The Alpha King's Heart novel · Chapter 8 of 24

Chapter 8: Careful, Your Majesty

By noon I had worked out three things.

Strake's file was real, my mother would not talk about it, and I was tired of being the one person in every room who could not defend herself.

I found the King in the back courtyard of the Keep, doing something to a heavy canvas bag.

He was in a gray shirt with the sleeves pushed up, and he stopped the moment he saw me.

"Teach me to fight," I said.

"Your back isn't healed."

"The salve worked. It's closed. Teach me."

He looked at me for a while.

"Why?"

"Because the next time a wolf grabs my brother, I want to break his nose first."

Something that was almost a smile tugged at his mouth.

"Fair," he said. "Stand there."

He showed me how to stand with my feet apart and my weight low.

He showed me how to make a fist with my thumb outside.

I tried and hit the bag with all my strength, and it swung an inch.

"Again," he said.

I hit it again.

"Your shoulder is too high," he said. "Drop it. Keep your elbow in."

I tried.

It was wrong.

"No," he said. "Like this."

He stopped.

His hands were open in front of him, an inch from my shoulder, and he did not close the gap.

"Rule one," he said quietly. "May I?"

My pulse jumped.

It was a stupid thing to feel.

"For the shoulder only," I said. "For teaching."

"For teaching," he agreed.

His palm settled on my shoulder, big and hot through the cotton, and pushed it down an inch.

His other hand came to my elbow and tucked it in.

I could feel every one of his fingers.

I hit the bag.

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