"Would you like to fight?"I asked, landing on a plan that may solve the problem.
Taz pulled away from me and looked up at me like I was insane.
"You?Now?"
I shrugged."Tomorrow.When the sun rises, I'll train you."
"Why?"
"You want to get away from camp, but it's not safe.No one will challenge me if I'm training you and we can put a little distance between us and all the idiots fighting each other."
Her mouth quirked with amusement, but a little fire had returned to her eyes.
"You're so romantic."
My ears pinned back as I tried to understand what was funny about training when I was offering her a bit of peace.
"That's good?"I preferred it when she was in my face spitting angry.All this talking was hard for me to navigate.
“It’s something,” she muttered.
24 Taz
When I agreed to Dargoteaching me to fight, I wasn't prepared to be woken at the break of dawn.We’d slept side by side last night and the only action I’d gotten was a kiss that ended before it got to the good stuff.
It had been nice to sleep next to him, his slow breathing a reminder that for the first time in my life I wasn’t alone.Though his insistance on taking things slow was starting to fuck with me.I’d been reluctant about this mating but now that I’d committed, I wanted him fully onboard, too.
My friends were swanning around, secure in their relationships and apparently loving it, and I felt like the odd one out.The only one who’s mate was dragging his damn feet about this mythical ‘gentling.’
I followed Dargo out of camp, the sky just starting to turn a rosy pink as we walked past the last line of tents.He picked a spot not far from where my truck was, and I was glad he hadn’t taken us past it.I wasn’t ready to look at the destruction the percer had caused at my little camp site.
He picked up a heavy branch and handed it to me.
"How would you defend yourself if I was attacking you?"he asked.
I tested the weight of the branch as I eyed him.Despite the rocky start to our relationship, I wasn't afraid of Dargo.He loomed a good foot and a half above me, his shoulders were wide enough to block out the rising sun and yet I felt strangely safe despite all that.
