Arabe’s wooden sword collided with ze’s once again, she hissed and pushed against him, but he didn’t yield.
Smirking, he mumbled, “Try harder, princess.”
“I’ll make you beg for mercy!” Arabe shouted, her wordsced with amusement. She and ze were sparring in the Phoenix cave, honing their skills. Thanks to ze and Orga’s tireless lectures, she improved significantly.
She understood the importance of bing a well-rounded warrior, not solely relying on her phoenix powers to defeat her enemy and his armies.
“Inbat, keep your eyes on the enemy at all times,” ze lectured. Their feet scraped against the cobblestones as they circled each other.
Abruptly, Arabe sprang forward with lightning speed, her sword slicing towards ze’s chest. However, he effortlessly blocked the attack and used her momentum to push her backwards.
“I need to end this!” Arabe eximed.
“Don’t forget, as a beta werewolf, I can be as powerful as I desire,” ze’s eyes shed golden, causing Arabe to roll her eyes.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.
“Don’t forget, I am the Phoenix Queen, thest of my kind,” Arabe retorted, rushing forward again.
Despite their serious expressions, they both secretly relished the thrill of the training.
“Hey!” ze growled, catching Arabe off guard. He crouched, clutching his stomach as his face contorted in pain.
Arabe stared at him wide-eyed, about to inquire what was wrong.
In a swift motion, ze disarmed her, but due to her resilience, his action sent both swords flying across the cave.
“Cheater!” Arabe stumbled backwards but quickly recovered, matching ze’s weaponless fighting style. They traded blows with fists and kicks, utilising their agility to dodge and weave through each other’s attacks.
ze chuckled, enjoying the exhrating exchange.
“Watch out!” Arabe pointed in the opposite direction, momentarily distracting him as she conjured a me and pretended to toss it at him. Seizing the opportunity, she swept her leg under ze, causing him to stumble towards her, and both of them fell to the ground in a heap, theirughter filling the air.
“Cheat,” ze used yfully as he pushed himself up, his wide grin infectious. His hand moved toward her, ready to tickle her, but Arabe rolled away.
“You cheated first, so I guess we’re even,” Arabe giggled, standing up and brushing the dirt off her pants.
“Agreed,” ze nodded, adding with a hint of mischief, “I almost had you.”
“Don’t get too cocky,” she teased. “Next time, I might not be so lenient.”
As Arabe wiped the sweat from her forehead, ze offered her a towel, which she gratefully epted. It had only been a week since she arrived at the Phoenix cave, yet she had already mastered five out of the seven Aura powers, also known as the luminous Resonance, as Orga called it. She couldn’t believe her progress; she had anticipated it would take years to achieve such a feat.
Orga had exined that she was a particr case, and staying in the Phoenix cave had helped unlock her true potential and establish a connection with her seven predecessors, each power representing one of them.
Although she hadn’t yet connected with any of her predecessors, Orga assured her that it would happen soon.
Arabe’s thoughts shifted to ze, the man she loved with all her heart. Imagining a future with him brought a blush to her cheeks. A mini ze running around the house with a mini her. The possibility of having a baby with ze sent a mix of fear and excitement coursing through her.
It was a thought she hadn’t entertained until now, and although it frightened her, it also thrilled her, igniting a spark of anticipation for the future they might share if everything worked out.
Swirling abruptly as she felt a strong pull on her hand, Arabe let out a startled shriek as she was hoisted into the air and then swiftly mmed to the ground. The impact knocked the wind out, leaving her gasping for air.
ze’s arms locked around her neck, his legs mping tightly around her, making it impossible for her to escape.
Arabe’s heart pounded in her chest as ze pinned her down, his breath warm against her neck and his body pressing firmly against hers.
Desperate to free herself, Arabe twisted and turned, straining against ze’s unyielding grip. Her muscles burned with exertion, but it seemed futile as she couldn’t make even the slightest progress.
“You’re dead, Be,” he taunted. “Always stay alert. The enemy strikes when you least expect it.”
Arabe huffed and scowled, “You don’t m ady like that! You nearly broke my bones!”
“The enemy doesn’t differentiate between genders,” ze replied, his grip remaining firm.
Despite the dire circumstances, Arabe couldn’t deny the rush of adrenaline surging through her veins at being overpowered by ze. A mischievous spark ignited in her eyes as an idea popped into her head.
“Well, lucky for me, you’re the enemy,” she retorted. With a sudden surge of energy, she twisted her body and pressed her lips against his.
ze was taken aback by the unexpected move, momentarily loosening his hold on her.
Using the opportunity, Arabe hastily nudged ze in the stomach and wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling him into a headlock.
“Consider yourself defeated,” she smirked, echoing his earlier words. “Never underestimate a pretty face. It can hide unexpected strength.”
ze chuckled, impressed by her quick thinking and agility. He extricated himself from her hold. “Nice move,” he said. “But not good enough.”
Arabe grinned, wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, trying topose herself despite the lingering heat and excitement from their impulsive kiss.
Licking her lower lip, her eyes traced the curve of ze’s muscr arms and the lines of his face. She realised he was also watching her, but she didn’t nce away as usual.
Breaking the eye contact first, Arabe’s lips curved up into a smile. “You know, ze,” she said, her voice low and teasing. “I never knew a simple kiss could make you let your guard down so easily. What if I wasn’t me? What if I were some warrior woman trying to take you down?”
ze’s grin widened as he lifted himself, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her closer. “Well, in that case, I’d have to say that you’re one of a kind.”
Arabe’s eyes narrowed, jealousy ring up inside her. “Is that so? Are you telling me that if youe across any other warrior woman, you’d let your guard down just as easily?”
ze’s expression grew serious as he looked at her, “I only let my guard down for two people,” he paused, locking his eyes on her. “My sister and the one and only Arabe Collins.”
Arabe’s heart skipped a beat at his words, and a blush crept up her cheeks. “You sure do know how to make a girl feel giddy,” she confessed.
They remained in their intertwined position on the floor. Arabe couldn’t hide the asional blush that graced her cheeks, nor could she ignore the flutter of desire in her chest.
Summoning courage she didn’t know she possessed, Arabe leaned in, her lips brushing against ze in an irresistible, soft kiss. He responded by pulling her even closer.
But before the kiss could deepen, the door to the training room swung open, revealing Orga standing in the doorway.
Arabe scrambled to her feet, attempting topose herself as Orga raised an amused eyebrow.
“Well, well,” he drawled, “looks like I interrupted something.”
ze chuckled. “Nothing you haven’t seen before.”
Arabe couldn’t help but roll her eyes, trying to ignore the rush of heat that flooded her cheeks. She was grateful for the interruption-it gave her a chance to catch her breath and regain herposure. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if Orga hadn’t barged in.
“So, what brings you here?” ze asked, his tone casual.
Orga shrugged, his gaze flickering between the two of them. “I must speak with the Phoenix Queen, and it’s a matter that concerns her directly,” he stressed.
“I’lle with her,” ze volunteered without hesitation.
Orga shrugged, his face expressionless. “Do what you want. But if anything happens to you, ept it as it is,” he warned, his voice cold. “You should heed the advice and stay away from her.”
Arabe’s curiosity piqued, and she couldn’t resist asking, “What do you mean by that?” However, before she could receive any exnation, Orga made a hasty exit, leaving her with more questions than answers. She sensed there was something significant behind his cryptic words.
His urgent desire to speak with her alone and the intensity in his expression meant that something dire might ur if ze followed her.
ze, sensing Arabe’s worry, tightened his grip around her waist and murmured, “Don’t worry about him. He’s just trying to intimidate you. He’s Orga, after all, and he’s been doing that since day one.”
“Right,” Arabe nodded before twisting in his arms and letting her arms wrap around him. Regardless, she couldn’t brush off Orga’s words.