The Alpha kings Secret Mate

Chapter 6: Lessons in the Shadows

I barely had time to breathe before Kade vanished again. One second, he was standing right in front of me, and the next, he was gone, blending into the shadows like he had never existed. My heart pounded as I turned in slow circles, daggers raised, my ears straining for any sound of movement.

Then, out of nowhere—he struck.

I felt the cold press of a blade against my throat. My breath hitched as I stood frozen, realizing how easily he could have killed me.

"Dead," Kade murmured behind me, his voice calm, almost bored.

I clenched my jaw as he stepped back. This wasn't working. I had trained all day yesterday, I had pushed through the exhaustion, and yet I was still too slow.

"This isn't fair," I blurted, spinning to face him. "You're too fast!"

Kade arched an eyebrow. "You think your enemies will wait for you to catch up?"

I bit my lip, my fingers tightening around my daggers. He was right. Out in the real world, no one would wait for me to get better. No one would hold back. If I wanted to survive, I had to learn—fast.

"Again," I said, standing my ground.

Kade's smirk widened, but this time, there was approval in his red eyes. "Good answer."

And just like that, he disappeared again.

The next few hours were brutal.

Kade struck without warning, forcing me to react. At first, I failed. Over and over, I failed. He was too fast, his movements too unpredictable. Every time I thought I had a chance, he was already one step ahead.

But I refused to give up.

I forced myself to focus—not just on where he was, but on the small signs that gave him away. The whisper of movement. The shift in the wind. The way the leaves rustled before he struck.

Slowly, I started seeing his attacks before they landed.

I ducked under his blade. Clang! My dagger met his in a sharp block. I twisted, rolling out of his reach just in time to avoid another strike. My heart pounded, my breath came in ragged gasps, but I was keeping up.

Then, for the first time, I attacked.

I slashed out with my dagger, aiming for his ribs. Kade dodged easily, but his smirk was gone. His eyes flickered with something else—respect.

I didn't stop. I spun, bringing my second blade up, aiming for his side. He blocked it, but this time, I felt it. The force of my strike had made him take a step back.

A small one—but it was progress.

"Not bad," Kade murmured, tilting his head. "You're learning."

Sweat dripped down my face, my muscles screaming in protest, but I grinned through the exhaustion. "Told you," I panted. "I don't give up."

He chuckled. "Good. Because we're not done yet."

I barely had time to brace myself before he attacked again.

By the time Kade finally called for a break, I collapsed onto the ground, completely spent. My body ached in places I didn't even know could hurt, my fingers were raw from gripping my daggers too tightly, and my arms felt like lead.

Kade, of course, looked perfectly fine.

He crouched beside me, tossing me a flask of water. "You're improving," he said, watching as I gulped it down. "Your reaction time is faster. Your movements are sharper."

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. "But I still can't beat you."

Kade smirked. "You won't. Not yet."

I frowned, sitting up. "Then how do I get stronger?"

He studied me for a moment before reaching into his belt and pulling out a blindfold.

I blinked at it. "What's that for?"

"Your next lesson," he said. "You're relying too much on your eyes. If you want to truly fight in the shadows, you need to learn to trust your other senses."

I swallowed. "You want me to fight you blind?"

Kade smirked. "Something like that."

I stared at him, then at the blindfold. The idea sounded impossible. But at the same time… something inside me thrilled at the challenge.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. "Fine," I said. "Let's do it."

Kade's smirk widened. "Good. Now, put it on."

As I tied the blindfold over my eyes, the world around me turned dark. My heart pounded as I stood, daggers in hand, waiting.

Then, in the silence, I heard it—the softest shift in the wind.

And just like that, I knew.

Kade was coming.

The darkness was suffocating.

Without my sight, everything felt more intense. Every rustling leaf, every shift in the air, every subtle movement seemed louder, sharper, clearer. My grip tightened on my daggers, my heartbeat thundering in my ears.

Then, I felt it.

A change in the air—something moving, fast.

I ducked just as a blade slashed through the empty space where my head had been. My breath caught in my throat, but I forced myself to stay calm. I couldn't see Kade, but I could sense him.

He was testing me.

I turned my head slightly, listening, feeling for the slightest movement. A shift in the wind. A step against the dirt. I felt another disturbance—to my right!

I spun, bringing my dagger up just in time to block Kade's attack. Clang! The sound of metal meeting metal rang through the forest. I had stopped his strike.

But before I could react, he was gone again.

Frustration burned inside me. This was impossible! How was I supposed to fight someone I couldn't even see?

I swallowed hard, forcing my body to relax. Think, think, think. Kade had told me before—"Your weapon should be an extension of yourself."

That meant I had to trust it.

I took a deep breath, focusing only on what I felt. Not the fear. Not the doubt. Just the energy in the air.

And then—there!

Another shift. Another movement.

I didn't think. I moved.

I lunged forward, slashing my dagger toward where I felt Kade's presence. For a split second, there was nothing—just air. Then—a sharp clash of metal.

I had blocked him. Again.

A small, breathy chuckle came from my opponent. "Not bad," Kade murmured. "You're starting to understand."

I panted, my entire body tense, but I had done it. I had fought blind—and I had survived.

But I wasn't finished yet.

I attacked.

This time, I didn't wait for him to come to me. I moved, letting my instincts guide me, striking where I felt him rather than where I thought he would be. I slashed out with my dagger, but Kade dodged—then I spun, aiming lower.

He barely blocked in time.

I grinned, knowing I had caught him off guard.

For the first time, I was pushing him back.

I pressed forward, attacking with quick, precise strikes, using what I had learned. My body still ached, my arms still burned, but I didn't stop. I couldn't stop.

Then, suddenly—he was gone.

I froze, every muscle in my body tensed. Where did he go?

Then—too late—I felt it.

A rough force slammed into my back, sending me sprawling onto the ground. The blindfold slipped, and I gasped as I hit the dirt, coughing. Before I could move, a weight pressed against my back, pinning me down.

Kade's voice was calm, but there was something different in it now. "You've improved," he said, his breath warm against my ear. "But in a real fight, one mistake—" his blade tapped my side lightly, "and you're dead."

I growled in frustration, trying to push up, but he didn't move. "That wasn't fair," I muttered.

Kade chuckled, finally releasing me. "You're learning," he repeated. "But you still have a long way to go."

I sat up, yanking the blindfold off my face and glaring at him. "So what now?"

He tilted his head. "Now, we do it again."

I groaned.

But deep down, I knew—this was exactly what I needed.

I wasn't ready yet. But soon, I would be.

And when the time came

… I would make sure no one could ever hurt me again.

I wiped the sweat from my face, breathing heavily as I sat up. My arms ached, my legs felt like lead, and my fingers were raw from gripping my daggers too tightly. But I had done it. I had fought blind, relying only on my instincts, and I had landed a hit on Kade.

Even if he still won in the end, I knew I was getting stronger.

Kade stood over me, his expression unreadable. "You're exhausted," he said. "Rest before we continue."

I groaned, flopping onto my back, staring up at the sky. The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky with streaks of orange and pink. I hadn't even realized how long we'd been training.

"Why are you pushing me so hard?" I asked, turning my head to look at him.

Kade crouched beside me, resting his elbows on his knees. "Because the world won't be kind to you, little wolf," he said. "If you want to survive, you have to be better than those who want to kill you."

His words sent a shiver down my spine. I knew he was right. My enemies weren't just going to stop because I was struggling. If I wasn't strong enough, I would die.

I closed my eyes for a moment, forcing my breathing to slow. The exhaustion was there, but so was something else—determination.

I sat up. "I'm ready."

Kade arched an eyebrow. "Already?"

I nodded. "I don't have time to be weak."

For a second, something flickered in his red eyes—something almost like approval.

"Fine," he said. "Let's begin."

The next few days were a living nightmare.

Kade's training became even more brutal. He didn't just teach me how to fight—he pushed my body and mind to the limit. If I made a mistake, he made sure I felt it. If I hesitated, he struck harder. There was no mercy, no kindness. Only lessons in survival.

He made me fight blindfolded. He made me dodge attacks while balancing on unstable ground. He forced me to train without rest, making me fight through exhaustion and pain. Every time I thought I couldn't take another step, he pushed me further.

And somehow, I kept going.

I learned how to move without making a sound. How to feel the shifts in the air before an attack landed. How to use my enemies' movements against them.

I learned how to be a fighter.

One evening, after another long day of training, I stood in the clearing, panting. My entire body ached, but I wasn't weak anymore.

Kade watched me, arms crossed. His red eyes studied me carefully, as if searching for something.

Then, for the first time, he nodded. "You're ready."

My breath hitched. "For what?"

He smirked. "Your first real fight."

I stiffened. "Against who?"

He tilted his head. "Me."

My heart pounded. Fighting Kade during training was one thing—but now? This was different.

This was a test.

A real battle.

I gripped my daggers tighter. I had been training for this. I wouldn't lose.

I dropped into a fighting stance, my muscles tensed.

Kade's smirk widened as he took a step forward. "Show me what you've learned,

little wolf."

And then—he attacked.

Kade moved like a shadow, fast and unpredictable. I barely had time to react before he was in front of me, his blade slashing toward my shoulder.

Clang! I blocked it just in time, the force of his attack pushing me back a step.

My arms trembled, but I held firm. This wasn't training anymore—this was a real fight, and I had to prove that I was ready.

I gritted my teeth and countered, slashing toward his side. He dodged effortlessly, his movements smooth and precise.

But I didn't stop. I spun, using my momentum to strike again, aiming low. This time, he blocked—but I saw it.

A flicker of surprise in his red eyes. I was faster now. Stronger. He wasn't toying with me anymore.

Sweat dripped down my forehead as I kept up my attack, forcing Kade to go on the defensive.

My muscles burned, but I refused to slow down. I dodged his strikes by instinct, moving before he could land a hit.

Then, for the first time, I saw an opening—I lunged forward, aiming for his ribs.

But I was too slow.

Kade vanished from my sight, and before I could react, something slammed into my back, knocking the air from my lungs. I crashed to the ground, gasping.

A sharp blade pressed against my throat, and I went still. Kade crouched over me, his expression unreadable. "Better," he murmured. 

But not enough." Then he pulled back, offering me his hand. I hesitated for only a second before taking it.

As he pulled me up, I met his gaze, my chest heaving. I had lost. But I wasn't defeated. Next time, I would be faster. Next time, I wouldn't lose.