Chapter 73: World’s most cruel trainer.

The beasts stopped training and froze. They looked at Zyra, then looked at Hunter. They wanted to check on her, but they were too scared. If they broke formation, Hunter would make them start the whole painful drill all over again.

In the hierarchy of power in the family, they knew whose orders to follow. Just as they knew who to follow when they wanted to eat something delicious.

Zyra continued to lay on the ground, pretending to have fainted. She kept perfectly still, hoping for a quick break. She almost giggled when she heard the sound of Hunter’s boots. Here he comes, here he comes...she folded her lips to keep from giving herself away by laugh.

Hunter loomed over her, "I am going to count to five," Hunter said, his voice cold and calm. "You will not like what happens when I finish."

Zyra did not move. She braced herself for a slow countdown.

"One," Hunter called out. "Two..."

He stopped for a second.

"...Five."

Zyra’s heart jumped. Wait, what happened to three and four?

"I don’t like to waste time," Hunter said, standing right over her. "Get up right now, Zyra, or you will not like what comes next. "I won’t request again."

What is the worst that he could do? she thought, a small smile touching her lips. He would probably sigh and give up, and they could go inside and have breakfast. They could train again at mid-day. She heard a heavy sloshing sound but kept her eyes closed.

Hunter looked over at the weighted tiger. "Tyrant. Do it."

Before Zyra could process what that meant, Tyrant dragged a big pail over, tipped it, and a tidal wave of ice-filled water crashed directly onto Zyra’s face and chest.

"AHHHH!" Zyra shrieked, bolting upright like she’d been struck by lightning. She began to shiver violently, her teeth chattering so loud they clicked. Cold water dripped from her hair as she glared daggers at Tyrant. "You... you stupid tiger! I’m going to turn you into a useless cat! Damn you!"

Tyrant just let out a cheeky growl sound and hid behind Hunter’s back.

"The water cure works every time; you are not my first lazy trainee" Hunter said unbothered. "Get up. We have one hour left and you are starting from the BEGINNING!" He shouted like his mouth had an amplifier.

For the next one hour, the brutal routine continued until Zyra was physically numb. Finally, Hunter called a short break for an ice bath and breakfast. The atmosphere instantly shifted. The animals were excused; they immediately run to the only place where their sore muscles could be calmed: the beast pavilion.

Zyra could hardly walk, and Hunter had to carry her into the house, dropping her in a tub that was filled with very cold water and ice cubes.

"You are just being cruel." She shrieked.

He smirked and walked off. "Ten minutes, then bathe and change. Don’t make me give you a bath personally." He threatened.

Despite all her soreness, she moved rather quickly under the threat. Within thirty minutes, she was sitting at the counter in the kitchen, watching Hunter make final preparations on the breakfast he prepared.

"I am not hungry," she said, as he slipped a plate of steamed eggs and boiled Irish potatoes before her.

Hunter smirked. "Oh, look at you being all pouty. You have to eat healthy, your body needs energy for the next routine."

Zyra looked at him as if he were her enemy, she was starting to regret getting him as a bodyguard and trainer. Her hands shaking so badly she could barely hold her spoon to eat her eggs. "I could just relieve you of your duties..."

"I highly doubt that." Hunter cut in "and I do not take threats very lightly my dear wife...now eat." He ordered like he would a kid.

After the meal, Zyra thought about heading to the beast pavilion to sink into a massage chair and let the robots work the tension out of her sore muscles. She thought her torment was over. She was wrong.

"The beasts are done. Your second phase begins now," Hunter said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. He pointed to the center of the courtyard. "Go stand out there. On one foot. You have to learn to steady your balance."

"What!?" Zyra asked, the man had to be crazy!

Hunter blew into the whistle, "I did not stutter....now move!"

Zyra stared at him, her jaw dropping. "Are you a demon? My legs are literally vibrating, Hunter! I can’t even stand on two feet right now!"

"I know and now is the perfect time to steady your balance. I want you on one foot. Now. If you drop your other foot, the timer restarts."

Cursing his entire lineage, Zyra dragged herself to the center of the yard. She lifted her left leg, balancing precariously on her right. Her ankle wobbled violently. To make matters worse, Hunter pulled out a small portable grill. He laid out thick, beautifully cut strips of raw rabbit meat. Within minutes, the rich, savory, mouth-watering aroma of roasting meat drifted right past Zyra’s nose.

"How is this fair?" Zyra asked. "Go roast your meat from over there." She jutted her chin to the far end of the training area.

A crooked smile crept across Hunter’s face. "And why would I do that?" He popped a piece of meat into his mouth and made a face like it was the best thing he had ever tasted. "I like hanging out with my wife. Besides, I can’t leave you out here all alone. What if a scary monster comes and eats you?" He made a silly monster face to tease her.

Zyra couldn’t help but laugh, but she quickly stopped herself and forced her face back into a frown. "Just... just save some for me then," she mumbled. "I have not eaten rabbit meat in a whole year."

Hunter sat back comfortably in his folding chair, flipping the juicy meat with a pair of tongs. He didn’t care at all about her complaints. He took another slow bite, chewing with a happy smile. He was already loving this new house and everything about it.

Looking at him, you would think he was the one who owned the place.

"Sure thing. But only if you finish answering the questions you skipped last night. You can’t just drop a total information bomb on me and then casually go to bed. That friend of yours called me a beast and I want to know why." Hunter said casually, taking another bite.

"Right now, I hate you so much to tell you anything, so forget it." Zyra whimpered, her thigh muscle screaming in agony as she stared at the food. "I genuinely, deeply hate you."

"Keep that leg up, maiden," Hunter replied with a smirk, reaching for another piece of meat. "You still have forty minutes left...oh there is also an evening routine by the way. But that is fighting. I will be teaching you my moves, one by one. You have to master each one within a week. In a month, you need to be able to keep up with me in a fight. Failure to do so, will land you a permanent diet list for another month. Go it, maiden?"

Zyra let out a frustrated scream, her training with the grand elder had been child’s play compares to this. At least food had not been used as a motivator. "Evil...you are evil." She muttered.