I wobbled backward, my arms flailing as gravity decided to ruthlessly betray my years of elite training.
?Before my tailbone could make contact with the cold cobblestones, an arm wrapped around my waist, catching me effortlessly mid-fall and pulling me firmly against a solid chest.
?The sharp, intoxicating scent of cedar and tobacco hit my senses instantly.
?I looked up, my eyes wide, only to find Edgar looking down at me with an infuriatingly triumphant grin. His golden eyes danced with wicked amusement, his face barely inches from mine.
?"My, my, little cat," Edgar purred, his grip on my waist tightening just enough to keep me suspended against him. "Falling for me already? I didn’t think my voice had that much power over you."
?"Shut up!" I snapped, my face flushing bright crimson as I scrambled to get my footing back under me. I shoved against his chest—which felt like pushing against a solid brick wall—and hurriedly straightened my jacket. "I just tripped on an uneven stone! Don’t flatter yourself!"
?"Right, an uneven stone on freshly laid, perfectly flat marble," Edgar drawled smoothly, casually tucking his hands back into his coat pockets as if he hadn’t just saved me from a deeply embarrassing moment. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, honey."
?I glared at him, clearing my throat and desperately trying to smooth down my hair to recover whatever shattered dignity I had left. A top-tier assassin, tripping over her own boots. Silas would be laughing his nonexistent head off right now.
But maybe I should at least be glad that I didn’t really twist my ankle. My balance was just off by a bit, that’s all. It’s his fault.
?"Anyway," I muttered, crossing my arms to hide my still-racing pulse, "I’m satisfied with the house. But don’t think for a second that this makes me soft, Edgar. I’m still vicious. I’m going to tear through that tournament roster until there’s nothing left of Grey Moon’s pride."
?Edgar’s smile softened slightly, losing its mocking edge and replacing it with something deeper—something dangerously close to genuine warmth.
?"I know you will," he said softly, stepping past me toward the grand doors and gesturing for me to follow. "Now come inside. Let’s get you settled into your new home."
The grand interior of the villa was every bit as opulent as the facade—vaulted ceilings, polished marble floors, and warm chandelier light filtering down onto plush furnishings.
My family was already bustling about, Jayden and Jordan practically tripping over themselves as they explored the upper levels, while a soft-spoken medic carefully dressed the cut on my mother’s forehead in the lounge.
?I caught Edgar’s eye as he motioned down a wide side hall that led toward the rear wing of the property. "Come," he murmured. "I have something else to show you."
?I followed him down a short flight of reinforced stairs, through a heavy soundproof door, and into a space that immediately made my inner assassin purr with delight.
?It was a state-of-the-art private training ground.
?The floor was laid with high-density combat turf, surrounded by impact-resistant, reinforced glass walls. Rack after rack of gleaming, high-grade weaponry lined the far side—custom alloy longswords, weighted daggers, combat spears, and throwables, all weighted to perfection.
Beside the armory stood high-tier automated training dummies equipped with dynamic combat tracking, designed to simulate real-time Alpha-level sparring.
It was almost as if all this was prepared for me. But it couldn’t have been. Even if Edgar had planned to get us a house and transfer us the precious day, it was far too quick to get it all arranged in one day.
?I walked down the line of weapons, my fingers lightly gliding over the cool, polished steel of a pair of combat daggers. The balance was exquisite. The weight distribution was flawless. Everything in this room was tailored for high-lethal efficiency.
?I picked up one of the daggers, spinning it effortlessly around my knuckles before testing its balance with a quick, silent sweep through the air.
?A slow, sharp smirk tugged at the corners of my lips. I turned back around to face Edgar, who was leaning casually against the doorframe, his hands tucked into his trousers as he watched my every movement with those sharp golden eyes.
?"Not bad, Edgar," I drawled, tossing the dagger up into the air, catching it cleanly by the hilt, and sliding it back into its rack. I rolled my shoulders, a sudden, competitive heat flaring in my chest.
?I looked him dead in the eye.
?"You," I said, pointing a finger directly at his chest. "Spar with me. Let me show you how far I’ve come so you don’t think your money is going to waste."
?Edgar raised an eyebrow, a slow, dangerous grin spreading across his face. "Spar with you? Little cat, I just paid for your entire family’s luxury life. Are you sure you want to bruise your benefactor on day one?"
?"Bruise you?" I scoffed, my eyes glinting with lethal amusement. "I’m planning on making you sweat. Now drop the coat, Alpha, or are you afraid of getting beaten by a ’wolfless Omega’?"
"Wow, the confidence," he smirks.
"I don’t have your raw Alpha strength," I admitted candidly, walking over to the weapon rack and snatching two wooden daggers. I spun them in my hands. "But when it comes to speed and weapons, I don’t lose."
?I turned around, holding the wooden knives at the ready, and tossed him a sharp look. "Fight me."
?Edgar let out a low chuckle. He slowly peeled off his suit jacket, tossing it over a bench, before unbuttoning his cuffs and rolling his sleeves up to his elbows, revealing muscular, vein-lined forearms. He walked over to the rack, casually picked up a wooden practice sword, and weighed it in one hand.
?"Alright," he murmured, his golden eyes locking onto mine as he dropped into a relaxed yet impenetrable stance. "Show me what you can do."
?I didn’t wait.
?In a split second, I moved forward, utilizing 30% of Silas’s soul power to burst across the combat turf. The air whistled as I closed the distance instantly, striking low with my right dagger aimed at his ribs.
?CLANG!
?Edgar blocked it effortlessly with the flat of his wooden blade, but I was already spinning on my heel, bringing the left dagger down in a sharp arc toward his neck.
He leaned back just enough for the wood to graze the air millimeter away from his chin, parrying my second strike with a heavy, reverberating crack.
?We traded blows at terrifying speeds. Wood clashed against wood in a rapid-fire rhythm—CLANG! CLACK! CLANG!
?Every time he countered with his overwhelming reach and strength, I slipped past his guard like smoke, using raw agility and footwork to stay inside his dead zones. My breath hitched as the intensity rose, sweat glistening along my collarbone, but my mind stayed dead calm.
?Edgar swung his sword down in a heavy vertical strike, forcing me to cross both daggers above my head to catch the blow. The force shuddered down my arms, pressing me back. An Alpha’s strength was really no joke, and even now, I knew he was holding back.
Taking advantage of the close range, Edgar stepped into my guard, his free arm wrapping around my waist and locking me against him.
?"You’re remarkably cool-headed, little cat," Edgar whispered right by my ear, his chest rising and falling against mine as he held me pinned. "Most fighters panic when they realize they’re losing ground. But you... you have the patience of a hawk waiting for its prey."