The Brotherhood

05

Finley took Warren's fist in the face and stumbled backward. She spat blood out of the corner of her mouth and looked up at Warren's wide face. She glared at him, her lips pursing into a sour frown. Warren grinned happily down at her, seeming completely unconcerned about the blood she'd just spat out. 

"You're getting better at taking hits!" Warren commented with a chipper attitude. 

Finley grumbled at him, cursing him under her breath. She'd been working with Warren for two hours after every regular training session. She'd wanted to work with one of her other brothers who were better at sparring, like Xander or Miles. Instead, she'd been stuck with Warren because no one else seemed to want to help her improve. Warren was always happy to help though. 

Warren wasn't quick and agile like the others, but he was hulking and strong. Just one of his punches or kicks felt like a dozen from anyone else. He also barely seemed to feel it when Finley managed to land blows of her own. It was absolutely infuriating. Training with Warren was by far the worst part of Finley's day. She would never tell Warren that, though. It would hurt his feelings too much. Warren may have been a giant, but he was a sensitive one. 

"I don't get it!" Finley hissed. "What am I doing wrong?" 

"You're swinging out without thinking first," a gruff voice said from behind her, "Unsurprisingly, you're being impulsive." 

Finley clenched her hands tightly into fists and took several deep breaths before turning around. She looked behind her slowly to find her alpha standing behind her, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. His dark eyes regarded her behind that cold and distant expression he always wore. For some reason, his lack of expression made her even angrier. 

"What exactly does that mean?" Finley growled at him. She hated that he'd interrupted them. More than that, she hated that he'd seen her fail so miserably. Again. 

Kane shrugged. "It means exactly what I said. You're being impulsive when you need to anticipate your opponent. You aren't reading Warren at all. You're just striking out like an angry child." 

Finley gritted her teeth until her jaw ached from the pressure. Her fingernails dug into the flesh of her hands, as if that action alone could keep her from lashing out at Kane. 

"I'm not lashing out like a child!" Finley whined, not doing well at proving her point, "He's just stronger than me." 

Kane laughed, the sound low and husky. It hissed along Finley's skin. She bared her teeth at him in a grimace, the embarrassment of being corrected and then laughed at chipping away at her already low ability to think rationally. 

"You really proved your point, didn't you?" Kane said with that same low chuckle. Finley growled at him. Titan stirred where he laid down by the bench on the side of sparring ring as if he could sense Finley's agitation. 

"I don't see you trying to help me get better at sparring," Finley snarled at him. "Let's not forget that you were the one to point out just how inadequate I was at it." 

Kane considered her for a moment. His black eyes took in everything and Finley had the sense that he saw more than anyone else in the Brotherhood could. She shifted on her feet under his scrutiny, unable to help herself. She'd never been very good at being still. 

"Are you asking for my help, Fin?" Kane's low voice rumbled through her. Finley raised her chin to look him in the eye. His black eyes were cold like ice and Finley knew hers were blazing like a fire. 

"What if I am?" She challenged him. 

He stalked closer to her. He didn't stop until they were chest to chest. He towered over her and he was twice her size. His powerful arms were coiled like snakes waiting to strike at his side. Finley didn't back down for an instant. Kane seemed to anticipate that she wouldn't shrink away from his size. He continued to stare at her, unimpressed.