by Anna Santos
“I'm not courageous,” I mumbled, shifting my gaze to the wall.
“You are. You are brave. Even if you are afraid, you are willing to face your fears.”
“You barely know me.”
“We are getting to know each other. And, you don't need to feel sad if you don't like me, yet.”
“I like you,” I protested. “I like you a lot. I'm just scared that we won't fall in love in time to break your curse.”
“Are you willing to fully commit to us, honey?”
I blinked while processing the extent of his question. I caressed his face. His eyes were sweet and vulnerable.
“I don't want to get back with Simon if that's what you are afraid of.”
“You wouldn't be the first, Camille.”
There was a brief moment of silence between us. My hand kept touching him.
“Do you want to...break the bond?” he inquired.
I shook my head. “No, you are my perfect mate. You are everything I wished in a mate. You are kind, and you don't make me feel useless and pathetic.”
“You are not. You are beautiful in here.” He pointed at my heart. “Here,” he said, waving around my face and then my body. “You are a cute little thing. And, I can't get enough of you.”
I giggled at his words. His arms surrounded me and pushed my body against his as our lips connected.
“I want you to come with me to a very important place,” Jacob said after our kiss. “So that you can get to know me better.”
I nodded.
He added, “Some other time, when we return to the palace.”
“What are we going to do today?”
“Besides kissing and cuddling?”
My lips curled into a smile. “After kissing, can I have my first lesson on teleporting?”
“Why don't we do both things at the same time?”
I arched an eyebrow. “How?”
“We can teleport to several places and kiss. I will choose first and then you will choose your favorite places.”
“Places like Egypt and the Wall of China?”
“Or the Taj Mahal,” Jacob added.
“I love that idea!”
“Then choose the first place you want me to teleport to,” he spoke next to my lips.
Butterflies wildly fluttered in my stomach as I shivered in pure lust. I was comfortable in his bed with the make out session.
“Can I decide after lunch? I don't think my angel wants to stop this right now.''
He frowned. “Only your angel?”
“We both don't want to stop this,” I rephrased with a grin.
“This might get intense if we keep going like this.”
“I hope so,'' I whispered with narrowed eyes while burning with desire.
Jacob drew me closer, and we lost ourselves to the passion igniting between us. That man could kiss!
Teleporting wasn’t as easy as it was portrayed to be. After several failed attempts, I understood that as long as I was relaxed, I could use the picture or the memory of a favorite place and take us there. On the other hand, Jacob had a natural control over his teleporting ability. It might have something to do with the fact that he was one with his angelic conscience. He was born to be an angel. I was born to be a werewolf. It would take longer for me to adapt.
Before the day was over, Jacob took me to a huge gym in the Royal Palace so that he could test my skills. It was the prince’s and his highly ranked officers’ gym, so we were mostly alone. After warming up and testing my velocity, we stood on the tatami in front of each other.
“I’m big and mean, and I make a movement to grab you. What do you do?” Jacob asked, towering over me. His face was serious. “I don’t need to tell you that, even in their human form, werewolves are dangerous.”
I nodded. “I know. They are stronger than humans, and I’m smaller and weaker because I’m a female.”
Jacob’s lips curled into a grin that lit his eyes. “Maybe smaller but not weaker. Not anymore, honey. But, you need to use your size and innocence to trick a bigger opponent.”
“I can pretend to be helpless,” I said. “My pack only teaches females how to perform household duties and brainwash them with blind obedience to the pack leader and their future mate.”
“Why?”
“Medieval ideas,” I said, shrugging. “Thierry went against the rules for teaching me how to defend myself.”
“I like him already,” Jacob said with his sexy voice. Then, he cleared his throat and motioned his hand so that I looked at him. “We are going to start with the basics: punching and kicking. I want you to show me how you punch.”
I nodded, closing my fist.
Jacob turned me around and placed himself against my back as he held my fist in his hand. His warm voice brushed my ear and sent tingling sensations down my spine and arm. His arm circled around my waist and my legs almost gave out.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, probably noticing how my body relaxed instead of tensing.
I sucked in a breath to focus. “Nothing.”
The way his nose rubbed against my earlobe and neck made me think that he knew perfectly well what was wrong with me. His lips taunted me as he breathed words into my skin. “You need to bend the middle set of your knuckles in. Then, bend the base of your fingers. Place your thumb over the index and middle finger.”
I nodded as butterflies kept bouncing against my stomach walls. Blinking to focus my mind on the emptiness before me, I said, “I should use my entire body when striking. I need to rotate from my hip to maximize the power of my punch.”
“Exactly.” He let go of me and stepped back.
I nibbled my lower lip as I tilted my head to look back.
“Maybe we should practice against the punching bag first.”
“As you wish,” I agreed, lowering my fists.
Suddenly, Jacob’s arms grabbed me from behind in a bear hug while my arms were pinned to my sides.
“Never lower your guard, babe.” He teased further, “What are you going to do about this? How do you think you could free yourself?”
“Stomp your foot to release and…” I paused, trying to remember the rest.
“First, you need to lower your center of gravity so it’s harder for your opponent to lift you. You should hit his foot or hit his tibia. Then, use your open hands to strike his groin, over and over again, until he releases you. After, use your elbow to hit his midsection and the other elbow to hit his face. Rotate your body to fight. Use your fists to punch his face. Kick the inside of his leg and it will give you enough space so you can run away.”
I nodded, trying to follow his directions.
“Do you want to try?”
“What do you want me to do first?”
“Stomp your foot on mine. Then, hit my tibia. I’ll release you, and you’ll use your free arms to strike my groin.”
I followed his instructions in slow motion, trying not to hurt him.
For the next hour, Jacob tested my abilities and taught me new tricks.
“She’s holding back,” a voice echoed inside the gym.
Jacob and I stopped what we were doing. He was teaching me how to do leg locks which should be used to cause my opponent to submit. They were useful for werewolf attacks.
I released Jacob’s head from my locked legs, and we both stared at the entrance where Prince Cedric stood with his folded arms and his back leaned against the doorframe.
“Your majesty.” I stood up from the tatami and bowed in respect.
Jacob kneeled first and stood up as he dusted his clothes. “Nice to see you, Cedric. How long were you there watching us?”
Cedric shrugged and strolled toward to us. “I came here to work on the punching bag, but I don’t mind helping you. I can be her partner, and you can instruct her how to maneuver her way around a bigger and stronger opponent.” His lips stretched into a wide grin. “Unless you want to continue your foreplay on the ground.”
Since my cheeks we
re already red with the physical effort, my embarrassment manifested as a crushing pressure against my temples, and my head pounded as if it was going to explode.
However, the prince was right. I didn’t want to hurt Jacob. Looking at him, I noticed that his jaw was tense.
Cedric arched an eyebrow at him. “What?”
“I don’t feel comfortable with you grabbing my mate,” he spoke between his teeth.
Cedric raised his two hands in the air. “It’s not like we are going to cuddle. She’s going to try to choke me, punch me, and throw me in the air. Afterwards, we can go have dinner, and you can tell me why you are practicing with her.”
Jacob mused with narrowed eyes. “If Camille doesn’t mind, then I’ll take you up on that offer.”
“Can I really hit him? We weren’t allowed to practice with the members of the Alpha’s family. And…he’s the prince.”
“It’s fine,” Jacob assured, placing his hand on my left shoulder. “I punch him all the time.”
“So, I don’t have to be careful to not break him?” I asked, looking at the prince with a grin since Jacob seemed to relax from his sudden jealousy attack.
Cedric furrowed his brows. “Missy, I’m a gargoyle warrior. We don’t break easily. We are stronger than angels. So, what will you do if I try to grab you like this?” he asked as he opened his arms to grab me in a bear hug from the front.
He tried to catch me off guard. But, Jacob had me training with punches and kicks for ages, so my instincts kicked in and, once he grabbed me, I created some space between us, so I could bend my knee and hit him in the groin. But, first, I made sure to move my arms, so he couldn’t run away. I grabbed under his arms as I hit him once, twice, and then I finished with a bite to the neck.
The prince released me and stepped back with a clenched jaw. But, even if he had groaned while he was being hit, he simply shook his head and smirked as if I hadn’t hurt him at all.
“Good,” Jacob said with a proud smile. “Next time, after you hit him in the groin twice, try to pull his head down and knee him in the chin before going for the bite if he’s still standing.”
I nodded and pressed my hand against my chin as I recovered my breath. “Why doesn’t it look like I hurt him?”
“Even in my human form, I’m a lot stronger than a wolf,” the prince answered. “Do you want to test your punches and kicks against me? We can practice the choking on the floor later. In the werewolf form, they can lunge forward at your throat and bite at your limbs. You need to maneuver your body so that you have your adversaries with their back to you, so you can snap their neck or just choke them until they are unconscious.”
I inhaled a big breath. “Wolves attack in packs. This would be only useful for one-on-one combat.”
“Angels and gargoyles attack in groups. But, if you ever find yourself outnumbered, I suggest that you either run for your life or have some sort of weapon to help you defend yourself. Teleporting also works, but I was told that it may not work well under pressure. Our wings are an asset. Learn to use them when they grow.” The prince motioned for me to step forward. “Come on, staggered stance, facing me with your dominant leg behind you. Kick your leg straight out and upward. Remember to lean back slightly from the waist to help your balance.”
I looked at Jacob, and he nodded for me to obey my new instructor.
For the next hour, I pushed my body into complete exhaustion.
Chapter Nine—The Magic Words
I thought exhaustion would make me fall asleep faster. I was wrong. Instead, I tossed and turned in bed while thinking about Thierry and what might have happened to him. Crawling out of bed, I went to the living room. I expected to find Jacob on the couch, watching TV. He wasn’t there, and I realized that it hurt being apart from him. After dinner, I had been too tired for our late stroll in the woods, and I really thought that I could fall asleep. Now, I craved to be next to Jacob. I was upset for going to bed so early.
Climbing the stairs, I debated with my inner voice about whether go back to my bedroom or find my way to Jacob’s bedroom. Moments later, I was standing before his closed door with my hand fisted against my chest. Without knocking, I opened the door and peered inside. Darkness welcomed my eyes as I squinted. I had an idea where the bed was. So, I entered, softly closed the door behind me, and snuck my way to his side.
Jacob seemed to be sleeping when I covered myself with the bedsheets and looked for his body in the bed. I sighed, slightly disappointed. But, when my arm circled his waist, and I looked for contact against him, he whispered, “Camille?”
“Yes,” I said, suddenly embarrassed by my bold attitude.
“Is everything alright, honey?” he asked as his arms brought me closer into his embrace, and he placed a kiss on the top of my head.
“I can’t sleep,” I complained, grabbing his t-shirt with my hands. The warmth of the bed relaxed my body, and I felt tranquil. His embrace was one of the best places to be. It eased my mind and my soul.
“I thought you said that you were tired.”
“Apparently, it doesn’t mean I can sleep.” I buried my face in the hollow of his neck. “Can I stay here?”
One of his hands drew patterns on my lower back and the other caressed the nape of my neck. “Of course. Do you want to talk?”
I shook my head. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Go back to sleep.”
His lips searched for my cheeks and my mouth. After exchanging a few kisses, my body eased against his, and I fell asleep like a baby.
The next morning, after a prolonged make out session in bed and a copious amount of breakfast, we spent the morning testing my teleporting abilities. Jacob wanted me to teleport to different parts of the house as fast as I could.
“You are still slow. You need to work harder to be ready,” Jacob said after another failed attempt to teleport from the kitchen to the garden. “You have improved, but you are still doubting yourself and your new powers.”
Jacob was about to say something else when his phone rang. He stepped outside to answer it while I walked to the table and pulled out a chair to sit down.
I sulked with my elbows on the table and my hands holding my chin. I couldn’t even do something as simple as teleporting around the house. How was I planning to be useful to Jacob like that?
Getting up, I left to go to my bedroom. My phone was in one of the drawers, and I wanted to talk to Jacob about turning it on so I could see if I had any messages from my brother. Plus, now that I could teleport, I could turn it on far away from where I was living.
With my phone in my hand, I sat on the bed. Then, I heard Jacob calling. Before I could get up to join him downstairs, he teleported to my bedroom.
“Is everything okay?” he asked with concerned eyes. His hands fell on my shoulders as I stood up and turned to face him.
Frowning, I asked, “Yes, why?”
“You didn’t wait for me downstairs. Are you upset? Was I too hard on you?”
“No, of course not. I just came here to get something to show you.”
Jacob’s eyes softened, and he rubbed my shoulders. “First, you need to sit down. I have news from Alpha Jerome.”
I did as he told me and waited for the news.
Jacob sat beside me and held my free hand in his. “We are at war. Yesterday, Alpha Simon attacked another peaceful pack and killed their Alpha and the ones strong enough to threaten his power. The remaining fighters joined his ranks and entire families were held hostage. Several packs have joined together to face him before he arrives in Paris.”
I nodded when he paused.
Jacob resumed his speech. “But, we have a problem. We don’t know where Simon is keeping the prisoners. Our spies tell us that his lair in Lyon is empty. Their bikes are gone and there are reports of them keeping an arsenal that they emptied and transferred to an unknown location. Violence will increase, and we have no idea how they are planning to use their weapons.”
I breathed deeply before I spoke, “Do
they want me to turn myself in to stop the bloodshed?”
Jacob’s eyes became darker, and he clenched his jaw. He sounded angry when he spoke, “I would never allow that to happen. Why would you even think that?”
I nibbled my lip and looked at our hands. “This is all my fault. I can’t even teleport fast enough to be able to help.”
“You can teleport; you just need to practice more. And, you are my mate now. Not his.”
I nodded, though, I didn’t dare look him in the eye.
Moments later, Jacob added, “I came here to tell you that I have to attend a meeting with the other pack leaders in the afternoon. I wanted to know if you want to come.”
“I want to come,” I said, breathless and surprised for being included in such an important event.
He kissed my hand and gazed down at me again. “Now tell me, why were you so sad when I materialized here?”
“My phone,” I said, showing it to him. “I kept it even though Thierry told me to toss it away. I turned it off and removed the SIM card, but...I could turn it on and see if I have any message from Thierry.”
“Does Simon have your number?”
I nodded.
“Then, he might have left threatening messages.”
My eyes widened with realization. “If he has Thierry, he may have tried to contact me so I would return to him in exchange for my brother’s life.”
Jacob didn’t say a word for at least a minute. Meanwhile, my heart was threatening to leave my mouth.
His voice came out soft, almost paternalistic. “Do you think that Alpha Simon is doing all this because he’s in love with you and regrets what he has done? Do you think that this is his way to show you that he loves you?”
I frowned. “That hasn’t even crossed my mind. Besides, a person as ruthless as him can’t love and has no idea what love is. Hurting others isn’t a way to prove anything to anyone. It’s just cruel.”
Jacob let out a breath that I didn’t know he was holding. He cupped my face between his hands and pressed his lips against mine. “I love you.”