Chapter 6: Straight Through the Heart

Dominique's POV

Out of all the things I thought might happen when I was sold to Griffin, I never would have imagined that I would be doing what I was about to do.

"Hold the sword steady," Griffin called across the green, "You can't hit your target if you're waving it around like that!"

After that insane meeting in the War Room, Griffin took me aside and told me that since I was a member of his pack now, I needed to learn how to defend myself. He said that all pack members, both male and female, were required to learn basic methods of keeping themselves safe. It was a pack rule. I agreed with that particular rule, especially given everything I'd been through over the past month. However, I thought he would take me to a seminar on how to ward off an attacker. His solution was surprising to say the least.

"But it's so heavy," I complained, blowing my bangs out of my eyes in frustration for about the tenth time that morning, "How am I supposed to be able to hit anybody with this thing when it weighs more than I do?"

I must look ridiculous, I thought, waving the wooden training sword around, trying to stab dummies filled with straw. I could barely hit the stationary targets. I couldn't imagine how I would be able to make contact with someone able to run away! Or worse still, someone who could hit back. I sincerely doubted that my attacker was going to hold still, smiling, waiting for me to stab them with this thing.

"You're making this harder than it is," he replied, grinning in amusement at my efforts.

I had succeeded in hitting my target. However, my sword was stuck in the straw body, and I was struggling to free it. Griffin finally took pity on me, and removed the weapon himself. He handed it back to me with a smile.

"Ok, I'm going to help you with your stance," he said, standing behind me, "You're going to hold the weapon like this." He held my arm gently in place, guiding my body into the right position. He barely touched me. In fact, he made a point of maintaining his distance. But the moment he came close to me, I caught his scent. It was the most incredible thing I had ever smelled in my life. He smelled like pine trees, freshly cut grass in summer, and autumn leaves all rolled together into one heady fragrance. All of my favorite things.

"Nice aftershave," I commented without thinking, "What is it?I don't recognize it." I turned to look at him, and we locked eyes for just a moment. Less than thirty seconds. But I could have sworn I saw desire flare in his. It was fleeting, and before I could be certain he dropped his gaze and motioned to the weapon again.

"I don't wear aftershave," he mumbled, and I definitely didn't imagine that he increased the distance between us, "Go on, I want you to attack that dummy now. Imagine someone who made you angry. Someone you really, really don't like, and hit that thing with all you've got!"

I sighed, confused at his behavior and annoyed at myself for asking such a personal question. Why had I done that? Apparently, I needed to learn how to protect myself in more ways than one. I ran toward the dummy as he suggested, and gave it a good thwack with my weapon. To my surprise, I managed to hit it that time.

"Straight through the heat, great work!" Griffin told me with a wide grin, "Keep working at it, and before you know it, you'll be unstoppable!" I doubted that, but I felt a thrill that I had pleased him. I hadn't consciously been seeking his approval. And yet, attaining it gave me a surprising amount of satisfaction.

***

Griffin's POV

She was so gorgeous, it was damn near impossible for me to get through the lesson without fantasizing about throwing her down in the grass and having her. Right there in the sunlight. There was no one around. We wouldn't be seen. I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration. Why on earth was she having this effect on me, I wondered, what was it about her?

"Ok, now you are going to need to fight me off," I told her, wincing internally at the double entendre, "I mean, imagine, I'm a rogue wolf. You need to defend yourself. How are you going to do it?"

I felt like a rogue wolf, I thought, half crazed with lust every time I looked at her. It had to be just lust, I thought, as intense as it might feel, it's not a big deal. I would get over it. I would control myself, and get over it, and then everything would be fine.

"I would go for the heart, like this," she said, raising her weapon slightly and angling it the way I'd taught her, "And then, if he came any closer, I would do this." She brought down her sword with surprising accuracy in front of me.

"Well done," I assured her, and was rewarded with a smile that would probably melt the heart of even a rogue wolf, "You're getting there. Why don't we take a break? I've worked you pretty hard today. You need to eat, and drink some water."

She nodded, slightly out of breath, and we walked to the shade of an apple tree at the far end of the field. I took out the cooler I'd brought with us, and tossed her a bottle of water and a bag of nuts. She caught them both easily, and we sat down together in the relative cool of the tree's shelter.

"Where did you learn to fight?" she asked me, pausing to drink from her bottle, "You make it look so easy! I don't think I could ever get that good at it, ever."

"My father taught me," I replied with a shrug, "It's just something we did in our family. My dad was taught by his father, and his father before him. It's just practice, that's all. You're much better at it than you think, by the way. You've only just started, and you're doing really well." It was true, actually. I hadn't thought such a fragile looking woman would be able to defend herself as well as Dominique could. I had clearly underestimated her.

"Thank you," she replied demurely, the hint of a blush staining her alabaster skin a light pink, "It appears that I have a good teacher. Actually, can I ask you a question?" Looking at her in the deepening twilight, I realized that she probably could have asked me for absolutely anything and I would have given it to her. I realized that I was probably lucky a question was all she requested.

"Sure," I replied lightly, "What would you like to know?"

"That pack rule, about how all members need to know how to defend themselves," she said, tentatively, "It was you who made that a rule, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was," I told her, "It was the first rule I made as Alpha. My job is, above everything else, to keep everyone in my pack safe. It just made sense to me." And it's why you're here in the first place, I thought to myself, I need to keep you safe. I have no idea why, but I do.

"I'm glad you did," she replied with a smile, "That felt good. Learning how to defend myself. I liked it. It's a good rule. Thank you."

"I'm glad you feel that way," I said with a grin, "Because we're going to be doing this training for a while. I hope you still feel that way tomorrow morning, when your muscles are sore and you're cursing me in your head for making you do this."

"Oh, I'll probably be cursing you out loud too," she said with a teasing glint in her eyes, "But I'll still feel that way. I promise."

I hoped that was true, because I found myself already looking forward to our next session. I also wondered how in the hell I was going to defend myself against how I was starting to feel about her. Too bad there wasn't a self defense class for that, I thought grimly.