CHAPTER 143
AUTHOR'S POV
A smile lingered on Zendaya's face as she recalled her conversation with Alexander. Despite the reluctance to part ways, she knew they both had things to attend too.
Maybe this was so much harder for her because she would feel the pull of the mate bond more, as she is the werewolf, and he is only a human. Ugh!
Rising from the bed, Zendaya headed towards the bathroom. She turned on the soothing rush of water.
She undressed, got in and let the warmth of the water cascade all over her. She took her time to cleanse herself both, physically and mentally, while thinking about the plans she had for the day.
When she finished, she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower where she reached for a soft towel and gently dried her curls.
She ran her fingers through her damp locks, proud of the feel and look.
With her hair now dry, she did what was necessary, feeling refreshed as she selected her attire for the day, going for something that would allow for her freedom of movement and agility.
So, she went for fitted leggings and a breathable top, "This is perfect," she said as she looked at herself in the mirror.
Quickly she secured her hair away from her face with a small hair tie.
"Ready?", Lincoln asked Zendaya, he was the one training her, he always has, his voice cutting through as he watches her, "Do not think I will take it easy on you because I am your Father. Today I am your teacher and if you make a mistake I will scold you and correct you with love."
"Yes sir, I am ready," Zendaya said, her fists clenched and her stance solid. With a sharp exhale, she launched into the kata, her movements precise and fluid.
Each punch she threw, she took a sharp exhalation, the sound of her breath echoing in the spacious private training room. Most of the time she trains with other warriors, but mostly she trains privately and alone. She was the princess after all, and she will learn how to defend herself.
Lincoln's eyes never left hers, his gaze unshakeable as he observed her every move. On Zendaya's part, with each strike, she puts her full force behind it, the sound of her knuckles meeting the air, reverberating throughout the dojo.
At first when she started training and as time went on, Zendaya always thought that her father was being hard on her or did not care about her when they trained even when he always showed her his love.
It was just that sometimes she would get tired, and he wouldn't take pity on her, he would tell her, "Get up, you are weak, fight! You only get tired when you win, you only get tired when the fight is over, GET UP!!", he would yell.
But not until what happened last night, when those men attacked her, did she fully understand why she needed to know how to fight for herself? She may have people who would fight and protect her but when it is just her, like her father always said, she should be able to protect herself and even the people she loves.
She never fully appreciated his training lessons, but now she realized how stupid she had been and stubborn. She knew he was always proud of her, even if she failed, so she will do her best to listen, learn and make him more proud.
Midway through the Kata, Lincoln stepped forward to make a subtle adjustment to her stance, his touch was gentle yet commanding. Zendaya thought about telling him about what happened that night with those men, but she did not think it was a good idea and since she had handled it, there was no point.
Lincoln might just end up finding them and killing them if care is not taken.
"Keep your hips aligned", he instructed, his voice low but authoritative.
Zendaya nodded, determined and acknowledging him and his instructions, she listened as she refused her technique.
With her renewed focus, she continued the Kata, her movements sharper and more controlled.
As the Kata was coming to an end, Lincoln increased the intensity of her training, wanting to push her a little to her limits or even to her limits,"Faster", he commanded.
His voice urged her to push past her comfort zone. There is no comfort in battle.
Zendaya responded with a burst of speed, her strikes becoming faster and fiercer with each passing moment.
She had no time for the sweat that beaded her brows, as she pushed through the fatigue, wanting to reach her goal, not just her father's.
They finally reached the final bow and Lincoln's expression softened with pride, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
They bowed deeply to each other. Zendaya did different forms of training, just the ones that she could do and she would probably excel in. Sporadically someone else takes over her training when her father was not able to, anyway she trained and she was grateful.
"You have improved a lot, my child," Lincoln said proudly, his tone encouraging and warming, "Your technique has become sharper, smooth, faster," he said to her as his words washed over her, making her feel happy and boosting her confidence.
"I learned from the best," she said with a grateful smile, absorbing her father's praise with humility.
"You have come a long way, but there is still room for improvement," he said as he passed her a bottle of water.
"Stay focused, keep honing your skills and never lose sight of your goals," he advised.
Zendaya nodded in agreement to her father's words as she drank the bottle of water, "Ahhh that was needed."
Lincoln chuckled and left, "Session is over, spend your day wisely and do other fun things, your brother should also be training, not sure if he will finish as early as you."
As for Zane, he was trained by his mother. That was that.
Lincoln left the private training ground before Zendaya.
Zendaya left after some minutes and was drying her sweaty body and hair with a towel when she stopped, "What a fine ass, you got, princess."