“Feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent. Balance is everything.”
She adjusted—again.
“Keep your hands up by your face, palms inward, elbows close to protect your ribs,” he continued. “Drop them, and you’re asking for a broken nose.” As if on cue, he barked at a scout who had dropped their hands, “Do not drop your guard, dammit!”
“Does he always stomp around barking orders like a rabid dog?” Evelyne whispered to Heidara.
She stifled a giggle. “Yes. And don’t ever let him hear you say that.”
They moved into punching drills. Kaldrek quickly demonstrated each strike, making Evelyne want to punch him just for existing. His movements were perfect and powerful. She really tried to focus, but he was built like a warlord, which was incredibly distracting.
“The jab needs to be quick,” Kaldrek continued, shifting into position. “This is your setup punch, meant to keep distance and create openings. Keep your elbow tucked, extend fast, then snap back to guard.”
Evelyne’s attention snagged on the way his muscles coiled and flexed with each movement. How was someone that big still that fast?
A sharp elbow jabbed into her ribs, pulling her from her daze, and she turned to find Heidara smirking.
“What?” Evelyne whispered.
“You’re staring.”
Her cheeks heated, and Kaldrek’s voice cut through the training field before she could defend herself.
“Can you hear me back there, or are you too busy daydreaming?”
Every pair of eyes turned to her. She wanted to crawl under a rock and die. Instead, she cleared her throat, forcing herself to meet his piercing stare.
“Loud and clear,Alpha.”
His expression darkened slightly at the title. Good. Let him think she was mocking him.
“Then show me.”
She turned to Heidara, desperate. “Can you—?”
Heidara, bless her, broke the motion down step by step, walking Evelyne through the jab until she got it right.
They repeated the punches over fifty times, and her shoulders throbbed. She was getting sloppy, her arms slower thanbefore—
WHACK.
A sudden burst of pain shot through her nose.
“Shit!” Heidara gasped. “Evelyne, I’m so sorry!”
Evelyne staggered back, her hands flying to her face. Warm blood was already dripping onto her fingers.
She groaned. “Well, that’s embarrassing.”
Alaric rushed over, his blue eyes filled with concern, but Kaldrek? He stood with his arms crossed, looking pissed.
“This is exactly why you don’t drop your guard.”
Evelyne glared at him through the pain. “Bastard,” she muttered under her breath before walking away.
***
The day’s journey was grueling. Her swollen and tender nose throbbed beneath the bandage, and the heat only worsened things. Sweat clung to her skin, soaking into the cloth and making her feel uncomfortable—and, frankly, a little foolish.
