“Please don’t touch me. You look like you need more than one shower.” Right, forgot I’m probably a walking biohazard after that mission.
“True. You wanna help me out?”
Avilyna taps my cheek, all patronizing, “You’re a big boy. You can handle yourself.” I laugh, grabbing her hand. Her skin is so fucking soft, I can’t resist bringing the inside of her wrist to my lips, pressing a soft kiss there. I feel her pulse jump beneath my lips.
“What if I want to handle you?” Vi’s eyes widen before she tries to pull her hand free, but her efforts are useless. Moving nowhere, she has no choice but to hold my gaze. My nostrils flare at the smell of her arousal, and a grunt escapes me, while I lightly bite her tender flesh. Vi answers me with a lingering moan.
“Your eyes are glowing,” she whispers.
“That happens,” I answer matter-of-factly.
“Why?” Still holding her wrist, I pull her closer, while I inhale some more of the herb. Vi goes on her tiptoes, barely reaching my chin, mouth half open. Understanding what she wants, I stabilize my hand on her throat and make her fly with the smoke.
“It happens for different reasons, but most of the time it is when we lose control over our power, and instinct wants to take over.”
“Does it happen only to lycans?”
“Mmm, no. Any creature with powers has a tell. Usually it’s the eyes since they’re the windows to the soul.” Avilyna steps back. She’s like the damn moon, pulling me in, leading thistwisted dance, even if she doesn’t know it. That’s the exact trap I can’t fall into; I can’t let myself be drowned in this mirage.
So I also step back.
“Alright,” I say, voice low and sharp. “Show me what you’ve learned.”
Her eyes flicker, confused at first, but then she masks it with the same cold indifference I’m wearing. Avilyna starts telling me about her day, but I can tell something’s off. Biting her lower lip, dodging my stare like she’s hiding something. When she gets to the training part, I cut to the chase.
“Show me.” Annoyed, she heads back in, and she quickly slips on some black sweatpants.
Avilyna takesa spot on the black mat. With a quiet nod, she kicks off the dummy. Her moves flow smoothly, a mix of raw athleticism and sharp technique that screams years of training. Her strikes are clean, tight, backed by quick blocks. No doubt, she knows how to fight.
But watching her up close, I see the hidden potential, the kind that could make her one of the best out there. Vi sneaks a few glances my way, looking for some kind of hint. I throw some pointers here and there, pushing her to sharpen her balance between speed and precision.
“Your old man trained you well,” I say, hoping to ease her up a bit. Avilyna’s shoulders drop just a notch. “But you gotta tighten your aim.”
She nods slowly. “Okay... How?”
I tilt my head slightly, measuring her focus. “How do you usually approach learning something new?”
“Umm, practice ‘til I get it,” she says, moving through the motions while I circle her, mentally marking her flaws.
“Ever try visualization?” I ask, watching her face go blank. That’s all the answer I need. “You gotta run through the movement in your head first. Mentally rehearse every step, every strike. It tunes up your muscle memory, fixes your form before you even hit the mat.”
“Okay…” she hesitates.
I cut her off. “You have to do it every day. You can use it on anything, really. Whatever you wanna get better at, just keep at it.”
“Why are you helping me?”
“I’m not, I’m helping myself.” Avilyna scoffs, like I’m full of shit.
“Yeah, sure, keep telling yourself that,” she shoots back with a wink. That little terror wants to play the know-it-all?
Fine, let’s play.
“How about youtell me what you’re hiding? And then I’ll tell you why.”
She freezes. Panic flickers across her face. The doubt that she might be the enemy claws at my mind, choking clear thoughts and letting suspicion take the wheel.
“What is it?” I press, voice hard, unable to fully hide my emotions. That seems to snap her out of it.
