This Dark Wolf (Soul Bitten Shifter #1) - Everly Frost Page 0,50
bounces off the wood and flies wide, clattering and sliding across the floor.
Oops…
I’m grateful Iyana is standing well away from its trajectory.
“Not so hard!” Jace shouts. “You want to use medium force, not everything you’ve got. Here…”
He strides toward me, veers toward the knife rack to pluck another knife off it, and then barges straight toward me.
I back away from him like a startled cat, needing to keep my distance. My arms fly up into a defensive position as I move, taking on a combative pose. “Stay back!”
He pulls up short, his eyes widening at my stance. His arms rise away from his sides before he bends slowly to put the knife on the floor and back away from it.
“It’s okay,” he says, lowering his voice as he backsteps. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
Damn. He thinks I’m afraid of him.
“That’s not…” I lick my suddenly dry lips. “Just keep your distance. Okay?”
“Sure.” He nods before inclining his blond head at the knife on the ground. “Try that one. This time, use moderate force.”
I wait for him to return to his original position before I stride to the knife, scoop it up, and resume my stance six feet away from the target.
“Relax,” he calls, much more gently this time. “Hold the handle with your thumb on top. Point the blade at the sky. Remember: moderate force, not full force.”
I follow his instructions, bending my arm at the elbow, and let the knife fly.
It makes a satisfying thud as it hits the target and sticks.
I break into a grin and let out a whoop. It’s not exactly a bullseye, but it’s much closer than I ever got with a gun.
“Yes!” Iyana calls from the side, grinning from ear to ear.
“Not bad,” Jace says, striding toward me again. “Better than guns, right?”
“Much better.” I smile back at him.
For a second, I forget that I need to keep my distance.
I also forget how fast he is.
He closes the gap between us in a blink. His hand whips out to grip my wrist in a suddenly aggressive move.
What the hell—?
I retaliate on instinct, twisting, dropping my weight, and flipping him onto his back. He hits the ground but is already rolling back to his feet and coming right back at me.
Iyana runs toward us, but she pulls up short at the warning look I give her a split second before Jace tries to grab me again.
Blocking his attempts, I hit back, landing quick, sharp blows on his face and shoulders before dropping him right back to the ground.
He jumps up again, barreling into me with full force and wrenching me off my feet. It’s the same move Cody used on me, but I know how to deal with it this time. Before he can hoist me over his shoulder, I ram my right knee into his chest, forcing him to double over. He drops me to the ground, where I use our downward momentum to flip him over me once again.
He lands with a heavy thud, gripping his side and, this time, he remains where he lies, chest heaving, staring up at the ceiling.
I loom over him, elbows bent and hands up, prepared in case he tries to grab me again.
“Stay down,” I order him.
“Fuck,” he says, still staring upward, his deeper-than-green eyes cast into shadow when he runs the back of his hand across his forehead. “I knew you couldn’t be afraid of me.”
Very slowly, he twists to the side and rises to his feet, squaring his shoulders, reminding me that he’s a powerful shifter with an angry wolf concealed inside.
He exhales…
And inhales. Deeply.
I step back, but it’s too late.
He knows I’m in control.
Chapter Thirteen
I watch Jace carefully, unsure if I’ve got my power as under control as I think I do. I’m wary of the telltale dilation of his pupils that will mean he’s about to lose his shit.
Nothing happens.
He exhibits no signs of uncontrollable rage, desire, or any other emotion. Except a hint of betrayal in his suddenly rough voice.
“You didn’t want me to find out,” he says, shaking his head at me, his eyes holding an accusation I can’t deny. “Helen said you were months away from being ready, but you’ve got everything under control already.”
I clench my fists, screaming internally. “Don’t blame Helen. She’s only trying to protect me.” I keep my voice low and calm. I’m determined not to beg him to keep my secret. “You can’t tell Tristan. Not yet.”