Finding the Dragon (Dásreach Council Book 1) (25 page)

Alvena looked at him briefly before looking around the room.

“Yes you did. When do you want to teach me?”

“Now, lass.”

“Now?” She squeaked.

“Aye, now. We’ll move things out of the way and practice right here or we can go outside for a few hours if you would prefer. We could practice and then get something to eat.”

“Oh. About that, there is nothing but a few old cans of soup in the kitchen.” Alvena replied.

“Alvena, how about I run to the nearest town? With my dragon I can do it on my own quickly and be back before you know it. I think you’ll be safe here. No one knows where you are and we’ll head somewhere else tomorrow.” Kai asked. Alvena appeared unsure. “We can’t go all day with nothing to drink or eat, I’m sure the water here isn’t worth drinking and I wouldn’t want to take the chance of you getting sick.”

“How about you show me some self-defense first? That way if someone does show up, I at least have some way to defend myself.” Alvena looked at him with determination.

“That’s a good idea. Let’s move the furniture out of the way and practice inside. It will be cooler out of the sun and we won’t take the chance of being seen.” Kai approved of how Alvena thought on her feet. They worked together quickly and soon had an open area in front of the fireplace. He was glad that they had waited to start the fire; it would have gotten hot quickly with them moving around.

“Alvena, come and take a fighting stance here in the middle of the room, lass.” Kai commanded.

Kai watched as she followed his instructions. She stood timidly in the middle of the room with her hands sort of clenched and held close to her body. He walked around her, looking her over. Alvena wasn’t overly muscled; she was actually a bit soft. As he had noticed on numerous occasions, she wasn’t what he would consider overweight, but he was sure she thought she was. Skinny legged jeans and a slightly over-sized t-shirt clung to her body, every curve defined by the fabric. Her curves were just right for him. She was so damn sexy he just wanted to run his hands up and down that curvy body. Kai stopped and took in several breaths to calm himself, but with the air he also brought in flowers and cinnamon. He would forever love this combination for the rest of his life.

“Kai? What next?” Alvena asked from in front of him.

Kai opened his eyes. He needed to pull it together. This was important to Alvena. She wanted to learn how to protect herself and Kai was always practical. He knew that he wouldn’t always be there when she was in trouble.

“Alright, lass. First off widen your stance, not too much, you don’t want to be off balance. You want to have a wide stance so that you can brace yourself better against the weight of your attacker.” She did as he asked. “That’s good.”

Kai walked around and pulled her balled up hand into his. He pried her hand open to find her thumb inside.
Why does everyone always do that when they aren’t trained?

“Lass, if you were to hit someone like this, you’d break your own thumb.” Kai said as he curled her fingers in and placed her thumb appropriately. “Now do your other hand as well.”

He walked around his mate one more time and then stood facing her.

“Alvena, size doesn’t always mean that someone will win. If you are smart, you can take the largest attacker to his knees.” Alvena nodded her head that she was listening. “So, first thing to remember is that anything and everything can be a weapon. When being attacked, don’t be afraid to hurt the person attacking you. If you can pick up something and hit them, then do so. Got it?” She nodded again.

“Alright. So next, I want you to remember an attacker’s weaknesses. Eyes.” Kai pointed to each part as he said them. “Nose. Neck. Knee. Groin. Got that?”

“Yes. Widen my stance, keep my thumb out of my fist, size doesn’t matter, and know a person’s weaknesses: eyes, nose, neck, knee, and groin.” She covered everything he had told her.

“Right. Now, let’s talk about what you can do to take advantage of each weakness.”

“Okay.” Alvena watched every move Kai made.

“So, what do you think you could do to my eyes?” Kai asked her.

“Um, I can scratch at them.” She hesitantly responded.

“Yes, you use those slender fingers of yours and you scratch, claw, and gouge at their eyes. What do you think the benefit of this would be?”

“I guess it would hurt and blind them a bit if I inflicted enough damage.” She replied with more confidence.

“Exactly. You may not blind them completely, but you could affect them enough that you can get away. Now, the nose. Think about how easily noses are broke in the movies. This is true. A broken nose hurts like a bitch. So, they will definitely be slowed down if you can do it.” Kai moved to Alvena’s side. “Now, follow me, if you are facing your attacker, what you can do is use the heel of your palm. You hold your hand like this and push upwards against the bottom of their nose.” Kai showed her the movement and then adjusted her hands and moved her arm through the motion. Once she seemed comfortable, he moved on.

“Now from behind,” Kai moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her upper body, “you can use your elbow or your head. Keep in mind if you use your head, you might hurt yourself as well, so if you can get your arm free, then you are better off to use your elbow. Like this.” Kai moved her arm back towards him, showing her how she would want to hit an attacker. “Just make sure to use your own weight to give the hit more power.”

Kai maneuvered Alvena so that she could feel the correct motions for each self-defense tactic he showed her. Being so close to her was torture, but he kept instructing her and reminding himself of the importance of what he was teaching.

“The neck is exposed due to the major blood vessels in it. Just know that if you can pick up something sharp and jab at their neck, this can also slow them down. However, I think the other areas are better for you. Such as, the knee and groin. They are both good targets for a kick. However, you are less likely to have someone grab your foot and stop you if you kick at their knee versus the groin. Most women immediately try for the groin, because they know how painful that area is for a man, but men are extremely protective of that area and are more likely to be prepared to block you. So, I would suggest kicking the knee which is an easy target from any angle and a good kick can cause a lot of pain and possibly damage. However, an attacker is less likely to lose their balance if you kick from the front, so you should try to kick from the side. When your attacker goes down, you have a chance to run. Your ultimate goal in defending yourself is to get away. You need to either run for help or keep yourself safe until help arrives.”

Kai continued to work with Alvena, showing her the movements that would break an attacker’s hold, either from behind or by grabbing her hand. He showed her how to use her weight to throw off an attackers balance and to give her punches more power. She picked up everything he taught her very easily. But as the day wore on, her spicy scent and curvy body were taking their toll on his control. Each time he touched skin, his skin burned in return. He found himself doing more and more moves that required him to hold her.

He knew what he wanted, but he knew she was still conflicted. She didn’t feel that she was his equal. That was her reason for pushing him away. But, Kai didn’t need an equal, he needed the woman who could balance him the way the original Thirteen were balanced by their mates. Alvena was a compassionate woman, but she was also thoughtful and logical when necessary. Kai recognized that it was easier for him to accept that she was meant for him, because he had heard about his mate and what she would mean to him his whole life. He had not realized how strong the connection would be and how fast it would take over his thinking, but he was ready to accept it. On the other hand, his book worm knew of love written in books. Love shown in movies. An abiding love created from common interests, time together, and a building of trust. They had had only a handful of days and in that time she had been attacked multiple times and separated from her friends. Alvena probably wanted the flowers and candy type of courtship and he couldn’t give that to her. He needed her to accept him right now. Her life was in danger and he needed to protect her. He might not love her yet, but she did things to him. As he instructed her in self-defense, his cock was so hard it hurt, just by being near her and smelling her.

Distracted by his thoughts and his manhood, Kai wasn’t prepared when Alvena did a maneuver that should have flipped him over her leg and away from her. And, since Alvena knew that they were practicing, she was not prepared for Kai to actually lose his balance. Their feet got tangled together and they both fell to the ground. Using his Dásreach speed, Kai twisted as they fell and pulled Alvena in close to him. As he hit the ground, she landed on top of his aroused body. Kai found his lips next to her shoulder, her rough breaths caressing his neck turned him on to the point that he could no longer hold back, and he began to trail his lips along her neck to her ear. He sucked the earlobe into his mouth and bit down on it. Alvena let out a moan as her hands grasped his biceps. Kai began to move his hands down her back to her arse. He gripped it in both hands and squeezed as he pulled her into his erection that even now pushed against his jeans.
Maybe I should just show her how we fit together.
He thought. His mind was hazy with lust as he ground her against him. His lips found hers in a crushing kiss. Her taste was all he knew. She pulled back, breathing hard.

“Alvena.” Kai moaned as he went back in for another passion filled taste of his mate. He rolled Alvena under him and moved his hand to cup her through her jeans. He wanted inside of her so damn much. Kai felt Alvena’s hands on his chest. At first he thought she wanted him to take off his shirt, so he started to pull away to grant her wish, but then he realized that she was pushing him away.
Shite.

“Kai.” She said through heavy breaths. “Stop. Please. You must stop.”

“Why?” Kai asked as he pushed up on his arms to look her in the face. “I want you and I know you want me.”

“Because, Kai, I don’t do one night stands and that’s all this would be.” She said softly as she tried to get out from underneath him. Kai rolled away from her and lay on his back. His body was strung so tight, his dragon guide was in an uproar inside of him. They both agreed that Alvena was Kai’s and he needed to take her. But, Kai was connected enough to his human side, to know that he couldn’t force the issue with her. He sat up and looked at her. She was hunched with her arms around her legs against the sofa.

“Alvena, I’ll stop, but this – what you and I have – is no one night stand. One night is nowhere enough for me. I want forever with you, lass. You are my mate, but it’s more than that.” Kai took in a few deep breaths and then told her the truth that was written on his heart. “With you here beside me, I feel like I can breathe for the very first time in my life.”

Alvena gave him a look of frustration and then got to her feet.

“Kai.” She sighed. “You need to stop saying stuff like that. I’ve already told you that I’m not your mate.”

“Damn it, Alvena. Stop fighting it. You feel the connection, why do you keep denying it?” Kai was sexually frustrated. All he wanted was to be with his mate and with the lust clouding his mind, other parts of his body were demanding that he had already waited too long. He stalked towards her.

“Kai, please.” She pleaded. “I… I… I don’t know what to think. There are so many thoughts and feelings rushing through my head. I need time.”

“Fine. We need food. I’m going to town. You can have your time.” Kai walked out of the door, slamming it behind him, and partially shifted to give himself more speed as he took off into the trees.

Chapter 18

Al sighed as she watched Kai race into the woods. He was just a blur of motion. Further proof that he was more than the man you saw. A few minutes after he left, she heard a loud roar in the distance. She hoped that it was Kai and not some animal that she should fear while alone in the middle of nowhere. It sounded like the roar she knew from her dream and from when Kai had shifted at the house, but with the distance and distortion of the trees and bayou surrounding her, she wasn’t sure. So, just to make herself feel better, Al closed and locked the door and then turned on another light.

Hot and sweaty from the self-defense training, she walked into the bathroom and splashed water onto her face and swished some around in her mouth. It tasted like minerals and left a copper penny aftertaste when she spit it out. Kai had been right about the water. Al looked up and looked in the mirror for so long that her vision started to blur. She slapped her hands against her cheeks.
That’s enough of that.
What she was looking for was not going to be found in her reflection. She had angered Kai, but what she said was only the truth. He may not see it, and sometimes she didn’t believe her own words either… but she didn’t want to be hurt. She had had a few typical teenage relationships that at the time they had ended it had felt like the end of her life and she had dated a few assholes in college and after, but the main reason that relationships scared her was because of people she had called friends. Granted they had all been teenagers and it shouldn’t still bother her, but it did. She knew it wasn’t logical, but when did logic have anything to do with the human heart, with the human soul? She worried about people’s true intentions. Do they really think what they say they do? Do they really like spending time with her? Maybe they just need someone for this day or this event. That’s what her high school friends had made her feel. They only seemed to like her when they had classes together or needed something. Otherwise, they acted like they were embarrassed of her. Al wasn’t blind to truth, she recognized that she had her own issues and had done things that her friends didn’t understand and things that hurt them, but… as she said, logic had no place in the heart. Hers had been damaged at an impressionable age, and only with the help of the Book Worms was it beginning to truly mend.