Seraphina instinctively reached out to catch it, but then she remembered she was angry and threw the jacket back at Zachary. "No, thanks. I'm not cold." They stood there, locked in a standoff.
She turned to leave.
Zachary quickly stepped forward and draped the jacket over her shoulders. This infuriated Seraphina even more. She yanked the jacket off and threw it onto the couch, her chin lifted defiantly. "I'm not going to be your wife, so what I wear is none of your business!"
Zachary's eyes turned icy, her words hitting him hard. His stern gaze bore into Seraphina.
Seeing his reaction, Seraphina felt a twinge of fear and tried to leave, but Zachary grabbed her wrist.
He put the jacket back on her, his voice low and commanding. "Wear it. Stop being difficult."
Seraphina had no choice but to bite her lip and storm out, still wearing the jacket.
The next morning, Seraphina stood at Zachary's door, jacket in hand, and knocked.
"Come in."
Without looking up, Zachary took the jacket from her and closed the door.
Seraphina stomped her foot in frustration, muttering under her breath, "Stupid man, no wonder you can't find a girlfriend."
Fuming, she wandered around the camp and eventually found herself at the training ground. Curious about the shouts she heard, she peeked in and saw someone teaching newcomers self-defense and combat.
"I should learn this too. It might come in handy."
Seraphina walked onto the field. The instructor, Noah, greeted her warmly. "What brings you here?"
"I want to learn some self-defense. Can you teach me?" Seraphina asked calmly.
"Let's start with some basic moves," Noah said nonchalantly.
Seraphina thought it would be simple warm-up exercises, but it turned out to be intense, body-challenging combat training.
Noah demonstrated a standard move.
Half an hour later, Seraphina was sore all over. Noah stood beside her, their bodies occasionally touching. "Squat down."
Noah suddenly grabbed Seraphina's shoulders, pulling her closer.
Their distance closed instantly.
Seraphina stumbled forward, but Noah caught her just in time.
The young trainees nearby laughed at her clumsiness and cheered.
From a distance, Knox found the scene irritating. He nudged Ezra, pulled out his phone, and secretly recorded a short video before heading to the meeting room to find Zachary.
In the meeting room, Knox handed his phone to Zachary.
"Mr. Baker, look at how Noah is teaching Seraphina. I'm worried he might hurt her. Maybe you should go teach her?"
Ezra chimed in, "Yeah, Mr. Baker, Noah can be pretty rough. Seraphina's not exactly built for this..."
Zachary watched the video, his face darkening. "The training room?"
Knox and Ezra exchanged glances and nodded, both eager to see what would happen next.
Zachary hadn't even reached the north training room when he heard Seraphina's voice. His heart tightened, and he quickened his pace.
He entered to find Noah holding Seraphina close, teaching her counter-punching techniques. Zachary's eyes narrowed with displeasure.
Noah saw Zachary and quickly greeted him, but when he met Zachary's intense gaze, he made an excuse. "I... just remembered I have a meeting. Excuse me."
Rumors about Zachary and Seraphina had been circulating around the camp, and Noah didn't want any trouble.
Seraphina, rubbing her sore arms, looked at Zachary and hesitated. "Why do you have time to teach me?"
Zachary nodded slightly.
Seraphina's eyes sparkled with mischief. She saw an opportunity to make Zachary suffer a bit and said, "Alright, you can teach me."
Knox quickly cleared the room of onlookers and closed the door.
Seraphina stood there, unsure, and asked Zachary, "So... how do we start?"
Zachary moved behind her, his hands encircling her neck to demonstrate a move. His powerful presence made Seraphina feel intense pressure. She complained, "Are you serious?"
Zachary loosened his grip slightly. "Use the moves you just learned to attack me."
Seraphina tried to elbow Zachary's head, but he was too tall, and it had no effect.
Next, she kicked at his side, barely grazing him.
She attempted to stomp on his foot, but he anticipated it and dodged.
She tried to bend his fingers, but they wouldn't budge. Finally, she headbutted his chin, hurting her own neck in the process.
After all her efforts, Zachary released her and, surprisingly, praised her. "Not bad. Keep practicing."
Zachary switched tactics, hugging Seraphina from the front. She was startled, her body tingling.
Zachary's unique scent and the closeness made her lose focus, feeling none of the revulsion she should have felt.
Sensing her distraction, Zachary let go and asked, "What's wrong? Why aren't you fighting back?"
When she didn't respond, he questioned her sternly.
Seraphina snapped out of it, embarrassed and angry. "I don't want to practice anymore."
Zachary scoffed. "Giving up so easily?"
Feeling underestimated, Seraphina retorted, "I'm just worried about hurting you!"
Zachary laughed. "You're not that strong. I could take on a hundred of you."
Furious, Seraphina clenched her fists and took a fighting stance. "Don't underestimate me. Let's go again!"
She asked Zachary to hug her again, ready to continue.
Zachary complied, wrapping his arms around her waist. Seraphina's eyes gleamed with a plan. She brushed her lips against his cheek, and while he was distracted, kneed him hard in the groin.
Zachary, caught off guard, gasped in pain.
Panicking, Seraphina tried to steady herself, but Zachary, despite the pain, grabbed her, and they both fell onto the mat.
Instinctively, Zachary protected Seraphina as they fell. Once she realized what happened, she quickly asked, "Are you okay?"
Though still in pain, Zachary's body reacted to their closeness, making it hard to control his desire.
Seraphina noticed his reaction, her face turning bright red.
Zachary, his voice hoarse, told her, "Get up."
Seraphina tried to move but struggled. As she awkwardly sat up, their position became even more uncomfortable. Zachary began to suspect she was doing it on purpose.
Blushing, Seraphina met Zachary's gaze, her eyes darting nervously. She clumsily got off him and sat nearby, sneaking glances at his groin, her heart racing.
Zachary stood up, glaring at her. "If you're going to learn combat, take it seriously. Using tricks like that won't help you in real danger."
Annoyed by Zachary's teaching methods, Seraphina pouted. "I'd rather have Noah teach me."
Zachary, now very angry, snapped, "If you don't want to learn, then don't. It's up to you!"
Seraphina realized she wasn't cut out for combat training. Sore all over, she reached out to Zachary. "Help me up. I can't move."
Once on her feet, she asked, "Did I... hurt you just now?"
She couldn't help but giggle as she teased him.