Contractually Yours, Alpha by Giftemmy

Chapter One Hundred and Ninety Six

“You want to practice, then do it with me,” Axel insisted.

“It’s fine, Axel”

He didn’t seem to like the idea of Bailey ‘practicing‘ with me one bit, he stood, close enough to end it if things went too far. Bailey picked out two swords, tossing one to me. I caught it mid air.

“I’ll try not to hurt you,” she said to me, and with the speed of a bullet, she came at me. I blocked at the last minute.

Her sword sliced through the air in asemi arc, and this time I dodged. I switched from defensive to offensive, and I went at her. Our swords clashed, and the force of her strikes caused my arm to ache, but I wasn’t giving up anytime soon.

We went faster and harder; it didn’t feel like practice anymore. I kicked at her abdomen, and she took a few steps back. She retaliated with a kick to my knee, almost causing me to lose balance, but not quite yet. I switched to her position, giving her only time to defend my hits. She growled.

Now she was angry.

She managed to knock the sword off my hands. I dodged her next strike. I gave a low kick, and she did lose her balance. The sword fell from her hands, and I picked it up, pointing it to her neck. She moved the blade away before rising to her feet.

“I still got the first nick,” she says, and my fingers found the wound on my shoulder. Her sword had managed to ti slice through my jacket and grazed my skin. It was a small injury.

I let my sword fall to the ground, aware of the people watching; we had gathered quite the crowd.

“I wonder if you’ve hidden all that skill inside for all these years,” she wondered aloud.

do it again sometime,” I said to her

been to take a walk, not make a spectacle and yet the way things turned out I ended

to nausea’s familiar grip, stomach churning, I rushed to the toilet, leaning over the seat, I threw up.

was worse; the blood didn’t

I wasn’t alone

–

couldn’t tell if it was Axel or Thane.

1/2

Hundred and Ninety

knew who those hands belonged to. Thane. He patted my back till it

realized I had been crying. I rose. Flushing

repeatedly. I hated the

okay, Riley is

my room where Axel

you okay?” Axel asked.

I am,”

How long has this

I tried assuring, but none of them was even the least convinced.

to know the truth; how long has this been going on?” He asked, and I couldn’t lie to him; he seemed very determined

while,” I