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Azriel was seeing red. That was… Balthazar? How did he even know her? What made him think that he could just… train her himself?
He could feel the hot puff of air from his flaring nostrils as the young Illyrian took Gwyneth Berdara’s hand, fixing her grip on a sharp karambit.
“You hold this knife backwards. It’s best used for slashing, if ever a male grabs you, you can use the curve to slit his wrists.”
“Cool,” Gwyn whispered, awe sparkling in her big blue eyes. She attempted the motion as Balthazar held her bicep straight, crooking the hinge of her elbow.
Without even noticing the first step, Azriel was striding over to the two of them, glaring furiously at Cassian, who was too busy flirting with his mate to notice the intrusion.
“Did you need help, Gwyn?”
She turned to him, looking as bright and energetic as she always did, even on this chilly morning. “No, I think I’ve got it. Balthazar showed me.” Gwyn seemed unaware of the way Azriel and his roiling shadows had already listened to every word of their conversation.
“Balthazar only just completed his rite,” Azriel answered, crossing his arms. He didn’t know where this petty, green behavior had come from. Something old and fae reared on its legs, coaxing him to show off. He puffed his chest slightly.
“I know,” Gwyn said as if it were obvious, “I was there. He helped us.”
“He what?”
Balthazar’s lips thinned into a line. He was still standing there, apparently. Though it pained him to admit, Azriel’s respect for him had gone up just a bit.
“We… we were lucky to have found someone on our side.” Something haunted Gwyn’s eyes, darkness passing over them for a moment before she shook her hair, fixing a smile. “He’s a good male, right?”
Balthazar huffed a small laugh. “Thanks, I try.” He left the karambit in Gwyn’s hand, excusing himself. Respect or not, the hardness in Azriel’s jaw remained until the warrior was well away from Gwyn.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Azriel said flatly, “I don’t think he’s good enough to train you.”
He let out a soft oof as Gwyn’s fist hit him straight in the pec.
“Don’t be a bully. I’ll never understand the need for you Illyrians to out-alpha each other.”
“I’m not being a bully,” he said defensively. “I just don’t want him teaching you wrong.”
A lovely little smirk curved Gwyn’s full lips. “Yeah, right.”