*Jane*
I jolted awake to a loud knock. I flinched, eyes darting to the
alarm clock beside me. Who on earth was banging against the
door by 4:35 am.
I blinked. The sheets were twisted around my legs, damp with
sweat. My heart raced as a result of the dream I’d just had.
It was the same one. Again.
Another sharp knock followed as if on cue, forcing me to drag
the covers off my legs and stumble to the door. Aaron was
standing there when I cracked it open. He was dressed in a fitted
long–sleeve running shirt and track pants, looking awfully
awake.
His hair was damp as if he’d already gone for a run, or was
about to drag me into one.
It was also impossible to not notice how delicious he looked,
muscles rippling under the tight clothes. I couldn’t tear my gaze
away from him. Even my wolf, Lucky, howled in excitement.
“My eyes are up here.” I finally looked up to find Aaron grinning
Chapter 31
down at me. “Morning, Jane.”
Damn it. I wrapped my arms around myself suddenly feeling
shy, but as I moved to do so, I realized I was barely dressed. I’d
forgotten to grab a robe, and now I was standing in front of
Aaron, in nothing but a silk nightwear that
was too short, too
thin, and too transparent.
I swallowed hard, suddenly hyper–aware of the chill of the
morning air. I could feel the thin fabric clinging to my skin,
barely veiling my breasts. My nipples hardened from the chill,
or maybe from the weight of his gaze which had just dropped.
I recognized that look. It was raw and hungry. He flexed his jaw,
as if debating whether to push me back into the room and have
his way.
And I wanted him to do that. I wasn’t proud of how badly I
wanted it, but I wouldn’t deny it.
Aaron finally cleared his throat, looking anywhere but at me now. “Get dressed. You’re starting your training today. Your wolf needs to gain strength. You need to be able to defend
yourself.”
I groaned. “It isn’t even morning yet,” I pointed out.
“Look, I haven’t been able to sleep for two nights now, I…” he
Chapter 31
paused, as if debating whether to continue speaking. Aaron’s eyes met mine for a second before he continued. “I can’t stop
thinking about what you said.”
“What did I say?”
“I know your mother tried to kill you.”
I stared up at him in shock.
“You had too much to drink that night and you couldn’t stop
talking. It didn’t take long for you to spill the beans.”
I stood there, mouth wide open. I didn’t know what to say.
Aaron on the other hand wasn’t done talking.
“I assumed you weren’t ready to tell me, so I waited for you to
say something. But even after you sobered up, you still didn’t
talk to me about it.
“And that’s why I’m here,” he continued. “It’s either you take the
self–defense classes or I get you a bodyguard. It’s your call.”
The last thing I wanted was to have someone follow me
everywhere I go. Learning to protect myself and building my
wolf’s strength was the best option for me. “Fine. I’ll get ready
and meet you downstairs.”
Chapter 31
“Thank you.” He offered me one last smile before turning away.
I let out a breath before I closed the door behind me. My fingers.
felt clumsy as I slipped into a sports bra and leggings. I tied my
dark hair into a messy ponytail, splashed cold water on my face
and headed downstairs.
Aaron was already waiting for me by the car. He held out a cup
of coffee as I approached. “Here. I figured you needed your
caffeine.”
My fingers grazed his as I took the cup. “Thank you.” He smiled
at me, and that feeling was back again. I liked how thoughtful
he was, loved that he cared for me. But on the other side of that
was fear. I didn’t want to become too reliant on him, I didn’t
ever want to need him, or anyone for that matter.
Not after everything that’s happened.
It didn’t help that he opened the door for me, or kept asking if I
was okay as we drove to the gym. It took us about ten minutes
to drive there, marking the start of a very unusual morning.
