Page 22 of Country and Clove
Aaron’s ever-darkening eyes went wide. “Alpha—”
“Whenever you’re ready.” Gideon stepped away, ending the conversation and leaving no room for arguments. Clove’s heart rapped against her rib cage, threatening to smash through the bones.Spar with Aaron? She turned, finding his gaze filled with disgust. Her wolf whimpered and she pushed the beast to the back of her subconscious.
The two began circling each other and Clove’s throat tightened.Holy shit this is really happening. She steeled herself, taking a deep breath and rolling her shoulders back. She’d spent plenty of nights fighting bigger assholes than Aaron. She just needed to focus. Her muscles coiled in anticipation as they stalked around, their wolves rising to the challenge.
“You sure about this, pretty girl?” Aaron smirked at her. Clove glared back. That stupid pet name sent images of their bodies entwined beneath the moon flashing through her thoughts. He was trying to throw her off balance. She let her rage build, settling into every muscle and tendon in her body. She kept her pace steady. Aaron would make the first move. Men almost always made the first move in a fight with her. They were overconfident, believing they could take her down quickly. Clove enjoyed letting them believe it. It made the moment of horror and realization that dawned in their eyes all the more satisfying.
Aaron was taking longer than most. He was a professional. Maple eyes studied her movements, assessing them with an intensity that unnerved her. She needed to draw him in. She faked a stumble, knowing the predator in him would be unable to resist attacking its prey in a moment of vulnerability.
He sprang for her. She was ready. Clove ducked low, throwing her body forward and slamming her shoulder into his gut. Hitting his body was like slamming into a concrete wall. Aaron growled in surprise. He reached down to grab hold of her but she was already moving. She dropped flat to the ground, whipping her leg around and taking Aaron’s legs out from beneath him. He hit the ground with a satisfying thud. Clove rolled away, moving to stand, but Aaron recovered fast. He was on his feet even quicker than she was. He lunged for her again. She faked a punch to the left, then used her right leg to send a powerful roundhouse kick to his ribs. Aaron ignored the feint, seizing her leg before it could make contact. He used the leverage to yank her body off the ground before slamming her down on her back. The air rushed from her body as her lungs seized. Clove rolled backwards, putting some space between them, but Aaron wouldn’t give her a second to recover.
He came at her with a series of jabs that had her stumbling back.He’s good, I’ll give him that. He didn’t seem to be holding back, either. She was going to have to fight dirty if she wanted to make it out of this round on top.
Aaron swung again. She deflected his next blow with her forearm, sending his momentum flying past her. He faltered, momentarily off balance. Clove jumped at the opportunity, bringing her palm up and slamming the heel of it into his nose. Cartilage popped beneath and Aaron cursed. Blood poured from his nose, but he barely slowed.
Aaron slammed his full body weight into her, taking them both to the ground. He pinned her beneath him and grinned, blood dripping down his lips and chin. “This position should feel familiar.” His voice was low, sultry.
A filthy flashback of Aaron fucking her in the dirt brought blood rushing to Clove’s cheeks. She released a feral snarl and he laughed. So Aaron was playing dirty, too. He had her crushed beneath his weight with a smile that said he thought he’d won. His hips dug into hers roughly. But she wasn’t afraid of a little close contact. She ground against him once and his eyes widened.Got you. Clove tilted her hips and bucked up beneath him, slamming her pelvis into his and sending him tumbling over to the left. She threw her body forward, following his natural trajectory and rolling with it. She landed on top of him and gave a swift, much-deserved knee to the dick. Aaron groaned in pain and Clove grinned in triumph.
Her knee retracted from between his thighs. “Hmm, it’s smaller than I remember,” she teased, keeping her voice low. Aaron’s eyes burned and he roared, throwing her off his body and sending her tumbling across the mat. They charged at each other, fists flying, elbows slamming, legs kicking. Clove heard a crunch as one of Aaron’s knees connected with her ribs. Pain splintered through her. She growled viciously, gripping Aaron around the back of the neck and slamming her head into his face. A high-pitched sound rang out as they stumbled away from each other. Headbutts sucked for everyone involved. Hot blood dripped down her face and she knew she’d caught her own nose on something. Probably Aaron’s stupidly defined jawline. Aaron shook his head once and then lunged forward.
“Enough.” The Alpha’s command slammed into them both and their bodies stilled. Clove was panting heavily. The world was rocking around her and a rhythmic dripping alerted her to a steadily growing puddle of crimson on the mat. “To the infirmary, both of you.”
“Alpha,” Aaron started. A low growl thundered across the space, rattling through Clove’s broken ribs.
“I said enough.” The Alpha’s eyes glowed brightly. Clove’s wolf cowered beneath the crushing weight of Gideon’s energy. The air pressed in around her. “Clove has more than earned her place on this team. To the infirmary, both of you. Now.” He pointed to the door. “I will escort you there and Dane will continue with the training while you heal.”
The two of them limped past Gideon and he reached out to place a hand on Clove’s shoulder. The Alpha’s energy warmed her as he smiled in approval.
“Welcome to the team.”
CHAPTER10
Aaron stared at the list of new trainees. He’d risen early, eager to get the list posted before anyone came looking for it, and taped it outside the training room doors. It was noon, and everyone who showed up yesterday should know whether they made it in or not. His eyes scanned over the fourteen new recruits. They landed on Clove and he gritted his teeth.
Phantom pain flashed across his face at the memory of Dr. Sawyer resetting his nose. It wasn’t the first time it had happened, but damn it hurt like a bitch all the same. He’d ditched the infirmary the second his nose was straight, insisting it was his only injury. Thankfully the doctor hadn’t checked anything else too closely. He was most definitely concussed and he had a fair amount of internal bruising.
He was fully mended within four hours thanks to his lycan healing. He’d gone back to watch the rest of the tryouts, while Dane handled any of the more physical elements. At the end of the day they’d chosen the fourteen shiny new faces for the program. Aaron was more than a little irritated by several of those who had succeeded in making it into the top spots.
An anguished sigh slipped free from his carefully guarded lungs as he thought back to this same day several months ago. Everyone on the list that day was dead now. He pushed the door open and swallowed down the anxiety and regret clawing up his throat. Everyone told him it wasn’t his fault. That there was nothing more he could have done.
The dead haunted him all the same.
Most of the trainees were already present. They stretched and chatted, their faces excited and innocent. They carried none of the crushing weight that burdened Aaron’s steps. His gaze jumped from person to person, instinctively seeking out Clove. She wasn’t there. His stomach tightened. Maybe she was still in the infirmary. He’d been so pissed off that he’d left without waiting to see what injuries she’d sustained. Guilt wedged its way between his ribs. He knew she had a few fractured bones and a broken nose, at the least.
The moment she’d gone above him and begged Gideon for a chance to earn a spot, he’d seen red. A dark fury fed the flames of his anger and after she’d knocked him on his ass that first time, things had gone from bad to worse. He didn’t hold back. The sound of her ribs cracking as his knee drove into her made him flinch. His wolf growled, not hiding its disdain for him one bit.
Clove fought dirty and he had to admit he was impressed. He’d been so sure of himself that he’d underestimated her. Where the hell did she learn to fight like that? Pride swelled within him as he remembered the way she landed blow after blow on him. He was one of the best and she’d managed to hold him off until Gideon ended their fight.
She was exactly the kind of mate they needed. That thought stopped him in his tracks.Fuck.
Something had changed after that fight and it was messing with his head. He ran his fingers through his messy curls. Clove was so much stronger than he realized. She was perfect. A perfect match.
Maybe he’d been too hasty to reject their bond. Clove wasn’t like the others. She wasn’t feeble or weak. She was strong and independent. He saw that now. She wouldn’t drag him down the same mindless mate path as all the other fated mates. No, it wouldn’t be like that. Fate placed her in his path when they sent her into his program. He would just share his concerns with her and they could take things slow.
His heart started to race and he snarled as he realized what was happening.Get your shit together.
He stuffed away thoughts of mates and future love. Sure, she impressed him. And yeah she probably was different. But he’d promised himself and his pack that he would never fall down the fated-mates rabbit hole like everyone else. People were counting on him.
