Chapter 86
Chapter 86
Kaeleen’s POV
The morning air was still, holding the promise of the day’s heat. Across the dirt floor of the sparring ring, Astrid stood poised and ready. The rising sun cast a golden halo around her, but there was nothing soft about her stance. Her weight was balanced perfectly on the balls of her feet, her hands held loosely at her sides, her entire body radiating a calm, focused energy.
The handful of pack warriors going through their own routines in the surrounding area had started to notice. Their movements slowed, their glances towards the central ring becoming more frequent. Intrigue was written all over their faces. I couldn’t blame them though, it wasn’t every day their Alpha trained personally with someone, and it was certainly the first time any of them had seen their Luna on the training grounds.
"We’ll start with the basics," I said, my voice cutting through the quiet. "I need to see your foundation."
I led her through a series of warm-ups, stretches, footwork drills, and basic blocking maneuvers. I watched her with a critical eye, analyzing every detail. Her flexibility was impressive, there was this grace in the way she moved. But it was her footwork that first gave me pause. She didn’t move like a pack warrior, who were taught to root themselves to the ground to draw power. Astrid moved like a whisper. Her steps were light, economical, and almost completely silent, designed not for power, but for speed and stealth. Her body remembered.
She thought she didn’t remember but she did. Her body was in tune with the training she had received years ago.
After about twenty minutes of drills, I stopped. Sweat was beginning to gather on her forehead, but her breathing was even, controlled. She watched me, waiting for the next instruction, her eyes sharp and intelligent.
"Your form is good," I stated, the words an understatement. "It’s clean. Efficient. Now, I need to see the rest of it."