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“Absolutely.” He smiled down at me.
I stood on my tiptoes and brushed my lips over his ear as I whispered, “Next time we have a movie-binging day, let’s make it a ‘no clothes’ and ‘no work’ kind of day.” The thought of lying tangled together with him, my skin flush against his, sent a jolt of desire straight to my clit. I clenched my thighs.
“Sounds perfect,” he said, his breath warm on my neck. “Why don’t we go do that right now?”
“Believe me, I wish we could.” My eyes sparkled as I glanced over at the training grounds where Kyle was waiting for me. “But duty calls.”
“Fine.” Ridge pressed a quick kiss to my forehead before releasing me from his embrace. “Go help your brother. I’ll be here when you’re done.”
“Thanks,” I said gratefully, giving his hand another squeeze before heading back to Kyle.
“Hey,” Kyle said as I approached. “I need you to help me show them this move.” He gestured to the group of young shifters watching us.
“Of course.” I stepped into position beside him. We went through the motions, Kyle explaining each step as we moved fluidly together.
That’s when I caught Jaxon’s scent, and my head snapped up to find him standing just outside the circle of trainees. Curiosity shone in his eyes as he watched the proceedings, but there was something else there, too. Something that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
“Hey, Jaxon,” I said cautiously, trying to gauge his intentions. “What brings you here?”
“Curiosity,” he said simply, his gaze never leaving the group of shifters. “I wanted to see how you all trained.”
“Uh-huh,” I said skeptically, watching as Kyle’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. My brother wasn’t pleased by Jaxon’s presence, but he’d been a bit of an ass all day. I figured it had something to do with Audrey skipping training today.
“Are you here to spar or just gawk?” Kyle asked, his irritation getting the better of him.
Jaxon’s eyes shifted to meet Kyle’s, a hint of amusement glinting in them. “I don’t mind sparring if someone needs a partner.”
“Good.” Kyle stepped forward to face him.
“Kyle,” I said, my hand reaching out to grab his arm. “Don’t let your emotions get the best of you.”
“Relax, Tori,” he said dismissively, shaking off my grip. “I just want to see if he can back up all that talk.” He turned back to Jaxon. “Come on then, old man, let’s see what you’ve got to offer. Do you want me to go easy on your old bones, or are you happy for me to treat you the same as the younger shifters?” Kyle seemed to be purposefully trying to get a rise out of Jaxon, but if he was offering to go easy on him, he’d clearly been more injured than he’d let on after the vampire threw him into the car. I’d watched my dad fight, and he’d held his own pretty well against the vampire.
Jaxon’s expression never changed. “Don’t hold back any punches for me. I don’t need you to make any allowances for my age.Pup.”
I groaned. I should just get Kyle a spade and let him dig his own grave here and now. Jaxon turned to me and winked. “It’s fine. I promise not to hurt him too badly. I’ll go for his ego, not his pretty face.”
“Pfft.” Kyle circled Jaxon. “You’ll be lucky to land one hit on me. It’s not me I’m worried about. Does shifter healing slow down as you get older? I sure hope not, because I’m guessing you’ll need it when I’m done.”
I could only sigh and shake my head as I went to stand beside Ridge, who wrapped an arm around my waist. “Stubborn as always,” I said under my breath as my brother and my father circled each other.
“Your brother has his reasons.” Ridge gave me a gentle squeeze.
The sparring match between Kyle and Jaxon was intense from the start. Unlike the other wolves in training, Kyle didn’t hold back, throwing powerful punches and delivering swift kicks. Jaxon, although not looking like the fighting type, managed to dodge and counter most of Kyle’s attacks with surprising agility.
“Come on, Kyle!” I cheered, clapping my hands together even though this whole situation wasn’t ideal.
The fight progressed, and soon they were both drenched in sweat. Neither wanted to give up. Eventually, with a well-timed sweep of his leg, Jaxon knocked Kyle off balance and pinned him to the ground. Kyle struggled beneath him, his face contorted with frustration before finally tapping out.
“All right, all right,” he grunted, accepting defeat. “You win.”
Jaxon released him and held out a hand to help him up. Reluctantly, my brother took it, and the two stood facing each other, chests heaving. I couldn’t deny that Jaxon had earned a bit more of my respect by besting Kyle. It wasn’t an easy feat.
“Can we talk now?” Kyle asked Jaxon through gritted teeth, clearly done beating around the bush. He gestured for the older wolf to follow him a few steps away from the others, out of earshot. I trailed behind, curiosity gnawing at me.
“Tell us about our mother,” Kyle said, his voice strained. “How is it that she was with you, a wolf shifter, when she was a hunter?”
Jaxon hesitated, looking between Kyle and me with a wistful expression. Anticipation and fear mingled inside me as I waited for him to speak.
