AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I fuckinghatebeing put on the spot like this. And I’m also not a fan of the way he’s talking about my mate like she’s a slab of meat rather than an actual human being. I feel like I’m really starting to know Lo, and she’s so much more than a pretty face and a hot body. Add in the fact that he just suggested he’d liketo fuck her, and my wolf is suddenly plotting where to bury his body.
“Lay off, Ares,” Maddox admonishes, mopping the sweat from his brow with a towel as he strolls over to join us. He’s shirtless, but if he’s trying to intimidate me by showing off his cut physique, he’s missed his mark because I’m no slouch either. I don’t need to show off my muscles to prove my strength- the reps I just did on the bench while barely breaking a sweat say enough.
Maddox- orMadd, as everyone seems to call him- glances at the weights on either end of the bar, and I can practically see his wheels turning while he mentally adds them up. “Not bad,” he comments, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as he tips his head toward the bar.
I shrug a shoulder casually. “I don’t get in a real gym often, so I usually have to guess at where to start and work my way up.”
Truthfully, I know I can lift more weight than what’s currently pinned to the bar. But these guys aren’t showing all their cards yet and neither am I. We’re still a ways off from being able to trust one another, but them inviting me here to their security training center is a sure sign that I’m making some headway in broaching their inner circle. Recounting it to my mom should be enough to keep her off my back for at least a few days.
“You guys are lucky, this is really nice,” I comment, making a show of looking around the expansive gym. “This whole place is impressive. I can’t believe you’ve got an entire facility like this dedicated to security, no wonder the six-pack alliance has the reputation it does.” I push up from the weight bench to stand, shaking out my arms. “So when do I get the full tour?”
“We don’t typically make a habit of giving strangers a tour of our security protocols,” Madd scoffs, tossing his towel down and stabbing his fingers through his sweat-damp hair. “No offense.”
“Hey, none taken,” I reply jovially, holding up my hands. “Taking precautions is never a bad thing.”
“Not saying you’ve got bad intentions,” Archer cuts in from across the room. He lets go of the bar on the lat pull machine and stands up, the weights slamming down with a loud clang. “Just that the jury’s still out.”
I nod in his direction. “I get it.”
“You think some of your people would be interested in joining up here if you stay?” Tristan asks, dropping onto the bench I just vacated and slinging a towel around his neck, gripping it on either side. “No doubt we could use the extra hands if the hunters show up.”
“Yeah, definitely. There’s a handful that would jump at the chance.”
Maddox swipes a tattooed hand over his chin. “Good to know,” he murmurs. “We’ve got a solid team here, but like Tris said, it wouldn’t hurt to consider bulking up our numbers, especially if they’re already trained.”
“Well, we don’t have any formal training like this,” I say, gesturing around me in reference to the massive facility we’re in right now, “but my pack can hold their own in a fight. Haven’t had to, since our last brush with the hunters a couple years back, but that doesn’t mean we’ve grown complacent by any means.”
“Any firearms training?” Iver asks hopefully, grabbing his water bottle and coming over to join the rest of us.
I shrug again. “Some. Probably wouldn’t hurt to brush up.”
Iver turns to Maddox, nudging him with an elbow. “They could probably join our training sessions, right?”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Madd grumbles, as if he’s just realized how presumptuous this conversation has become. “The council still has to vote.”
“You’ve got my vote, Javi,” Ares declares. He grins, slapping a hand against my back and leaning in. “I could use a new wingman. These guys are useless.”
Iver snorts a laugh. “Hey, just because girls are more interested in me doesn’t mean I’m a bad wingman. It means you’ve gotta up your own game.”
“Or stop going for girls that are out of your league,” Archer jokes.
Ares makes a face at him which only makes his brother’s grin widen.
“Come to think of it, I was Arch’s wingman the night he met Kaylie,” Iver says with a wink. “Clearly, I’m not the one who’s lacking.”
“Like he needed any help landing Kaylie Jones,” Tristan snickers.
Archer shoots him a menacing glare. “You’d better watch how you talk about my girl, Masters.”
“Oh yeah, whatcha gonna do about it, Raines?” Tristan fires back, standing up from the bench and advancing toward Archer.
If it wasn’t for the teasing lilt to their tones, I’d be concerned that they’re actually being serious right now. Judging by the smirkson both of their faces, though, it’s clear that they’re just messing around, looking for an excuse to spar. The two of them collide and start grappling, everyone else chuckling to themselves as we collectively step back to give them space.
“Mats!” Maddox barks, and the two of them break apart just long enough to head over to the sparring mats, Archer taking Tristan down onto one as soon as they reach it.
“So c’mon, Javi, whaddya say?” Ares asks, picking up right where he left off. He slings an arm around my shoulders, waggling his brows as he leans in. “We could hit ladies’ night at the Stillwater Tap, pick up a couple of she-wolves…”
I’m no stranger to picking up girls at bars for one-night stands, but suddenly, nothing about that prospect sounds appealing to me.
