Chapter 197


    “Nichs? What are you doing here?”


    Crossing his arms, he tilted his head to the side. “Mark told me you asked him to teach you self-


    defense, but his duties are too essential to allow for the time to teach you. But, I do think it’s valuable


    for


    I


    you to learn. So I’ve decided to step in instead.”


    I wasn’t entirely sure he was being honest here. Yes, Mark did have important duties, but surely so did


    the prince? For Nichs to be here instead of Mark made me wonder if there was more to this than he


    was saying.


    “I’m still mad at you,” I said. My hurt from the day before didn’t magically disappear.


    “I’ll make it up to you.” He came closer. His eyes were earnest, even if his face was impassive. “I’m


    proud of you, Piper. For how strong you are, and how far you’vee all on your own. But I hope you


    will


    let me help you now.”


    My cheeks burned a little. “Just teach me, okay?” I didn’t know what else to say.


    He smiled a little, at the corner of his mouth. “Whatever you say, Piper.”


    In one corner of the basketball court, some servants began to put down soft mats that we could


    practice on. That way, if we fell, neither of us would get hurt.


    When the area was set up, Nichs led me over there.


    I was wearing afortable pair of sweatpants with a tank top. He wore some loose–fitting pants with


    at


    white t–shirt. I noticed just how tight it was when he turned his back to me. The shirt struggled to


    stretch


    across the width of Nichs’s shoulders.


    I swallowed hard and averted my eyes.


    When we were on the mats, Nichs turned to face me again.


    Okay, now, for the first move. I want to show you how to stop someone who is reaching for you. Say


    are just standing there, and I try to grab you.”


    where to stand, and then made a grabbing motion for me. A move, unfortu


    mes before.


    “Now twist.”


    +15 BONUS


    I twisted.


    He hissed in pain as I turned his arm in an awkward angle.


    I immediately released him. “I’m sorry!”


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    “No,” he said. “That was good. Perfect even.”


    Over the course of the next hour, he showed me many different defensive stances and tricks.


    “Always y dirty,” Nichs said. “If they areing for you, it’s not a fair fight, so you don’t have to


    treat it as such. Go for the groin or the eyes. Don’t ever back down.”


    He was a good, patient teacher and I felt myself retaining most of what he said.


    Eventually, we moved on what to do if someone trying to grab me, to what to do if they already had me.


    “I’m going to grab you from behind. Show me how you would try to get away.”


    He walked around behind me, moved close, and then wrapped his arms around my waist. He locked


    his hands together in front of my stomach. His hard chest pressed against the line of my back, and for


    a


    moment, my thoughts went very quiet.


    “Okay,” he said. His breath was hot on the shell of my ear. “Now try to get away.”


    His words called me to action. I ced my hands on his wrists and tried to twist, but his grip was too


    strong. With his arms locked like this, I couldn’t get the leverage I needed to hurt him that way.


    But honestly, in this position, I struggled to get my thoughts back online to think of anything else to do,


    so I ended up simply shoving at him halfheartedly.


    When I started to twist my body, he made a cut–off choking noise.


    stilled at once. “Nichs?”


    His voice was rough when he said, “Keep trying.”


    ed and he struggled too, Eventually we were both panting a little. But his arms around me were The


    only difference was the heat within me was swelling, nearly unbearable.