Page 150 of Resurgent

"They were going to rape me!" I scream as tears run down my face.

I try to morph myself to be bigger? Smaller? Anything to help me escape, but I'm drowning in too much fear to concentrate.

His answering full tooth smile has goosebumps coating my skin, "Don't worry about trying to impress me Annalise. He's promised I'll get you all to myself when this is all said and done," Lucas whispers.

"Who promised you? What are you talking about?" I demand.

His hands trace my curves as I throw hit after hit.

"Shhh, Seiri," he says, his voice suddenly gentler.

"Get the fuck off of me!"

"Seiri. Shhhh. You're safe."

Realization hits me as I finally recognize the voice.

"Hunter? Help me please!" I cry out, desperate to escape his words echoing in my mind.

"Seiri, I'm right here. Wake up, Baby. That's right; open your gorgeous eyes. I'm right here. It was just a dream."

My body trembles from the anticipation of the fight.

I should have known then it was going to be a terrible day.

The first time I miss, he doesn’t say anything.

The second time, he steps far enough out of the way that my momentum betrays me—and then taps two fingers between my shoulder blades.

Not hard.

But enough.

I stumble forward with a sharp breath, boots scraping dirt as I catch myself. Irritation flares hot and immediate. “You could at least pretend you’re not enjoying this.”

“I could,” Korr says, voice calm behind me as he circles. “But then I’d be a liar, and I don't lie to you.”

I turn to face him, lifting my hands again despite the ache already threading through my arms. “Good, because I fully trust you to be insufferable.”

“Good,” he replies. “We’re making progress.”

I lunge.

This time he doesn’t dodge—he catches my wrist mid-strike. His grip is firm, grounding, heat bleeding into my skin like it belongs there. He twists, hard enough to redirect me, and my body reacts on instinct—

“Again,” he murmurs.

I don’t think. I move.

Elbow. Turn. Step inside his guard.

He blocks, but slower.

“Better.”

“Don’t sound so surprised,” I shoot back, already breathing harder than I want to be.

“You were worse yesterday.”