Blood Oath (#3, Mystic Wolves) (9 page)

“Ready? Assume the position.”

I burst out laughing, my hands covering my
mouth. “What position?” I struck a pose and watched his eyes almost
pop out of his head.

“Oh, no you don’t, I’m being serious. I know
I don’t have much to work with.” He smiled as he walked a slow
circle around me, flicking his hand at my ponytail. “But I need to
at least show you some basics. This is the position I want you in.”
He stood in a fighting stance, and I rolled my eyes.

“Why didn’t you just tell me to get into a
fighting stance? Even I know what it’s called.” I blew a puff of
air upward, moving a stray lock of hair out of my eyes.

I shifted my body until I was standing to the
side with my right foot in front. I readjusted my legs, making sure
they were a shoulder width apart and I raised both my hands up,
curling them into fists. I leaned my weight onto my back leg and
was instantly chastised.

“No! Never put all you weight on one leg.
Distribute it down in the middle.” He moved forward, pushing down
on my shoulders, causing me to bend them both. I felt my muscles
begin to burn from the sudden tension.

“Why does it matter?” I asked, not sure why I
even had to stand this way.

“Straighten your legs again … like you just
had it.” I didn’t have time to respond before he shoved hard at my
chest, sending me flying. Walking over to where I painfully landed,
he pulled me up onto my feet. “That’s why it’s important. By
keeping your weight equal, you can maintain balance. How effective
will you be at defending yourself if you’re sprawled on the floor?
The key is to stay upright. Try again.”

Dusting myself off, I got back into the
stance, this time mindful of my body. I watched him strike out
again, and even though he moved me backward, I was able to regain
my stability and footing quickly.

“You learn fast, young grasshopper.” He
smirked before returning to teacher mode. “Now, can you guess why
it might be helpful to stand like this?” He moved his body to match
mine, legs firmly apart. I studied him for a moment before shaking
my head. A few answers filtered through my mind, but I didn’t know
if I was right.

“What does this tell your opponent?” He
raised both his fists, an expression of concentrated focus on his
face. He appeared every bit the warrior, and I was glad for his
help. Looking him over, I suddenly realized the point.

“It tells them you’re ready to defend
yourself,” I replied as it suddenly seemed obvious to me as he
stood there. “You can see every move they’ll make and be prepared.”
His wide grin told me I was right.

“Exactly. Come stand in front of me—right
there.” He gestured to the open space before him. “Now go slowly,
and watch how I move. Throw a punch.”

Without hesitation, I let my hand fly and he
deflected it away with a frontward block of his wrist. It seemed
effortless and as he stepped in close, I noticed I was now free to
be attacked. A slight jab to my ribs illustrated that fact.

“See how it opened you up? Try again,” he
stated.

I threw another punch, this time coming from
a different angle. His block also changed, but the results still
the same. I was thrown off balance, exposed enough for him to
strike again.

“Now instead of punching, come at me like you
are going to grab me.”

I went to move and came in contact with his
leg. Whether it was the front or back, foot or knee, I repeatedly
tried to seize him as I met with resistance.

“Now I need you to promise me —swear to
me—the move I’m about to show you, you will never use on me ... no
matter how much you might be tempted.” There was a twinkle in his
eye which made me curious so I quickly agreed. “Chances are those
who’ll try to assault you will be men, and even though they’ll far
outweigh you, and perhaps even be stronger, you do hold a few
advantages.”

I instantly started grinning because I knew
where he was going with this. The way he cupped himself was also an
indication he was aware I understood.

“I already know I can knee a guy in the
balls, Daniel. Hit them hard enough and it makes them fall to their
knees, whimpering like a baby. Want me to show you?” I smiled
sweetly.

His face whitened before he shook his finger
at me in warning. Making sure he was out of reach, he continued.
“Don’t be afraid to use it if you need to. It does require you to
get in close, or at least have decent aim, but you need to make
sure you hit hard. Put all your weight and force behind the blow.
You want to knock them out of commission long enough for you to get
away.”

“Okay, full weight … powerful hit.” I started
raising my knee, pretending I was facing an attacker and I couldn’t
help imagining Avery every time I made a strike. I held the
perverse need to show him this exact move up close and personal.
“What else you got?” I wiped away the sweat on my forehead with the
back of my wrist, ready for more.

“Another thing you can do is this.” Grabbing
hold of my hand, he moved it in a forty-five degree angle, palm
open and fingers slightly curved. Tapping the meaty heel, Daniel
continued. “Use this part here and aim straight for the person’s
face.” Demonstrating his own, he showed the motion I would need to
follow and what I would need to target. “Hit them in the nose with
the intent of breaking it. You’ll cause their eyes to water, blood
to flow, as well as a crap load of pain. Everything I’m showing you
is designed to give you time to escape. I don’t want you engaging
them in combat.”

Moving my hand back and forth, helping me get
used to the flow of movement, he released me, and I was able to
maintain the motion without fault. If the pain I felt when I
accidently bumped my nose was any indication, this would definitely
hurt. My confidence increased, and I smiled widely.

“One more thing and then I’m going to have
you work on those girly punches.” Daniel laughed and with lightning
fast reflexes he turned me, pulling me hard against his body, and
placing his arms around my neck. “Sometimes your attacker won’t
give you the courtesy of seeing them coming. Rude, I know, but what
can I say? Any person who’ll attack a woman doesn’t exactly have a
strong moral compass. Now, try to get out of this.”

He held me in a tight grip and squeezed hard.
No matter how much I struggled, all I did was tire myself out, and
I became frustrated. I tried bending over to break the hold. I
couldn’t reach his private parts, and there was no prying him off.
I even started to dig my nails into his flesh, but it only made him
tense up.

“Remember, if the person is human, you’re not
going to have any of these problems. As a werewolf, you
automatically hold advantage because of your strength. It’s if your
attacker is supernatural that you’ll need to keep your focus
because you’ll both share similar abilities. What you need is the
element of surprise.” He paused a moment before chuckling in my
ear. “Given up yet?”

I growled, hanging my hands on his arm to try
and alleviate the pressure. “Yes. Show me.”

“Okay, there are two things you can do. But
first, remember you love me and would hate to hurt me. One, slam
your head backward, it’s hard and can do a lot of damage. You want
to stun them so they’ll break their hold.”

I repeated his instructions like a mantra.
“Head back. Stun. Release. What else was there?”

“Next, lift your leg and smash it down with
all you have on their foot.” He released me quickly and bent down
before me, lifting mine. “Aim here, where there’s a curve and your
foot attaches to your ankle. You can hit lower and break toes, but
you want maximum exposure for pain. Strike hard enough so they’ll
release you and then run. If you can’t just yet, you can turn
around and kick them. They may be bent over, trying to protect
their foot. You just step in there and knee them in the face. Down
they go.”

It was a lot to remember, but I got the gist
of the basics. I hoped I never need to use any of this, but I
realized I’d been foolish in not taking this seriously. I knew
Daniel was giving me a crash course right now, but it gave me an
idea.

“Do you think we can set something up where
you teach me more—maybe weekly lessons? I would really like to
learn how to defend myself against weapons.” I watched his eyes
narrow and him start to shake his head. “Wait, hear me out. I pray
I never have to face that kind of situation, but surprise, I did.
Gary held me at gunpoint and I can’t stop thinking it might’ve
helped if I’d known a few moves. Yes, I could’ve changed, but I
know I still bleed as a wolf. She could’ve been hurt too.”

“Let me talk with Mason first, but I don’t
see why not. It’s a good idea and it never hurts to be prepared.
Maybe we can even ask some of the others if they want to join in.”
He looked thoughtful and I took the moment to stretch out my
muscles. I was pretty fit, but the last hour had worn me out a
little. Swinging my arms in circles, getting them limber, I pointed
toward the punching bag. “Shall we?”

I loved watching people swinging at the
leather bag, always wondering when it would break loose from its
fixture in the ceiling and go flying. No matter how hard I’d seen
Mason and the others hit it though, it was still pretty sturdy.

Maybe I’ll be the one to knock it
loose.
I snorted at the thought.

Daniel threw over a roll of tape with the
comments to wrap my hands for protection. I watched as he prepared
his own, and I soon had a matching set, moving my fingers to get a
feel for it.

“Okay, show me your fists, Darcy.” I lifted
my hands, curling them inward; making sure my thumb was tucked in
properly. He rewarded me with a nod, using his own palm to crunch
my fingers in tighter.

“You don’t want this loose and sloppy when
you throw it. It lessens the force and hurts you more.” Pointing me
in the right direction, he demonstrated a few punches, showing me
the correct way to move before indicating it was my turn.

The impact sent a jarring wave straight up my
arm into my shoulder, and I released a small oomph. Adjusting my
stance and realigning my torso, I threw my fist again, and this
time, it moved the equipment slightly. I looked over to Daniel
triumphantly, and he rolled his eyes.

“Come on, Tyson, keep going.” He came and
stood behind the bag, holding it firmly between his arms, and
offered coaching tips. I put everything out of my mind and soon
lost myself to the rhythm of each blow—one after the other. I felt
myself begin to work up a sweat.

“Change it up a little. See if you can
include some jabs.” He instructed me on how to do them, and I
tested it out, each strike meeting the target.

I was so focused I almost missed Daniel’s
next question.

“You know he didn’t mean to be so gruff,
right?”

“I know,” I said, a little short of breath.
“That’s why I didn’t argue. If knowing I’m safe helps put his mind
at ease so he can concentrate, then I say guard away. I just wish
there was more I could do. He’s still grieving, and without even a
chance to take a break, he now has to deal with some crazy vampire
usurper.” I paused from my activity and looked straight at Daniel.
“As the Alpha, a lot of people look up to him, expecting him to be
the level head in the storm, but I see more. He’s also a man who is
fully aware of the danger we face, and is afraid of not being able
to protect those he loves. Two warring parts of him, so even though
it stings a little, I understand.” I threw one more punch.
“Besides, I can always punish him for it later.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the look of
curiosity on Daniel’s face.

“Don’t even ask. A wolf never kisses and
tells.” Moving to take off the tape, signaling I was done, I headed
over to the bench and took a seat. “I just want to be strong for
him. Support him in any way I can.”

I felt the bench shift a little with the
weight of his body resting on it. I bumped my shoulder against my
pack brother, a gentle thank you for being there, and we eased into
comfortable silent. It felt good to relax for a moment.

“I’ve known Mason my entire life. Seen him at
his best and his worst, but the look on his face when he realized
you were gone, I hope I never see that again. To everyone else,
they saw their leader step forward and take charge. Behind the
scenes though, when it was just the two of us, he looked like a man
completely devastated. He’s a powerful wolf, one of the strongest
and most lethal I know—it’s why I’ll follow him to the grave. But
he also leads with his heart, and your kidnapping was the final
straw in a brutal attack. I’m glad you’re not giving him a hard
time because I know once this is all over, he’ll be back to
himself.” Reaching over to take the ball of used tape out of my
hand, he combined it with his own and aimed towards a nearby
wastebasket. “He’s the best man I know.”

“Thank you for being his friend … for being
loyal.” I hugged him quickly. “And for sharing with me.”

“Sharing what?” A new voice interrupted as
Mason entered the gym. He strode into the room, his lengthy step
eating up the distance between us. He looked back and forth,
waiting for an answer.

“About how much you miss me kicking your ass
in here. It’s been a while, Brother. Care for a rematch from the
last time?” Daniel cocked his eyebrow, a smirk covering his face as
he issued a challenge.

“Whatever, we don’t have time for that. I
came looking for you to let you know we’ve received another
message. Seems we’re not fast enough for Avery and he’s grown
impatient. He’s sent an address for me to meet him so we can
discuss the shifting of my alliance.”

A feeling of doom and foreboding swept over
my body, causing a chill to raise goose bumps on my flesh. “Please
tell me you’re not actually going to go, Mason. It’s got trap
written all over it. Hell, it’s got neon signs blazing.” I turned
to Daniel, hoping he would help talk some reason into him.