My Alpha Mate's Christmas Gift novel Chapter 11

　　Let’s Go For A Round, Coach!

　　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.