Page 48 of Eternally Bound
She tried to shake the worries off, but once they lodged in her mind, it was difficult for her to get rid of them.
At the end of the stairs, Ronan turned on another switch. Kadence’s step faltered when numerous overhead lights flickered on to reveal the broad expanse of the gym. It was easily the size of the entire main floor of the house. The light shone off the weights, the stainless-steel doors at the other end of the room, and the entire back wall of weapons.
“Don’t get any ideas about those weapons,” he said to her over his shoulder as she gawked at them.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” she replied, but her fingers itched to touch some of those knives and throwing stars.
He stepped onto one of the mats and turned to face her. He bounced on the balls of his feet as he backed a few feet away. “So, young hunter, let’s see what you’ve got.”
Kadence glanced down at her jeans, baggy blouse, and socks. “I’m not exactly dressed for sparring.”
“And you most likely won’t be dressed to fight if you’re attacked on the street either.”
“True,” she admitted and stepped onto the mat across from him.
He held his hands up before her as she circled him, stretching her arms as she moved. She was about to stretch her calves when she found herself flat on her back, staring at the sparkly lights above her. Ronan leaned over her, blocking out the lights with his broad shoulders. She didn’t know how he’d managed to knock her feet out from under her when she’d never seen him move, but he had.
“An attacker isn’t going to give you time to stretch, Kadydid,” he told her.
“It’s a katydid.” It was a ridiculous point to make, but it was better than glaring uselessly at him.
“Not anymore,” he replied.
The sexy smile he gave her made her realize she didn’t care what he called her when he smiled like that. He stretched his hand out to her. She sat up to clutch it and somehow found herself lying on her back, staring at the lights again. The exasperating man was faster than lightning.
“An attacker won’t help you up either,” he stated.
His infuriating chuckle had her launching to her feet and glowering at him. She adjusted her blouse and ended up on her ass again. She almost thumped her hands off the mat and yelled at him to stop it. She bit her tongue before she could speak. He may be pissing her off, but he was also exposing how woefully unprepared she was.
She pushed herself back to her feet and danced back before he could knock her down again. He circled around her, his body flowing with grace around the mat. “You’re spry,” he told her. “You’ll never overpower a vampire, but you can outmaneuver one enough to get away.”
“I want to kill, not run.”
He stopped moving to face her. “You’re not strong enough for that. You need to know how to defend yourself enough to escape one, but you’re not strong enough to face a vamp one on one and take them down. There’s a reason hunters work in packs against us. An experienced hunter may be able to take down a turned vamp on their own, but you’re not experienced.”
“Okay, so teach me how to outmaneuver one.”
He came at her then, a rush of muscle and male that robbed her of her breath far more than her exertion to keep away from him did. He worked her through a series of punches and kicks as he came at her again and again. She found herself staring at the lights more often than she was on her feet, but she was getting actualexperience.
She had no idea what time it was when the sound of a throat clearing from the doorway drew both their eyes to where Declan lounged against the frame. “What is it?” Ronan inquired.
“Will you be hunting with us tonight?” Declan asked.
Ronan glanced at the clock on the wall. “Shit,” he said when he realized it was almost eight. “Yes, I’ll be up shortly.”
Declan disappeared from the doorway. Ronan shifted his attention to Kadence as she wiped a few strands of hair from her eyes. The blouse, damp with sweat, emphasized her breasts as it cleaved to them. He found his gaze locked onto them and the outline of the simple bra beneath.
“It was a good start,” he said gruffly as his cock swelled with his need for her. “We’ll continue this tomorrow.”
“I look forward to it.”
He turned and started for the door before realizing she wasn’t behind him. “Are you coming?”
“I’m going to train with some weights and weapons,” she said. “I think you’ve proven I have more work to do.”
“Kadence—”
“It’s not a bad thing,” she broke in with a wave of her hand. “I needed the wake-up call, and Iwillget better. I won’t be much longer, but I’m not ready to stop yet either. Go. I won’t take any weapons with me. Besides, I’m sure you would know if I did.”
