“I despiseyou.”
“And yet.” His tone carried that infuriating calm again. “Well. You’ll figure it out eventually. Until then, let’s try not to get you killed.”
“Teach me, wise one.”
“I thought you’d never ask. Your height—or lack thereof—can be an advantage. Your center of gravity is lower than everyone else’s. If you can pick up some speed and agility, you can trip them up.”
He was not just an asshole, but an optimistic asshole, which I found even more unforgivable. “Like a little yappy dog racing around underfoot?”
He gave me an unamused look. It was a nice change from his smug smirks, and I decided to piss him off more.
“Soon, you’re going to fight other shifter recruits who are readyto be claimed by a clan. Maybe when someone tries to take your head off in the arena, you’d prefer you don’t fall on your ass in front of half the realm.”
“I’d prefer that I hadn’t been kidnapped by some know-it-all dickhead dragon shifter.”
His brows lifted. “Maybe you can justsarcasmyour opponents into submission. Do you think that will work well for you?”
“I think everyone I fight is going to be much taller and stronger than I am.”
“Definitely,” he agreed. “That’s why I was just hoping you can stay on your feet for a minute or two.”
“And then what?” I asked, still curious if he planned to claim me. If he’d brought me here for some grand and evil purpose, he was certain to keep me close. But he claimed he’d brought me here to save my life, in which case, maybe he’d feel he’d served his commitment. “Maybe I’ll survive long enough for one of the clans to claim me…last?”
I’d already had this experience in school, playing ball. Anayla had explained that every new shifter fought to demonstrate their abilities, but every clan had already decided their top recruits to bring into the clan. Every new shifter but me already had a reputation, and well…one glance at me would sealmyreputation.
It wasn’t just the new shifters that would fight. Later on, the clans would also fight for dominance, to determine the order with which they chose recruits. Clan leaders would fight over select recruits. And even then, we’d have to be selected again by the dragons themselves.
Be claimed…or burn.
“And then? You need to worry about now. Your balance is off. Feet apart. Lower.”
I followed his directions, scowling. “You’re a know-it-all.”
He arched a brow. “You’re welcome to keep flailing creatively instead. But I thought you wanted me to teach you.”
I wasn’t going to respond, but he was clearly willing to wait me out. “I do.”
“Then bend your knees. Don’t plant your feet, you’re going down if you get punched anyway. You need to get faster.”
Grudgingly, because I did want to learn but I wanted a different teacher, I did as he asked.
He stepped behind me, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his body. With one tap of his boot, he adjusted my stance. Then his hands came to my hips, steadying me. The contact was brief, almost clinical, but it left my pulse a mess.
He feinted—slow, testing—and I blocked. Barely. Then again, faster. The rhythm built, my movements sharper each time. I stopped thinking, startedfeelingthe flow, anticipating his lightning-fast movements, so I was stumbling along just a beat too late.
My arms ached, my hair stuck to my neck, but I was so close. I didn’t want to stop, even though every muscle screamed.
Fieran’s eyes followed every motion, focused, intent. “Better. Again.”
I struck out. He caught my wrist midair, spinning me before I realized what he’d done. My back hit his chest. His breath brushed my neck. “You are incredible.”
“No.” I pushed away from him, turning on my heel to face him. Fury blurred my vision. “Don’t fucking compliment me.”
He raised his hands in supplication. “I’m merely impressed with myself as your teacher. You are learning incredibly fast. I must be quite impressive.”
“The dragon mark. You think…” I trailed off. I didn’t want to believe I wasspecial, and I certainly wasn’t special enough to make up for a decade of lost training. “I’m going to get my ass kicked.”
“Yes,” he admitted. “There’s no way around that. But still. Seeing you among us, fighting bravely, will change how the mortals in the stands see themselves. Mortals don’t have to see themselves asless.”
