Page 19 of Knot Made to Break: Part Two

“Come here.” Giovanni closed the distance between us. His arms came around me, pulling me against his chest with a gentleness that broke something loose inside me. I collapsed into him, melting instantly against his solid frame. “The nightmares won’t last forever, Dolcezza,” he promised. “I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but they won’t.”

It wasn’t just what he said, but how he said it—with such absolute certainty, like he’d walked this path himself and knew exactly where it led. And I believed him, not because I trusted the future, but because I trustedhimcompletely.

When I finally found the courage to pull back slightly, I tilted my face up to meet his. My hands rested against his chest, his heart beating beneath my palm.

“Teach me,” I commanded softly, fervently. “Teach me to fight properly. To never be a victim again.”

The words came from somewhere deep inside—not out of fear, but from a resolve I didn’t even know I had until now. Ineeded this. Needed to feel like I had some control over what happened to me, and to the people I cared about.

My Alpha studied me, his gaze moving over every feature, reading me, memorizing me. Whatever he saw there must have satisfied him, because he nodded once, his eyes intense. A hand came up to cup my face, thumb tracing the curve of my cheekbone.

“I will,” he promised. “You have my word, Sweetness.”

Giddiness bubbled up inside me, more than just a desire to learn how to fight. This was about taking back control, turning my fears into strength. It was about partnership, not just being protected. I wanted to be more than a damsel in distress—I wanted to stand as an equal with the men I loved.

“When do we start?”

Gio’s lips curved into a smile. “We already have,” he said, his hand sliding from my face to curl around the nape of my neck, thumb pressing gently against my pulse point. “Lesson one: knowing when to push yourself—” his grip tightened fractionally, “—and when to rest and let your body recover.”

“But—”

A finger landed on my lips, his way of shushing me. “Don’t even try that cute pout on me. We’ll start self-defense training in the morning, after you’ve gotten a decent night’s sleep.”

Smirking, I kissed his fingertip. “Fine. You win.”

The corner of his mouth tugged up higher. “I always win.”

I scoffed playfully. “That sounds like a challenge.”

Grinning, Gio swooped down and stole a kiss. “Follow my teaching, Dolcezza, and maybe, someday, you’ll give me a run for my money.”

I giggled, smiling widely for the first time in ages. Because I may have been sassy, but the idea of beating him at anything physical was honestly comical.

Gio was a giant, the top of my head barely reaching his mid-chest.

“Have you seen yourself? I could train for ten years and still never come close to pinning you.”

“True.” Suddenly, his eyes were absolutely smoldering. “Unless I let you…”

I swallowed hard, acutely aware of how close we were, of all his hard muscles, the heat coming off of him, and how my own body reacted to his nearness. The gym felt smaller, the air thicker, filled with his pheromones.

My hand slid up his chest and around his neck, running my hands over his short hair, enjoying the texture of it. Biting my lip, I popped onto my tiptoes, angling my mouth toward the shell of his ear.

“I have another favor to ask…”

“Anything,” he murmured, turning his head into my cheek, his breath tickling my skin.

God, I’d missed this. This closeness. This touch. This intimacy.

Being with my Alphas.

Feeling confident and sexy.

“Distract me? Wear me out so I don’t dream?” The request was vulnerable and genuine, and filled with so much need, it was practically a plea.

“Oh, Sweetness,” he purred. “You never have to ask.”

Without hesitation, Gio swept me off my feet, and my legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, clinging to him like I’d drown if I let go. And then I remembered the bandage beneath his shirt.

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