4. Training

Some of the men stay with Daryl whilst others follow us back to the Crescent packs land. When we arrive, Beta Jax parks out front of the packhouse and climbs off the bike, he offers me a hand but I manage to manoeuvre myself. “Inside” is all he says and as I walk up the steps I turn to see him getting my books out his bag.

Inside the packhouse, Beta Jax shows me around, something that Daryl hadn’t even done yet, he showed me where the kitchen was and told me I could help myself to anything or if there was anything I wanted that they didn’t have, then to add it to the list that was stuck to the fridge.

I nod as he continues to lead me around the huge house, it was much bigger than Black Night’s and I knew I would have trouble remembering where every thing was “And finally, we have the library” he pulled open the large double doors, the room was magnificent, books reached from the floor to the ceiling, surrounding the entire room, large sofas sat in the middle of the room under a huge glass roof that allowed you to see the stars at night.

Behind me was a giggle, but I didn’t care if I looked stupid, this was my favourite place ever “Is there anything you want?” Beta Jax was waiting patiently at the door and I shake my head. Pulling a book off the shelf I made myself comfortable on the sofa and began reading. “Alpha Daryl will be arriving home in a couple of hours” I just nod, completely engrossed in the book I am reading.

The door closes and I hear the key in the lock, but this time I didn’t panic, I could stay here forever. At some point I must have fallen asleep and as I was stirring, I felt the weightlessness like how Daryl carried me last time.

“Shh, go back to sleep” Daryl murmured. I didn’t know when he had got back but I did realise he had no tshirt on, I press my hand against his warm muscles feeling the steady rhythm of his heart and let sleep take me.

Opening my eyes, my arms try to stretch but I realise I’m being held tightly, turning my head slightly, I could make out Daryl’s face who is sleeping peacefully, trying to get out of his arms, his grip pulls me tighter to his bare chest and he mumbles sleepily at me “Good morning”. I don’t respond, desperately concentrating on my bladder and the fact it was about to burst and continue to squirm in his arms.

He frowns at me but finally lets me go “What is it?” but I don’t have time to answer and leg it across to the bathroom. When I step back in the bedroom, Daryl is pulling on a hoodie and grins at me “Better?”

“Much better”, I don’t really know what else to say to the large man standing before me and I think he felt the same

“I have to head back over to the new land we acquired yesterday, you are welcome to come with me or you can stay here with Jax”

I didn’t know what to do, if I stayed here I could probably spend the day in the library but I would be locked in again, if I went with Daryl, I would be back at Black Nights territory. “Will you be long?”

Daryl had already worked out what I was thinking and tells me he will be gone a couple of days and suggests I do some training with Jax, as much as I didn’t really know the man in front of me, I felt better for being near him. I nod in agreement, but I had never trained a day in my life.

Down in the kitchen Jax is busy cooking and Daryl tells him to take me to training today but after I have had a decent breakfast, he glances at the plate in front of me which held a tiny amount of chopped fruit “You need to eat Ashley” I nod but it was hard especially after not being allowed to eat much, anything more filled me up.

They both continue to chat over the breakfast table about the new grounds, every so often Daryl would glance at my plate but never said anything, when it was time to go I was still busy trying to eat, Daryl kisses me on the forehead which sends a shiver down my spine and not a bad one and a warmth rushes to my cheeks.

“Not hungry?” Jax waited until Daryl left to ask and I shake my head

“It’s hard”, I push the plate away and he doesn’t say anything as he removes my plate from the table.

“You want to train?” I shake my head and he frowns “How about I show you where we train?” I shrug my shoulders “Okay then” Jax eats the rest of my fruit and we head towards the place where training takes place. Jax explains to me that twice a week everyone trained together and that would happen outside and twice a week people trained in smaller groups to improve their fighting skills but it was always open if anyone wanted to do more.

I was shocked, they trained a lot here, much more than Black Nights pack who only got together once a month. He must of read my mind “Daryl is hot on training, he likes everyone to be at their peak”

Well that tells a lot, I definitely did not fit in here. Jax leads me into the training building, boxing bags lined the walls as well as a lot of other equipment. Jax dares me to hit one of the bags and as my fist comes into contact with it, I scream out in pain

“Shit Ashley, what did you do?” He looks at my hand, where my thumb is stuck out at a funny angle and already swelling “You are supposed to have your thumb on the outside, not inside your fingers” He demonstrates how I should have made a fist but it doesn’t make the pain go away and I screw my face up at him..

His eyes glaze over for a moment, and he sighs “Daryl is coming back” my heart jumped at the idea of him coming back so soon although I still didn’t have much to talk to him about “Let’s get you to the pack doctor”