Adrian walked her through basic combat stances, showing her how to throw a proper punch, how to block and dodge, and how to apply her new strength without losing control in the next following hour.
He was a patient teacher, fixing her posture with gentle and light touches and calm instructions. But every time his skin met hers, it felt like a fire, reminding her over and over of how much she wanted him to touch her in every different way.
"Keep your feet shoulder-width apart," Adrian said as he stepped behind her and adjusted her stance. His hands settled on her hips, and Lilian had to bite her lip to stop herself from reacting. "Your power comes from your core, not just your arms. When you punch, you need to rotate from the hip and move your weight forward."
He moved in sync with her as he demonstrated, his chest pressed against her back as he guided her through the proper motion. Lilian could feel every hard line of his body and the controlled strength in the way he held her.
"Try it on your own now," Adrian said as he stepped back.
Lilian threw a punch at the air, following his lead, punch after punch. Each movement felt natural, powerful, like her body finally doing what it was meant to do.
"Beautiful," Adrian murmured, and she wasn't entirely sure whether he was talking about the punches or her.
They switched to defense next, and Adrian showed her how to parry attacks and use her smaller frame to her advantage against larger enemies.
"Vampires heal fast," he explained as he demonstrated a blocking technique, "but that doesn't mean you should let yourself get hit. Every injury takes energy to heal, and in a real fight, you might not have enough energy to spare. The best defense is not getting hit in the first place."
"What about you?" Lilian asked, watching him move through a series of defensive motions with effortless control. "Do you heal instantly the second you're hurt?"
"Not instantly, but fast. Small injuries take minutes, serious ones take hours or days. Why do you ask?" Adrian stopped his movements and looked at her.
"Because I don't want to hurt you during practice," she said honestly. "What if I hit you too hard and break something?"
Adrian's smile turned slightly wolfish and somehow his eyes glinting with amusement. "Then I'll just heal. Don't worry about hurting me, Lilian. I'm a lot harder to break than you think."
There was a challenge in his words, an invitation to test him. And part of her wanted to accept it, to see just how far she could push before he pushed back. But she remembered Dante's warning about restrain, about staying rational.
So instead of rising to the bait, Lilian just nodded and forced her focus back onto the training.
They sparred lightly, with Adrian calling out instructions and corrections as they moved. It was obvious he was holding back, pulling his punches and keeping his speed slower than she knew he was capable of, but even at half speed he was impressive to watch.
Every move he made was precise and efficient, no wasted energy or unnecessary flourishes. It was a display of controlled force shaped by years of control.
"You're thinking too much," Adrian said after blocking one of her punches with ease. "Stop trying to plan every move and let your instincts guide you. Your body already knows what to do. You just need to trust it."
Lilian tried to clear her mind, to stop overthinking every moment. She threw another punch, and this time it felt different. It flowed more naturally, her body responding on its own.
Adrian dodged it easily, but he was grinning now. "Better. Again."
They kept going, and gradually she felt herself settled into the rhythm of it. Her movements became more fluid, more instinctive, faster and more natural. She stopped analyzing every action and let her reactions take over.
It felt incredible. For the first time since she had woken up transformed, she felt like she was in control. Like this powerful new body finally belonged to her instead of being something unfamiliar she was wearing.
"Excellent," Adrian said when she managed to land a light hit on his shoulder. "You're a fast learner."
"I have a good teacher," Lilian replied, slightly out of breath despite not really needing to breathe anymore.
They took a break, and Adrian handed her a bottle of water from a small fridge in the corner. She drank deeply, surprised by how good the water tasted with her enhanced senses. She could taste the minerals, even a faint hint of plastic from the bottle.
"How long will I train like this?" she asked, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
"Until you have full control," Adrian answered simply. "That could be weeks or months, depending on how quickly you adapt."
"And after that, what?"
"After that, you'll continue training to refine your skills. Being a vampire isn't just about having power. It's about knowing how to use it effectively," he said.
Then Adrian leaned against the wall, his blue eyes watching her carefully. "You'll also have to learn about our society, the politics, the rules, etiquette. How to exist in our world without accidentally making an enemy you can't handle."
"Sounds like a lot and complicated," Lilian muttered.
"It is," Adrian admitted calmly. "But you won't have to figure it out on your own. We'll teach you everything you need to know."
The way he spoke made her felt reassured, in how certain he sounded that she wouldn't facing any of this alone. Like this was a partnership rather them just doing her a favor.
Before she could say anything to answer his words, she heard footsteps echoed from the stairwell. A moment later, Lucien appeared in the doorway, still dressed in the dark suit he must have worn to meet with the Council. His sharp green eyes swept over the training room, noting the shattered concrete blocks and the cracks in the wall where Lilian had stopped herself.
"Well," he said with a crooked grin, "looks like somebody's been having fun. Please tell me you're the one who did that damage and not Adrian losing his temper again."
"It was me," Lilian said. "Is that… bad?"
"Bad? Hell no. That's impressive as fuck for a newborn." Lucien walked further into the room, his eyes lingering on her in a way that made heat pool in her belly again. "Though I gotta say, watching you work up a sweat in those tight pants is doing things to me that are probably inappropriate, given the whole letting you adjust thing we agreed on."