My heart actually hurts. There is pain everywhere. My ribs feel like they are contracting in on themselves. “Midge, inhale, exhale. Good.” Lil brings me back from my stomach dropping tunnel vision. “Look at them.”
“I am.” I grit out, we are still walking forward, but stick to the outside edge of the group that approaches our pack leaders.
I notice Sam, Oliver and Mateo off to the side too. “They’re never all here. What the hell is going on?” I whisper to Lil, momentarily forgetting that I should mindlink my asshole thoughts.
***”None of them want to be here. Look at your Alpha, if he balls his fists any tighter, his claws are going to go through his hand. And Kaley may be in between your twins, but every time she moves to touch them they shift so she misses. This is not them, remember that. Whatever they say, whatever they do, it’s not their choice.”***
***”How did you see all of that?”***
***”Because I’m not in the middle of that love quadrangle. They know you’re here. She knows you’re here. Don’t let her see you’re affected. She will get what’s coming to her and it will be as public as we can make it. You are here to do a job, that’s what she needs to see. Keep everyone safe and just go through the motions.”*** Lil’s menacing tone is dangerous. She’s a little dark at the best of times, but for me and Jena, her protective streak is through the roof.
“The Alphas and future Alphas have been occupied with the protection and security of our pack and have been noticeably absent from training. They would like to see what we have been working on and the progress the Elite Warriors have made with you all. They may even join in as a treat.” Delta Kyle finishes his explanation.
Lil and I look at each other and roll our eyes., but don’t say anything as we move to a training circle to begin warm-ups, again staying as far away from the watchful eyes of my enemy as possible. What I do feel are two pairs of eyes drilling holes into the back of my head.
****Is it bad of me to wish that you would have seen Oliver right now and had that epic moment right here in front of them? The way Jena described it, everyone needed a cold shower after.”***
****Ugh! Stop.”*** I roll my eyes again and then smile. ***”No, it doesn’t make you bad, cause I had the same thought and funny enough, I don’t feel guilty about the thought either.”***
She smiles wide and wicked at me as she lunges toward me working on a leg sweep maneuver. I should not have said that, she’s up to something now. We get through our warm-ups and attack reviews. We al broke off to get water before separating to spar in one-on-one and two-on one groups.
Lil makes sure to move us as close to Sam, Oliver and Mateo as we can be. I breathe a little easier. I thought she was going to put us in front of the twins and try and start sh*t with Kaley and Kevin. Although we are close enough to be within earshot of them.
“Hey, f*ckers. It’s been a while, who wants to throw down? Midge here has been bored with one on one since she was five.”
None of the three of them hide their amusement. So, apparently, talking to Lil is okay, they were just banned from talking to me. Good to know. She should have thought that through, but I guess that’s the point she hasn’t really thought this all the way through, just reacting in the moment to things that make her mad or feel left out.
“I’ll go.” Sam chimes in. “I cannot wait for you to see how fast I am, Little Bit. It’s been two years, baby.” He steps up to me.
“Hey, watch that baby sh*t. She’s not your baby. Stick to ‘Little Bit’ like a good boy.” Oliver walks up and slaps him on the back. “Actually step back, I want first crack at her. It’s been too long.” ****Oliver! What are you doing?”***
***”You are not the only one that can have fun with this. It’s my birthday Bitty, just go with it.”*** Then he winks at me.
****That is not fair. You can’t pull the birthday card.”***
***I can and I will. I’m making a point baby.”***
***”Oh so you can call me baby, but no one else can?”***
***”Yep!”*** He pops the ‘p’.***I am the ONLY one who is eighteen and has any right to even suggest you might be my mate and I am just as sick of all this fake bullsh*t as you. .”*** He lunges at me fast and I have to dodge his massive tattooed arms. I tuck and roll under him then jump up to be ready for the next thing he throws at me. ***”If what I say and do makes people think you might possibly be my mate, so be it. We can’t live without you, we have proven that time and time again. Some of us just need reminding.”***
***”Some of us are under a spell.”*** I quip back.
***”You were quick to pinpoint them.”***
***”You were quick to sound jealous.”*** I try to distract him. My mind did go directly to the twins when he was talking about all of them. It’s just because they are going to be the hardest to break and they have been at the forefront of my mind since we have been able to break everyone else free.
Another swipe, this time he gets my leg and tosses me on my back. A loud whoosh of air leaves my lungs and I am dazed for a moment. Oliver leans over me, I let him get closer, then wrap my arms around his neck and my one leg around his waist, which almost doesn’t fit, and I use the other to propel us around so I am now sitting on him about halfway up his torso. I have one of his arms pinned above his head. He has my other arm pinned to my side. I am at a standstill. He could easily flip us with his leg power. I am just too short for that, my knees barely hit the ground on either side of him.
He extends the arm I am holding above his head, which brings me closer to his chest. Nowl see he let me switch positions, because he still has control. I can’t let go of his arm. He’ll just grab me and pin me. He slides me so I am holding all of my upper body weight in the extended arm in front of me. I won’t be able to sustain this for very long at all.
I am so close to him now, our noses are almost touching. I narrow my eyes at him and he just smiles that pearly white, smile that says he’s all trouble but totally worth it.
**** Tell me the truth. Was that day really your first kiss?”***
***”Why is that so important to you?”*** I deflect.
***”Because the first time someone kisses you, it should not be to save your life. You deserve something like that to be special.”***
