Page 75 of Wings of Destruction

The golden girl has you worked up more than usual, Mozi says.

You’d be worked up too if a female showed up in your roost when you weren’t expecting it. Demanding you turn yourself on and off like a stud for hire.

Mozi pauses, and then, a different man might have taken advantage of her simply because she presented the offer. Remember that.

Astrid moves into position then stops, lifting a finger to stop me as she removes her weapons from their holsters. “This is so I’m not tempted to use them on you.”

I hold my hands up in front of me. “What did I do to rile you up?”

“It’s constant frustration simmering beneath the surface,” she clarifies. “Generational female rage.”

“Then why is your male mount so irritable all the time?”

“There’s a difference between grumpy and irritable and the fact that you don’t know it breaks my heart.” Astrid tosses her final dagger aside and gestures me forward, dictating the energetic balance of the match.

She’s the type of woman comfortable taking control and yeah, she probably does use her feminine rage to keep a cool head.

Astrid has never been the type to lose her way just because of a feeling. It makes her a badass huntress.

I make the first move, as demanded, swooping toward her and then feinting to the right.

She anticipates the movement and blocks me, but I recover quickly, spinning into a counter-attack that forces her back a step.

Her fist digs into my chest and her smile is feral. “This is about Evie, isn’t it?”

I grunt and retaliate with an uppercut that she barely deflects.

“Did you know?”

Ether forbid Astrid be in on the seduction plot.

Astrid sucks her teeth. “She made noise about seducing you while you were in your meeting.”

It ruffles Astrid’s feathers to not be included but to the outside world, she’s no one important. That’s the way we have to keep it.

“Did she?” I growl.

Astrid kicks out toward my left hip, and I jump back, the tip of her boot connecting with my thigh instead. It throws me off balance, but I come back swinging. She blocks my fist inches in front of her face, and I use the momentum to grab her wrist and pivot, forcing her to stumble.

“You should have heard about her great plans for it. But you’re here and not tangled up with her, so I’m guessing things went awry.”

“I love how blunt you are.” My reply is dirt dry.

Astrid shakes her head and swivels, sending her leg out to trip me. The smooth motion is well practiced but I know her moves as well as she knows mine.

“It saves time.”

She’s breathing hard but controlled. I’m sweating through my shirt, but so is she. We’re both feeling this.

“Perhaps if it had been a certain flame-haired servant warming your sheets, you wouldn’t be here bleeding off frustration.”

I catch the sly glint in Astrid’s eyes before she socks me right in the stomach, and I curve forward, grunting.

The secret sparring cave is perfect, half the size of the private gym but large enough to accommodate a group of people. Right now, it’s only the two of us and our footsteps fly over dirt and gravel, our moves practiced.

Astrid understands my need.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.” My voice stays smooth and unbothered. Perfect.