Page 12 of Midnight Bond (Wolves of Midnight #5)

JAGGER

“I told you not to wear earrings. They’re a safety hazard.”

Brielle scowled at my reprimand, barely avoiding my fist aimed at her cheek.

“See? My knuckle could have caught one and torn it out.”

“You’re wearing earrings,” she rebutted, tossing her ponytail back indignantly.

“They’re studs. You’re wearing several sets of hoops.”

“Potato, po-tah-to. I avoid Luca’s grabby little fingers every day. This is no different.”

Deciding to nip this debate in the bud, I said, “Regardless, don’t wear them tomorrow. Now focus.”

“I am focused,” Brielle growled before taking a swing at me.

To prove just how unfocused she was, I slipped past the weak jab and locked her into a chokehold from behind. Instead of using the techniques I taught her, she panicked and tried to pry my arms from around her neck.

As she struggled against me, my own focus started to slip.

This close, I couldn’t help but breathe in her tantalizing tropical aroma.

The scent completely invaded my senses, tempting me to bury my face in her soft honey-brown hair.

It sure as hell didn’t help that she kept wearing a sports bra and tight shorts that left little to the imagination.

We’d spent every morning this week training beside the creek, and each session grew more and more unbearable. Being this close to her for hours on end was the definition of hell, but the thought of her training with another male made me see red.

Even though the sparring sessions were anything but sensual, having her locked against my body and wholly at my mercy was awakening a part of me that I’d shut down years ago—and for good reason.

But Onyx didn’t care about those reasons.

As Brielle continued to struggle against my hold, her physical strength so much weaker than mine, I could feel his excitement.

The feeling quickly became mine, and blood rushed to my groin.

Brielle’s backside brushed against my hardening dick, and just like that, I lost all focus.

Dominate mate, Onyx purred, a command he’d given me countless times this week. Every time I’d wrestle Brielle into a submissive hold during one of our training sessions, Onyx’s reaction was the same.

Subdue her.

Mark her.

Mate her.

His one-track mind was messing with my head, making it nearly impossible to think straight. Brielle was my soulmate, even if she didn’t know it. My instincts screamed at me to claim what was mine, to seal the bond so that any male who came near her would know who she belonged to.

But I’d already given in to my instincts once this week and risked my alpha’s disapproval.

He’d forgiven my transgression—considering the outcome to my actions had saved Brielle—but I hadn’t yet forgiven myself.

As Midnight Pack’s second in command, my position always needed to come first. Kolton relied on me to be level-headed at all times, and chasing after Brielle was anything but.

It shouldn’t matter that she was my soulmate. My duty to Kolton came above all else.

That reminder was exactly what I needed to regain my focus and common sense. Ignoring the throbbing appendage between my legs, I curtly said to Brielle, “Use your feet and elbows. We’ve been over this several times. My arms are stronger than yours, and you won’t be able to—”

She stomped on my foot. Hard. Hard enough that I stopped talking.

In that moment of pause, she jabbed an elbow into my ribs, and I couldn’t hold in a pained grunt.

Onyx quietly observed, but I could feel how pleased he was by her swift recovery.

I shared the feeling, glad that she’d overcome her initial panic and remembered the moves I’d taught her.

Compared to me, she was small, almost delicate. But what she lacked in size and strength, she made up for with a feisty spirit and plucky attitude. Being incapacitated by those two human males had frightened her, but she was dealing with it and moving on.

The same couldn’t be said about me.

I couldn’t get over how close they’d come to taking her.

One minute more and she would have been lost to me.

I’d spent the past week trying to learn the humans’ true identities, but there wasn’t much to find.

Even the van they’d driven had fake plates and couldn’t be tracked.

If Kolton was right about them being supernatural hunters, they’d been careful to mask their trail.

I didn’t regret killing one of them, but in hindsight, I wished I’d taken the time to secure the other one for questioning. Painful questioning.

Human supernatural hunters often formed groups, all too aware that there was safety in numbers when going up against a much stronger supernatural.

The groups were usually home-based and not a huge threat to the supernatural populace.

The human world saw them as fanatics and didn’t take them seriously, but we’d shut more than one group down over the years before they could grow too large.

I’d been sloppy that night, though. One look at the agony on Brielle’s face and I’d chosen to free her of the silver cuffs over securing the other male. I hadn’t been able to bear seeing her in pain—although the exposure to silver had probably kept her from fully shifting that night.

Almost losing her twice in one night had triggered something deep inside me, and ever since then, I’d been warring with my instincts to keep her close.

If it wasn’t for my pack responsibilities, she wouldn’t be out of my sight for a second.

Training her for the fifth morning in a row helped soothe that protective instinct, but at the same time, I knew how dangerous these sessions were.

Despite my attempts to remain professional, the constant contact was doing things to me.

I usually avoided physical touch at all costs, but the pull to be near her—to touch her—was growing, which could only mean one thing.

Our bond was growing stronger.

Distracted by my thoughts, I wasn’t prepared for Brielle’s next move.

My upper body had curled forward after her rib jab, and she used the opportunity to whip her head back.

I heard a sickening crack as her skull connected with my nose, and before I could fully realize that she’d just broken it, she pounded a fist into my groin.

All the air fled me at once, and I let out an involuntary groan. Pain splintered my vision, and by the time I blinked it away, she’d broken free of my chokehold and had turned to face me.

“Oh God, I’m so sorry,” she exclaimed.

Through the uncontrollable tears filling my eyes, I saw her reach for my face. Before she could touch me, I shot a hand out and caught her wrist. She froze, her emerald green eyes widening as I reached up with my other hand and—snap!—reset the broken bone.

Her face immediately paled, and she twisted free of my grip to retch into a bush. With my nose and dick still painfully throbbing, I looked on, unsure what to do.

“Sorry,” she murmured after a moment, straightening to cast me a sheepish look. “I don’t do well with broken bones and stuff. Which is stupid, I know, coming from a werewolf who shifts every month.”

Comfort mate, Onyx urged me.

Watching her for a moment more, I said, “You didn’t hesitate to inflict pain this time. You’re improving.”

Onyx growled in exasperation.

“Um, thanks,” Brielle slowly replied as if uncertain how to take my compliment. After another beat, she focused on my nose with a frown.

“What?” I questioned, wondering if I hadn’t set it right.

“It’s just . . . You’ve got a little . . .” With a sigh, she strode back up to me. “Hold still.”

As she lifted a hand toward my face again, I went stiff as a board. The instinct to pull away trembled through my bones, a feeling that I almost always listened to. It was rare that I let others touch me, and most knew better than to try.

But Brielle wasn’t waiting for my permission, and before I could stop her, she swept her thumb under my nose.

The edge of her nail caught my upper lip, and a thrill went through me.

I sucked in a quiet breath and tried to ease my head back, but she doggedly followed the motion with a cluck of disapproval.

“I’m almost done, you big baby. Just one more . . .” She swiped just above my lip again, setting the skin on fire. “There.”

With a satisfied look, she turned to wash my blood off her fingers in the cold stream.

I watched her, the skin she’d touched still burning with heightened awareness.

When she stood from her crouched position, I was suddenly beside her.

I hadn’t meant to. Hadn’t even realized that I’d moved.

But when she turned and found me so close to her, she jerked back with a startled yelp and lost her footing on a slippery rock.

As she started to fall, I reached around her without thought and pulled her to me.

It happened in an instant. One split-second decision and her perfect body was flush against mine.

At the feel of her soft curves pressed against my hard muscles and her small hands resting on my bare chest, my mind emptied and another instinct took over.

An instinct that I’d kept locked away for years. An instinct that immediately took advantage of the moment and initiated further contact.

A gasp left Brielle as I firmly gripped the nape of her neck. Not hard enough to hurt, but with enough force to make her eyes widen.

Onyx went wild with excitement, his feral instincts further heightening mine.

Take, take, take, he chanted inside my head as my gaze lowered to her luscious lips. They were slightly parted, and I felt a sudden ache to thrust my tongue between them.

As the ache swiftly built, making my breath quicken and my heart pound out of control, I almost lost it. Almost took what I couldn’t give back.

At the last second, the resolve that had kept me sane for the past several years kicked back in, and I wrenched myself away from her with a sharp hiss.

Onyx went ballistic at the loss of contact. He immediately began to rage inside me, fighting to take over. I barked at him to back down, but he was in no mood to listen. Seconds later, black fur rippled up my arms and sharp claws shot from my fingertips.

“Jagger.”

Brielle took a step toward me, and I jerked my head up to snap, “Stay back.”

Her eyes widened to saucers as she no doubt saw Onyx in my wild gaze. She unconsciously took a step back, and Onyx surged upward, nearly breaking through my control.

“Brielle,” I snapped again, my voice little more than a growl. “Don’t. Move.”

She froze, and I quickly squeezed my eyes shut, unwilling to watch her expression fill with fear. Fear of me.

After a long moment, I finally regained control of my wolf familiar, making sure he was securely locked down before reopening my eyes. Noting that the black fur and claws had receded, I slowly lifted my gaze to Brielle. Her mouth was open, her shock more than clear, but . . .

I blinked. Blinked again.

She didn’t look frightened.

We stared at each other for a solid minute, neither of us saying a word. Then . . .

“What the hell was that?” Brielle blurted rather loudly.

Something about the way she spoke sent relief barreling through me, but instead of relaxing, I straightened and stiffly replied, “Training is over. Time to head back.”

When she just gawked at me like I’d lost my mind, I turned and headed back the way we’d come.

A beat later, I heard her follow. “Wait, permanently?” she said, catching up to walk beside me.

Onyx stirred again, and I lengthened my strides to put much-needed space between us.

When I didn’t respond, she said more forcefully while following in my wake, “I thought we were past this silent broody thing, Jagger. You agreed to help me. I still have so much to learn.”

I continued in silence for several more moments, then muttered under my breath, “I never should have agreed to train you.”

She sucked in a quiet gasp, letting me know that she’d heard. Guilt immediately filled me, but I wouldn’t take back the words.

Dangerous. Being close to her was dangerous. Better that I push her away now before she realized it too, before it was too late and I irreparably hurt her. I’d almost lost control, but that was the last time.

As she started to slow, I forced myself to speed up. Every step away from her grew harder and harder, until I thought my body would give out on me.

But I kept going. Kept widening the distance between us until it felt like my skin was being stripped from my flesh. But the pain would fade. And the longer I maintained my distance, so would our bond.