Chapter 62 Sparring
ARYA
My mouth remained open for a moment, not sure what to say to that. I breathed out finally and spoke. “Sounds exciting.”
“Exhausting, mostly.” She glanced around the estate. “Nice place. Very… civilized.”
“You sound like you don’t like civilized?”
“I like it fine. Just prefer things with a bit more edge.” Her eyes found Luca, who’d appeared on the terrace. “Is that your king?”
“That’s Luca, yes.”
“Damn.” She whistled low. “You did good. He looks like he could break me in half.”
“He probably could.”
“I’d like to see him try.” She grinned, like that was a good challenge. “I like a good fight.”
Luca descended the steps, and I felt the shift in the air. Power recognizing power. He moved with that predatory grace that marked him as something ancient and dangerous.
When he reached us, he extended his hand to Sage.
“Sage Wildborn. Ryker speaks highly of you.”
“Ryker speaks?” Sage let out a mocked gasp.
He shook his hand firmly. “That’s new. Usually he just broods and glares.”
“I don’t brood,” Ryker protested.
“You absolutely brood,” Sage, Luca, and I said simultaneously.
The look on Ryker’s face was priceless.
“I’ve been outnumbered,” he muttered.
“Get used to it,” Sage said cheerfully. “Now, where’s the training yard? I need to work off some travel tension.”
“I’ll show you,” Caspian offered, appearing from seemingly nowhere. His eyes were locked on Sage with undisguised interest. “I’m Caspian. The king’s Beta.”
“Of course you are.” Sage looked him up and down appreciatively. “Lycans always get the good genetics. It’s unfair.”
“We could spar,” Caspian suggested. “If you need to burn off energy.”
“Could you keep up?”
“Only one way to find out.”
The sexual tension between them was immediate and palpable. Ryker noticed it too, his expression darkening.
“Sage,” he said, his voice carrying a warning.
“What? I’m just being friendly.” But she moved closer to him, her hand finding his. The touch was casual but possessive. “Don’t worry, wolf. You’re the only one I’m interested in sparring with later.”
The promise in her voice made heat crawl up my neck and explode on my cheeks.
“Come on,” I said quickly, trying to break the tension. “Let me show you to your rooms. You can get settled before training.”
As we walked inside, Sage whispered, “Is the Beta always this intense? Because I’m getting some serious predator vibes.”
“That’s just Caspian. He’s…” I searched for the right word. “Dedicated… to Luca, to the kingdom. He doesn’t really do casual.”
“Nobody who looks like that is harmless.” She grinned. “But I like a challenge.”
“You have a mate,” I reminded her gently, glancing back at where Ryker was deliberately not watching us walk away.
“Not officially. Ryker and I… we’re figuring things out.” She followed my gaze. “It’s complicated. He’s still processing his feelings for you.”
“He told me he moved on.”
“He’s trying to. But you don’t just stop loving someone because it’s inconvenient.” Sage’s amber eyes were knowing. “Give him time. He’ll get there. His wolf just needs to accept what his head already knows.”
“And you’re okay with that? Waiting while he sorts through his feelings for another woman?”
“I’m not waiting. I’m living my life. If he catches up, great. If not—” She shrugged, but I caught the flicker of hurt in her eyes. “—there are other wolves in the forest.”
Her casual attitude should have bothered me, but I sensed it was armor. This woman had been hurt before.
We reached the guest wing, and I showed her to a suite near Ryker’s room.
“Nice digs,” she said, tossing her bag on the bed. “Very different from the caves I’ve been sleeping in.”
“Caves?”
“When you’re running from your family, you take shelter where you can find it.” She began unpacking, revealing an arsenal of weapons. Knives, throwing stars, what looked like a small crossbow. “Your mate seems decent. Better than the usual power-hungry Alpha types.”
“He is. Most of the time.”
“Most of the time?”
“He’s also possessive, overprotective, and occasionally forgets that I can make my own decisions.” I smiled. “But he’s learning. Slowly.”
“They usually don’t learn. Props to you for training him.” Sage held up two knives. “Which one for sparring? The intimidating one or the really intimidating one?”
“How about neither? I think Caspian wants to spar hand-to-hand.”
“Even better. I like it when they underestimate me.” Her grin was wicked. “Means the surprise is more fun.”
An hour later, half the estate had gathered at the training yard to watch Sage and Caspian spar.
I stood beside Luca, his arm around my waist, while Ryker paced nearby like a caged animal.
“She’s going to be fine,” I told him.
“I know. I’ve seen her fight. She’s…” He trailed off, searching for words. “She’s incredible. Fast, brutal, efficient. She doesn’t fight like a woman trying to prove herself. She fights like someone who knows exactly what she’s capable of.”
“You really care about her.”
“I’m trying not to.” He looked at me, and the conflict in his eyes was painful to see. “It feels like a betrayal. Of you. Of what I felt.”
“Ryker, it’s not a betrayal to move on. It’s healthy. It’s what you should do.” I touched his arm. “Let yourself feel this. Let yourself be happy.”
“What if I fuck it up? What if I’m not ready and I hurt her?”
“Then you fuck it up and you learn. That’s how life works.” I smiled. “But I don’t think you will. I think she’s exactly what you need. Someone who doesn’t need saving.”
His lips quirked. “She’d probably gut me if I tried to save her.”
“Probably. And you need that.”
In the ring, Sage and Caspian were circling each other.
“Ready, wolf?” Caspian asked, his stance relaxed but ready. There was something in his eyes, respect mixed with challenge.
“Born ready, Lycan.” Sage’s grin was feral. “Try to keep up.”
She moved first, a blur of speed and precision. Caspian blocked, but barely. Her next strike came immediately, then another, a rapid-fire combination that forced him backwards.
“Damn,” Luca muttered beside me. “She’s fast.”
“She’s trained,” I corrected, watching her form. Every movement was economical, purposeful. “Really trained. That’s not just natural ability. That’s years of dedicated practice.”