Page 51 of Hell Gate

“No!” My outburst is loud and fierce, cutting through the night.

Fire springs forth to cover my hands, his threat to kill my mate the only thing that registers.

The precise control over my powers startles all of us. I’ve never managed to call something of this level on my own.

Matthias tucks me under his arm and kisses my cheek. My fire snuffs out at his touch, smoke rising from my arms. “It’s okay. He’s not serious.”

Valerian pockets my underwear and goes into the motel office. A heated flush pricks at my cheeks and my stomach twists with the illicitness of his actions. Did that asshole seriously just—?

It should piss me off that he stole my panties, yet the thrum circling my chest likes the idea of him carrying them around, knowing I’m bare beneath my miniskirt.

He returns a few minutes later with keys to a room. “Don’t go anywhere unless it’s to work on your defensive moves.”

“Where are you going?” Alder prompts.

“The coven. They’re expecting me. I’m going to find out if they have a witch that can access the seal, or at least tap into her memories to find her true identity.”

“This late?” I question.

“It’s the witching hour,” he says plainly.

His gaze falls to the possessive arm Matthias has around my shoulders and a muscle jumps in his cheek. A sting spears through my chest when he turns his back on me without another word.

Once he drives off, Alder catches my wrist, tugging me away from Matthias' side. “We’re not done. You’re finishing your training for the day.”

“What? Are you kidding?” My skin warms beneath his firm hold, tingling pleasantly. I bite my lip, his gruff words while he watched Matthias finger fuck me filtering through my head. “It’s late. All I want to do is shower and go to sleep.”

“I’m not joking. You’re not escaping this.”

His grip presses into my skin, unwilling to let me go. A thrill shoots through me, much like the way I felt when he touched my knee to spread my legs wider to expose my body for his own devious pleasure. I make no move to free myself.

Heat throbs between my legs. I’m bare beneath my skirt.

He tosses my bag at Matthias, dragging me across the damp pavement reflecting the purple neon glow of the motel sign. “Meet us out back. I’ll find a spot to work.”

We head around the side of the motel. A small slope leads down to a narrow creek. I suck in a breath at the sight of murky water trickling across dead leaves and sticks. Alder pauses, giving me a sidelong glance.

The fear isn’t as potent as it usually is. Closing my eyes, I picture Matthias’ kisses in the woods by the lake earlier until I breathe easier, a relieved smile twitching my lips. His effort to replace my bad memories with a better one worked.

Alder shifts directions, heading for a copse of trees. “Here will do. There’s not as much room as we had at our last location. We’ll work on close range.” He finally drops my wrist, only to wrap his arms around me from behind. “Breaking a hold is about understanding balance and reserving your energy to utilize against your attacker efficiently.”

The circle of trees feels as though it blocks us off from the world, interrupted only by the faint sounds of cars passing on the nearby road. His palms skate across my stomach, toeing the edge of decency when he moves up and takes the hem of my shirt with him, dangerously close to revealing the bottom curves of my tits. My chest rises and falls, my awareness shrinking to the feel of his rough hands on my body and the drum of his heartbeat against my back.

“Alder,” I whisper.

“When you can’t protect yourself, I will be there to keep you safe.” Sighing, he locks his arms around my shoulders, effectively pinning my arms at my sides. He speaks against the top of my head. “But I’ll teach you to fight like a warrior. I sense she’s within you.”

My stomach dips and I brush my fingertips against his sides, the heat of his embrace captivating my senses. His gravelly rumble reverberates against my back, surrounding me. I know he’s teaching me, but I don’t want to move from this spot, from his steadfast embrace.

“To get out of this, you have two options. Drop your center of balance lower than mine, then use the force of your power to push the advantage by attacking the inner knee or groin. I want you to focus on this method.”

“What about the other way?”

“Your other option is if your hands are pinned like this, call on your fire to punch up through the hold, then turn and drive with all your might toward your attacker’s chin. With enough strength behind your counter attack, you can knock them back and even blind them. We’ll run through it so you understand the basic maneuver first, then do it with hellfire in the mix.”

He mutters gruffly, talking me through what he wants me to do, guiding my movements. Once I have the basic idea down, he instructs me to try on my own.

My attempts only lead to him tightening his hold. “How am I supposed to break out of this if you know what it takes to do it? When I go to drop low, you just hold me tighter.”

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