He looked at me, tilted his head, but then nodded.
Lifting his fists, he said, “Begin.”
Then, at once, he surged toward me and tried to make two punches toward my stomach. Even having guessed at his speed, it still surprised me. I missed the first punch, his fist connecting with my side, but blocked the second and jumped back, out of range.
“You are slower than I thought you’d be,” Richard said. “I thought Alphas were supposed to be tough.”
I growled a little, and readied myself for a second assault.
This time, when Richard came at me, I was ready, blocking all of his attempted blows while making a few of my own. He was fast and he was strong, but so was I, even if my strength and speed had remained untested in a very long time.
Richard was the first opponent I’d faced in the ring,
