503
Adrik
Andrei and Ilya got in the ring together, after Viktor and Aleksei were done, as well as Eduard and Stephen. Sephie was right. They both wanted to prove themselves. It was an even better match than Ilya and Misha had been. Training Sephie had made Andrei pay attention to his own technique. He was also faster now, as he had to stay ahead of her at all times. Aleksei was quite impressed with both of them..
“We should do this more regularly. I think it’s good for all of them,” he said as he stool and watched.
“You guys are always welcome. Sephie talked Ivan into sparring with her once a week for the foreseeable future. Show up when you want in,” I said.
He looked surprised. “She asked to spar with him more?” I nodded my head. “She’s no scared to do so?”
1 laughed. “Those two have a special relationship. She couldn’t be scared of him if she tried. She knows he’s the biggest challenge. She’s determined to get good enough that he doesn’t have to hold back with her.”
Aleksei’s sly smile stretched across his face. “I remember someone else who was much the same when he was younger,” he said, putting his hand on my shoulder. “It’s why you’re the only one that doesn’t need to get in the ring very often.”
“I do see some of the same determination in her that I’ve always had. For her, though it’s so no one can ever hurt her again. She has survival as added motivation.”
“Heaven help the next person that tries to hurt her. We’ll all go after them,” he said, seriously before he walked back to talk to Vitaliy.
I watched the rest of Andrei and Ilya’s match, looking forward to seeing Sephie and an. I never thought I would be waiting to watch my fiancée fight one of my guys, but I couldn’t imagine it any other way. She was perfect for me. Other women didn’t exist for me.
Andrei and Ilya were both pleased with themselves when their match was over. They both stepped out of the ring near me, as Sephie and Ivan were now standing with me waiting their turn. Sephie’s gorgeous smile was making the entire gym bright. “Ilya! Your training is much better! Bubba is deceptively fast now, too. He’s so close to teaching me how to kill people with just my thumbs. So. Close,” she said emphatically as she hugged Andrei’s neck.
Ilya was all smiles. “My goal is to be able to keep up with Ivan at some point,” he said Ivan raised an eyebrow at him. Sephie grinned at him.
“Keep sparring with Bubba then. He’s an amazing trainer,” she said, following Ivan int) the ring.
I put my hand on Andrei’s shoulder. “Training Sephie has made you better than ever you’re much faster now,” I said.
He chuckled. “I have to be to stay ahead of her. It’s the only advantage to being so much smaller than the rest of us.”
Ivan and Sephie had a quick conversation in the middle of the ring before starting. They were both clearly happy about being in the ring together. We all saw Sephie flip her switch. She wasn’t angry. She’d long ago figured out how to keep the power without the anger, but she switched to serious in a second. Ivan’s smile faded quickly as he soon realized that my level-up was giving her an unexpected advantage
Andrei looked at me, his eyes wide. I looked at Misha, Stephen, and Viktor across the ing, all looking just as shocked as they watched her. Not only was she just as fast as Ivan now, but she was perfectly countering every single one of his moves. I’d starred with Ivan plenty of times. He was not holding back. She was making him work, even more than she did last time.
Vitaliy and his men were just as shocked as all of us. Vitaliy walked to me, asking, “how?”
“When I leveled up, she got a significant upgrade though me because we’re so connected. Ivan got some through her, but not as much.”
I just heard Vitally cursing as he watched them. Both of them were having fun, but it really looked like they were trying to kill each other. More than ever before, I could feel Sephie’s power. She had figured out how to let her demon help her, without stepping forward. Her eyes were normal, but her demon was definitely helping her. And enjoying every second of it.
Their match went on much longer this time than the last time they’d sparred. Sephie’s endurance was definitely no longer an issue. She felt incredible. She looked incredible. She was incredible.
When they finally agreed to end the match, with no clear winner this time, everyone else in the gym applauded. Every single one of them was impressed with how well she’d done against Ivan.
Ilya was still standing close enough that I could hear him when he told Andrei, “I think I should make her my goal, not Ivan. I think she could kick my a*s,”
Andrei laughed. “I know she could,” he said, a very obvious look of pride on his face
king her up and holding her in the air for a few moments. He was proud of
Sephie hugged Ivan when they were done. He wrapped his massive arms around her her as well. When he set her down, she turned to Andrei, running to the edge of the g straight to him. He wrapped his arms around her, picking her up as well. He swung her around a few times, as she thanked him and he told her how proud he way of her. It was a very sweet moment, as both of them were elated with her performance.
He finally set her down and she walked to me. Her beautiful smile was still spread wide across her face. “I think I might’ve gotten a bigger boost from you than we first thought,” she said, tucking herself in my side.
“I think you figured out how to let your demon help you, too,” I said, kissing her tereple
“You felt that?” she asked. “Of course you felt that. I don’t know why that surprises . Did my eyes switch?”
I shook my head no. “Not that I saw. They looked normal the whole time, but she was definitely helping you. And very happy about it.”
She giggled. “She was very happy about it. She might’ve enjoyed that more than I did even.”
Ivan walked up to us. “Princess, I don’t think anyone but your gdda*n prince has made me work that hard.”
“I did have help. Full disclosure,” she said, grinning at him. The rest of the guys join us.
“What help?” Misha asked. He looked at me, thinking I was going to be the answer this question.
“Her demon,” I said.
“Really??” Misha asked. He looked quickly to Andrei and then to Stephen. They both nodded at him. “New life goal,” they all said at once,
“Your eyes never changed though, sestrichka,” Viktor said.
“That’s the interesting part. She figured out how to let her demon help without her stopping completely forward,” I said.
“You’re going to have to teach me how to do that as well, princess,” Ivan said.
Vitaliy had overheard the conversation. He was always very curious about how everything worked. “Explain,” he said. He was a man of many words, if nothing else.
“When we use our demons, we relinquish a little bit of control, so to speak. That’s why our eyes turn black. It’s their power, but we’re still mostly in control. Just from behind the scenes, if you will. Sephie figured out how to use her demon’s power without her demon needing to step forward. It’s why her eyes didn’t change. She got a significant power boost and someone on the street would never know where it came from,” I said.
“Will you all be able to do that at some point?” Vitaly asked.
“Not sure. We only just found out she could do it,” I said.
“That’s how most everything works with us. She figures out she can do it and then shows the rest of us how to do it as well,” Ivan said.
“She gives us new life goals to aspire to,” Misha said, grinning at her.
“How do you know you can do these things, sladkaya?” Vitaliy asked Sephie.
She shrugged her shoulders. “Nobody told me I couldn’t, I guess,” she said, making everyone laugh, Vitaliy’s laugh might’ve been the loudest, even.
She was getting better about panicking when all the attention was on her, but she was very shy about it still. I felt her shrink against me slightly. I just wrapped my arms completely around her, holding her tightly against me. “I love you so much, Persephone. I felt her relax and take a deep breath, content to have my arms around
her.
“Um, Boss. I hate to
up, but she needs to stretch again. It seems to help herbs from getting tight,” Andrei said.
Sephie stood up straighter and kissed me quickly, saying, “I have to listen to him or he won’t let me play with Ivan again.” We were all laughing as she walked away. following Andrei.
Ivan looked at me, still amused, but quite serious. “I’ve seriously never seen her look so good. I don’t get many challenges, but she was a legit challenge today.”
“I could tell. You rarely have to put in effort. It was hard to tell who was putting in re effort a few times there, her or you,” I said, still very proud that she’d made
him work that hard.
He chuckled. “I know I was a few times. She’s quick.”
“Good. It’ll be good for both of you to do this regularly, then. Can’t have her shield getting soft,” I said, walking further into the gym to get my own workout in before we went back upstairs. I smiled to myself the entire workout, thinking about nothing but Sephie the entire time.
Author’s Note: It is in my best interest to finish this story. If you’ve ever wondered why so many authors disappear from this platform and never finish their stories, I feel confident in saying it’s because they can’t handle the pressure and nagging from the readers. You can argue about how we should “grow thicker skin” as one reader commented after coming unhinged at me, but I would like to point out the very real fact that creativity does not work well under pressure. It needs space. Space I am currently not getting. I appreciate you all for reading. I do not appreciate those of you who feel like you have license to micromanage my time. I’ve worked on this story every single day for the past 6 months and there are still mistakes that many people enjoy condescendingly pointing out. I’ve also been working multiple jobs while trying to have a life. It is in my best interest to finish this story and make it the best it can possibly be. For those of you that are waiting patiently, I see you and I appreciate you. For those of you that are displaying classic signs of addiction, please understand that I am petty cough to withhold all chapters until I’ve finished this story just to teach you patience. My creativity does not, nor will it ever, care about your need for instant gratification. I will say it one more time: it is in my best interest to finish this story. Give me the space to do so and stop demanding to know when the next update is going to be. I update each week.