Roxanne took a short shower and then changed into her gym outfit, clothes she always kept in the gym since it was a bother bringing it in every day.

After she was done, she went back to the training room, where her coach was still setting up the stage. She smiled, shaking her head slightly.

Even at over forty, Donald still preferred doing things like these himself. She was fine with him doing some heavy lifting, but at this rate, he would just tire himself out before he did anything meaningful with her.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that. This much is nothing. I can do this, train you, and still have energy to spare.

She smirked at these words.

“Sure you can” She stepped forward to assist him with what he was doing.

“I’m serious. In my prime, I could do this all day all by myself. Truly a beast!” He grinned widely.

“Sure” Roxanne smiled as she rolled her eyes slightly.

She wasn’t sure about his prime, but the current him couldn’t keep up with her, especially when she was this excited. He had to take breaks in between, alternate with another person, and also instruct her while he took his break. She had so much energy that it could be classified as a superpower at this point.

[Moments Later]

“Looks like it’s all set up. Let’s do a little round before going into full-on training.” Coach Donald said, entering into the ring.

Now, Roxanne knew the basics of many sports and she was trained since childhood in various types. However… The one she knew best, and had the greatest passion for, the one she usually practised with her gym coach every day for the past three years… Was Boxing!

The gym's ground floor was an everyday workout centre, but only the Regulars knew the true nature of the ‘PASSION OF LIFE’ Gym. Separated into many rooms on the top floor, it was a place where Boxing was everything.

Boxing, Roxanne’s favourite sport, and the one she was the best at. Since the game demanded brute force, tact, and endurance more than anything else, she was practically built for it. Her coach as a former pro Boxer, at least according to him, was skilled enough to make it to national level his prime. For someone in a countryside like Oregon, that was an impressive feat.

Roxanne didn’t want to go into Pro Boxing. She just wanted to keep playing, keep fighting… Just like her father. As a Pro Boxer, she would attract too much attention, something she avoided desperately. She didn’t want to stand out. She just wanted to fight strong opponents and keep getting better until she reached her limits which, by the looks of it, was still very far off.

Roxanne entered the boxing ring as well, picking up her headgear and gloves as she put them on.

“Hope you’re not too tired old man” She said with a teasing look.

“Old man? I’ll show you!” Coach Donald said with his youthful smile.

One thing that got Donald fired up more than anything else, was when he was called ‘old’.

One of the other members of the Boxing club volunteered to be the referee of the match. As they both steadied themselves at their position, the both of them smiled.

“First Round. Begin!” The referee declared.

Immediately, Roxanne left her position and launched her fist with a straight right hook aimed at Donald’s nose. Donald quickly tilted his head, while taking a step back, dodging the first attack as the wind brushed across his face.

Roxanne dashed back and started bouncing, raising her fists to guard both sides, while her eyes remained transfixed on her target.

As an unspoken rule, neither of them talked when they were in a match. They both preferred the silence that enveloped them, making only their breathing and the taps of their feet heard.

Donald used his eyes to scan through Roxanne’s stance, a perfect gait, and posture, one with zero openings as usual. He had thought due to her excitement, she would slip up but it seemed he was wrong.

The straight punch startled him a little, but such a basic move was not enough to land a hit on him, especially when it wasn’t in succession or followed by another move. He had to admit though, her speed was impressive, and that power… It was dangerous as well.

As he was still analysing her, Roxanne took the initiative once again and rushed to his right flank, giving him a right hook. Fortunately, he was able to block her hit, though he took another step back due to the shock. In quick succession, she gave another hook and then a left thrust to break his guard. However, Donald was sturdier than that, as he maintained his position after the initial hit she gave, holding his ground.

As Roxanne withdrew her left fist after throwing it in a thrust, Donald quickly took a step forward and threw his first jab at Roxanne’s face. Too focused on offence, she didn’t see it coming until it was right in front of her.

Her quick reflexes kicked in just in time, using her right hand to block the hit, though barely.

“Oh? Not bad” The thought to himself.

Not only her raw power and stamina were extraordinary, her speed was also something else entirely. Her reflexes and reaction speed far exceeded any other Regular in his gym, which made it all the more difficult for him to land a proper hit on her, even though he was clearly more experienced than she was.

“Let’s just keep this up. Her only openings are when she attacks. When she throws a wide thrust, I’ll make a comeback” Donald reasoned.

He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. Raising his guard up to remain on the defensive until his opportune time, his eyes solely focused on Roxanne as he patiently searched for openings.

Even after throwing several of her attacks, Roxanne showed no sign of slowing down. She kept using her right fist for jabs and her left for hooks. Donald diligently dodged the ones he could, while blocking the rest. But…

“Crap, my limits are beginning to catch up to me… Dammit” Donald winced as he barely managed to dodge a volley from her right.

He took a few steps back in retreat, unable to hit so many hits all at once in direct succession. He huffed as sweat dripped from his chin and his muscles ached from keeping his hands up for so long while receiving so many attacks at once.

Roxanne dashed forward, not letting him catch his breath as she quickly raised her fist, and with a powerful thrust, launched it at Donald’s face.

“Shit!” He thought.

He quickly raised his guard, but even with that, he wasn’t quick enough for a complete block. Most of the impact was sent to his body as he recoiled due to the shock. He remained stunned for a moment, giving Roxanne the opportunity to launch another full powered blow.

This time, the hit landed on Donald’s face, sending him crashing to the ground. In a powerful thud, his body landed on the staged platform.

“Donald down. Roxanne takes the first round.” The referee declared.

Roxanne smiled as she took deep breaths to calm herself. Perspiration covered her entire skin as she smiled, looking at Donald who winced due to the hit she landed.

“Sorry coach” She said, stretching her hands toward him.

He grabbed it and smiled as she pulled him up, grunting a bit.

“Nah, don’t be. I lost fair and square” He said, groaning a little while rubbing his jaw, the place most affected by the impact of her hit.

“That you did, heh.” She grinned from ear to ear.

“Will you stop that? The match isn’t decided yet, you know? We’ll see how you fare during the second round.” He said, bending to take the water he kept just outside the stage.

“Ooh, someone is a site loser” She smirked.

“Tch” He let out in a mock annoyed fashion.

They both laughed as they took a short break in anticipation for the second round. As Roxanne gulped down her water, Donald stared at her.

“Such monstrous strength… Unbelievable. She’s even more powerful than the last time.” He thought within himself.

Roxanne’s great prowess was amazing, coupled with her growth speed which was beyond normal, to call the combination insane would be an understatement.

Donald, as the owner and manager of the entire gym supervised many of his Regulars. However, Roxanne was the only one he personally practised with. Out of all the other coaches, he was the only one who handled her training. Why was that the case?

Sure, he and Roxanne were very close, almost like family. However, the reason he was the only one who coached her and engaged in combat training with her was because… He was the only one with the ability to keep up with Roxanne.

She far outclassed everyone else in the gym, all the regulars knew her and some had even fought with her. None of them came out unscathed. She won against them every single time. He was the only one who managed to win against her, but from the match he had with her today… It was evident that she would soon surpass him by far. Or maybe that was the case already.

In any case, he was still her coach. As such, he had to always have something to teach her, and that meant he couldn’t lose to her… Not yet.

As he drank some more of his water, he closed his tired eyes. Next time for sure… He would win.

Roxanne laid on her bed as she smiled. A slight bruise was on her cheek as she slightly rubbed it.

“Looks like I’m still no match for Coach” She said to herself.

He managed to win, turning the tides against her at the last minute. A truly impressive man deserving of Roxanne’s respect.

After the match, they had regular training and did a few sets before she went home for the day, nothing out of the ordinary. She freshened up, ate, read for a while and chatted with her friend, Betty. Before she knew it so much time had passed.

She looked out her window, it was dark out already. She didn’t have to go anywhere for her escapades this night, so she appreciated the view of the night sky from her bed. The full moon glowed majestically as it seemed to draw her attention to its strange glow.

“I wonder…” She smiled, cutting her thoughts short before she even began.

As she closed her eyes, she felt all the exhaustion of the day suddenly begin to get lifted off of her as she felt a warm embrace permeate throughout her body. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep, unaware of the events that happened in the dead of night.

Roxanne took a short shower and then changed into her gym outfit, clothes she always kept in the gym since it was a bother bringing it in every day.

After she was done, she went back to the training room, where her coach was still setting up the stage. She smiled, shaking her head slightly.

Even at over forty, Donald still preferred doing things like these himself. She was fine with him doing some heavy lifting, but at this rate, he would just tire himself out before he did anything meaningful with her.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that. This much is nothing. I can do this, train you, and still have energy to spare.

She smirked at these words.

“Sure you can” She stepped forward to assist him with what he was doing.

“I’m serious. In my prime, I could do this all day all by myself. Truly a beast!” He grinned widely.

“Sure” Roxanne smiled as she rolled her eyes slightly.

She wasn’t sure about his prime, but the current him couldn’t keep up with her, especially when she was this excited. He had to take breaks in between, alternate with another person, and also instruct her while he took his break. She had so much energy that it could be classified as a superpower at this point.

[Moments Later]

“Looks like it’s all set up. Let’s do a little round before going into full-on training.” Coach Donald said, entering into the ring.

Now, Roxanne knew the basics of many sports and she was trained since childhood in various types. However… The one she knew best, and had the greatest passion for, the one she usually practised with her gym coach every day for the past three years… Was Boxing!

The gym's ground floor was an everyday workout centre, but only the Regulars knew the true nature of the ‘PASSION OF LIFE’ Gym. Separated into many rooms on the top floor, it was a place where Boxing was everything.

Boxing, Roxanne’s favourite sport, and the one she was the best at. Since the game demanded brute force, tact, and endurance more than anything else, she was practically built for it. Her coach as a former pro Boxer, at least according to him, was skilled enough to make it to national level his prime. For someone in a countryside like Oregon, that was an impressive feat.

Roxanne didn’t want to go into Pro Boxing. She just wanted to keep playing, keep fighting… Just like her father. As a Pro Boxer, she would attract too much attention, something she avoided desperately. She didn’t want to stand out. She just wanted to fight strong opponents and keep getting better until she reached her limits which, by the looks of it, was still very far off.

Roxanne entered the boxing ring as well, picking up her headgear and gloves as she put them on.

“Hope you’re not too tired old man” She said with a teasing look.

“Old man? I’ll show you!” Coach Donald said with his youthful smile.

One thing that got Donald fired up more than anything else, was when he was called ‘old’.

One of the other members of the Boxing club volunteered to be the referee of the match. As they both steadied themselves at their position, the both of them smiled.

“First Round. Begin!” The referee declared.

Immediately, Roxanne left her position and launched her fist with a straight right hook aimed at Donald’s nose. Donald quickly tilted his head, while taking a step back, dodging the first attack as the wind brushed across his face.

Roxanne dashed back and started bouncing, raising her fists to guard both sides, while her eyes remained transfixed on her target.

As an unspoken rule, neither of them talked when they were in a match. They both preferred the silence that enveloped them, making only their breathing and the taps of their feet heard.

Donald used his eyes to scan through Roxanne’s stance, a perfect gait, and posture, one with zero openings as usual. He had thought due to her excitement, she would slip up but it seemed he was wrong.

The straight punch startled him a little, but such a basic move was not enough to land a hit on him, especially when it wasn’t in succession or followed by another move. He had to admit though, her speed was impressive, and that power… It was dangerous as well.

As he was still analysing her, Roxanne took the initiative once again and rushed to his right flank, giving him a right hook. Fortunately, he was able to block her hit, though he took another step back due to the shock. In quick succession, she gave another hook and then a left thrust to break his guard. However, Donald was sturdier than that, as he maintained his position after the initial hit she gave, holding his ground.

As Roxanne withdrew her left fist after throwing it in a thrust, Donald quickly took a step forward and threw his first jab at Roxanne’s face. Too focused on offence, she didn’t see it coming until it was right in front of her.

Her quick reflexes kicked in just in time, using her right hand to block the hit, though barely.

“Oh? Not bad” The thought to himself.

Not only her raw power and stamina were extraordinary, her speed was also something else entirely. Her reflexes and reaction speed far exceeded any other Regular in his gym, which made it all the more difficult for him to land a proper hit on her, even though he was clearly more experienced than she was.

“Let’s just keep this up. Her only openings are when she attacks. When she throws a wide thrust, I’ll make a comeback” Donald reasoned.

He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. Raising his guard up to remain on the defensive until his opportune time, his eyes solely focused on Roxanne as he patiently searched for openings.

Even after throwing several of her attacks, Roxanne showed no sign of slowing down. She kept using her right fist for jabs and her left for hooks. Donald diligently dodged the ones he could, while blocking the rest. But…

“Crap, my limits are beginning to catch up to me… Dammit” Donald winced as he barely managed to dodge a volley from her right.

He took a few steps back in retreat, unable to hit so many hits all at once in direct succession. He huffed as sweat dripped from his chin and his muscles ached from keeping his hands up for so long while receiving so many attacks at once.

Roxanne dashed forward, not letting him catch his breath as she quickly raised her fist, and with a powerful thrust, launched it at Donald’s face.

“Shit!” He thought.

He quickly raised his guard, but even with that, he wasn’t quick enough for a complete block. Most of the impact was sent to his body as he recoiled due to the shock. He remained stunned for a moment, giving Roxanne the opportunity to launch another full powered blow.

This time, the hit landed on Donald’s face, sending him crashing to the ground. In a powerful thud, his body landed on the staged platform.

“Donald down. Roxanne takes the first round.” The referee declared.

Roxanne smiled as she took deep breaths to calm herself. Perspiration covered her entire skin as she smiled, looking at Donald who winced due to the hit she landed.

“Sorry coach” She said, stretching her hands toward him.

He grabbed it and smiled as she pulled him up, grunting a bit.

“Nah, don’t be. I lost fair and square” He said, groaning a little while rubbing his jaw, the place most affected by the impact of her hit.

“That you did, heh.” She grinned from ear to ear.

“Will you stop that? The match isn’t decided yet, you know? We’ll see how you fare during the second round.” He said, bending to take the water he kept just outside the stage.

“Ooh, someone is a site loser” She smirked.

“Tch” He let out in a mock annoyed fashion.

They both laughed as they took a short break in anticipation for the second round. As Roxanne gulped down her water, Donald stared at her.

“Such monstrous strength… Unbelievable. She’s even more powerful than the last time.” He thought within himself.

Roxanne’s great prowess was amazing, coupled with her growth speed which was beyond normal, to call the combination insane would be an understatement.

Donald, as the owner and manager of the entire gym supervised many of his Regulars. However, Roxanne was the only one he personally practised with. Out of all the other coaches, he was the only one who handled her training. Why was that the case?

Sure, he and Roxanne were very close, almost like family. However, the reason he was the only one who coached her and engaged in combat training with her was because… He was the only one with the ability to keep up with Roxanne.

She far outclassed everyone else in the gym, all the regulars knew her and some had even fought with her. None of them came out unscathed. She won against them every single time. He was the only one who managed to win against her, but from the match he had with her today… It was evident that she would soon surpass him by far. Or maybe that was the case already.

In any case, he was still her coach. As such, he had to always have something to teach her, and that meant he couldn’t lose to her… Not yet.

As he drank some more of his water, he closed his tired eyes. Next time for sure… He would win.

Roxanne laid on her bed as she smiled. A slight bruise was on her cheek as she slightly rubbed it.

“Looks like I’m still no match for Coach” She said to herself.

He managed to win, turning the tides against her at the last minute. A truly impressive man deserving of Roxanne’s respect.

After the match, they had regular training and did a few sets before she went home for the day, nothing out of the ordinary. She freshened up, ate, read for a while and chatted with her friend, Betty. Before she knew it so much time had passed.

She looked out her window, it was dark out already. She didn’t have to go anywhere for her escapades this night, so she appreciated the view of the night sky from her bed. The full moon glowed majestically as it seemed to draw her attention to its strange glow.

“I wonder…” She smiled, cutting her thoughts short before she even began.

As she closed her eyes, she felt all the exhaustion of the day suddenly begin to get lifted off of her as she felt a warm embrace permeate throughout her body. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep, unaware of the events that happened in the dead of night.

It was dark.

The luminescent moon hung above the Oregon woods as its white light dimly radiated on the surface. The woods, usually filled with sounds of birds chirping as well as various forest animals and critters engaging in activity, was now filled with nothing but a deafening silence.

One could assume it was due to the harsh condition of winter which caused a lot of the wildlife in the wild to go into hibernation or simply a period of inactivity. A valid reason… But this wasn’t the case.

The reason for such silence on a usually active and noisy night was due to only one thing… The presence of Apex Predators, the ones who dominated the Oregon woods. Known to be none other than… Werewolves.

Howls of different tones and volumes covered the expanse of the vast region of trees and thistles. With such sounds filling every corner of the region, every other creature knew by instinct to be quiet and retire to their beds that night.

The Howl of the wolves, and ones as plenty as this. It could only mean one thing… A gathering.

From the deep corners and dark recesses of the cluster of trees, they emerged. One would expect to see beastly monsters with fangs and claws. With bloodshot eyes and watering jaws. But that was not the sight beheld. The ones who were seen were none other than men, yes, men who walked through the woods with such confidence and aura that it could be seen that they were truly one with the wild. The fallen branches crunched and the dead leaves mashed. The human looking beings trampled upon them underfoot as they all headed to their destination. Some came from the east, some the north, some east, some West, all converging at one single location.

The Zenith Hill.

They looked above them as they saw the huge cliff, the howls emanated from the leak of the cliff, a summons of sorts. The people who converged there knew what had to be done. A hike was necessary. A steep hill, one difficult for even the most experienced of hikers. Coupled with the winter, the hill seemed even more dangerous than ever. A place where no human would venture, at least not in the dead of night with no equipment whatsoever.

The people looked at one another and nodded. With a single coordinated leap, they launched from the cold ground filled with dried up roots and moss. In an instant, they were already a great distance from the place they started from. Their hands grabbed the hill as they maintained a crouching figure. Clearly these weren’t ordinary men. They kept climbing the steep slope, not flinching as they seemed to do it with such great ease. They effortlessly reached the top within moments, after barely a minute after their start.

Finally, they reached the pinnacle of the hill. It didn’t have a pointed tip, but rather, a smooth and horizontal platform of hard and cold stone. In front was also a cave, dark and deep. No one dared venture deep within, for they knew of what lay inside. As they, one after the other, got to the top and walked further, they saw two figures in a distance, standing directly in front of the dark cave.

These two had gotten there first, or rather… They had always been there. As the last of the not-so-ordinary hikers finished his climb, they all converged as a group and looked in front of them to view the silhouette of two men like themselves.

The group of men were 5 standing at the forefront, directly facing the two shadows, with another group of 5 standing behind them, making 10 of them in total. The howls had stopped some moments ago, making everywhere once again deathly silent.

Then… A deep voice spoke.

“You’re all here…”

Upon hearing this deep tone, the men all took to their knees and bowed their heads. The two silhouettes they had seen were not the one they bowed to, because those shadows also went on their knees and likewise, bowed their heads. The voice came from further beyond, deep within the cave.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Footsteps were heard by everyone at the top of the Zenith Hill, the sound of soft legs tapping on the hard floor echoed from the recesses of the cave, making the bowed men twitch slightly.

Finally, the owner of the voice emerged from within the darkness.

“Good… We may begin our meeting”

“Lord, that concludes our report” One of the five men who sat at the forefront said, with the remaining five standing, respectively, behind each one of the seated ones.

Mats waved with fresh green grass with purple streaks on them, and were spread all over the floor where they sat comfortably. As for the one before them, his seat differed from theirs. A massive boulder chipped to form a great throne, decorated with various ornaments and stones which glowed thanks to the illumination brought by the night sky. He had two men close to him, serving as his aid. One of them stayed by the right hand side of his throne, while the second stayed behind the throne, a small distance away.

“I see, so the Hunters have started making their move. Interesting, very well then. It appears we’ll have to send a message to them sooner enough.”

The seated ones nodded their heads in affirmation, agreeing with their lord.

“Gerund, your pack will take the lead on this one. From the report, it appears they intend on striking from the east, which is the territory of your pack. Gather the Warrior units, enough to send a small message to the trespassers. Give your ‘Gamma’ the order to dispatch the available ones and lead them himself. As the Alpha of your pack, I’ll leave the remaining details to you”

“Understood” The one called Gerund responded.

“The rest of you should remain on high alert. There is a possibility that this is merely a ruse and their aim is to cause misdirection and strike somewhere else while our focus is fixed on a single spot. That can not be allowed to happen. We must be vigilant, as is our nature.” The Lord said.

“Understood” They all responded.

“Order your signalers to be extra vigilant, and the Guardians should take more care in their duties as guards to the pups. Hunters should move carefully and should prevent straying from the path and wandering too far.” He added.

“Also instruct your Betas to supervise the domestic and trivial matters while you deal with the more pressing affairs. I believe we have an understanding…?”

“Yes Lord” They all answered.

“Good. That is all, you are all dismissed” The Lord said, waving his hands to signal they should leave.

“M-My Lord… There is one matter we have yet to address.” One of the seated ones said, the oldest looking one among them.

“Oh? And what’s that Benson?”

“Grand Alpha, Lord Asher… It is a matter that has shaken the entire Tribe of Oregon Woods. The members of the packs all seek an answer and we the Alphas also have the burdened question within us…” The Alpha, Benson said.

“Spit it out Benson… My patience wears thin” The Grand Alpha and Lord, Asher, commanded his Alpha subordinate.

“My Lord… It concerns your bride and mate… What are your plans for the Grand Luna?”

Suddenly Asher’s eyes turned bright red as an ominous feeling swept through the Alphas who sat and even the Betas who stood behind them. They felt the cold winds of winter blow harshly, their bodies shivered and shook due to the pressure he exerted from his throne.

With a glare, he laid his eyes on Benson, the man who spoke concerning a gnawing problem which plagued him and disturbed the very structure of the pack, threatening the balance within it.

“The Grand Luna… You dare ask me such a question?” Asher said in a low tone, but his undertone depicted danger.

“N-No, my Lord. I just wanted to…” Benson stuttered, trying to defend his earlier statement.

“Just wanted to know what?” He asked, still glaring at the elderly Alpha who shivered at the sight of his Lord.

“N-Nothing my Lord… I apologise for my impudence” He let out in defeat, unable to withstand the pressure of intimidation which the King exhibited.

“My bride will be ready before the next convergence. That is all you are required to know. Any further… contributions?” Asher said, narrowing his eyes.

No Alpha spoke as they all bowed their heads, too afraid to meet his gaze.

“Good. You are dismissed.” He said.

<WHOOSH!>

Within the blink of an eye, the Alphas had vanished from their positions, alongside their aides, the Betas.

Seeing as they had all gone, Asher let out a deep groan as he stood up from his throne and clenched his fist in anger, leaving the remaining two subordinates to clean up the scene of the meeting.

They both looked at each other meaningfully and understood their Lord’s frustration and seething emotions.

Asher was the Wolf King, the Alpha of Alphas, the Grand Alpha and Lord over the entire Oregon Woods. As the youngest Grand Alpha in all of history, his position was never challenged due to his ruthless nature and immense strength which easily trumped the other Alphas, even as he was just 23 years of age.

However, the biggest problem he faced, one which threatened the hierarchy of the entire Werewolf Community he ruled… Was his lack of a mate, his other half, his Luna. Without one, he would still be recognized as an incomplete king. As one who had achieved the pinnacle of his entire Tribe and race within the borders of Oregon, he lacked the most vital, most crucial piece of his existence.

As he walked back into his cave where he liked to stay and think, he couldn’t help but replay one of his Alpha’s questions in his head. A question he couldn’t even properly answer.

“Damn you Benson!” He said with gritted teeth.

Now, with only three weeks to the next convergence, Asher needed to show his bride to the Alphas. The only problem is… He didn’t know where to find her.

The frustration and anger of having something denied him provoked and irritated him beyond words and expression. Only one thing, one question rang through his head.

“Where are you… My Luna?”