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Pursing my lips, I try to decide how to answer him but finally choose the truth. “My trial was a bit rough, so I’ve been recovering.”
The smile drops from his face, his brow furrowing as he lowers to the grass beside me. He tries to hide it, but I don’t miss the glance he shoots at my scarred legs. “Yeah, I heard you were badly injured.” He pauses, and I can tell he’s trying to decide how to word his next comment. “You should have seen Joel, he was a mess. I’ve never seen him so worried.”
When I saw him in the healers’ compound, he looked concerned and I could feel his worry, but it was controlled, much like the male himself. If he was a mess as Jackson’s saying, then he must have been out of his mind with fear, something I’m not used to seeing on him.
I feel a tug in my chest, and I look over and see the huge male in question slowly making his way towards us. Our love making this morning seems like a lifetime ago, and I’m already missing the feel of his hands on my body.
Feeling my blood warming, I clear my throat and look at Jackson, needing to change the subject. “How are you doing? You seem remarkably unscathed.”
There’s a glint in his eyes that tells me he knows exactly why I’m changing the subject, but thankfully, he keeps it to himself. Huffing out a sigh, he rubs his hand across his face. “That last trial was tough, but I’m still here to tell that tale.” He says it jokingly, but I see the pain in his eyes. Whoever it was in his challenge is haunting him. I’m curious, but I keep my mouth shut. I won’t speak about mine to him, so I don’t expect him to do it either.
“Jackson, please stop bothering my mate,” Joel calls out, and I can’t stop myself from turning towards him, flushing with pride at him calling me his mate in public.
Getting to his feet, Jackson offers me his hand and helps me up. He quickly lets go when he notices Joel’s lips pulling back in a snarl, the mating bond not liking the other male touching me.
He takes a step back, making it look casual as he turns his attention to his alpha. “Don’t worry, cousin, I’m not giving away all your embarrassing stories. Like that time you were jealous of all the sparkly clothes the girls got to wear to the Christmas party, so you covered yourself in glitter to—”
“That’s enough of that.” Joel says it with a roll of his eyes and a hint of a smile now that his bond isn’t being so possessive. There is an order there, though, one I know the other male will follow. “Go join the pack, I’ll be there in a moment.”
Knowing that if I laugh it will only make things more tense between the cousins, I hide my grin behind my hand, watching mirth dance in Jackson’s eyes. Unable to hold himself back, he just grins and winks at me, jogging off in the direction Joel just came from.
My mate watches the other male leave with a shake of his head. It must be so difficult to manage his responsibilities as alpha of his pack, my mate, and a contestant in the trials.
The need to touch him is strong now that he’s only a couple of feet away, and I give into the temptation, placing a hand on his arm. That quickly brings his attention from the retreating male to me, and his expression warms as I step in close.
“So, you like glitter?” I ask with a sly smile.
He tips his head back and laughs, and my heart expands with joy at seeing him happy. When he meets my gaze again, his eyes are dancing. This is what I want—happiness where we don’t have to restrain ourselves or risk our lives in these stupid trials.There are only three left, just survive the last three, I remind myself.
“I have to get back to my pack. Will you be okay?” He’s reluctant to leave me, and the bond is already pining in my chest at the idea of him going. However, I push that feeling aside. I am perfectly capable of being on my own, my bond is just a needy bitch.
Someone calls my name, and I look up to see Selina and my father waving as they cross the park. A fond smile pulls at my lips as I watch them approach. “My family is here now, so I’ll be fine.”
Leaning down, he presses a kiss against my cheek, and a caress reaches me through the bond, telling me he wishes he could do a lot more than just give me a chaste kiss. “Enjoy yourself, I’ll see you later.”
Cheeks flushed, I watch him walk away. He did that on purpose. I feel his amusement as he leaves me flustered. Bastard.
“Little moon.”
As soon as I hear my father’s voice, I forget about my embarrassment and throw myself into his open arms. My legs are still painful, so I stumble into him, but he holds me up, supporting me like he always has. Chuckling, he keeps me upright, his eyes scanning me for any new signs of injury.
“Hey, Dad. Hey, Selina,” I greet, linking my arms with theirs before leading them towards an empty park bench. “Tell me everything that’s been going on in the pack since I’ve been gone.”
I don’t want to talk about the trials or my injuries, so I picked a topic that I knew would be safe. Selina’s eyes light up, and she claps her hands together in glee. “You’ll never guess who your father found kissing around the back of the hotel last night!”
As I listen to the latest gossip, the rest of the pack slowly joins us, and we have a picnic in the park. Conversation is light, and it’s exactly what I needed. I fully intend to make the most of this time we have together, as I have no idea if I might get this opportunity again.
ChapterEleven
Islam onto the ground with a loudthwack, and my back barks in pain. Wincing, I stare up at the ceiling, my chest heaving as I try to catch my breath.
I think it’s safe to say that training is kicking my ass.
Oh, I’m getting stronger, but these males have trained for years, and I’ve only had a couple of days, so sparring with them usually results in me landing on my ass, and that’s even with them holding back.
Scott’s face appears above me. He’s trying not to smile, but I can tell he’s amused. “Are you okay?”
It’s the final full day of our week off. The celebration is tonight, and then the next trials will begin. Scott, Joel, and his cousin Jackson have been helping to train me. Every moment I’m not with my pack, or Joel’s pack, I’m training in the gym, rotating who I practice with so I don’t get too used to sparring with any one person. We managed to secure a separate room where no one could watch us, not that it would matter right now as it’s barely seven in the morning and we’ve already been here for an hour.
