“I would agree,” the king says. He rounds his way around Caleb, standing to his side. The king’s hands are behind his back, and he’s looking at the ground. “And... when thinking about your opponent—or in this case, your trainees—how might you choose to motivate someone like him?”
“I’d hurt someone he cares about.” I meet Caleb’s stare head-on, and his upper lip twitches at the idea.
I know I’m right. It’s what I love about him the most.
“Precisely.”
At the king’s statement, he grabs my neck and drags me backward from Caleb. The king doesn’t squeeze, I can breathe, but his grip is a vice I’m not getting out of.
Caleb’s eyes blaze with fury, and he growls.
“Easy, Caleb. She’s fine. See?”
I don’t even care that Dax has me pinned... It’s Caleb’s response that occupies every bit of my attention. If that’s what he does with fear, then... “What would happen if I wasn’t?”
Dax shrugs. “Do you want to find out?”
I take a beat to think about it, then decide to consult with my wolf.
How about it? Are we so desperate to find out that we’d consent to the strongest man alive hurting us?
Yup,we both say.
“Do it.”
With acrack, King Dax dislocates my shoulder, and I cry out at the sharp pain.
Caleb roars. He shifts and tackles the king from the side, pushing him off me.
I curl into the fetal position and watch their tussle unfold.
Caleb gives it everything he’s got—fighting the king better than I’ve seen him.
The king is smiling, shouting words of encouragement, impressed at Caleb’s ferocity.
Caleb still cares for me—and now I know just how much. It’s far from over. There’s hope for us yet.
Chapter FORTY-SEVEN
Jay
Later that morning, after training, everyone gets ready for church.
From the couch, I watch as Taya helps Sam with his tie. Although, judging by the look on Sam’s face, it might as well be a collar—he seems less than enthused by Taya’s assistance.
I chuckle. Sam is such a character. “What’s wrong?” I ask him. “Do you not like dressing up?”
“No,” he says. “I like to dress up. The bitches love it,” Sam jokes.
“Oh, is that so?” Taya tugs on the tie so Sam is inches from her face.
Sam chokes. But he doesn’t struggle. He just stares at her, grinning from ear to ear, soaking up all the attention. “Depends. Does that make you jealous, mate?”
She smiles to herself and undoes the tie and restarts again. “Sam doesn’t like going to church.”
“Then why are you going?” I ask him.
“Because when I’m a good boy, she gives me a treat.” He wiggles his eyebrows.
