Page 30 of The Rake OR The Orca Who Met His Match in a Selkie Desiring Revenge

“You can do this, Ellie, I promise.”

“I can do this.” She didn’t sound entirely sure of the fact, but he was glad she seemed willing to try.

“Good girl. When you are ready, you can turn around and then I will grab you, like we practiced.”

Elspeth took a deep breath and pivoted. In some ways, her lack of training would come in handy. She didn’t move like a fighter, and their entire plan relied on their foe underestimating her. When he restrained her, she struggled to implement their plan at first, but after an hour's practice, she was extricating and faux stabbing him quickly.

“Perfect.”

She punched him soundly under his ribcage, driving her knuckles up toward where she’d stab his heart.

“I think you are ready to stab me for real,” he said.

“What?” Elspeth squeaked. “I’m not going to stab you!”

“I won’t make you, but I think you should. It’s very different and a lot of first timers lose their nerve when they feel resistance.”

“Resistance?” she was nearly screaming, and her eyes were wide.

“Skin, clothing, muscle, fat, they all cause resistance.”

“I think I might sick up.”

“If you need to, but you really should just try stabbing me…”

She gave him the cutest frown and punched him again, her placement honed to perfection. He gave her his dagger then, wrapping it in her shaking hand with his. He moved to take his hand away, but she stilled him.

“Stay?” she asked. She was scared, his siren, but determined. He might not look himself, but he could see in her eyes that she needed him, and in that moment, she needed his reassuring touch more than she feared it. So, he led her through the motion, flipping the dagger awayat the last moment each time, so she didn’t actually stab him… yet.

After they'd repeated it several times, her shaking slowed, and Aegir felt her begin to lead rather than follow. "The more times you repeat it, the more second nature it will become.”

"Like tying nets," Elspeth said, as if as an afterthought.

"Like tying nets." He shifted his grip on her hand. "Now, all you need to do is—"

“I don’t want to hurt you,” she interrupted.

“Hurt me, Elspeth. I’m asking for it. I’m giving you permission. Youwillhurt me, but I’ll always come back for more.”

Before Elspeth could tense up again, he flipped his hand quickly and drove the knife up under his ribs and through his heart. It was easy for him to miss his lungs so he could speak, but he had no delusions that it would be the same when Elspeth repeated the process without him.

Elspeth's mouth hung open, but he smiled to reassure her.

Though he had turned off all nerves in and around his heart, Aegir could still feel the knife as it entered his chest via his hand. He felt the resistance of his skin, and then his muscle, then the thicker muscle of his heart as it resisted their intrusion. He felt the shake,the shock, in Elspeth's hand as he moved her to pierce him, and the sudden stillness as she realized what had happened. In the silence that followed, he questioned. Had he moved too quickly? Had he pushed too far? Was this the moment when Elspeth would pull away?

His own health was of secondary, or perhaps even less, concern. As he was ridiculously well versed in shifting and healing his body, the process began and ended without conscious thought. Eventually, he should wait until after she’d removed the dagger, to teach her what she should expect, blood wise, but for the first time, it likely wasn’t necessary.

“You—I—” Elspeth stammered, her hand shaking around the hilt once more. “We did it.” Her voice held an awe that spoke of disbelief rather than reverence.

“You did.” He reassured. “And I am just fine, though I promisehewill not be. Can you try again? This time on your own?”

Aegir pressed her, knowing that if he gave her time, she’d likely think too deeply about the action. Several long blinks later, Elspeth nodded. She pulled the knife from his chest with a sucking sound, and squared her shoulders.

“It does help that you look like him,” she whispered.

“Good.”

After several repetitions, she’d gotten the hang of it, repeating the motion smoothly, and he stopped their lessons for the day. He’d asked a lot of her, pushed her hard, and he figured it would be best to let that sink in.