The strength of my reaction surprised me. I had no right to be upset if she was involved with another male.
At that thought, my own wolf growled deep within me. A warning. While my human side understood that Chloe was allowed to have a relationship with anyone she wanted, my wolf hated it.
Then, when I saw her tears, my anger grew even more. Though she never told me whom she was speaking to, I couldn’t resist the urge to comfort her. For the first time in our acquaintance, she needed me. This strong, dangerous she-wolf needed someone else to shoulder the burdens for a short while.
Considering she’d dragged me back from the brink of death, a hug seemed like an inadequate repayment.
Even now, a day later, the memory of how she’d relaxed against me, letting me take her weight and her troubles, was thrilling. The wolf within me wanted to howl in triumph over her surrender. He wanted her submission. Craved it.
However, when she stepped back out of my embrace, her attitude…changed. She withdrew, the warmth that once sparkled in her hazel eyes was dulled. She was no longer the Chloe I’d known for the last few years.
As I watched her rinse the last dish, I knew that I needed to get to the root of whatever was bothering her. I needed her focused and alert. I’d come to understand Chloe fairly well and physical exercise seemed to be the best way for her to work through her problems. After she pushed herself through a punishing workout, she often seemed lighter when she was done. Especially when she sparred with the other wolves. Fighting was the best medicine for Chloe MacArthur.
“We should spar today,” I suggested.
She glanced at me in surprise. “Sparring? I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’re still not back in top shape.”
Her words were a challenge that I couldn’t let slide. I may have struggled the past nineteen months, but I was a goddamn alpha wolf, even if she seemed to have forgotten that.
Maybe it was time to remind her.
“All the more reason to work out,” I retorted. “I need to regain my strength and speed in case we find ourselves in a situation that we need to fight our way out of.”
She studied me for a long moment, drying her hands on a kitchen towel. “You’re right. You do need the exercise.” Tossing the towel aside, she crossed the cabin to the dresser. “Let me change and we’ll get started.”
A few minutes later, Chloe led me through the trees to a clearing behind the cabin. We were both barefoot and she wore skintight black pants and a black sports bra. She’d woven her hair in a tight braid down the back of her skull to keep it out of the way. She looked exactly like what she was: a strong, deadly she-wolf.
I’d changed into a pair of loose athletic shorts, pleased to see that they didn’t hang off my hips as they had just a few weeks ago.
When we reached the clearing, Chloe tossed her water bottle and phone onto the grass at the edge and moved toward the center. I did the same with my phone before heading toward her.
“Do you need to warm up?” she asked. At my expression, she shrugged. “Just checking. No need to frown at me.”
Though we hadn’t yet begun, I could already see the energy and the tension emanating from Chloe. She was gearing up for the fight, her body growing loose and balanced, poised on the edge of action.
Without a word, I lunged toward her and the fight was on.
We hadn’t had the opportunity to spar often before the Faction had attacked the pack and killed my mate. Chloe parried my punches and kicks, her eyes intent. I knew she was taking in my movements, analyzing the best way to gain the upper hand.
She held back her blows, her fists and feet barely meeting my flesh. I’d watched her train with the pack often enough to know that she was pulling her punches more than usual and it pricked my temper. I wasn’t a fucking invalid.
I crowded her, moving quickly, and swept her legs from beneath her. In a blink, Chloe rolled to her feet, a few pieces of hair falling out of her braid to frame her face.
“So it’s like that,” she stated, her eyes narrowing.
I nodded. “Stop holding back. I know you can hit harder than that.”
She came at me again. This time her punches and kicks were harder and faster. Sweat broke out on her skin, gleaming in the sunlight.
When I blocked a particularly brutal combination, she stepped back and studied me with surprise and admiration in her eyes.
“You’re getting stronger.”
My only response was to lunge at her and take her to the ground. I discovered almost immediately that it was a mistake. Chloe was a damn good fighter standing on her own two feet, but she was nearly unbeatable when it came to grappling.
As we twisted and rolled in the grass, I grunted and cursed as she seemed to slip from my grasp, her body twisting in ways that should have been impossible.
The bout ended when Chloe managed to get me into an arm lock, her body perpendicular to mine, my wrist clasped in hers and her legs across my neck and chest. I tried to escape, but she clung to me. Finally, I had to tap her thigh, signaling that I gave up, as black dots danced in front of my eyes.
