The training grounds opened up before her like a clearing that had been intentionally carved out of the natural landscape. There was a wide, flat expanse of packed earth, bordered by racks of weapons and training equipment. And in the center of it all was a scene of controlled violence.

Lilith stopped at the tree line and watched.

Lucian was there, shirtless, his body glistening with sweat in the morning light. His golden eyes were sharp, focused, his entire attention fixed on the two warriors he was sparring with. They were large males...strong, obviously trained, but they moved around him like they were trying not to get too close.

Because Lucian was dangerous.

Lilith had never seen him like this before. In the office, he’d been tender and protective. In the hallway, he’d been conflicted and uncertain. But here, on the training grounds, he was something else entirely. He was pure, unleashed alpha.

His movements were controlled but violent—every punch precise, every shift of weight purposeful. One of the warriors came at him from the left, a textbook combination meant to test his defense. Lucian slipped the first punch and countered with a strike that the warrior barely blocked. The impact of his fist against the warrior’s pad made a sound like thunder.

The warrior stumbled back.

Lucian didn’t follow up. He just reset his stance and waited for the next attack. His chest heaved with exertion, his breathing heavy but controlled. There was a line of sweat running down his spine, darkening the defined muscles of his back. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

The second warrior attacked from the right, more aggressive, more desperate. Maybe trying to do more than just test him. Lucian pivoted, and the warrior’s strike whistled past his ear. He could have been hit. If he’d been slower, he would have been.

Instead, he spun and drove his elbow back in a movement so fast Lilith almost didn’t see it. The warrior caught it on his forearms and was driven backward, his feet sliding across the ground from the force of the impact.

Lucian’s breathing was getting heavier now. His movements slightly more frantic. Like the fight itself wasn’t enough, like he was fighting something inside himself and using the warriors as a outlet.

He came at the first warrior now, no longer waiting for an attack. His strikes were measured but relentless. Left jab. Right cross. A low kick aimed at the warrior’s thigh. The warrior was good, really good....but he was being pushed to the edge of his ability to defend.

Lucian feinted high and swept low, his leg aiming for the warrior’s standing leg. The warrior jumped, but Lucian was already coming up with an uppercut that the warrior had to twist away from.

"Better," Lucian said, his voice rough with exertion. "You’re actually trying now."

He pulled back and reset again.

But as he turned, his golden eyes swept across the training grounds and caught on the tree line. Caught on her.

Lilith froze.

For a moment, neither of them moved. Lucian stood shirtless and sweating, his body pumped with adrenaline and something else she couldn’t name. His gaze held hers, and she saw the moment his pupils dilated, the moment something flickered across his face that looked almost like pain.

One of the warriors, noticing the shift in Lucian’s attention, called out, "Alpha? Do you want to continue?"

Lucian’s jaw clenched. He broke eye contact with her and turned back to the warriors.

"No," he said, his voice rough. "We’re done. Get out of here."

The warriors...both clearly relieved and confused, began gathering their equipment. They shot curious glances in the direction Lucian had been looking but saw nothing but forest.

Lilith should have left. Should have turned and walked back the way she came, should have pretended she’d never been there. But she was frozen, watching as Lucian moved to a nearby stand and grabbed a towel. He wiped his face and neck with sharp, aggressive movements, like he was angry at the towel for existing.

He poured water from a large pitcher into a cup and drank it like he was dying of thirst. His Adam’s apple bobbed with each swallow. His chest heaved with the effort of bringing his breathing under control.

And then, slowly, he looked toward the tree line again.

This time, he wasn’t looking at where she’d been. He was looking slightly to the left. Testing. Searching. Confirming.

Lilith knew she’d been seen. Knew that staying hidden was no longer an option.

She stepped out from between the trees.

Lucian went absolutely still.

He was standing about thirty feet away from her, shirtless, his body still flushed from exertion, his golden eyes burning as they fixed on her. She could see the moment he had to consciously control his breathing, see the way his hands clenched and unclenched at his sides.

"Lilith," he said. Just her name. Like he wasn’t sure she was real.

"I was exploring," she said quietly. "I didn’t mean to interrupt."

Lucian was still moving toward her without seeming to realize it. One step. Then another. His eyes never left hers.

"How long have you been watching?" he asked.

"Not long," Lilith said. She should back away. The intensity in his gaze was making her nervous. But she found she couldn’t move. "I heard the sounds and followed them. I didn’t know anyone would be training this early."

Lucian stopped about ten feet away from her. If he came any closer, she would need to run. Something in her instincts was screaming at her that close proximity with him right now was dangerous.

But he didn’t come closer. He stood there, his chest still heaving, his entire body vibrating with something she didn’t have a name for. She watched a bead of sweat roll down his temple, watched it trace a path down the side of his neck and disappear beneath the collar of his pants.

"You should be resting," Lucian said, his voice rough. "You’re still healing."

"I’m feeling better," Lilith said. "I wanted to see the estate. I haven’t really explored it since I arrived."