I hated to admit it, but Seth was right. The idea of killing someone on purpose horrified me. I mean, thinking I could do it and wishing I could do it was totally different from actually doing it. But just because something horrified me didn’t mean that when push came to shove I couldn’t do it.

I would protect myself.

I would also protect those I loved.

At least, that was what I kept telling myself.

Seth glanced over at Luke. “Let’s go ahead and call it a day.”

“But we still have an hour,” I protested.

“I know,” he replied, cocking his head to the side. “You and I aren’t done yet.”

Seeming to get the message, Luke nodded and as he walked past me, he patted my shoulder. “See you guys later.”

As the door to the training room swung shut behind him, I had a feeling I was in for a lecture.

Seth arched a brow. “You look like you just sucked on something sour. I’m not going to lecture you.”

My eyes widened. “Are you sure you can’t read minds and you’re just lying to me?”

He laughed. “Everything you think or feel is just written on your face.” Reaching over, he took the dagger out of my hand. “I want you to watch me do this.”

I’d been watching him do this for weeks, but I folded my arms and I watched.

Seth held my gaze for a moment and then spun around. There wasn’t a moment of hesitation. Not like there was for me, because the damn dummy looked so real. He thrust forward on one powerful leg and shoved the dagger deep into the sternum. A kill shot in under two seconds. No pausing. No last-minute weakening of the blow.

He pulled the dagger out and faced me, his amber gaze serious. “That’s how you do it, and I know you are fully aware of how to deliver a killing blow.”

“I am.”

Stepping toward me, he lowered his chin. “But you’re not doing it. You haven’t done it once without being made to do it over and over again, and even then, you eventually do it out of frustration with Luke or me.”

My lips pursed. I wanted to argue, but once again, he was right. And I hated it when he was right, which was way too often for me.

“There’s something I need to know, okay?”

I lifted my chin, grinning slightly. “Yes, you’re a sexy beast.”

“I know that already,” he said dryly. “But that’s not what I’m asking.”

I sighed. “Okay.”

He held my gaze. “Can you do this?”

“Yes—”