Chapter 81: A Spark Ignites Anna’s POV

The night was quiet, except for the soft sound of leaves rustling in the cool breeze. The Crescent Grove pack's land was dark, with only a little moonlight shining through the dense trees above.

A few feet away, Lucas stretched slowly and deliberately while rolling his shoulders. He was very focused, looking at me as if I were the only thing that mattered to him.

"All set?" He asked in a low voice that carried a dare.

I tightened my hands by my sides and nodded. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

He tilted his head and smiled. "Anna, don't hesitate this time. If you do, you won’t learn anything."

I rolled my eyes, but underneath my confidence, there was a glimmer of worry. Lucas had a way of challenging me on a mental and physical level. But I wasn’t sure whether I was prepared for the heat that seemed to simmer between us every night.

Suddenly, he lunged, a whirl of movement in the gloom. His arm slid past me before I could even respond, so I ducked to the side.

"Too slow," he mocked in an overly nonchalant tone.

I narrowed my eyes and spun on my heel. "I wasn’t prepared."

"Rogues won’t wait for you to be ready," he replied, his grin growing broadly. "Once more."

The training session quickly evolved into a breath-and-movement dance. Lucas was unrelenting; I had to change and respond to his controlled yet forceful attacks. Despite the burn in my lungs and the effort in my muscles, I continued.

After I stopped a blow that was going for my shoulder, he replied, "Good. You’re improving."

"Better?" I brushed a lock of hair from my face and sighed. "You mean I no longer appear to be a flailing fool?"

He had a deep, rich laugh that made me feel oddly warm within. "You never looked foolish. In simple terms, inexperienced."

I glared at him, but in spite of myself, the corner of my mouth moved. "Thanks, Gee."

His face softened as he took a step closer. "Anna, I really mean it. You underestimate your strength."

The world appeared to shrink around us for a brief time, and there was an unspoken charge in the space between us. His eyes met mine, and for reasons unrelated to the training, I felt my heart pounding and my breath catch.

"Lucas..." My voice was no more than a whisper when I started.

His eyes darted to my lips and then back to mine, but he remained still. The tension in the air between us crackled.

I couldn’t tell who moved first because it happened so fast. We were inches apart one second, and then Lucas’s palm was grazing my cheek with an incredibly soft touch.

"Anna," he mumbled in a scratchy, almost unsure voice.

With my heart beating in my ears, I took a deep gulp. I ought to have moved away and spoken up to break the strain. However, I didn’t. I was unable to.

I felt myself leaning into his touch as his thumb made a gentle line along my jaw, causing my defenses to collapse in a way that scared me.

"You know that you make me crazy?" He spoke in a tone that was half admiring and half annoyed.

I gave a tremulous laugh. "It’s also not exactly easy to deal with you."

His eyes were serious, but his lips curled into a little, crooked smile. "This is dangerous, whatever it is between us."

With a tight throat, I nodded. "I understand."

However, I didn’t back down even as I was speaking. He didn’t either.

I could feel the warmth of his breath against my skin as his face drew closer. Every instinct was telling me to halt and consider the consequences while my heart pounded in my chest. But I didn’t want to think for once. All I wanted was to feel.

A howl in the distance cut through the darkness like a blade, breaking the moment.

The sound brought us both back to the present, and we both froze. Lucas took a step back, his look a mixture of sadness and frustration, and his hand fell to his side.

Suddenly aware of my vulnerability, I put my arms around myself. I remarked, my voice steadier than I had expected, "We should check on that."

Lucas tightened his jaw and nodded. "Indeed. Let’s leave."

The weight of what nearly happened hung between us as we walked silently back to the cottage. I didn’t look at him, but I could feel his eyes on me several times. I was unable to.

Lucas stopped as we got to the door, his hand lying on the handle. "Anna..."

I looked at him, and the doubt in his eyes made my heart hurt.

"We’ll figure it out," he mumbled gently. "Whatever this is." Just not tonight.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. "Not this evening."

I couldn’t help but feel both pleased and saddened by the gap between us as soon as I entered. There was no question that whatever had ignited between us was genuine. However, it was also risky, and neither of us was prepared for it.

Not quite yet.