The crowd was quiet.
The kind of quiet that buzzes with anticipation.
I stood in the center of the ring, facing Ronan. My mate. My Alpha. The man I’d trusted with everything... who was now looking at me like I was just another opponent.
And maybe I was.
“I won’t go easy,” he said.
“Good,” I replied, steady. “I’m not here for easy.”
He moved, just a step. Light. Testing.
I didn’t rise to it.
“Come at me,” he said again.
I shook my head. “That’s what you want. For me to react. Get angry. Get reckless.”
A flicker of something crossed his face.
Then he struck.
Not full force—just a fast jab toward my ribs. I blocked, barely.
Another came, quicker this time. I dodged, but not cleanly. His hand grazed my side, enough to sting.
“You’re too soft,” he said, circling me. “You wait. You
