Page 58 of Come for Me
Sam stares at my arm. I raise my eyebrows and nod to the shorts, encouraging him to come and get ’em. Sam slowly makes his way over to me, narrowing his eyes. An arm’s length away, he snatches the shorts out of my hand and slips them on.
I really don’t want to fight him while he’s naked.
Once they’re on, I swing at his face. Sam flings his head back, dodging my punch. Backing away from me, Samoohsat my miss and bounces around on his toes with his arms up by his face.
“You drew your arm back before punching, telling me you were coming. That’s why you missed. Don’t wind up.”
I continue doing what Caleb taught me, circling my enemy, making sure not to cross my feet to maintain my balance. Standing to the side, not dropping my fists, I jerk my right leg, aiming the inside of my foot to the side of his face.
Sam steps out of the way and trips me.
I fall flat on my face.
Probably worried I’m about to cry, Sam mutters a curse, extending a hand.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, I snatch his hand, pulling him with me. He lands on his face, eliciting anoof.
Catching him off guard, I climb on top of him, pinning his arms behind his back, pushing his head into the dirt. “Say her name to me again.”
My ears perk up at the most melodious laughter.
“That’s my girl.”
At Dax’s praise, my heart skips a beat, my wolf wagging its tail.
He holds his hand, and I take it, letting him guide me off his beta. “You underestimated her.”
Sam pops up, hawking at the ground. “She still has a lot to learn.”
I roll my eyes.Whatever.
“Seems somebody’s a sore loser,”Dax mindlinks me.
“It would appear so.”
Dax and I regard each other, smiling.
I’m too busy enjoying being on the same team as a lighthearted, playful Dax that I don’t pay attention to Sam.
Irritated, Sam asks, “What’re you saying about me?”
Regaining my senses, I divert my eyes but notice the rare appearance of Dax’s inner child is gone when I peer at him again. The assertive king has returned. What was once a playful aura is replaced by dominance and need. Gold swirls appear within his caramel soul keepers.
I bite my lip under his gaze.
Dax clears his throat, shifting and saying flatly, “I trust you’ll teach her whatever she needs to learn.”
Confusion and disappointment swirls in my head at Dax’s abrupt end to our moment.
I hate him and don’t need to make sense of it.
“Let’s take a break,” Sam suggests.
Dax turns to face his pack, his presence stifling the air in the field. Wolves, in their human and altered forms, spring to attention, eyes shifting to him, awaiting their king’s command.
I fall behind Dax, and we join the crowd. He sorts people into groups by age and skill with warriors as their designated trainers.
Sam reports to my side. “Dax has everyone in this pack train.”
