Underworld: Labyrinth of Love

Chapter 12 - Defensive Moves

Previously:

"Put it down, Miss Bentley." His deep musky voice was dead serious as if he was ready to blow my head anytime.

My jaws clenched and I got up a bit from the floor, enough to support myself on my arm while I used the other to look as intimidating as possible.

That waist, if h wanted a fight about who was more intimidating then I wasn't backing off. Although my wrists hurt from his tough grip but still, accept to suffer in pain but wouldn't once let my ego down.

That may be too much, but I was right about the part of being more intimidating.

We stared at each other for as long as I could remember before, "I won't put my gun down, why don't you try first?" I retorted and his eyes narrowed, his amber orbs shining through those deep eyes.

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He averted his gaze just as my words came out. Walking away he went to put his shirt on. I stole a glance at his back that has long tattoo engravings that looked more ancient than classy. I almost wanted to ask about them but then I remembered who he was.

"They really don't teach manners there." he taunted when he found me staring and I rolled my eyes before hopping off the floor.

"Sure at least I wasn't the one late to a training." I retorted which he swiftly ignored.

Whatever, if he wanted attitude then that was what he was gonna get.

The door opened to the arena and we walked inside. The people inside the arena turned to look at us, several of them paused midway through their training while others, especially the girls gaped at the rude man beside me.

"Step back to your positions everyone." He announced without any introduction or anything. He stepped down the stairs and so did I. I was planning to maintain my silence for now, at least till there wasn't maximum damage happening.

This is going to be too much fun.

"Drop your weapons, I want everyone down into the combat area." He announced and once again everyone followed. I watched him rather than everyone with just his intimidating voice, it was kind of hot but more annoying right now because he had told me what to do which was exactly not what was I going to do.

Lesson number 1 comes for you, Mr Ardolf.

"We'll begin with the basics first, that means your defensive tactics and basic rules." He stated and hopped down into the combat circle. "For this, I'll need a volunteer."

A sly smile spread across my lips and within the next 2 seconds, I crossed the distance between one side of the arena to the other where the circle was. Everybody parted their ways for me until even Theodore could see me walking down to him.

"I volunteer," I spoke as innocently as I could.

Whatever emotions swirled through his face, I couldn't identify them. However, I could read one or two from among them one of which was anger mixed with rage that could make anyone afraid here except me.

With those words, I hopped down into the circle and began stretching my limbs. "Shall we begin?" I asked once again pushing him with each word to a lash out I didn't know how dangerous.

He didn't say a word or mutter anything, instead took his position in the circle and so did I. The whole crowd watched with amazement as we stood there ready to fight because it didn't look like a lesson anymore but rather a fight that I had only started.

Theodore's eyes held a dangerous gleam in them, A type of gleam that could make anyone tremble with fear. Even at one point, I felt a chill run down my spine but I was more than ready for this fight.

He'll regret telling me what to do.

Don't say that, you just wanted to get close to him, didn't you? -my stupid little devil was bothering me again.

"We began in 3-" Theodore announced. "2- 1." with that he took his position and I waited for him to attack but his attack never came. This was a defensive class, of course, he was going to show the defence method. I took the cue and made my first attack.

My first move was a punch that was quick as lightning before I took another shot to his abdomen which he swiftly stopped and instead twisted my wrists into the worst of twists. I held back a shriek and almost tasted the blood on my tongue from the intensity of holding the shriek back.

"This is how-" Theodore breathed out, "You block a punch," he said and gave me a challenging look.

The boy seems to be getting too proud over just blocking a punch.

I moved forward and faked a punch to distract before delivering another that landed straight on his abdomen this time making him buckle a bit.

Now it was my turn to challenge him. Our eyes met and in the heat of the moment, I could still find his gaze flickering to my lips. It was very subtle, almost unnoticeable but I could read the looks especially the glances like the back of my hand.

"That's how-" I breathed and spoke just like he did, "You fail a defensive move." I continued panting but before I could bring about any other move he had moved in a blink of lightning and had me pinned to the ground.

When I registered the state I was in, I refrained from widening my eyes like a weirdo. His upper body and torso were pressed to my front too badly, I could almost feel his torso and everything around it. It took a hell of a lot of concentration to not let my mind go somewhere down there where it could mess things up instead I focused my gaze on his face. His hair was messed up from the duel, and his forehead was all sweaty where his sweat dripped down from his face to his neck.

Up so close, I could see almost every small feature of his. For the first time in my life, did I find myself staring at a man like that and finding a man's face mesmerizing? What the f**k was wrong with me?

Before I could think of pushing him off me, he wrapped a gentle hand around my wrist before standing and pulling me up with him. "These were the first few moves that you would be practising today besides other types of skills." he addressed the crowd who seemed unnoticed of the heated moment we had shared just now.

In the next few minutes, everybody got to work with their practice while I sat on a bench holding my phone in my hand and staring too deep into it. Colton had sent me a complete file over Victoria Ardolf and weirdly enough she was the last sibling I was left to meet here at the Ardolf's state.

"What are you Victoria Ardolf? You seem too big of a mystery." I murmured to myself as I read the report where it said everything weird about her. Unlike any other sibling, she was educated and raised in a different city until a few years back when she came back to the main estate and officially joined it as the eldest daughter.

What was the weirdest was the fact that it said there that she was th eldest when she was anything but the eldest in real. She was even aged the same as Theodore Ardolf. There was something so f*****g wrong here yet nobody was pointing it out.

Soon the practice ended and it was time to leave. Did I mention that it was late at night now and my phone had already been bombarded with hundreds of calls and messages from father and Katalina.

One of the text messages was from Beatrix, which wasn't exactly pleasing. It said, "I hope you've run away because if you're thinking of coming back then it's probably not a good idea."

Two people, that's it, Iris. You only gotta manage two people and you can do it especially after you've already faced the arrogant Theodore Ardolf.

On our way out, I threw a last glance around the arena but found Mr broody face missing. He had left long ago, probably when I was busy reading a report on his sister. If he only he knew, I doubt if he would even let me live the tired group of guards hopped into the bus that lead back to the mansion and only when I was about to hop in too, a car horn got my attention.

A sleek black Ferrari entered the premises before parking shortly nearby. Out of it came a woman in a gorgeous long dress that was fitted to her body and made her stand out in all of the places. It took me only a guess to find out who was that.

Found you, Victoria Ardolf.