I tossed the towel onto the counter and turned to face Liam, crossing my arms. “What’s the matter, Liam? Afraid Mal’s getting better than you?”
He smirked, leaning casually against the wall, the apple still in his hand. “Mal’s doing great, but I don’t think she’s ready to take me down yet. You, on the other hand… I’m curious.”
Logan chuckled, shaking his head as he pushed his plate away. “You’re asking for it, Liam. She’s in better shape than you think.”
I shrugged, grabbing my jacket from the chair. “Alright, let’s see if you can back up all that talk.”
Liam pushed off the wall, his grin widening. “Finally, some action. Let’s go.”
As we stepped outside, the crisp morning air greeted us, the faint scent of pine and dew clinging to the training grounds. Mal was sitting on the log, catching her breath, but she perked up when she saw us approach.
“Oh, this should be good,” she said, her eyes lighting up with excitement.
“Taking bets?” I asked, giving her a playful look.
“Not against you,” she replied quickly. “Liam doesn’t stand a chance.”
Liam feigned a look of betrayal, pressing a hand to his chest. “Ouch, Mal. I thought we were friends.”
“Not when it comes to this,” she shot back, folding her arms with a smirk.
I stepped into the center of the training area, rolling my shoulders as I faced Liam. He tossed the apple aside and cracked his knuckles, his expression shifting into one of focus.
“Alright,” he said, raising his hands. “No holding back.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I replied, taking my stance.
The first few seconds were a blur of movement as Liam circled me, testing my reflexes with light jabs. He was fast, I’d give him that, but his confidence made him predictable. I dodged his punches with ease, waiting for the right moment to strike.
When he lunged forward, aiming a low hook at my side, I pivoted smoothly, catching his wrist and twisting it just enough to throw him off balance. He stumbled but quickly recovered, his grin never faltering.
“Not bad,” he said, stepping back to reassess. “You’ve got some moves.”
“I’ve been practicing,” I replied, keeping my guard up. “Maybe you should, too.”
Mal snickered from the sidelines, and Liam shot her a look before refocusing on me. This time, he came in harder, feinting to my left before trying to sweep my leg. I jumped back, avoiding the sweep, and countered with a quick jab to his ribs. He grunted but didn’t stop, pressing forward with a series of strikes.
For a moment, the world narrowed to just the two of us, every move and counter flowing like a dance. I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins, each step and strike coming instinctively. Liam was good-better than I’d expected-but he lacked the precision to pin me down.
Finally, I saw my opening. As he overextended on a punch, I ducked under his arm, hooked my leg behind his, and swept him to the ground. He hit the dirt with a muffled thud, blinking up at me in surprise as I stood over him.
“Yield?” I asked, trying not to sound too smug.
Liam laughed, holding up his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. You win.”
Mal cheered from her spot on the log. “Told you she’d win!”
I offered Liam a hand, pulling him to his feet. “You’re not bad,” I admitted. “But you’ve got to work on your footwork. You’re too heavy on your lead leg.”
He dusted himself off, shaking his head with a grin. “Noted. But don’t think this means I’m done challenging you.”
“Looking forward to it,” I said, my tone light but firm. “Now, let’s get back to work. We’ve got a lot more to prepare for.”