The Heir I Couldn't Beat

Eira's POV I drove my fist straight into Caedmon’s chest. He twisted aside. My fist barely missed his shoulder, the force of it slicing through the air with a sharp whoosh. I didn’t give him a chance to catch his breath. I pushed off the ground and charged at him again. Bang! My fist slammed into his arm. The impact left my arm tingling, but Caedmon staggered back a step before regaining his balance. The entire training ground was already packed with spectators. “Eira! Go! Don’t give him a chance!” “Take him down!” “Caedmon, fight back!” The deafening cheers nearly shook the entire training ground. Today was my Adult Trial—the first real test of strength for the young werewolves of our generation. After round after round of battles, only Caedmon and I remained. Every pair of eyes was fixed on us. I knew exactly what they were waiting to see. They wanted to know whether I, the girl who had always been called the most talented female heir of the younger generation in the Valenreth family, could actually defeat Caedmon Thorne—the heir of the royal bloodline. “Eira! Watch out!” Someone suddenly shouted. I snapped back to reality. Caedmon was already in front of me. His fist came straight toward my face, carrying enough force to knock me down. I quickly turned my head. His fist grazed my cheek. The next second, I caught his wrist. Using his momentum against him, I twisted my body and threw him over my shoulder. BAM! Caedmon hit the ground hard. A cloud of dust exploded around him. The entire training ground fell silent for a split second. Then the crowd erupted into an even louder roar. “Beautiful!” “Eira took Caedmon down!” “She’s actually overpowering him!” After all these years, this was the first time I had truly gained the upper hand against him. I lifted my head and stared at Caedmon through the swirling dust. He slowly got back to his feet. His short black hair was slightly disheveled, and dust covered his clothes. Yet his expression remained calm. There was even that faint, infuriating smile on his lips. I frowned. “What are you smiling about?” Caedmon raised a hand and wiped the trace of blood from the corner of his mouth. “Nothing.” He looked at me. “I just think you’ve improved quickly.” There it was again. That tone. Like he was praising some little kid who still had a long way to go. I hated it. “Enough talking.” I lowered my body. My wolf’s heightened hearing picked up the subtle change in his heartbeat. His strength was gathering rapidly. Good. Now this was starting to feel like a real fight. I locked my eyes on his. The next second— I moved first. I shot forward, almost skimming the ground. Right punch. Left punch. Knee strike. Elbow strike. One attack flowed straight into the next without the slightest pause. Caedmon kept retreating. One step. Two. Three. I drove him all the way back to the edge of the training ground. The cheers around us grew louder and louder. “Eira!” “Faster!” “She’s going to win!” I heard them. Of course I heard them. And those words were like a spark, setting every drop of blood in my body ablaze. I had to win. I had waited for this day for far too long. I suddenly leaped into the air. My body twisted midair, and I used the force of my descent to drive my foot straight into Caedmon’s shoulder. He raised his arm to block. BANG! The sheer force sent him skidding several yards backward. His feet carved two deep lines into the ground. I spun once and landed steadily. I was already imagining what I would say the moment Caedmon finally hit the ground. “Eira.” Caedmon suddenly called my name. I looked up. His voice wasn’t loud. Yet somehow, even through the deafening crowd, I heard him clearly. “From this moment on…” He slowly straightened. “You’re going to have to use everything you’ve got.” What did he mean? The next second, I saw his eyes change. Those deep, dark pupils suddenly glowed with a faint, eerie silver light. For the first time, I felt real pressure. Not just the pressure of his strength. It came from deep within his bloodline. Thorne. His royal blood. I clenched my teeth. I didn’t care who he was. I didn’t care how powerful his bloodline was. I was not going to lose today. I charged at him again. But this time, Caedmon didn’t retreat. He simply stood there. And then— He disappeared right in front of my eyes. My pupils contracted. Too fast. I didn’t even have time to turn around. A terrifying force struck me from behind. BAM! I was slammed hard into the ground. It felt like a boulder had been dropped onto my chest. Every breath sent a sharp wave of pain through my back. I struggled to lift my head and wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth. “Again!” I pushed myself up with one hand and got back to my feet. The crowd immediately erupted into a commotion. “Can she still stand?” “She took that hit and she’s still fighting?” I ignored every voice around me. My eyes remained fixed on Caedmon. I steadied my breathing and slowly lowered my body. Caedmon raised an eyebrow. “You still want to continue?” “Of course.” I rolled my numb wrist. The corner of his lips lifted slightly. The next second, I charged again. This time, I didn’t attack him head-on. When I was only a few steps away, I suddenly changed direction. My speed kept shifting. My footsteps had no pattern. Caedmon tried to track my movements. That was my chance. I dropped low and swept past his side, slamming my palm hard into his waist. He spun around immediately. I slipped behind him again, struck once more, then quickly pulled back. After fighting him for so long, I knew the truth. I wasn’t as strong as him. So I couldn’t give him a chance to use that strength. I would wear him down. Little by little. Force him to make a mistake. That was the way I had learned to fight after countless defeats. If I couldn’t beat him head-on, I would use technique. If I didn’t have enough strength, I would use speed. BANG! My fist slammed into his shoulder again. Caedmon staggered back one step. My eyes lit up. An opening! I leaped forward. Using his backward momentum, I caught his arm and locked it down. Then I drove my weight down, pinning him beneath me. I had to win today. I had to get the prize from the Adult Trial. If I could obtain it… I could finally solve the problem that had been haunting me for so long. So I couldn’t lose. Absolutely not. The smile was gone from Caedmon’s face. He suddenly twisted my arm and locked it in his grip. An overwhelming force surged through his arm. My body was yanked forward and sent flipping through the air. Caedmon’s shoulder slammed into my chest. I lost my balance completely. Then— BAM! My back crashed into the ground again. This time, I didn’t even have the strength to get back up. I clenched my teeth. I couldn’t accept this. I really couldn’t. I had been so close. So damn close to winning. And yet… I still lost. The Grand Elder’s voice rang across the training ground. “The winner of this Adult Trial is—Caedmon Thorne.”