Chapter 9:

After our field combat class ended up just going over some of the basics of how each race can work in a group with the others, along with how to best play to each of our strengths, Lexi and I met up with Genie out in the hall to go to dinner before I had to meet up with Xavier for another lesson.

"So, are you going to actually tell us where you're going after this? Or is that still a secret?" Lexi asked right as we all sat down, and I sighed. I really didn't want to tell them that he was training me, but at the same time, I felt like they were at least trustworthy enough to keep it to themselves for the most part.

"Like I said yesterday, I'm just doing some extra training. You saw firsthand just how badly I need it before everything at the end of this week." I answered, looking down at where Nova was ripping off chunks of the chicken leg I had given her, as I gave her a smile. She was definitely enjoying the training sessions, considering last night she and Bane took that opportunity to go off and do their own thing. I was happy for them, though. I'm glad they have that chance to take some time for themselves like that, and I knew it would probably be the same way tonight. Honestly, if I had someone that I was that closely connected to, I would want to spend every second of the day with them, too.

Lexi snapped me out of my thoughts as she pointed at me with a grin. "Yeah, you really do need the training, but you told us you were working with someone yesterday, and I bet I know who that someone is, based on today's actions." She wiggled her eyebrows at me, and I just raised one of mine in challenge. "I have a feeling that it's a certain assistant teacher, considering how much sass he let you get away with giving him. Anyone else would have been on their ass in a matter of seconds, but don't think I missed the fact that he actually grinned at you." I just looked down at my tray, not voicing a denial, but I knew my face was more than enough to give away the fact that she was right.

"Hold up, are you talking about that scary assistant from combat? What was his name again? Xavier, wasn't it?" Genie asked, and I just sighed. I was so screwed if I was really this easy to read.

"Yeah, the hot guy with the huge dragon on his shoulders and an attitude to rival said dragon," Lexi answered, and they both snickered. "Oh, it was priceless, Genie, you really missed it. That assistant walked right up behind Ari while I was working with her, and she had the nerve to turn around and mouth off right in his face. You saw how stone-faced he was, right?" Genie just nodded as I buried my surely ruby-red face in my hands. Why did my temper always have to get the best of me around that man? "He actually grinned at her before proceeding to give her a better lesson in five freaking minutes than I ever could have without even throwing her on the mat, then stalking off to literally drag some kid out of the room by the collar of his shirt." Genie now looked at me with two raised eyebrows, clearly shocked as they both looked to me for an explanation.

"Look, he kinda has a bit of an unwanted interest in my well-being, okay, considering he is Bane's bonded, and, well, if something happens to me then, as he likes to say, it would be inconvenient for him," I said with another sigh, and they both laughed at me.

"Girl, you are so fucked. Not only is that man absolutely terrifying, but he's terrifyingly gorgeous too. That's the worst combo," Lexi commented with another giggle as I just leaned back, looking up at the ceiling as if it had all the answers to my prayers.

"Can we not talk about how royally screwed I am right now? I already know, okay?" I answered, and both of them laughed even harder as Lexi pointed her fork at me.

"Oh, I really don't think you do. The way he looked at you was downright warm and cuddly compared to anyone else in that room. You're so in for it with that one, and personally, if I were you, I would just accept my fate and damn well enjoy that ride, cause seeing how he moved, it has to be one hell of a ride." She winked at me, and I felt my whole face flush hot once more before I pushed back from the table, taking up my empty tray as the two of them just continued laughing at me. Even Nova was giggling at me as we walked out of the mess hall and back towards the gym.

'I really don't need you starting that, too.' I told her as I turned out of the hall to make my way back to the main hall.

'She's right, though; he looks at you way differently than anyone else.'

'And yet he's just as much of an ass to me as he is to anyone else.'

'Not entirely true, and you know it.' I just huffed my frustration at them as I shoved the doors to the gym open, only to see him waiting for me in the center of the mats. Nova instantly leaped from my shoulders the second we walked through the door, going to Bane as they curled their tails around each other. Rubbing up against each other as they cooed their greetings. They only ever did it when they were alone with us, but I always found it so sweet. Even though Bane was huge compared to her, he was always so gentle with her as he rubbed and checked over every inch of her. It was just downright adorable.

I walked over to where Xavier waited and sighed. "More weights tonight?" I guessed, attempting to keep a bit of a light mood, but he just shook his head. There was a gleam of something in those emerald eyes as he looked at me tonight, though that I couldn't quite place, but it set my body on edge all the same.

"Come here," he said in that low, commanding tone that always seemed to send a shock through my system. He motioned me forward, and I slowly closed the distance between us before letting out a startled squeak as he grabbed me, spinning me to where my back was pressed against the solid wall of his chest. He held one of my arms behind my back from where he had grabbed me, but his other was hooked around my neck in something of a choke hold, although he made no move to actually cut off my air supply. Instead, he just simply held me there. It was tight enough that I was definitely caught, but not tight enough to actually hurt or probably even leave so much as a mark on my skin. "It became fairly obvious that you have absolutely no experience, so I'm changing tactics. Get out of my hold and strike back, Ari." His low, deep tone, this close, sent a shiver down my spine as every single hair on my body stood on end.

I took a moment, trying to think past the reaction he was pulling from my body. Why did this man have to be so infuriatingly addictive? Okay, think, Ari, how can you get out? I couldn't slam my head back like I could if he were shorter; he was way too tall for that, and all I would effectively do is smash the back of my head against his collarbone. Which, considering how hard the muscle on his chest was... would probably hurt me more than him. I had one free arm, but if I went for his face, he could just block me. His legs, he told me, before to go for quicker moves. Don't open myself up for heavy attacks. I quickly shifted one foot back, grabbing his ankle before pulling forward with all my strength as I pushed my body back against his. Effectively pushing him back as I swept his foot out from under him. As we both toppled backwards, I twisted out of his grip, pushing off him to quickly roll to my feet beside him.

"Good, I see what I taught you earlier settled in. You're smaller than anyone else here; your best bet is throwing your opponent off balance." He told me as he got back to his feet, far smoother than I had. He stayed put as I made a quick move and threw a jab at his kidney that he blocked before I quickly backed away. I was actually proud of myself until I tripped over my own two feet and fell backward onto my ass as I backed away. "Still better than earlier, keep your stance a little wider, and never cross your feet as you move."

He had me practice a couple more times before pulling me into a tighter hold, something closer to what would actually be used against me, and this time I actually got out and countered, backing away successfully before he moved to a different hold. This one was much harder to get out of and took me several different tries to actually figure a way out, but he was patient, calmly just letting me think it through for myself rather than telling me what to do. He would give me modifications to things that I would try, but he never actually told me step by step what to do, like I had been expecting. It was oddly refreshing. He didn't make fun of me when I had to slow down to think through what I was doing, not a single remark or snide comment, just patience as he allowed me to figure it out for myself. Eventually, I figured out every one of them, and he practiced with me several times with the different holds.

Just when I was feeling confident, he changed things, taking my feet out from under me in one smooth motion that I barely caught before I was laid out on the mats under him. I had been doing rather well since the beginning, ignoring the reaction of my body to his, until now. Now I couldn't help but be distracted, not when he smelled so good. It was the perfect mix of warm spices with the slight bite of smoke. It was so unique, but the weight of his body over mine... That had my mind going places that it had no right to go to right now.

Both of my hands were pinned above my head with one of his holding my wrists, his other arm resting at my throat, as his hips bracketed mine, and it took me several moments to even register the fact that he wanted me to get away from him. I squirmed, trying to wiggle away from him anywhere I could, but he only tightened his grip on me. I was helpless under him. Was that really such a bad thing? "Don't ever let them get a hold of your legs and arms. If they get hold of both, then you're truly stuck." He whispered as I just looked up at him. My heart felt like it was going to beat straight out of my chest as he looked down at me. Those normally hard eyes had turned to something more molten, and I was absolutely mesmerized.

I took a deep breath, mentally kicking myself to get my thoughts to steady out for a moment so I could think through everything he'd taught me up to this point. He was right. With someone as large as him, I was far more stuck than any of the other holds he had put me in. Then I remembered something from when we were practicing that last hold. He had told me that men's center of gravity tended to be higher than women's. It centered more in their chests, where ours centered more in our core. If I could throw him forward, he would be forced to rebalance himself and lose his grip on me. Pulling my feet up to where my knees were slightly bent, I bucked my hips forward as hard as I could. The move threw him slightly forward, just enough that his grip moved from my wrists to rebalance himself by flattening his hand on the mat, and I used that opportunity to shove both of my hands into the shoulder that was holding across my throat as I twisted my body and rolled him off me.

He looked genuinely stunned for a moment before he chuckled at me, but the smile that graced his lips as he lay back against the mats for a moment was far more glorious. The soft tip of his lips brought with it two identical dimples, one on either side of those full lips. Good God, why did he have to be so damn beautiful to look at?

"That's how I would get out," I told him with a grin of victory, and he just grinned at me.

"That would definitely work with anyone that wasn't expecting it." It was a small victory over all, but it felt huge to me after everything. It finally felt like I was starting to get somewhere, like I had actually accomplished something.