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“Am I doing it right?” Elara asks. Her face has a light sheen of sweat, making her almost seem to glisten as she turns to look up at the older wolf.
“You’re a very fast learner. You’ll be a formidable opponent for anyone before long.”
Elara beams up at him, her trepidation when she arrived all but gone as Denzel praises her.
Kade has to admit that she’s developing faster than he ever imagined. He’s proud of her, but there’s something deeper inside his chest. Something deeper than pride and admiration for the woman he’s been watching so carefully. He feels possessive of her, of the creature she’s becoming. She’s his, after all, is she not? His skin bristles, hair standing on edge as his body tries to shift with his rising emotions.
No, she’s not yours. She was never meant to be yours!
Kade closes his eyes tight, fighting for control of his inner wolf and these misplaced thoughts of possession for Elara. That’s not what he’s here for. He’s just supposed to watch her, protect her.
If there’s anyone fated to be with her, it’s Laith.
“What about my magic? Can you teach me that as well?”
Elara’s voice makes Kade’s eyes flash open again.
“I don’t have magic, Elara, so what I can teach is limited. But later, I can take you to someone who does. Not today, though. You’ve gone above and beyond my expectations in the last few hours, but I don’t want to strain your body. We should stop now and meet again tomorrow, same time, same place.”
“Are you sure? I feel like I’m just getting started,” Elara says.
Denzel lowers his gaze and smirks before letting his gaze dart right to where Kade is hiding in the bushes. “Yes, I’m sure. While you’re on your own though, I want you to focus on honing your wolf’s senses. Especially smell. Here—” he takes a handkerchief from his pocket and hands it to her. “I want you to use this for my scent. Tomorrow when you come here, you’ll have to find me. If you don’t, I won’t train you that day. Or any day until you do.”
Kade is frozen in place, realizing that Denzel’s known the whole time that he’s been there. The handkerchief is to teach her to recognize scents and track them. He’s teaching her to know where Kade is, he’s sure of it. Kade slowly backs away from the bushes, proverbial hackles raised.
“I have to find you? That seems a little more advanced than I’m ready for…” Elara’s protests fade as Kade puts more and more distance between them.
What Denzel is asking is not out of the ordinary, it’s quite smart. Elara will realize quickly that it will be simple, she is just doubting her abilities right now. She’ll learn quickly, and Kade will have to be even more covert in his surveillance.
Kade knows what Guy will say when he tells him about this. He’ll tell Kade to keep Elara away from Denzel and his pack by any means necessary. Part of Kade really wanted to listen to Guy, to respect him, but if Kade can't train Elara then somebody should. Maybe if she stayed away from the pack and only dealt with Denzel… No, that would never work. If she becomes involved with them, the pack mentality will be too much for her to ignore.
She needs to be with Guy and Kade. That’s the only option. Of course, it had nothing to do with these possessive feelings brewing inside him.
Kade follows Elara as she walks home, making sure to keep far enough away so she doesn’t notice. She’s almost home when she stops and turns her head slightly behind her. Kade freezes,becoming one with the shadows of a nearby tree along the road, watching her.
She turns and looks back the way she came with intense scrutiny before she pulls out Denzel’s handkerchief from her pocket and brings it to her nose. The flesh on the bridge of her nose scrunches as if the scent is foul, and then with a determined gaze, she starts stalking back the way she came. Her nose to the air, she passes Kade without even realizing he was there.
“Elara?” he calls out, making her start in surprise. “Where are you going?” He’s leaning against the tree trying to look like he was just there for a rest.
“I knew someone was following me.” She glares at him, her hands on her hips. “What do you want, Kade? Why do you keep appearing everywhere I am? Should I call the police?”
Knowing the facade is over, Kade pushes off the tree and grabs Elara’s arm. He pulls her into the shadows, putting her between him and the tree at her back. “You need to stay away from that man,” he says between clenched teeth.
Elara’s already wide eyes grow wider as her brows shoot up. “Who, Denzel? What do you care? He’s teaching me self-defense, but obviously,youalready know that!” She yanks her arm out of Kade’s hand and stares up at him bravely.
Kade seethes at the absence of contact and leans in closer. She can’t know that he knows what she is, or that he knows about Denzel, but he has to warn her. She has to know the truth about the alpha and his pack.
“Listen, Denzel…he’s part of a community. A group of people. They’re…they’re like a cult. Once you get involved with them, you’ll never get away. It’s not safe!”
“At least he’s not stalking me like some kind of creep! He approached me in broad daylight and made himself known. You? You just happen to be around every corner!” Elara shoves Kade, but he grabs her hands and holds them to his chest.
“You don’t understand!” he almost shouts. “He’s not safe to be around. You’re not safe with him.”
“Like I’m safe with mystalker?Why do you even care, Kade? What is your problem? Let me go!”
“Why do I care?” Kade chuckles darkly before his body reacts on its own. He pushes Elara into the tree and presses his body against hers. With his nose a fraction of an inch away from hers, he tilts his head and whispers. “If only you knew how much I cared, Elara.” Her name leaves his mouth in a passionate whisper, and he watches her throat bob as she swallows nervously.
Elara’s body tenses for a moment, and then relaxes. Her heartbeat speeds up and when her eyes meet his, her lashes flutter. “W-what are you?—”
