lust filled little creature' she laughed to herself.

"Hard to find people who can appreciate the art of swordplay these days." He said and pressed the buttons on the machine and hopped off.

"That's enough warming up! Let's get to it!" He clapped his hands together.

Rhaella looked at him curiously and followed him off her machine and towards a large matt were multiple weapons hung from the walls.

She stood at the opposite end of the mat facing Wade in his khaki pants and sleeveless red shirt.

"What exactly are we doing?" She asked.

Wade was in the middle of stretching his arms out, "we're going to fight silly." He replied.

Rhaella took a deep breath and focused on extending her claws, preparing for anything this man might throw.

Wade waved a finger at her and clicked his tongue "eh, eh, eh- if you're using those than I'd have to use these" he picked up two oriental swords she'd never seen before.

"so," he continued and put the swords down "we'll be using these!" He threw a wooden stick to her as fast as possible. Surprising both of them she caught it with abnormally fast reflexes. She looked up at Wade who's open mouth lead indicated he was impressed, and smirked.

Wade closed his mouth and picked up his own stick. They began slowly with their movements, but a half hour into it, it became a game. Wade would try to throw in a new move to catch her off, and she would try to block it. He was trying to exhaust her with his blows and all she could do was block them without enough time to throw one back. With every strike the feeling of holding onto the stick felt more and more foreign, as if nature was telling her to use her claws instead.

"I can go all night babe," he winked at her. Maybe he was right, at this point he should be tired out from offence but her defense was starting to wear down and she was so tempted to throw in the stick and use her claws. She didn't do much hand to hand combat but something inside felt it would be much more comfortable for her.

"Try to throw one hit in at least!" He joked, but Rhaella was starting to get agitated as he strike harder. He brought the stick down on her head but she blocked it with her own. Both hands on the stick stretched infront of her, she was in a struggle with him as he tried to push his down against hers. His face was inches from hers, and his warm brown eyes batted, "Is it because you don't want to hurt this beautiful face? Rhae, I'm flattered!" She felt the pressure against her stick vanish and-

*whack*

A sting burned its way across her bottom. A growl came out of nowhere and before she knew it she swung around and had Wade on his back. She held the length of the stick onto his chest to keep him down. Wade breathed excitedly "I could get used to this," he gasped unafraid of the female feral on top of him. Rhaella's burst of anger simmered, she rolled her eyes and got off of him. "Unreal," she murmured.

"Hope I wasn't to rough on you", Wade said getting on his feet, his voice dripping in sexual innuendo. Rhaella wondered if that was all he could talk about.

"You canned me," she growled her hand instinctively going to her backside to sooth the pain that had already healed.

"C'mon" he beckoned "No hard feelings, don't you ferals heal all the same?"

"What was your mutation again?" She snapped "Do you even have one, or do you just talk people to death?"

She heard a laugh come from behind her where Dukes, Zero, Wraith, and Logan had been.

Apparently Logan and Wraith had come in just in time for the show.

Wade smiled nonchalant at Rhaella's retort and made his way towards his swords.

"Curiosity killed the cat you know." He hollered over his shoulder and picked up his swords. Rhaella was uneasy about what he was about to do with them. She looked over to Logan and Wraith who didn't seemed to worried, as if they had seen it a thousand times.

"Hey jackie-chan, shoot me." He looked over to Zero. It all happened so fast, Zero pulled out his gun. She yelped as Zero shot the first round towards Wade. The swords almost moved too fast to see. Shot after shot Wade easily swept the bullets into other directions.

When Wade was done he put his sword down and looked over to Rhaella still standing in disbelief. "Bad-ass mercenary is my mutation, eloquent stud muffin is my hobby" he winked at her. She rolled her eyes and walked away from the mat to her room to shower. Logan's arm came out to stop her. She looked up to him inquisitively, "If ya want to learn how to fight without being groped by that knucklehead " he nudged his head over to Wade "Ya come to me." Rhaella smiled at Logan's offer, she put her clawed hand gently on his shoulder. "Thank you."

He nodded and she made her way back to her shower.

It took all she could not to drag her tired feet down the corridor to her room. Although she had a healing factor, the exercise had made her hungry, and with hunger came exhaustion. She wrapped her hand around the handle when she heard the door open further down the hall. For a brief second she prayed it was anyone but Victor, she didn't think she could muster the energy to maintain eye contact with the dangerous mountain of a man.

Thankfully she saw Aleesa shuffle out sleepily. The usually clean cut doctor was covered in baggy clothes, black sleek hair pushed into a ponytail.

"Morning Rhaella" she yawned and stretched her arms out above her. Rhaella could hear her bones clicking into place.

"Good Morning," Rhaella sighed rubbing the door knob, eager to get to her shower.

"You're up early," Aleesa studied Rhaella's sweaty clothes through her heavy lids.

"I was training, why weren't you there?"

Aleesa shrugged her shoulders, "Don't really need it seeing I'm not the one in the field like you guys, nope, target shootings good enough for me."

Rhaella bit her lip and nodded, pushing open the door and going ahead in, "I'll see you in the hall for breakfast?"

She paused half-way in the door. "Sure, just need to shower" she murmured. Rhaella didn't look back at Aleesa, but went straight in. Reaching into the shower and turning it up extra hot, Rhaella wanted to clean off all the sweat and frustration from today. To be honest, as strong as her and her pride were, she was chagrin about being toyed with Wade in front of the other men. Sure, men were men and liked to show off their strength, and bait each other all in good fun. Even though that was what Wade had done it was not because they saw her as 'one of the boys'. It was because she was a woman, feral or not, they wouldn't see past it.

Rhaella let the hot water roll down her and pinken her skin, she breathed in the steam deep. She had to assert herself, but that could take a while and she didn't know where to start. She wasn't about to flat out talk about it, no that would require emotions which would only make her look weak. Her feral side wanted to make them bleed, but that side wasn't considering the fact that they where her teammates. The hot water was beginning to cool and she decided to turn off the shower and dry herself off.

'You overpower them until they submit' the beast purred 'make them submit.'

More, and more, she was beginning to loosen the reigns on her other side. Maybe that's what Victor and Logan had done, their secret to success was to satisfy their feral needs. Damn it cosmo, why don't you write an article about 'how to make men fear and respect you?'

Rhaella braided her silvery hair and let it fall over her shoulder. While pulling over a shirt her stomach growled, working out had made her hungry. When she walked out Aleesa's sent was still faint enough to follow. At least her powers were good for something. She followed the sent and arrived at the dining hall within minutes. The hall was buzzing with soldiers but fell silent as soon as she walked in.