The Alpha's Silent Bride: Seventh Time's The Charm

Chapter 73: 073: A Spar With Nikolai

~ RONAN ~

The training ring, just as I expect, is usually empty at this hour.

The late evening shadows stretch across the padded floor, reminding me why I’m here; A place where people test their strength and push their limits.

Nikolai is already in the ring, leaning against the ropes. His eyes stay on me, and I can already see the question in them before he even opens his mouth.

"Let me guess," he says the moment I step into the ring. "You’re here because you’re bored and think it’d be fun to get your ribs broken by your Beta. Sounds like a great way to spend your last evening before the three-day Council meeting."

I don’t answer. Instead, I pull off my shirt and toss it onto the bench beside the ring.

"Or," Nikolai continues, watching me with narrowed eyes, "we could go run some laps. How many would you like? Fifty? A hundred?"

"One hundred and fifty," I say coldly, rolling my shoulders to loosen them. "And we both know you’re going to hate every single one of them."

Nikolai’s entire body tenses at that.

"One hundred and fifty laps around the perimeter?" he asks, his eyebrows shooting up as he does the math. "You know, most people deal with their problems in therapy."

"That’s what I said," I confirm, stepping into the ring. "So you can either step into this ring with me and take out whatever you want to take out, or you can prepare yourself for the most brutal physical exhaustion of your life."

He curses under his breath.

"Fine," he says, already moving toward the ring.

He mutters a curse under his breath.

"Fine," he says, already climbing into the ring. "Let’s fight. Since apparently running us into the ground isn’t enough for you tonight."

He steps into the ring, and for a moment, we just stand there, facing each other. Kael already sizing him up.

"What’s got you so worked up?" Nikolai asks, his voice finally losing some of its sarcasm, and before I can brush him off, he studies my face with a knowing look. "Don’t even try to bullshit me because I can see it all over your face. Something happened, and whatever it is, it’s eating you alive."

I clench my fists, feeling Kael’s agitation beneath my skin as he paces like a caged animal.

"The Council sent an urgent summons. A territorial dispute has escalated. I have to leave in the morning. Three days, minimum."

Nikolai’s expression hardens as realization settles over him, already understanding exactly where this conversation is headed.

"And Roselle?" he asks.

"She refuses to come with me," I say bitterly.

"She’s staying here, and I don’tknow what to say to change her mind about it."

I pace back and forth in the ring, my entire body vibrating with frustration.

"And you’re worried about what might happen while you’re gone," Nikolai states, following my movements with his eyes.

"I mean, we still haven’t uncovered Mara’s scheme, and now Ethan’s back. I can’t take that risk... but she’s making this so damn difficult."

We could always throw her over our shoulder, drag her to the car, and deal with the screaming later, Kael says, far too casually. She’ll get over it. Eventually. If she doesn’t... she’ll still be exactly where we want her.

I snort at Kael’s suggestion. What do you think we are? I shoot back. Zade Meadows?

"What if one of them makes a move while I’m gone?" I continue talking with Nikolai, my voice rising.

Kael snarls inside my head, already reacting to the thought of anyone threatening our bride.

Let’s do this, Ronan. And maybe when she starts yelling, we shut her up with a kiss until she finally gives in... and—

Okay, Kael, I cut him off with a groan. You seriously need your brain scrubbed clean.

"I can’t protect her from a hundred miles away," I say, my voice dropping to an octave. "I can’t be there to stop them. I can’t keep her safe."

Nikolai nods slowly, understanding my fear.

"So let’s do this," he says, raising his hands. "Let’s fight."

We come together like two forces colliding.

I come at him hard, all the frustration and fear and desperation channeling into pure, aggressive movement. Nikolai meets me strike for strike, but I can feel that he’s holding back. He’s not trying to hurt me. He’s just giving me an outlet.

And I use it.

I move faster, hit harder, push him further back into the ring with each exchange. My knuckles connect with his ribs. My palm slams against his shoulder. My leg sweeps out, and he has to jump to avoid being knocked off his feet.

For several minutes, we move in perfect synchronization, violence that’s controlled and choreographed, but no less intense for being that way.

And then I see my opening.

Nikolai drops his guard for just a fraction of a second, and I exploit it. I move inside his defenses, grab his arm, and use his own momentum against him. He goes flying backward, hitting the padded floor hard enough to knock the wind from his lungs.

He lies there for a moment, gasping, staring up at the ceiling.

I stand over him, breathing hard, my chest heaving with exertion.

"I need you to stay here while I’m gone and keep an eye on Roselle. Don’t let her out of your sight for even a second, no matter what."

Nikolai sits up slowly, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth where I caught him during the fight.

"Ronan, I don’t think she’ll agree to that," he says, trying to keep his voice steady despite the concern etched across his face. "She’ll think you’re trying to control her, and she’ll resent it. She might even fight you every step of the way."

"I don’t care," I say coldly, stepping out of the ring. "I don’t care if she’s angry with me. I don’t care if she feels controlled or resentful or betrayed. Better she’s angry and safe than happy and hurt."

I pull my shirt back on, my movements quick and aggressive.

"She’s already been through enough

She’s already been manipulated and controlled and violated in every way possible. The last thing she needs is to have something happen to her because I was too weak to protect her, too cowardly to do what’s necessary to keep her safe."

Nikolai stands, rolling his shoulders and testing his jaw.

"I’ll stay," he says finally, "I’ll keep watch. But you have to understand something, Ronan. If she discovers that you’ve asked me to shadow her, if she figures out that you’ve essentially posted me as her personal guardian, she’s going to see that as a betrayal of her autonomy."

"Then she’ll be angry," I say bluntly. "At least she’ll be alive and angry. I’ll take that trade every single time."

I head toward the exit of the training ring, already mentally preparing myself for tomorrow’s departure.

"Don’t let anything happen to her," I say without looking back. "Because if something does, if I come back and find out that you failed to protect her, I will end you myself. And it won’t be in a training ring. Do you understand me?"

"Crystal clear,"