Bark Or Bite

Chapter 24

"Ian where are you? This isn't funny anymore." My small voice pierces through the dark woods. I crouch slightly under the leaves in front of me.

"Use your eyes." Ian's confident voice answers me.

"I am using my eyes."

"No, your other eyes." His voice is farther away this time.

I stop and inhale. I force myself to take my surroundings in through a different sense and feel the Earth rather than see it. When I open my eyes again, I feel the heat radiating from them. Everything in front of me is clearer, brighter, and I can make out the faint scent of Ian's cologne on the trees.

"Okay. I'm ready." I call out to him.

"Come and find me." His voice is farther again.

I pick my legs up and move faster through the trees. I can't hear his footsteps or see him yet, but his scent gets stronger the faster I move.

"Don't lose focus." Ian says. I halt for a second as I realize his voice is coming from behind me.

I turn around, but he isn't there. Before I can turn, darkness engulfs me from above. Pain rips through my body as I'm pinned to the ground violently. I refrain from screaming.

My head sinks to the ground as my arm goes numb. I squint through the leaves on the ground and notice a thick twig just arms reach away. I manage to struggle forward slightly and grab the stick with my left hand. I bite the tip of the twig, leaving a sharper point at the end. With all my might, I turn and stab my attacker in the arm with the twig.

"Aah!" Ian's voice floods my ears.

"Ian?" I turn completely as he gets off of me.

"You stabbed me with a stick." He looks at me.

"I'm sorry! You caught me off guard!" I run to his side to pull the stick out. He winces, but lets me.

"No, it's fine. You reacted well. Good job." The wound on his arm heals as soon as I remove the stick.

"Goodness Ian. You could have died." I cross my arms over my chest.

"And if we don't take that risk now, you could die in the war. Therefore, it will always be worth it." He looks sincerely at me.

"Thank you for doing this."

"You can stab me in the arm anytime."

* * *

I throw my crossbody onto the table in the dining room as I walk towards the stairs. My body hurts like hell, but there's a lot less pain than when I first started training. The first night Ian sent me off on a fifteen mile run, I could barely walk to my car afterwards. Now, it's just a warm up.

Maximus is laying on my bed when I open the door.

"Hi." His deep, inviting voice reaches my ears.

"Hmph." I flop down on the bed and bury my face in my pillow.

"I guess you're tired." I can hear the smirk in Maximus's voice. I just nod my head in agreement.

"Too tired to go to dinner with me tonight?" He rubs my back with his soft, but manly hands.

"Never too tired for food." I manage to let the few words escape through the pillow.

He chuckles. "I didn't think you would be." Maximus stops rubbing my back which makes me groan in response.