Page 6 of Naga Warlord's Mate

The human’s jaw clenched, but she nodded. “When do we start?”

Andear glanced at the twin suns climbing toward their peak. The heat already shimmered off the cracked stone ground. Perfect conditions to break this foolish female’s spirit.

Andear crossed his arms, his scales glinting in the harsh sunlight. “How about right now?”

The human female stepped forward without hesitation, her chin lifted in that infuriating display of defiance. His warriors gathered closer, their whispers carrying across the training ground.

“Look at her size—”

“She won’t last five steps—”

“The warlord will break her—”

Andear silenced them with a sharp glance. He watched as she approached the first stone, her small hands wrapping around its rough surface. The stone was nearly as wide as her torso. She planted her feet, her muscles straining as she lifted.

Something shifted within him as she took her first steps. Her determination radiated off her in waves, mixing with that intoxicating scent. His tail twitched, betraying his interest.

“Your form is wrong,” he called out, circling her as she struggled forward.

She adjusted without acknowledging him, her breathing already labored. The twin suns beat down mercilessly, but she pressed on.

His warriors’ whispers changed tone.

“She’s still going—”

“Stronger than she looks—”

Her arms shook violently, her steps becoming uneven, yet she refused to drop the stone. The spirit of a warrior burned in those green eyes—untrained, untapped, but unmistakable.

The pull toward her intensified with each step she took. His instincts screamed at him to stop this, to protect her from this brutal test. But the warrior in him recognized this moment for what it was—the forging of something new, something unexpected.

“Your body’s giving out,” he rumbled, noting how her knees threatened to buckle. “There’s no shame in knowing your limits.”

She shot him a glare that could have melted steel. “I’m. Not. Done.” Each word came out between gasping breaths as she forced herself forward.

The scent of her determination, her pain, her refusal to yield—it all combined to drive him half-mad with the need to claim her. To protect her. To break her and rebuild her into something magnificent.

What was this tiny human doing to him?

Andear’s tail swished across the ground as he watched the human female make her first return trip. Her muscles trembled with each step, but her grip on the stone remained firm. The sight stirred something primal in him—a mix of admiration and the urge to dominate.

“Your shoulders are dropping,” he called out, circling her like prey.

She adjusted, her jaw clenched in concentration. The second trip began, her feet dragging slightly against the scorched ground. Sweat darkened her golden hair, plastering it to her neck. The scent of her filled his nostrils, making his scales ripple with an unfamiliar tension.

“Getting tired already?” He kept his voice sharp, challenging.

“Not even close.” Her words came out breathless but defiant.

On her third attempt, her knees finally gave out. The stone slipped from her grasp as she crashed onto the burning ground. The sound of her body hitting the stone sent an unexpected surge of protective rage through his chest.

“Get up,” he growled, fighting the urge to help her. Warriors earned their strength through pain. Even if every instinct screamed at him to catch her before she fell again.

“I can do this,” she growled through gritted teeth, her voice raw with exhaustion.

Something fierce and protective surged through Andear’s chest as he watched her struggle. Her determination blazed brighter than the twin suns overhead. Against every instinct of his position, of his traditions, he found himself believing her.

She pushed herself up, her muscles quivering. The stone scraped against the ground as she lifted it once more. Three more steps. Two. One.

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