In a Heartbeat (MxM)

Chapter 41

Chapter 41

A/N: Probably one of my longest chapters so far, and it was actually easier to write. Lot's of things to be discussed, lol. Let me know what you think, don't forget to comment, vote, follow, etc. Again, I'm shit at writing physical fight scenes, so I apologize in advance, but it was crucial to the plot later so I must. The next chapter will also be long and highly anticipated, as *spoiler* Simon visits his family home (for real this time). So I'll quickly try to work on it this week.

Simon's POV

Michael insisted on teaching me self-defense, which in hindsight seemed ridiculous. In a way, I was thankful for him looking out for me, but at the same time, I didn't deem it necessary. In wolf form, I was confident enough to defend myself, or at least hightail out of a situation if needed. But he wanted me to feel confident in my human form to handle someone like George. Not that I couldn't, or felt like I would need to, but just in case, he had said.

A part of me wondered if he was worried I'd need to defend myself against Vince, and I hate that I thought that might've been a possibility.

Michael had spent nearly two hours helping me learn basic blocking and types of punches and throws I should at least know. He demonstrated different ways to sweep someone's leg out from under them, and how to pin them down, along with other spots that can be easy targets to aim for.

At some point in our session, I was practicing how to aim for the ribs when Michael had placed his foot behind mine, and the next thing I remember is laying on my back, the sudden twist and thud jarring me. Rookie mistake, losing my balance while he used the same throwing technique he had literally just taught me. Xavier hadn't been kidding about his siblings learning all sorts of skills to be an alpha, it appeared Michael had a grasp about all forms of martial arts to some degree, even the more meditative ones.

"You alright?" He was kneeling beside me, but I hid my eyes with my forearm, completely embarrassed by how easily he took me down. I peeked to see him look genuinely concerned and I couldn't help but laugh at the silly brow lines that had formed. "Should I have put extra padding out?"

"I can't even throw a punch," I huffed, before grabbing his hand as he pulled me up into a sitting position.

He sighed in relief before replying, "there wasn't anything wrong with the punch, you just gotta center yourself more. The easiest way is to bend the knees, remain lower."

"Easy for you to say," I mocked. "You're built like a brick. I'm pretty sure if I did punch you, my hand would hurt more."

He smiled before stepping closer, pinching my cheek like a child. "Or, you could put some meat on those bones and fatten you up. You're light as a feather."

I scoffed, trying not to take offense to it. When I was younger a lot of people called me a twig, but it was a characteristic I got from my dad, who as a delta needed to be agile and swift in chasing out prey. So I teased Michael back, "I bet I could beat you in a race though."

"Oh," he grinned, before whispering, "are you challenging your alpha?"

I bit my lip before poking at his chest. "Is it a challenge, if I know I'll win?"

"Oh, it's on."

"To the lake?" I suggested. "I know the path like the back of my hand."

He poked my forehead back. "So do I, dear."

We made fun of each other on our way to the border before shifting into our wolves. It had been a while, and it felt nice to let my wolf out and exercise. His wolf was much larger, but with how dense parts of the forest got, I was sure I'd be able to make my way there faster, maybe even take some shortcuts along the way.