He takes a menacing step my way.
“Alright, hold on.” Serena stops short, wedging herself between us. “We are going to make a pact to be adults and put a pin in this little pissing contest, got it? Right now, we are a team with one common enemy. You’re on the same side.”
Tell that to the cocky motherfucker behind you.
“If you can’t ditch the guy PMS at the door, then I’m more than happy to train myself. Understood?”
The two of us grumble yes’s before falling in line behind her.
59
SERENA
13 DAYS
“No.”
Jace’s deadpan eyes land on mine from across the ring.
I toss up my arms. “What did I do this time?”
“Have you forgotten everything I taught you?”
It’s barely been two days since I got back, and already he’s back to being a hard-ass.
Fun, fun, fun.
“Fine. Maybe I’m a little rusty. I haven’t had much time to practice my footwork between being stolen by a sadist and freezing my tits off trying to solve our portal issue.”
“You’re sorely mistaken if you think that gets you a free pass. You’re a warrior. Start presenting like one.”
Wowwwww. Please dislodge stick from ass.
“And you.” He tosses a nod at Zadyn, who’s been sparring with me for the last half hour. “You’re not doing her any favors by letting her win.”
“I’m not going to hit her,” he spits.
“Then someone else will. Kylian most likely.”
“Is that how you trained her?” Zadyn bellies up to him. “By showing her how to take a punch?”
“She doesn’t need you to fight her battles, Rhodes. She’s more than capable.” He sends a pointed look my way. “When shewantsto be. Now are you going to be a worthy opponent for her or would you like me to step in and get the job done?”
Zadyn bites his tongue and paces back to me, his brown eyes finding mine.
“It’s okay,” I tell him. “You don’t have to be gentle with me.”
His hands curl around the hem of his sweat-drenched shirt, pulling it over his head and tossing it aside.?*
Well now, that is just unfair.
A lump forms in my throat at the sight of his glistening torso, tiny beads of sweat sliding between the contours of his abs, rolling over the deep V-cut that disappears beneath his waistband. I try to focus on tucking my eyes back into my head. And fail. Miserably.
He pushes his hair back and crouches into a fighting stance.
You ready?
Before I can nod, he springs forward. He’s quick and agile, his movements more lupine than fae. I block a punch, landing a hit to his stomach with my free hand. He absorbs it like it’s nothing, latching on to twist himself beneath my arm. Pain lances up my wrist as I’m forced into a bow. I grunt, shifting my weight to kick back into his thigh.
