Chapter 0248

She starts what I can only call a playful warm-up. None of her strikes are meant to cause pain, none have enough force to even make me stumble. I need her to unleash her true potential. "Seraphina," I say, catching Adrian's gaze over her shoulder.

"Make her mad," he mouths silently.

"Seraphina," I repeat, taking his advice. "I thought you said your father was a lead warrior."

"He was. One of the best."

"Then why...?" I let the question hang. "Did he not train you properly?"

Her jaw tightens. "He trained me well. I just don't want to hurt you."

I nod slowly, feigning understanding. "Maybe he wasn't as skilled as you believed. If he had been, his daughter would know how to throw a proper punch. What you're doing now is barely—"

Her palm slams into my chest with enough force to send me flying backward. The impact knocks the breath from my lungs as I hit the ground hard.

"There she is," I mutter, grinning through the pain.

"My father was a legend!" she shouts, eyes blazing gold. "He could've taken Sebastian Blackstone with one hand tied behind his back!"

I push myself up, but before I can explain I was only provoking her, Adrian fans the flames. "That's more like it, Seraphina. Show him what a true Guardian's mate looks like."

She whirls back to me, chest heaving. I crook my fingers in challenge.

Holy hell, she answers.

I've seen Evelyn fight, but nothing prepared me for this. There's a stark difference between a born Guardian and a reincarnated one. Seraphina's spirit carries centuries of battle wisdom, raw instinct, and relentless fury. My mate becomes a storm of motion—fists like lightning, kicks like falling trees. I barely keep up, using every ounce of Alpha strength to block and dodge.

When I finally catch her wrist, I spin her against me, locking her in place. She nearly headbutts my nose—I jerk back just in time. As she struggles, I drop us both to the grass, pinning her in my lap. "My father was honorable," she snarls. "A warrior worthy of songs."

"I know," I murmur, holding her tighter. "Forgive me, love. I needed to see your fire. Your father raised a daughter who fights like a tempest."

Her rigid posture softens. When I hear a quiet sniff, I tilt her face up and brush my lips over hers. "You and me, Seraphina. That hasn't changed."

The warriors erupt in applause as we stand. I hadn't even noticed they'd stopped training to watch.

"Impressive," Adrian tells her. "Ready to spar with an Alpha who's used to Guardians?"

She glances at me. I shrug. "Your call."

That wicked smile returns as she curls her fingers at Adrian exactly as I'd done.

This time, I observe closely. He's fast, but she's faster. Her technique is flawless—every block, every counter executed with precision. When she finally flips him onto his back, he yields with a laugh.

"Tomorrow," I announce to the gathered fighters, "you'll train against a Guardian. Until battle comes, Seraphina will be testing your limits."