Page 26 of Fighting the Darkness

Are my words harsh? Probably, but they’re also true. I’m not going to coddle her because of who her brother was. In fact, I’ll push her harder because of it.

Based on her flinch, I don’t think she likes the way I keep calling her princess, but that’s exactly what she is. She’s a rich girl looking to slum it. I see the fire flashing in her eyes again, and instead of the sadness she’s been radiating since she walked through the door, something else rises to the surface—anger.

I have to fight a smile. Now that I’m seeing the fire inside of her, I’m beginning to believe her words. Maybe she isn’t anything like the woman Freyr told us about—the sister he loved, despite all of her flaws. But despite those changes, I don’t know if she has what it takes to do this. It could be that she’s a natural like her brother, or maybe she’s going to suck no matter how much work she puts in. That’s not something we can determine before she starts.

I want to press her buttons—to see that fire flashing in her eyes again and again. I want to take away the sadness that radiates from her. I just wanther.

And that’s not something I can afford. The broken woman before me spells nothing but pain for me, but that doesn’t mean I won’t train her—if she proves to me that this is what she really wants. I owe it to Freyr to take his sister under my wing, to keep her as safe as possible if she insists that this is the road she wants to take.

Freya tries to fight back her anger, tries to keep it in check, but she just can’t.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” she demands as she steps into my space, jabbing at my chest with her finger. “You don’t know a damn thing about me except stories that Freyr told you. For all you know, they were completely made up. Only a jackass will judge someone based upon the word of another, and if you’re that kind of asshole, then I don’t need you in my life. This is what I want to do, and I won’t let you stand in my way. I want to train here because it’s where my brother did, but if you won’t train me, then I’ll find someone who will. I’ll train as hard as I can for no other reason than to prove you wrong. Then I’ll throw it in your damn face, what a fool you were for judging someone without ever getting to know them.”

This time, I don’t bother to hide my smile. “Now there’s the fire I was hoping to see. Alright, Griff, I’ll train her. But it’s going to take both of us. She’s too skinny and is likely not in shape at all.”

I shoot Griffin a wink before turning back to find Freya gaping at me, which just makes my smile grow. “Do you know anything about fighting?”

“Not really.” She ducks her head. “Freyr taught me to go for the balls, and when they double over, to put a knee in their face. That’s all I know.”

I scoff. “So no. Not a damn thing. Good to know. We need to see where you’re at before we can work out a program for you. We’ll do a quick workout now, and then, if you’re serious about this, Griffin and I will work out a training schedule. It’s not going to be easy, and you’re likely going to want to kill me on a regular basis.”

“I already want to kill you, so what will be the difference?” she sasses, and I have to bite back another smile.

“Soren is right. You’re extremely underweight for your size. I’ll need to work up a nutritional plan to get you up to a healthy weight. You’ll have to learn new habits. Training is going to take a lot from you, and your body won’t look the same when we’re done. You’ll gain weight, but it’ll mostly be muscles.” Griffin shakes his head. “You look like a stiff wind could knock you on your ass right now, and that’s not good. Do you have an eating disorder we need to know about?”

Freya scoffs. “No, you insensitive prick. I’ve been depressed and grieving. Eating hasn’t been a top priority for a while now.”

Griffin winces before his face softens, as does his voice. “That’s understandable, but you can’t take things like this personally. We’re asking because we need to make sure you’re healthy before you can really start training.”

She nods slowly. “I understand.”

“C’mon, princess, let’s do this. I have shit to do.” I head toward an open mat, not bothering to check if she’s following me. When I turn around, she’s standing before me with a defiant look on her face.

Okay, princess, if that’s how you want to play this—game on.

Twenty minutes later, she’s absolutely winded and looks like she’s about to keel over. With that being said, she did better than I thought she would.

“Do me a favor, princess?”

Freya looks up from where she’s shuffling through her bag—one of the bags from the gym. She must’ve gotten it from Freyr.

“What now, asshole?”

“I have a name, you know?” She just glares, and I laugh. “This favor is actually for both of us. Go eat a hamburger or something. No rabbit food tonight. I’m assuming this is the first time you’ve been this active in a while, and your body needs the calories.”

It looks like she’s going to argue with me for a moment before she just nods. “Thanks, asshole.”

I shake my head as I watch her walk away. She’s going to be a handful and a half.

“Let’s go to my office.” Griffin slaps a hand on my shoulder, squeezing for just a moment before releasing his hold.

I follow him to his office quietly, but as soon as the door swings shut behind us, I’m already talking.

“She’s going to be trouble.”

Griffin nods as he drops into his chair. “Maybe, but it’s the right thing to do. She’s Freyr’s sister, and we need to keep an eye on her. She’s practically wasting away. If this is what she wants to do, then we can offer her a safe place to do it.”

I make a face even though I agree with him as I circle the desk, nudging his chair back so I can drop between his legs. “That’s true, but what are you going to reward me with since I agreed to train her?”

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