Strength to Find Her Way

Chapter 63

Chapter 63

Quinn POV

I'm not sure how much I'll really need this workout since my heart has been working overtime this whole morning. From waking up in Liam's arms to him teasing me, I think I nearly had not just one but several heart attacks.

We were currently headed down to his personal gym. I guess there's one in his wing of the castle that only he or whoever he invites is allowed to use. I'd have loved having something like this for myself back in Diamond Crescent.

We walked down a staircase to what appeared to be the basement level. I was expecting a small gym with just the essentials but when we arrived it was better than anything I could possibly imagine. There were cardio machines of all kinds, free weights, and even a small lap pool. On top of that there was a pretty intense looking rock wall, rope climb, and a sparring ring. It was practically as big as the training gym back in my pack where all the warriors used to train.

I was standing at the entrance with my mouth open just trying to take it all in. "Liam, this is..." I began but couldn't find the words to express my feelings. "Can I live here?" I managed to say.

Liam chuckled, "If you live here, I'll have to move our bed down here because I'm never spending a night away from you again, my love."

"Honestly, I'm seriously considering it," I laughed, again ignoring the words he used to address me.

"Here, let me show you around," he reached out his hand for me to take.

As our hands made contact the sparks erupted like usual. This time they felt a little stronger than before. Our bond must be growing since we came to the palace. It seemed Liam could feel it too and he gave me a warm smile before pulling the back of my hand to his lips and kissing it. I could feel a blush heat up my face. I'm still not used to this kind of affection but I'm trying hard to give Liam a chance.

Liam spent the next fifteen minutes or so showing me around his top of the line gym. It was even better than I thought it was upon first seeing it.

"I'd like to keep training just between the two of us for a while," Liam explained. "Like I said, your talents could be of great use to us and I think we'll be better off if they're kept a secret for now. There's definitely something brewing in the packs and having a sort of secret weapon could be an advantage."

I kind of liked the idea of being called a secret weapon. It made my wolf puff up with pride. "I'm fine with that," I agreed. "So you'll be training with me every morning from now on?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess so," Liam said hesitantly. "You're not going to want to fight every day, will you?"

I chuckled, "Maybe once a week if you're up for it. I don't usually get a lot of people offering to fight me so I'm used to sparring less frequently. Is that okay with you?"

"Of course. It still upsets me how you were treated back in your pack. I know you weren't mistreated by any means but they should have been thankful to have someone like you in the ranks, not treat you like a pariah."

I shrugged, "It was fine. I had Suze, my brothers, and my dad. And now I have you. What more could I need?"

In the back of my mind, I knew what more I needed. I needed my mom. But my dad said he'll keep me in the loop and I trust him.

Liam nodded but I don't think he's completely convinced. "Well things will be a little different here. Everyone is going to want to get to know you and be your friend once I've introduced you. After our workout I think we'll head up to the dining hall to eat with Ethan and my parents. We can start with those introductions before I show you off to everyone else. I'd like to keep you to myself a little longer if that's alright with you."

I blushed again, "I'd like that as well."

"Let's get started then. What's up first?" Liam exclaimed enthusiastically.

I smirked. He won't be this enthusiastic once I'm done with him. I need to whip my mate into shape.

An hour later, I was feeling light and fresh and ready to take on the day. I started with some cardio on the treadmill as a warmup and did some weight training. Liam and I finished with a partner ab exercise and a cool down on the stationary bike. Beginner stuff in my opinion.

Unfortunately for Liam, he didn't seem like he was feeling quite as refreshed as I was. He was dripping sweat profusely from every pore on his body and was panting heavily. I didn't want to rub it in anymore that I have better endurance than he does. I tried to be encouraging throughout our workout.

I still can't believe he isn't in better shape when he has this gym at his disposal every day. I'll be coming back down here at least one more time today. I still need to try out the climbing wall and the lap pool.

"Let's head up and grab a shower before breakfast," I offered.

Liam nodded tiredly and slowly led the way back to our room. It still felt weird to call it our room but I'll get used to it I guess.

"Why don't you shower first while I pick out my outfit," I said.

"Sure," Liam replied before trudging towards the bathroom.

I went to the walk in closet to decide what to wear. It would be my first day in the palace and I was bound to meet lots of new people. I'm not really into dresses but I thought maybe that might be a good option.

As I was flipping through my options, Liam entered the closet looking a bit more refreshed.

"I can't decide what to wear," I admitted. "I want to make a good impression but I've never been one to wear fancy clothes on a regular basis."

"Wear whatever makes you comfortable, Quinn. Everyone will love you for who you are, not what you're wearing. The fact that you're my mate and you're an amazing shewolf is more than enough for everyone to see how great of a queen you will be."

I smiled. Liam is right. I've never spent time trying to be someone I'm not before and now is not the time to start. I stood on my tippy toes to give Liam a kiss on the cheek before grabbing a loose flowy blouse and a pair of jeans. If they don't like me as I am, then they don't know what they're missing out on. I'm not going to change myself when the only person I care about impressing is Liam. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself when I'm in our room with all the confidence in the world. I might feel differently once I enter that dining room.

I rushed out of the closet to grab my own shower and get ready for the day. As brave as I usually am on the outside, I'm definitely a little nervous about meeting the king and queen. I can tell myself all I want that the only opinion that matters is Liam's but I'm sure the opinions of the king and queen are pretty darn important as well. I guess we'll just have to see how this goes.

________________________________________________________________________________

There's always an excuse I can make for not updating but I'll just say I'm sorry for neglecting my book...again.  I hope you like the chapter!  I'll try to update again tomorrow!