“Now remember, step into the punch and keep your arm straight,” he told me before holding his hand out again for me to hit. So, I did as he said and stepped into my punch.
“No, that is no good. Again!” he snapped and this time I rolled my eyes and muttered,
“Sugar coat it for me why don’t ya?” Then I did it again, this time trying harder than before.
“You need to stop twisting your hips as you punch, come at me square,” he told me and I shook my head a little, looking down at myself.
“Square? I don’t know…” I was just about to complain when he gripped my hips for himself and turned them to face him, then he placed a palm over my belly and pelvis. I sucked in a sharp breath at the feel of him and what his touch was doing to my insides, just beneath his hand. However, he ignored my reaction as he was obviously too busy in ‘Trainer’ mode.
“Square, like this. It gives you more power behind your punch so as not to get knocked down. Now hit me again and this time, remember your hips stay forward and square…don’t twist into it,” he told me sternly. I bit my lip and nodded seeing this serious side of him. So, I did what he asked and punched out, keeping my hips in the right place and stepping into it, trying for my hardest one yet.
“Good. Now again,” he said nodding and I did it again like he asked.
“That’s better,” he told me and I couldn’t help but smile up at him. I liked it when he praised me and I didn’t know why.
“Now, here is the block,” he said, nodding for me to hit at him, without his palm in the way this time. So, I did as he said and he rolled his arm out, moving my punch before it connected with his chest. The move was so quick that I actually fell forward into him and he caught me before I could face plant into his stomach.
“I will do it slower.”
“Umm, yes, that might be wise,” I told him making him look sheepish. So, I straightened myself back up and hit him again. This time he showed me in slow motion the way he rolled his arm, so that it not only blocked the hit, but it also rolled my arm out to the side.
“Okay, I think I got it,” I told him forgetting the next part…him trying to hit me. The second he did I jumped back with my arms held up in a typical ‘Don’t shoot’ fashion. His eyes widened in question.
“I freaked, sorry.” I said and he raised a brow at me.
“Oh, come on, I am like 5’3” and 110lbs ringing wet and you are what 6”4 and over 200lbs?” I said making him smirk.
“And when you were slicing some guy with a knife and then smashing the other in the face with a glass teapot full of vodka…what was that exactly, because last I checked when I was dismembering them, they weren’t hobbits, Keira,” he told me folding his arms across his chest. I grimaced just thinking about it.
“You knew about that?” I asked wondering how he had taken notice of all that in the seconds before he had unleashed his own slice of revenge upon the gang. He slowly nodded and I released a sigh.
“Would you believe terror induced adrenaline rush?” I said and he gave me a soft look.
“I am not here to hurt you, only to help stop anyone else doing so,” he told me gently and I knew he was right.
“Okay, let’s try again.”
“Good girl…ready?” I gave him a nod and he punched into me. At first, I just flinched and tried to knock his hand away but thankfully he kept his comments to himself and just gave me a look I now knew meant ‘Again’. Now feeling ready for him, I did as he had shown me and tried to catch his arm by blocking it with a roll of my own arm. He shook his head and took hold of my fist and did the motion for himself. Then once he felt I understood, he hit out and this time, I finally got it.
“Good. Again,” he said and when I did it better this time I gave him a massive grin, one he tried hard not to respond to…he failed, granting me a small smile in return.
“Okay so what next, Yoda?” I said making him laugh.
“Not my best compliment there, Keira.”
“Okay, what’s next ‘Handsome Martial arts dude’…better for you Han Solo?” I asked him in a sarcastic tone making him smirk before he said,
“Hit me.” So, I did as he had taught me and stepped into my punch. Then he blocked it, in that circular motion but then as my arm went off to the side, he caught it and pulled me forward. Then he swung me round, making me trip on his outstretched foot and just as I was about to land hard on my back, he grabbed a fist full of my jacket. That way he could then lower me slowly to the floor and he followed his actions by twisting his body so that his knee landed next to me. I was left panting looking up at him with wide eyes.
“You did that on purpose,” I told him and he grinned down at me showing me a hint of fang. Then he lifted me up a little, still with a fist full of my jacket so that I was inches away from his face. At first, I was so close, I thought he was going to kiss me. But no, instead he ran his nose down the side of mine, breathed me in and then said in true Han Solo style,
“I know.” Then he dropped me with a not so ladylike ‘Humpf’ sound. He walked away and told me,
“Get up and let’s try it again.” I grumbled to myself as I got back on my feet.
“You don’t exactly play fair,” I told him.
“I never said I did, Kitten,” he responded and this time I decided to play him at his own game…well that was if I could actually achieve what I was planning.
“Oh, you wanna see a Kitten…I will show you a kitten, claws and all!” I said only his face said he wasn’t taking me seriously, well that was until I started running at him.
“Keira…? What are you…? Humpf!” He made the same noise I made when I landed with all my body weight into his chest as I ran into him. I took him completely off guard, jumping at the last minute and locking my legs around his waist. Then I grabbed his neck and hoisted myself up, moving around to his back and basically climbing him like a damn cat.
“Keira!” he shouted my name and spun around trying to get at me but I just laughed. Then I grabbed him by the hair and yanked his head to the side. Once there I lunged into his neck with my mouth and bit him without breaking the skin. He froze in shock by my actions and I smiled around the flesh I held. After a few seconds, I let go but I couldn’t help but whisper a cocky comment in his ear,
“See, even small kittens can bite.” The deep rumbling sound coming up from his chest was my only warning of revenge. He reached up so fast my arm was in his grasp before I knew it. Then he yanked me forward, so I rolled over his shoulder as he moved to one of the locker doors. Suddenly I found myself pressed up with my back against it. My legs were firmly around his waist, just so I could hold on to something.
Then he snarled down at me before he grabbed a fist full of my hair, yanked me to the side and now it was his teeth I quickly found at my neck. He growled low with my flesh still captive in his fangs and I held so still, being too scared to move from fear of him piercing me with one of them.
We both seemed locked into the position and I could feel his chest beating against my own. His with the thrill of it, mine with the fear of it. Then after long moments he let go of my tender flesh and licked at it once, twice, three times as if soothing away any hurt he caused. After this he put his lips softly to my ear and issued both a promise and a warning for the future…
“Yes, little kitten, but big cats bite harder.”
AUTHOR’S INSIGHTS
Chapter 26 – Book 3
Now it is time for our last few chapters from book 3 that didn’t make it. This next chapter was written as an alternative reaction to Keira’s utter devastation when seeing the footage of Draven and Aurora in Draven’s bed together. Now we all know that this was just a ploy of Layla’s to get Lucius to believe that the king no longer wanted Keira. But if she stupidly thought that this would end Lucius’ own obsession with his ‘Little Keira girl’ then she was very much mistaken.
However, after Keira’s refusal to believe it’s true, she asks her favourite little Imp to take her
back to face the man in question. Of course, she sees something she wasn’t bargaining for and now believes it is true. I have added the previous chapter as a recap so that you can get a sense of why Keira is so utterly heartbroken. But if you wish to skip it, then as usual I labelled the NEW part for you.
So, in this next chapter it simply shows how deeply Lucius’ feelings for Keira really are as he tries to deal with heartache the only way he knows how…found at the bottom of a liquor bottle.
So here it is…Lucius’ tender side to Heartbreak.
Chapter 26
Heartbreak.
Book 3
I woke the next morning after one of the most mind-boggling nights full of emotional rollercoasters, most of which I didn’t want to think about. I had learnt so much in one night but none of it had done me any good, if anything I just felt even more vulnerable than I did before. I lay on my back and found myself just staring at the ceiling trying to make some sense of the last thing that had happened. The last name on my lips I whispered again and my heart started pounding like a jack hammer.
“Lucius!” Just the name made me bolt upright with the memory of last night’s mistake. I realised I was still naked and couldn’t help but groan as more images of the man flooded into every corner of my mind. It was as though I could still feel his hands on me, those confident fingers gripping the material of my dress and ripping it away from my skin. I felt my cheeks get hot and I started shaking my head in shame. I had pleasured myself to the thought of Lucius touching me and I didn’t know what was worse, that I felt like I had somehow betrayed Draven or that Lucius had stood there the entire time and witnessed everything.
“Oh shit!” I groaned into the covers after pulling my knees up and cradling my fragile head with my hands.
“If I’m not mistaken, I would say that sounds like regret. That or your brain itches.” I groaned louder before looking up to find Pip sat on the end of my bed. I hadn’t even heard her come in let alone felt her sit down next to me.
“Let’s put it this way, I wish it was my brain that was itching, then I could try and scratch away certain memories.” I noted Pip’s half smile and couldn’t tell if it was one of understanding or tamed delight at my predicament.
“I take it things went well with Luc last night then?” When I groaned again and hid under the covers she laughed and said,
“Maybe not,” and then pulled the covers off my face.
“Well there is some good news,” she said ignoring my whiney moan.
“What’s that?” I said with a muffled voice from my hands still covering my face.
“Venger the bitch is gone and is no more,” she said winking at me and I smiled when I saw her crazy make-up that was painted over her eyelids. One was an open green eye painted like a Disney princess, impossibly wide and innocent looking. And the other, the one she had used to wink at me was another winking eye with exaggerated long lashes. Only Pip knew how to work craziness and get away with it, she still looked incredibly cute and pretty.
“Venger?” I asked not understanding who on earth she was talking about.
“Oh come on, please tell me you watched Dungeons & Dragons…you know, big bad pissed off guy, flies an even more pissed off looking black horse, one horn and wearing a very gay looking skirt, that if you ask me kinda spoils the whole bad ass dude thing but each to their own.” I shook my head and thought it was too damn early and my head was too damn fragile to be deciphering Pip’s wacky code.
“Please explain, Pip,” I said no longer holding my head in my hands but now holding the bridge of my nose in my fingers, trying in vain to ease the pounding drum headache I had building.
“Layla!” She said the name causing my head to shoot round as I scanned the room for my arch nemesis, the murderous bitch Layla.
“Not here, man someone needs a vacation at rancho relaxo. I was referring to Layla as being the baddie from Dungeons & Dragons but you ruined that bit of genius for me, so moving swiftly on…Layla has been made to leave so ding dong…”
“The witch is dead!” I finished and she gave me a face splitting smile.
“Now you got it! I mean, she isn’t dead but she might as well be, ‘cause being cast out by Lucius pretty much means bad things for her from now on.”
“What do you mean?” Pip leaned back on one out-stretched arm behind her back on the bed and looked at her nails before answering me, this time I think they were different retro sweets…was that a coke bottle she was picking at?
“I mean sister Toots, that Layla is a Vamp no longer to be.” She said this like she was reciting some Shakespeare play and waved her hand in the air like Hamlet without the skull.
“She is a Vamp?” I said in shock.
“She is and soon to be a ‘was’. You see dumpling, all Vamps are made by Lucius, he is like their father but he has the power to take back his gift if he chooses, which means all amplified gifts that he created get…well uncreated. All Vamps need to be around Lucius at some point each year to maintain a part of his essence, his mumbo juice if you like. But now she has been cast aside like a wet chamois when all a car needs is a good hot wax! She will soon find herself weak and that my dear is a fate worse than damnation to one of our kind.” She gave me one last look when she finished and started licking her cola bottle which had white glitter to represent the bubbles. Her pierced tongue flashed out and she ran it between her teeth, displaying the pink metal ball.
Well, what she had told me certainly gave me food for thought. I now at least understood why she had looked so distraught last night and I couldn’t help that the image made me smile. I mean, she did try and kill me and would no doubt try again given half the chance.
“Okay, so are you ready for flight on Pip ‘o’ Vision airways?” At this my head whipped up and Pip laughed at my enthusiasm.
“Now?” I said feeling both excited and wary at what I might find.
“Go shower and change Toots and I will wait for you, unless you want to be seen naked?” She nodded to the sheet barely covering my breasts and I flushed bright pink.
“Don’t worry Toots, I told ya before, you don’t have the right equipment to tempt me but if my tastes ever change from muscle to moobs then I might jump you.”
“Oi, you saying my breasts look like flabby man breasts?” I said trying not to smile at her obvious teasing.
“Me? Never! You have lovely breasts that look nothing like a man’s extra bits but if I ever fancy dressing Adam in drag then I would so go with the size of your beasties. Now go dress, you temptress you!” I got up and flicked her little nose after wrapping my body in the sheet. I could still hear her giggling when I walked into the bathroom.
After the quickest shower, I nearly fell out of the glass door to get ready quicker. I was still putting clothes on when my skin was damp and trying to get tight jeans on when water was still dripping down my hair to my legs was not the easiest task. I heard Pip call out when I slipped and managed to catch hold of the sink before falling hard on my butt.
“I’m fine!” I shouted before she came in here and found me tugging my waistband up with one hand and the other, half way sticking out of the arm of the sleeve of a soft light grey t-shirt. I looked like a failed contortionist getting dressed.
I pulled the top over my wet head and finished pulling up the jeans over the other side of my hip. I then pulled on a pair of full length leather gloves that went right up and over my elbows to my poor excuse for biceps. These were also soft and had finger holes so that half my fingers weren’t covered in the black leather.
I added a chunky soft knit cardigan in cream with grey flecks that matched the t-shirt and stonewash jeans I was wearing. I brushed through the knots in my hair as best I could and tied it up without having the time to dry it fully. I couldn’t find any socks so I walked back into the living space barefoot trying to ignore the cold under my feet.
“Wow, that was quick!” Pip commented as I sat down opposite her in the same chair I had been in th
e first time I had taken a transatlantic flight on Pip Airways and what a mind trip it had been.
“You ready, Toots?” I thought about her question and answered honestly.
“No, but go for it anyway,” I said taking a deep breath. I knew this was what I needed to do to find the truth but that didn’t mean I was sure of the outcome. I wanted to believe it was all lies but with the image of Draven up against Aurora in the same bed where we had first shared our bodies with each other was playing in my mind like a recurring nightmare.
Pip slapped her hands to the arm rests with her elbows sticking up in the air and heaved herself up. It was only now that I really took in today’s outfit as I was so used to waking up to see a living rainbow sat on my bed it was becoming less of a shock.
She now wore a see-through hooped skirt that was covered in rows of fluffy pompoms in electric, luminous colours but I was happy to see that she at least tried to cover up her female goodies with a pair of black latex hot pants. This she topped off with a bright turquoise bustier with a pretty butterfly print that pushed up her little breasts. It also had some 3D wings that looked to be made from glass like you would find in a window catching the sun. This would have been quite a normal top for Pip to wear if not for the added four inch, wide ribbon in hot pink that was wound round her torso in random angles that slashed across her bare shoulders and arms only to finish hanging loosely on her wrists like large cuffs.
The Forbidden Chapters Part 1: Afterlife Saga Page 30