CHAPTER 425: A WASTED SESSION

Oscar:

The air smelled of rain even though the sky was clear. Dusk lingered softly, painting the backyard in the kind of fading gold that made everything look half-dream, half-truth.

I ran my thumb along the edge of the wooden staff I carried, watching her stretch near the training circle.

Eva.

Light fabric clung to her frame in a way that didn’t help my focus at all. She tied her hair back, a few strands slipping loose to brush against her neck. I had seen her train before, but tonight was different. River was gone, and the responsibility was mine.

And curse my brother for knowing exactly what that would do to me.

"Don’t go easy on her," River had said before leaving. "Make her earn it."

Yeah. As if I could ever go easy on her.

She turned, meeting my gaze with those amber eyes that could knock the breath out of any man, and smiled faintly. "You are late," she said, crossing her arms.

"I was deciding whether to bring a staff or a leash," I replied, stepping closer. "You have been known to misbehave during training."

"Maybe because my trainers enjoy provoking me."

The corner of my mouth lifted. "Then maybe you should stop rising to the bait."

Her eyes narrowed, and I knew I had already won. That stubborn spark in her gaze - it was the reason I loved pushing her. She brought out every part of me that thrived on challenge.

We began with the basics - stances, footwork, controlled breathing. I gave her a light staff to work with, but even that looked heavy in her small hands. Still, she didn’t complain once. Her movements were steady, focused, sharp.

"You have improved," I admitted after a while. "Your stance is stronger."

"Thank you," she said, slightly breathless, strands of hair clinging to her temple.

"Don’t thank me yet."

Before she could react, I swung the staff toward her. She blocked it, barely. The sound of wood striking wood echoed through the open yard.

Her brows knitted. "You said warm-up-"

"Training doesn’t wait for you to be ready," I said, circling her slowly. "Neither do enemies."

Her pulse quickened... I could hear it. She came at me, faster this time, the swing of her arm clean and precise. But I deflected, stepping into her guard before she could retreat. The staffs locked between us, her breath hitching as I leaned in just a little too close.

Her scent hit me first - soft, warm, faintly sweet. It made the rational part of me falter for half a heartbeat.

"Good," I murmured. "But your left shoulder drops when you swing."

"Maybe because someone keeps distracting me," she retorted in a low voice.

I chuckled, the sound coming rougher than intended. "You’ll have to learn to focus even when you are distracted."

She shoved me back and tried again, her expression fierce, determined. Each clash of the staffs echoed louder than the last, and soon the air between us was thick with energy - heat, tension, something else neither of us should be focusing on right now.

I caught her weapon mid-strike, twisted, and before she could blink, she was trapped between my arm and chest, her back against me. The staff clattered to the ground.

"Lesson one," I whispered near her ear, my breath brushing her skin. "Never lose your weapon."

She turned her head slightly, our faces so close the world seemed to narrow to just that space between us. "Lesson two," she breathed. "Don’t underestimate your opponent."

Before I could ask what she meant, she stomped on my foot. I cursed, loosening my hold just enough for her to slip out of my arms and whirl around with a triumphant smirk.

I laughed, it was low and genuine. "You learn fast."

"I had good teachers."

By now, the sun had dipped behind the trees and the first stars were beginning to blink into the twilight. She reached for her staff again, but I stopped her with a hand on her wrist.

"That’s enough for today," I said quietly.

"Are you sure?" she asked, tilting her head. "It has been barely an hour. Don’t you want another round?"

The way she said it - soft, teasing - made my pulse stumble. I wasn’t sure if she knew what she did to me when she looked at me like that.

"Careful, little mate," I warned, my voice low. "You are treading dangerous ground."

She didn’t move away. "Maybe I like danger."

Something in me snapped at that. The next thing I knew, I had pulled her closer, our bodies inches apart. Her breath came fast, matching mine. The tension that had built all evening reached its breaking point.

"You shouldn’t say things like that," I murmured, my thumb brushing her jaw.

"Why not?"

"Because I might take you seriously."

Silence hung for a beat - charged, waiting. Then she whispered, "Maybe I want you to."

I didn’t think. I just moved. My hand slid to the back of her neck, and I kissed her.

It wasn’t gentle... nothing about what existed between us ever was... but it wasn’t rough either. It was everything I had been holding for the past hour. She met me halfway, her fingers curling into my shirt, her body fitting against mine like it had always belonged there.

The world around us faded - the rustle of trees, the soft hum of the wind, the stars quietly multiplying above. There was only the sound of our breathing and the wild, beautiful chaos in my chest.

When I finally pulled back, she looked up at me, lips parted, cheeks flushed.

I ran my thumb over her lower lip, trying to memorize the sight. "You have been driving me insane," I confessed softly. "Every time I look at you, every time I’m close to you, I forget everything but you."

Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Maybe that’s not such a bad thing."

I smiled, brushing my nose against hers. "No," I said. "It’s the best kind of distraction."

The stars grew brighter as the night deepened, and we stood there - breathless, tangled in the quiet aftermath of something neither of us could quite name yet. But I knew one thing for certain - I was going to get an earful from River for wasting the session.