Rising tensions

Elsie had no idea why she felt so nervous—maybe because she was in the same close space as Rygan and they were alone, or just because his annoyingly handsome face was a few inches from hers.

It took a good second before he let go and walked to the other end of the ring. Elise's gaze flicked to the arms resting on his waist; the gesture made his muscles flex as he looked deeply at her.

“Get into your sparring stance, El; I want to see how much you’ve been trained,” he instructs Elise. She takes a much-needed deep breath as she gets into position, her hand forming a raised fist, protecting her core and face from any incoming attack.

She made sure to let her feet hold down and planted them to the ground. Rygan was impressed by her quick reaction as he shifted into an identical stance.

“I want you to pin me down. I want to know how much you’ve learned and how fast we can go to the next stage of your training. His face was stoic as the air calmed and the whole place was quiet.