The Shadow Alpha

Chapter 33: Focus

Chapter 33: Focus

River

I waste no time in collecting myself up off the ground before turning to face Holly. She has this adorable triumphant look on her face, her eyes lit up with a type of challenge and excitement that actually surprises me.

Holly lifts her chin slightly, her eyes narrowing as we stand face-to-face, ready to square off.

"You better not pull your punches," she says to me seriously. "Kyra won't, so you can't either. Even if you want to."

I fight back the urge to roll my eyes.

"Don't worry," I look to Liana briefly. "Liana already beat you to lecturing me about the importance of making this as real as we can." I look back to Holly who shares a look of satisfied understanding with Liana.

"Give him hell, Holly!" Desiree pipes up, cheering from the sidelines where she stands with Liana.

I smirk and shake my head, this time rolling my eyes completely, not being able to help it. Desiree has always cheered for my downfall, even as kids. The only difference now is that it's Holly standing opposite me instead of Sam, but Desiree remains the ever-faithful cheerleader of my demise.

Holly grins at Desiree briefly before she suddenly strikes, her right fist soaring past my ear as I move out of the way.

I dodge a flurry of attacks, stepping this way and that, leaning and ducking, with Holly refusing to give me opportunity to counter.

Finally, in her exhaustion, she leaves her right side vulnerable, and I deliver a firm jab to the exposed area.

Holly stumbles back on impact, and I can't help but capitalize on her moment of weakness—I know Kyra would think to do the same thing. I deliver two more blows in quick succession, and while Holly blocks the first successfully, the second throws her off and she falls back into the dirt on her hands.

In an instant, I pounce on her, pinning her down with my hands and knees. Holly struggles hard against my hold, and I'm surprised at how much strength it takes to keep her down—she might actually be a match for Kyra in brute strength alone, even if her technique isn't perfect.

"What do you say, baby?" I smirk down at her as Holly begins to tire, her movements slowing. "Do you yield?"

I watch in real-time as the words register in Holly's mind, and her eyes blaze with hot determination.

"Again!" she insists, shoving me off of her as I release my grip, rolling out from under me and standing up.

We go another four rounds, each one of them increasingly more challenging for me as Holly becomes more and more attuned to me and my fighting style. But I can tell she's tired. By the time she lands on her back in the dirt for the fifth time, it seems to take all the effort and energy she has to collect herself back up off the ground.

"Again!" she says once more, her tone still unrelenting and determined.

I sigh, crossing my arms as I take in the dirty sweat rolling down her neck and temple. If this wasn't a training exercise meant to prepare Holly for the fight of her life, I might actually allow myself to indulge in the way the beads of liquid trace paths down her olive skin, and how the dirt on her skin only seems to contour the visible muscles in her mid-section and arms.

"You're allowed to take more of a break between rounds," I remind her gently. "This isn't the real deal yet."

Holly shakes her head adamantly, her long ponytail of tangled curls swishing as she does.