“Okay.”
“And I was chosen…Well, I wasn’t really chosen to go in. It was more like I volunteered.”
I could see the muscles in his neck and shoulders tightening.
“Because,” I continued quickly. “I’m trained. I started training when I was eight years old. My dad was adamant that I knew how to take care of myself. The chance of anyone from his old life finding him is minuscule, but he made sure I was prepared anyway. I’m proficient in jujitsu, better at Muay Thai, and I’m stronger than a lot of men. Like, a lot. Probably 60 percent of the population. I’m also very good with any kind of weapon I can get my hands on. I’m best with pistols, but rifles are a close second. I’d rather not fight with knives, but I can. Honestly, I could take most guys in a fight with that beer bottle I was holding when we met.”
I’d barely stopped to take a breath when suddenly I was flying toward the ground. My back hit the gravel with a surprising gentleness, and I found myself staring into the dark brown eyes of my mate, his lips flattened into a grim line.
“You were saying?” he asked, his hands tightening around my wrists, where he’d locked them behind my head.
“I can see you’re making a point here,” I conceded, breathless.
“You think?”
I shifted my leg, and both of us paused for a moment as his hips notched between my thighs.
“The difference is,” I said, forcing the words out. “I wasn’t on guard because I know you won’t hurt me. With anyone else, I would’ve been more prepared.”
“Sure, you would.”
“They don’t expect a woman can fight. Even a woman who looks like me.”
“A woman who looks like you?”
“You know, big, muscular.”
His look turned incredulous.
“I’m not saying how I look is bad.” I pulled against his fists, but my arms were stuck in his hold. “I look damn good. I’m just saying that I’m not some petite little thing.”
“Thank the Gods,” he said under his breath.
“Want to repeat that a little louder?” I asked, a smile tugging on the corners of my mouth.
“You’d have to be very lucky to come out on top in any fight with a Vampire.”
I relaxed into him, my legs falling wide and my back arching just enough to brush our chests together. Daniel’s eyelids lowered as he sucked in a slow breath. The moment I felt his muscles shift as he let his guard down, I used just my legs and hips to flip our positions.
“You were saying?” I joked, throwing his words back at him as I straddled his thighs.
His lips stretched into a smile as he let go of my wrists and slid his hands up my arms.
“I get it,” he said, brushing my hair out of my face. “You’re impressive.”
“About time you noticed—” I let out a squeak of surprise as he swiftly sat up.
Our faces were less than an inch apart.
“That doesn’t mean that Dalton should’ve ever agreed to that idiotic plan. You know why they held you for so long?”
“I figured they were waiting for something,” I replied, distracted by the way his hands had wrapped around both sides of my throat.
“They were waiting for you to show signs of heat.”
My gut sank.
“Wenoticed it right away. You weren’t showing any signs of the heat. No sweat. No pain. No jitters. When Chance wrapped his hand around your ankle, you didn’t even flinch.”
