Ruthless 🗡️/ Fourth Wing

Chapter 53

"Harder."

"Nora," he warned, his voice a low growl, but I wasn't interested in his caution.

"I said harder."

Without another word, Garrick lunged, tackling me to the ground with a grunt. The impact knocked the air from my lungs, but I didn't fight him off. Not yet.

"Enough!" Xaden's voice cut through the air like a whip crack, sharp and commanding.

I turned my head, seeing him standing at the edge of the sparring ring, his eyes blazing with something darker than I'd ever seen. The moment his boots hit the dirt, he stalked toward us with a predator's grace.

"No one is going to take it easy on her if she goes to the front lines, Garrick," Xaden spat, the words coming out as a dangerous hiss. He was seething now, his fists clenched by his sides as he loomed over us. "Don't you dare make her weak. If you do, you'll be signing her death sentence—and mine."

"Again"

Garrick grins at me, a wicked gleam in his eyes as he charges forward. His strikes come quickly, but they're not meant to land—they're meant to provoke. I parry one blow, deflect the next, but before I can react, he's there, hand sliding along my waist as he ducks under my arm, pulling me closer to him.

"Careful, Nora," he murmurs, his voice low, a smirk pulling at the corners of his lips. "I wouldn't want you to get too used to getting hit." His fingers linger for a moment longer than they should, just a little too intimate.

I barely have time to register the feeling before I twist away, using my elbow to catch him across the ribs. He stumbles back, but instead of backing off, he comes in closer, that damn smirk never leaving his face.

"Not bad," he chuckles, voice thick with amusement. "But I think you can do better than that."

His next move is quick—too quick—and before I know it, he's grabbing a fistful of my hair, yanking my head back with enough force to make my vision blur. My breath hitches in shock, but I don't let it show. Instead, I twist, pivoting on my heel and using the grip he has on my hair to throw him off balance.

I drop low, sweeping his legs out from under him, but the bastard is already back on his feet, a glint of challenge in his eyes. He's pushing me—not just physically, but mentally, trying to get under my skin. And it's working.

His touch is deliberate, too familiar, but I focus. He's just trying to get me rattled. I'm not going to give him the satisfaction.

I shift my weight, getting ready to take him down again when I catch a flash of movement from the corner of my eye. Xaden.

I feel his gaze on me, sharp, intense, but there's a flicker of something else beneath the surface. I can almost feel the irritation rolling off him in waves.

Then, as if it's not enough for Garrick to keep pushing me physically, he steps forward with that cocky grin still plastered on his face, leaning into me like he has every right to. His hand brushes against my lower back as he swings his arm around, just grazing the side of my ribs. He's practically pressed against me now, his breath on my ear. "You're a good fighter, Nora," he says softly, a laugh in his voice. "But I think you're missing something."

I can feel Xaden's anger from across the ring, his body tense, his fists clenched at his sides. I glance over at him quickly, and the look on his face is enough to make my stomach tighten. His eyes are locked on Garrick, and I can see that burning need for control in them. He's holding himself back—but barely.

"Garrick," I warn, finally having enough of the games. My voice comes out sharper than I intend, but I don't care. "Stop."

But he doesn't listen.