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  “And history tends to repeat itself,” she mumbled.

  “Do you honestly believe that?” I asked, while holding her by the hips. “You are my mate and my child lives inside of you. I would sacrifice the world to be with you.”

  “Landon…”

  “Cynthia was nothing more than an attempt to scratch an itch. But you’re the missing piece that has finally made me whole.”

  She rested her head on my chest. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so jealous. It’s just, the thought of you with someone else… I don’t know, it sort of ate me up inside.”

  “I know.” I kissed the top of her head. “It’s only natural and I do not blame you for feeling that way, so long as you also come to realize that we are your lifelong mates and that we would never exchange your love for that of a different woman.”

  She nodded.

  “Good. Now, before we pay Cynthia a visit, there was something I wanted to do today.”

  “Me?” She responded cheekily.

  I laughed. “Yes. Always yes. But that wasn’t what I had in mind, surprisingly enough.”

  “What then?”

  “Roman has been teaching you the art of running and that is all well and good, because it’ll allow you to escape quite a few tricky situations but running isn’t always an option. Sometimes, when your back is up against a wall, all you can do is fight and I want you to be prepared when that moment comes. Because if we aren’t around then it will be your job to protect the baby.”

  She gulped. “You mean, in case the enemy pack decides to attack us.”

  “I do not want to scare you but it is within the realm of possibilities. We are doing our best to keep you protected but it is physically impossible for us to watch your wellbeing every minute of every day.” I paused to ensure that she was alright. Yes, there was a certain element of fear in her eyes but it hadn’t spilled over to her expression. “I would just feel more comfortable if you were capable of defending yourself.”

  “Right,” she said, without a single ounce of hesitation. “If it means keeping the baby safe, then I am more than eager to learn.”

  “Be careful,” was all that Roman said, before he walked away, leaving me in charge of her training.

  “It is best if we take this outside,” I directed.

  ***

  While Jane was fast, she wasn’t very coordinated.

  “Whoa, there,” I eased her into my arms to prevent her from falling. “You need to be more careful about where you are placing your feet.”

  “Tell me again why I have to fight in my human form? Aren’t I weaker this way?”

  “Because we can’t go shifting into our wolf forms in the human world. The humans, on a general level, are not open-minded enough to accept the existence of our kind. And even if they did — they would answer with annihilation.”

  “I think you’re being a little overdramatic —”

  I interrupted her with a jab, catching her off guard. In an ideal situation, she would have been quick enough to block my attack but instead, she took the entire brunt of it and stumbled back, colliding with a nearby tree.

  “Hey! That wasn’t fair!”

  “Do you expect the enemy to warn you before they attack? Do you expect them to fight fair?” I had her pinned where she stood, my voice a snarl. “Do you expect them to play nice, because, trust me, that’s not going to happen. They’ll take everything from you and they won’t think twice about doing it. They’ll rip that baby right out of you. Why? Because they are sick and twisted, that’s why. And all I’m trying to do is protect you from that but it seems to me like you just don’t get it.”

  She blinked and the tears came rolling down her cheeks.

  “Jane?” I whispered, feeling like I had just been slapped in the face. Stepping back, I gave her the space she needed to run away from me and that’s exactly what she did.

  “You were too harsh with her,” came Roman’s voice. “You must remember that she is pregnant and she is battling a whole slew of different emotions. I cannot imagine that it is helpful to have you yelling at her.”

  “I was just trying to help her — to protect her…” I didn’t know what to think because I had never stopped to think that maybe I was doing more harm than good. “I need to talk to her.”

  “I wouldn’t. Give her some space. I am sure she will come around when the time is right.”

  ***

  I slept alone that night. Or rather, I attempted to sleep alone but that nightly bliss never came my way. I was left staring at the night sky.

  The stars twinkled with their usual brightness as if mocking me and my mistakes.

  I never should have spoken to my mate in such a way, I thought to myself. She deserves better than that.

  “Landon?” I had been so caught up in my own thoughts that I hadn’t heard her approach. But as soon as I heard that voice, I knew it was her.

  “What is it?” I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral.

  “I wanted to apologize.”

  “Apologize?” I turned to look at her but she was already sitting down.

  “No, no,” I protested. “The ground is cold. Here.” I gave up the pelt I had been using as a bed.

  “Maybe we could share?” she suggested.

  “I’d like that.” It was a tight squeeze but we managed. Shoulder to shoulder, we sat there for a while. I waited for her to say something but that something never came, so I was the one to finally break the ice. “Why did you come out here? Did Roman put you up to it?”

  “Roman is fast asleep,” she answered. “He doesn’t know that I’m here with you.”

  I raised an eyebrow, trying to comprehend the situation.

  “I want to continue our training.”

  “If it makes you uncomfortable —”

  “Of course it makes me uncomfortable to have you screaming in my face and pushing me around but I realize that it is a necessary evil that will prepare me for the future. The wolves that killed our pack are still out there, it is our duty to avenge those that have fallen.” It was like she had taken a page right out of my agenda. “And I want to be a part of it when it finally happens.”

  “You know I would never ask you to put yourself in danger like that.”

  “I know,” she said, as she took my hand and placed it over her heart. “But it is not your decision to make — it’s mine.”

  “So, you’re sure about this? You realize that it will be grueling and that I will not be easy on you?”

  “I understand. And I just want you to know that I am not going down without a fight!”

  “That’s what I like to hear!” I responded with a grin. “How about we start right now?”

  “No time like the present.” She was up and on her feet before I could even offer her a hand of assistance. A second later, she was lunging my way in what seemed to be some sort of surprise attack. It was easy enough to dodge but she was quick with the rebound.

  “Looks like someone means business.”

  “Always,” she grinned, throwing a punch.

  I caught her punch and deflected it. “Oh, I’m going to work you tonight.”

  “Work me real good,” she countered.

  Chapter 19: Jane

  After a month of nonstop training, I felt like a stunt double for a movie. The number of gnarly tricks I could do was enough to make me feel like a badass. And it didn’t even matter that I was pregnant. Plus, I was still in my earlier trimesters so my stomach wasn’t big enough to get in the way.

  “Focus.” Landon was quick to reprimand me as I got lost within my own thoughts. A bamboo stick came flying my way. I heard its swish and jumped out of harm’s way at the last possible moment. I held out my arms, balancing myself on a small tree trunk.

  “Always watch your back,” came Roman’s warning before he came lunging toward me in his wolf form. His upper lip was pulled back, revealing his deadly set of teeth. If I di
dn’t know any better, I would have feared the possibility of having my throat ripped out.

  Quickly, I rolled onto the ground, lying flat on my back. A second later, I transformed and barreled into the side of his body, using my head as a battering ram.

  Landon was ready with a gun, silver bullets lining the chamber. The whole myth about werewolves hating silver was just that — a myth. But the boys liked to use it in an ironic fashion.

  Bang!

  I swear, had I delayed a moment more.

  “Quicker!” he barked. “Is this how you expect to survive?”

  With a pivot, I faced my lover. My transformation was swift and flawless. I held up my hands, feigning defeat. “You’ve got me,” I said. “I’m too weak to resist. Please, all I ask is that you do not hurt my baby.”

  “Huh? You’re going to be that quick to give up?” Roman walked up behind me and that’s when I made my move. I planted my left foot into the ground, using it as a stabilizer as I rotated my right leg towards his body. It crashed into his midsection, winding him just enough that he doubled over, panting for breath. I didn’t give him the opportunity to recuperate. Oh, no. I snapped my arms around his neck and pinned him against my chest.

  “A classic chokehold,” commented Landon. “Very impressive. And must I say that your little moment of deceit was very well placed.”

  Seeing as Roman was turning a little blue, I decided to let him go. He collapsed onto the ground. “Jeez. Were you trying to kill me?”

  “Maybe,” I said, trying to stifle a laugh. “It’s a shame that you werewolves don’t believe in life insurance…”

  “Shifters,” he corrected. “Actually, you know what? I don’t care. Werewolves. Shifters. Call us whatever you want — just don’t you ever do that to me again!”

  “Sounds like someone is scared.”

  “I’m not scared. I’m just not fond of people choking me. I get that some people are into that but I’m not one of them.”

  “I’m sorry. Next time I’ll go easy on you.” I could tell that Roman was getting upset but I just couldn’t help myself. Roman makes himself so easy to tease because he always gives you such a reaction. “And I’ll tell you what. Maybe tonight I can give you one of those massages that you like so much.”

  “Are you attempting to bribe me right now?”

  “I’m only trying to make you feel better, as any girlfriend should strive to do.”

  In the middle of our conversation, Landon took off, disappearing among the trees.

  “What the hell are you doing?” I asked. It was still a strange form of communication to talk to my mates telepathically but I was starting to get the hang of it. Although, half the time, I felt like a downright crazy person.

  No answer.

  I glanced over at Roman who offered nothing more than a shrug.

  “Do you think that something’s wrong?”

  “Doubt it,” said Roman. “If there was something wrong, he would have told us.”

  “Then why run off like that?”

  “Landon is a strange individual. Trying to understand him is like trying to understand a black hole.”

  “Okay…” I waited a few minutes for his return. I was starting to lose my patience. “Maybe we should go after him. He could be in trouble.”

  “Landon can handle himself.” Roman was collecting firewood and gathering it into a pile. “Frankly, I am more concerned with dinner and so should you be. That baby needs to eat.”

  “You make it sound like I’m starving the little guy.”

  “Well, you haven’t eaten much besides takeout Chinese food.”

  “They’re called cravings and I cannot help it if the baby enjoys eating a copious amount of orange chicken.”

  “So, let me take a wild guess here and say that you’d like me to order some?”

  “Yes please and some chow mien too. Tell them to go light on the sauce. I think it messed me up last time.”

  “And you want to eat it again?”

  “It didn’t kill me.”

  “The logic there is impeccable.”

  “Isn’t it?”

  “Anyway, do you think that three orders of the orange chicken will be enough?”

  “Two should be fine.”

  “That’s what you said last time and then you ended up eating most of our food. I’m not going to bed hungry tonight.” Roman was making such a fuss over something so insignificant. Yes, I was pregnant and yes, I was eating for two but I wasn’t some monster that just devoured everything in sight.

  “Um, yes, you are,” quipped Roman.

  “Get out of my head!”

  “I can’t,” he said. “Mind link, remember?”

  I grabbed the nearest rock I could find and threw it in his direction. When that didn’t work, I thought about going in for the tackle approach but before I could move a single muscle, Landon reappeared. His fur was covered in a thick matting of blood.

  “Oh my God! What happened?” I rushed to his side, examining him for any sort of injury but as far as I could tell, he was completely unharmed. The blood on his fur was not his own. “Landon…” I stepped back, waiting for an explanation.

  His tongue rolled out the side of his mouth in a sort of lopsided grin. A second later, he retreated into the thicket and retrieved a deer.

  “Is that a buck?” Roman had his jaw agape. “I haven’t seen one that big in a long time. We’re going to eat like kings tonight!”

  “Wait… we’re going to eat this thing? I can’t do that!”

  “Why not?” Landon had shifted back to his human form. “Just think of it as the chicken you like so much.”

  “I can’t!” I protested. “This is like eating Bambi!”

  “Bambi?” Landon knitted his brows together. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “It’s a human cartoon,” explained Roman. “Many humans are very fond of the little animation.”

  Landon retrieved a knife from his back pocket. It was the same knife he had used during our combat training so I knew, first hand, how sharp that thing could be. With a flick of his wrist, he sliced through the neck. Blood came rushing forward, dripping onto the ground and pooling around his feet.

  My stomach churned. Unable to watch, I turned away, hand covering my mouth to try to prevent myself from throwing up. It didn’t work.

  I retched into a nearby bush. Everything I had eaten throughout the day come out in one form or another.

  My throat burned and my head throbbed with an on coming migraine.

  When I had imagined myself starting a family one day, I had conveniently left out the part of pregnancy pains because I didn’t want to acknowledge that they existed. But they do and they totally blow.

  A hand made its way onto my back, rubbing it in a small circular motion. At first, I thought it was one of the boys but there was no tingling sensation that was always associated with their touch. This was someone else entirely.

  I shoved them away and positioned myself in a defensive stance. Was this another one of Landon’s little tests? Or was this a real threat? Either way, I was ready for it. I had my fists in front of my face before I even dared to look at who stood before me.

  “Whoa…” I whispered, floored. I had finally set my eyes upon the stranger and she was stunning. She looked like a character plucked right out of a fairytale, with her long white-blonde hair and her piercing blue eyes. Everything about her was delicate and fairy-like.

  “Cynthia…” Landon’s voice reached a higher pitch than usual.

  My heart dropped. So, this was the woman he had told me about. I had promised myself that I would not allow jealousy to plague our relationship but you really cannot blame me for feeling self-conscious in front of such a goddess. I didn’t even think it was humanly possible to be that pretty. And to top it all off, she had a heavenly glow that radiated from her skin.

  “Why did Landon choose me, when he could ha
ve had that?” I asked, trying to direct my question at Roman.

  “Because she is not his mate,” he answered in a simple matter-of-fact tone. “He was always meant to be with you.”

  “So, what would have happened if you guys hadn’t saved me from drowning?”

  “We would have met you in some other fashion. Mates always find each other, one way or another.”

  “So… it’s destiny.”

  “If you want to think about it that way, yes.”

  Butterflies swarmed my heart at the sound of his words. The sickness I had felt, at realizing that this was Landon’s old lover, instantly dissipated. I had nothing to worry about with this woman. Perhaps she had a history with my man but that’s all it was — history. He was mine now and there was nothing that could ever tear us apart.

  “Well, Landon, aren’t you going to introduce us?”

  Cynthia stepped forward, hand outstretched. “It is a pleasure,” she said, her voice like a symphony. “I didn’t know that the boys had found themselves a mate.”

  Roman wrapped his arms around me. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

  “Very,” the woman agreed. “I came here after sensing the death of one of the forest’s oldest stags but I see now that his sacrifice will not be wasted.”

  “So, are you a forest spirit?” I blurted out. It was only after I said those words, that I realized just how rude I had been. “I’m sorry —”

  “No, no, it’s quite alright,” she interjected, before I could apologize. “I can understand how my appearance might seem strange to someone of your kind.” The wind whipped around her feet, swirling the white fabric of her dress. She looked like she was about to levitate off the ground and ascend into the clouds above. “But I am not a forest spirit. I am a shifter, just as the boys are. However, I left my pack a long, long time ago and embraced instead the wonders of the forest. You might consider me a warden of this land, protecting it against all evils.”

  “I see…” She was starting to sound a little crazy but I could not help but like her. “Landon tells me that you might be able to help with my pregnancy.”

  Her eyes became beacons of light before she rushed to my side and rested her ear against my womb. “It is true!” she exclaimed. “She carries your child! The stars foretold such an event but I had harbored my doubts.”