Meredith.
I elbowed Draven again just to make Dennis eat his words. But Draven only laughed, easily catching my arm.
"Alright," he said with amusement dancing in his eyes, "we will call it here for today. You did well, Meredith."
I exhaled hard, brushing stray strands of hair from my face. Despite his teasing tone, I could see the genuine pride in his expression, which felt better than winning.
Then I asked, "When is our next duel?"
He tilted his head slightly, a soft chuckle rumbling in his chest. "You are already asking for another?" ššššš¬ššš·ššæšš”.ššøš
I crossed my arms. "You said I need to be able to kill a vampire on my own, and I did that. You also said I need to last longer in a fight, and Iām getting there. So yes, Alpha," I teased, mimicking his serious tone, "Iām asking when my next duel is."
He gave me that look, the kind that uttered he was both proud and entertained. Then, slowly, he nodded.
"Alright," he murmured. "From now on, you will have more of these duels with me. But sometimes with Dennis, Jeffery, or a few of my warriors. You will get used to every kind of opponent."
A flicker of excitement stirred in my chest, pushing away the last traces of fatigue. "So, you are promising to duel me often?"
Dravenās lips twitched into a smirk. "I am. But donāt blame me when you start begging for rest days."
I laughed softly. "I will believe that when it happens."
He stepped closer again, close enough that I could see the faint glisten of sweat on his skin.
"In all honesty, you really did well today," he said quietly. "You kept your focus. You didnāt let fear take over. Thatās what matters."
His praise shouldnāt have meant so much, but it did. It always did.
"Thank you," I murmured, and when his hand brushed my cheek to move a strand of hair away, I didnāt stop him.
For a second, we just stayed like that, the air thick with unspoken things, the dying sunlight pooling around us.
Just then, Dennisās voice boomed across the field, shattering the air between us.
"Alright, lovebirds! If you are done making me jealous, I would like to remind you that dinner is in two hours!"
I rolled my eyes. Typical Dennisāalways with the worst timing. But when I turned back to Draven, I froze for a moment, seeing how he was looking at me like I was the only thing left in this world worth looking at.
The fading sunlight glinted off his golden eyes, and there was something dark and hungry in them, something that had nothing to do with fighting.
Then I heard his voice in my head. "There is enough time before dinner for us to do something else."
The sound of his mind-link inside me sent a shiver down my spine. I narrowed my eyes at him, but couldnāt stop the small, knowing smile that tugged at my lips.
"Something else?" I asked. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"
"Something you will like," he said, his tone deep and teasing. "Something that will have you begging me for more."
"Youā" I began, but before I could finish, Draven acted.
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