“Your safety is important to me. I don’t like you acting so reckless, Shiloh.”
I had the urge to tell him about the spell I was doing for Brittany later that night, but swallowed the words. I’d promised to keep it a secret. And by the way, Trent was acting, it would only piss him off and start a big fight.
I lowered my head. “I totally get that. And I’ll try to be more cautious.”
“Good.”
He opened the door to the basement and descended the stairs. I trudged after him, but paused at the last stair and let out a high-pitched scream.
“Spider! Spider! Kill it!” I jumped back up two steps and pointed at the ground near Trent’s feet. “Right there! Get it!”
Trent stared at me. “You want to fight lycans, but you can’t kill a spider? What kind of demon hunter are you?”
I shuddered and grimaced. “The kind that slays anything that doesn’t have a dozen eyes and eight hairy legs!”
Trent shook his head, and then leaned down to push the creepy-crawler onto his palm. “I’ll take it outside.”
I lurched out his way as he went back up the stairs. My boyfriend wasn’t afraid of anything. Me? Not so much.
When he returned, spider free, we circled each other. Pale gray light bled into the room and doused the cement walls. Elongating shadows stretched long and thin over the concrete floor.
“Bring it on, pretty boy,” I said.
I couldn’t deny that I enjoyed the sparring, like I was doing something real . Like getting ready to face my dad’s killer.
“Remember, be on your guard at all times,” he warned.
Tensing, I lifted my arm to block the elbow he threw my way. I grabbed his wrist and twisted it sharply, forcing him to turn away from me and allowing my foot to kick him in the butt. Then I resumed a fighting stance and twirled, raising my foot, and aiming for his head. Trent effortlessly blocked my kick, but I caught him by surprise with an uppercut.
“Impressive.” He massaged his jaw. “You’re spry for a girl.”
“For a girl? Humph .”
“But you’re tensing up. You shouldn’t be worrying about the lycans or avenging your dad while we’re training,” he advised.
But vengeance was the only thing keeping me from completely falling apart.
“Try to concentrate. Relax,” he said.
“Relax, my ass.”
Throwing a quick punch, I followed it through with a hard left hook. He countered by flipping me over his shoulder. My backside smacked the padded mat. I grimaced, the impact rocketing up my spine. Getting to me feet, I retook my stance. His jaw clamped while he calculated his next move.
We danced around each other. Shoulders hunched. Muscles taut. Arms extended. He rushed me like a bear and threw a series of punches that all missed their mark. I dodged each one.
Huffing, I kicked the back of his knee, and he fell onto his hands. Then I raised my leg and kicked him in the backside with my foot. His face struck the mat and he yelped. Backing off a fraction, I waited for him to get to his feet.
In a blur of motion, he grabbed me by the ankles and knocked me on my butt. He snickered. “Told you to concentrate.”
“Shut up.”
Trent stood and offered me a hand. I took it and he hoisted me to my feet.
After dusting myself off, I whipped around, but my fist collided with air. Dammit. I didn’t even see him move. One moment he stood beside me and the next, the air rippled, and he was across the room. He moved forward again lightning fast. I lurched backward, my spine hitting the wall. I was trapped. His palms struck the wall, resting on either side of my face, his wrists touching my shoulders. He leaned toward me with his nose hovering inches from mine, and his minty breath ghosting over my cheeks.
Oh, my god. He was getting faster . Like, inhumanly fast.
“This isn’t working.” I looked up at him. “I’m not as quick as you.”
“Now you’re just being whiny.”
I glared at him. “I’m allowed to be whiny. My dad died, remember?”
He straightened and
I had the urge to tell him about the spell I was doing for Brittany later that night, but swallowed the words. I’d promised to keep it a secret. And by the way, Trent was acting, it would only piss him off and start a big fight.
I lowered my head. “I totally get that. And I’ll try to be more cautious.”
“Good.”
He opened the door to the basement and descended the stairs. I trudged after him, but paused at the last stair and let out a high-pitched scream.
“Spider! Spider! Kill it!” I jumped back up two steps and pointed at the ground near Trent’s feet. “Right there! Get it!”
Trent stared at me. “You want to fight lycans, but you can’t kill a spider? What kind of demon hunter are you?”
I shuddered and grimaced. “The kind that slays anything that doesn’t have a dozen eyes and eight hairy legs!”
Trent shook his head, and then leaned down to push the creepy-crawler onto his palm. “I’ll take it outside.”
I lurched out his way as he went back up the stairs. My boyfriend wasn’t afraid of anything. Me? Not so much.
When he returned, spider free, we circled each other. Pale gray light bled into the room and doused the cement walls. Elongating shadows stretched long and thin over the concrete floor.
“Bring it on, pretty boy,” I said.
I couldn’t deny that I enjoyed the sparring, like I was doing something real . Like getting ready to face my dad’s killer.
“Remember, be on your guard at all times,” he warned.
Tensing, I lifted my arm to block the elbow he threw my way. I grabbed his wrist and twisted it sharply, forcing him to turn away from me and allowing my foot to kick him in the butt. Then I resumed a fighting stance and twirled, raising my foot, and aiming for his head. Trent effortlessly blocked my kick, but I caught him by surprise with an uppercut.
“Impressive.” He massaged his jaw. “You’re spry for a girl.”
“For a girl? Humph .”
“But you’re tensing up. You shouldn’t be worrying about the lycans or avenging your dad while we’re training,” he advised.
But vengeance was the only thing keeping me from completely falling apart.
“Try to concentrate. Relax,” he said.
“Relax, my ass.”
Throwing a quick punch, I followed it through with a hard left hook. He countered by flipping me over his shoulder. My backside smacked the padded mat. I grimaced, the impact rocketing up my spine. Getting to me feet, I retook my stance. His jaw clamped while he calculated his next move.
We danced around each other. Shoulders hunched. Muscles taut. Arms extended. He rushed me like a bear and threw a series of punches that all missed their mark. I dodged each one.
Huffing, I kicked the back of his knee, and he fell onto his hands. Then I raised my leg and kicked him in the backside with my foot. His face struck the mat and he yelped. Backing off a fraction, I waited for him to get to his feet.
In a blur of motion, he grabbed me by the ankles and knocked me on my butt. He snickered. “Told you to concentrate.”
“Shut up.”
Trent stood and offered me a hand. I took it and he hoisted me to my feet.
After dusting myself off, I whipped around, but my fist collided with air. Dammit. I didn’t even see him move. One moment he stood beside me and the next, the air rippled, and he was across the room. He moved forward again lightning fast. I lurched backward, my spine hitting the wall. I was trapped. His palms struck the wall, resting on either side of my face, his wrists touching my shoulders. He leaned toward me with his nose hovering inches from mine, and his minty breath ghosting over my cheeks.
Oh, my god. He was getting faster . Like, inhumanly fast.
“This isn’t working.” I looked up at him. “I’m not as quick as you.”
“Now you’re just being whiny.”
I glared at him. “I’m allowed to be whiny. My dad died, remember?”
He straightened and
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