Page 24 of Resurrecting the Witch
“Tommy and Lina, you pair together,” I commanded.
Tommy gave me a look that he was on to me, but I didn’t care. The lad could use a push in her direction.
“Lennox and Tonya.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Lennox muttered.
“Elicia and Storey.” The two had already paired together, and finally, I said, “Merrick and Gioia.”
“And what are the odds? That leaves Patrick with Cliona,” Dom said with a deadpan voice.
“It’s truly random, isn’t it, Dom?” I asked as my eyes narrowed in on my mate. “I’ll take one for the team and help this new member of our group.”
Ignoring me completely, Dom said loud enough for everyone to hear, “We are going to start with some basic moves on how to handle an attack from behind.”
“Stab them in the throat?” Lennox asked.
“We focus on hand-to-hand combat in this class, Lennox.” She looked at Cliona after Dom’s words as if she were offended this wasn’t a weaponry class. We had foam swords but rarely ever got to them. “Now, whoever will start as the attacker should stand behind the other.”
The pairs all situated themselves, and of course, I took my place behind Cliona. I wouldn’t let her get a turn as my attacker because I would never risk hurting her. And I loved being behind her like this. Her fresh scent shifted on the wind, and I had to send a memo to my cock that it wasn’t time to take her. We had to be professional, after all.
“Am I too late for the class?”
My head shot up at the sound of Warren walking toward us in the park. He was in a similar get up of basketball shorts and a plain black T-shirt that clung a little too tight to his muscles.
“I meant to get here earlier, but traffic was a pain, you know?”
Traffic, my arse. Half the residents didn’t even have cars. He was here to cause trouble; I knew it in my bones. I couldn’t stop the growl that came out of my throat at his presence and the way he was looking at my Cliona.
“We already paired up, so you’ll have to observe for now.” I didn’t look at Dom for confirmation. Surely, he’d have my back.
“Unfortunately for my friend here, he is also an instructor and will need to help me do the rounds, so Warren, you will pair up with Cliona.”
I gritted my teeth and refused to acknowledge that he was right. I wasn’t here to ogle my mate; I hadn’t even known she’d be here. I was here to do a job and help whoever wanted it to have a leg up if they were caught unawares by an attack. I couldn’t let Tommy down.
I’d sacrifice this for Tommy.
For Tommy.
I hadn’t realized I had grabbed Cliona’s hips until I felt her shift in my hold and turn to face me. I was still staring Warren down as he walked over and didn’t let my gaze shift from his until Cliona’s soft hands, chilled from the morning cold, turned my head toward her.
She tilted one side of her lips at me and whispered soft enough for only me to hear, “Is this a jealous Patrick I am seeing?”
“I don’t trust him,” I said and hadn’t realized how true those words were until I was putting him near my mate. “Something about him isn’t right to me, and it hasn’t been for a while. He feels wrong.”
“Do you think I can’t handle myself?”
“Yeah, Patty, do you think your girl can’t handle herself?”
Warren had a death wish, truly.
“Hey,” Cliona muttered, keeping my attention on her. “I can kick anyone’s ass. You know I just came here to see you, right? And because Lennox dragged me out here.”
I saw the truth in her words and then completely froze as she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to my cheek. Her soft, plump lips against my skin was the best feeling in the entire world, and Warren’s bullshit completely faded away.
“You do anything outside of the class moves, and I will gut you,” I told Warren and then took my place back up with Dom.
The class proceeded without incident as we ran through the moves. I let Dom help out Warren and Cliona since I knew my fae instincts would get the better of me, and I truly did want to help Tommy and Lina, and the others. Even Tonya and her friends, if they were paying the least bit of attention, they’d have a chance if they were attacked.
