Chapter: 24

I swallowed tightly, feeling that hope rise higher. "So, there would be someone willing to teach me?"

Lucian's smile was soft, kind. "I would teach you personally." I snorted, rolling my eyes.

Lucian took a step forward, and my amusement faded as I craned my neck back to keep his gaze. "I'm serious, Sera."

My eyebrows furrowed. "But... why would you? You're an Alpha. Don't you have more important things to do?"

His lips twitched. "Important? Yes. More important?" He shook his head. "Nope."

"Oh." I'd spent my whole life being the less important choice, so I was thrown a little off-balance.

"What do you say?" he asked. "Ready for your first lesson?"

I absentmindedly rolled my left shoulder. It had been a week since the rogue attack, but my injury had healed nicely. The stitches were out, and other than the occasional annoying ache, I was as good as new, more or less.

Training with Lucian would ensure I was never put in a vulnerable position where I could be injured again.

"Yeah," I exhaled. "I'm ready.”

Lucian Reed, the Alpha who saved weak wolves and paid them home visits, was kind, gentle, and warm.

Lucian Reed, the trainer, was a sadistic bastard.

"Stop, stop!" I panted, holding a hand out as my knees buckled, sending me to the floor.

Lucian paced in front of me, his combat boots thudding against the padded floors of the private training room.

The Arena was for sparring, but OTS had hundreds of private training rooms, each divided by sliding one-way glass doors where one-on-one training took place. It was where Lucian had made me regret ever being born.

"Get up, Seraphina," Lucian said. His voice was unrecognizable—hard, merciless. "You have more fight in you."

"No," I wheezed, my hands trembling as I doubled over and tried not to throw up. "I don't."

It had started with simple tasks—posture, stance, and how to make a proper fist. It had quickly escalated to suicidal drills—wall sits, burpees, bear crawls, push-ups, planks, and the absolute fucking bane of my existence: controlled fall and recovery, which essentially required me to throw myself down on the mat and pop back up with the speed that made me breathless and nauseous.

I felt Lucian crouch down before me, and I half-panted, half-growled. "I swear, Lucian, if you make me—"

I looked up to see him smiling down at me, the murderous trainer mask dissolved.

"I expected you to tap out half an hour ago," he said, his voice dripping with pride. "I'm impressed, Sera. I knew you had it in you.”

And even though Lucian was blurring at the edges, there was a suspicious ringing in my ears, and it felt like my heart was pounding in my belly, pride flooded my veins.

"You. Suck," I panted. He tilted his head. "So you don't want hot packs?" My hands gave out, and I rolled, sprawling on my back. "No, please."

The workout clothes Lucian had supplied me were soaked through and through, and every muscle in me screamed in agony, but I'd never felt so... elated.