He moves first, a blur of motion.
I react on instinct, arms snapping up just as his palm slams into my forearm—redirecting his momentum, but the force still rattles through my bones.
He’s not going full strength. But he’s not playing either.
I try to counter, shifting my weight forward, aiming a strike at his ribs—he’s already moved. Like a shadow slipping between light.
Suddenly, he’s behind me. His arm hooks briefly around my waist—just enough to throw me off balance—then he sweeps my legs out from under me.
I hit the mat hard and gasp.
A moment later, Thane’s hand appears in my line of sight, offering to pull me up. I hesitate—just for a second—before I take it. His grip is strong, steady, pulling me up with ease.
Before I’m even upright—
“Again.”
I barely raise my hands before he takes me down again.
And again.
And again.
And.
Again.
Every fall jars through me, until the mat feels like it’s shaping to my spine. On the last fall, I can’t stop myself from groaning as I land on my back again.
“How,” I pant, “is this even remotely fair?”
Thane raises an eyebrow, standing over me, arms relaxed at his sides.
“Fair?” he echoes.
I throw an arm over my face.
“Yes.Fair.You’re the Warlord of the Realm. You’ve been training since you could walk. You’ve led armies, fought real battles—and I’m supposed to learn by being tossed around like a sack of grain?”
He crouches beside me, tilting his head. “Would you prefer someone less . . . lethal?”
I lower my arm just enough to glare at him. “Yes. That would be great, actually.”
His mouth twitches. Amused. “That’s not how this works.”
“Of course it’s not,” I mutter, forcing myself upright, rolling my aching shoulders. “Why would it be?”
Thane straightens. “You’re naturally strong. You’ve trained before. But your instincts are scattered. You hesitate, second-guess. And hesitation is often the difference between standing and falling.”
I narrow my eyes. “Pretty sure the difference right now is that you outweigh me by at least seventy pounds of muscle.”
His lips twitch again. “Maybe. But strength alone doesn’t win fights.”
I huff, pushing myself to my feet. My limbs ache, my bodyfeels wrecked, but I refuse to stay down.
“Again,” I say before he can.
This time, Thane smirks. And then he moves.
