Chapter 22

Chapter 22

It was a large empty field in the middle of nowhere, far away from the woods that Nicholas had taken me to the last time I had left his house. With the open sky, the bright sun hit right on my face even when it was lowering and setting.

My eyes lingered around, taking in the surroundings, but even then I couldn't figure out much. A man, a stranger, walked across the field, approaching us with a large box in his hands. As he reached, he placed the box over the small, oak table and unlocked it.

Only then I found the targets standing at a distance. My stomach turned. It was a shooting and archery range and the box was filled with firearms and other equipment. Plenty of them. The arrows glimmered under the sun like silver and the bullets were wooden.

Silver burned werewolves. My mother's bracelet was made of pure silver and it was always gentle on my skin as I hadn't shifted. If my brother's hands had ever gotten over the bracelet, it would burn his touch in seconds and the same went with everyone else.

Stronger werewolves, Alphas in certain barely were affected by silver, wood or any other poisonous items.

The man who kept the box on the table turned and left the empty field. I released a breath and stepped forward, looking inside. It made me question what I was doing here.

He picked the bow out and turned to me, "Take it."

"I don't know what to—"

"Take it." He repeated again while holding my gaze stiffly.

My quivering hands went around the curved bow and I took it from his hold. It was fairly heavy, and big. What was I meant to do with it?

I braced myself as Nicholas pulled out the bag of silver arrows from the box before guiding me to the middle of the field where the targets were now clear. Each target was a few inches apart from the other one.

It wasn't the first time I had touched a bow. There were instances in school when we were taught archery at a very young age when none of us were able to shift. It was for protection in case anything were to happen during that time. Everyone had forgotten it by the time they had gotten their wolves and it became entirely useless to even carry a bow.

I stood rooted in my place, my heart beating at a rhythmic pace as Nicholas refreshed my memory.

Nearly an hour later and only one of the arrow's had split through the yellow on the target. The red circle was touched a few times along with the green one, but no matter what I did, I couldn't put it there—in the target.

Only a few more arrows were left in the bag but I had been completely drained. Whenever I stretched the bow, my arms ached immensely, but he didn't let me move an inch until I had finished the dozens of arrows placed above the ground, near to my feet.

I sensed him behind me as my head tilted against the bow. I stretched it back, holding the arrow tight between my fingers while the warmth of his body neared mine, forcing me to loose my concentration.

"Why are you teaching me this?" I asked while sucking in ragged breaths at the nearness of him. "You're making it easier for me to escape." A smile played over my lips as I moved the arrow a few inches to the left, aiming it toward the yellow circle in the middle.

No matter how many times I tried, it always landed in the red one which was on the outside.

He chuckled behind me, "You can't escape from me, not unless I want you to go," He whispered while his hands fell over my hips, fingers spreading. "And you should be thankful I'm teaching you something, devil. You'll need it when you leave from here."

The arrow slipped from my fingers and tore through the air before landing between the yellow and red strip. It wasn't a good target neither a bad one. Just in the middle.

I turned around, and my brows furrowed. "You'll let me go?" I thought it was clear that Nicholas didn't want to me to leave, especially after my several failed tries.

"When I want you to."

"And when is that?"

"Whenever I want."

My lips lined straight at his rigid, unclear answers that didn't give me what I wanted. I remained curious, on the edge, wondering what ran through his mind. What was he doing with me? The past few days had confused me.

His eyes burned through me with intensity. It made my knees weak. "How can you smell me?" I asked the same question that hadn't been answered.

He ignored it again and closed the distance between us. His warm fingers ran across the back of my neck and lower to my hip as he seized me in his hold. My fingers slipped from the bow, letting it fall onto the ground as heat pulsated through my body.

"Tell me," I whispered. "Why are you doing this to me? Why me? What is it that you won't—"

His fingertips brushed over my lips before he replaced it with his. No words escaped my throat after that. My eyes fluttered shut and the questions in my head went away itself—still unanswered. It was an urgent kiss, somewhat violent as he took possession of my mouth in the middle of the field.

Pressure rose in my lower belly, firing all over my body. I placed my hand over his chest, titling my head and kissing him back. His body grew rigid under my touch, all hard and stiff.

He pressed himself against me, his hardness. I slammed my legs together as something stirred inside me uncontrollably. My hands raced down from his touch, lingering closer and closer to his hardness until I touched it.

I gasped into his mouth, sinking with longing. He wrapped his hand around my face, holding it tight before pulling his mouth away from mine, harshly. Desire and danger clouded in his dark eyes, making them appear entirely black.

I could tell he wanted to kiss me again, claim my mouth with his, engulf into me, but just as I felt he was about to, a voice echoed in the silence.

"Alpha Gilbert Mayer has arrived at the house. Should I delay your arrival?" Malik interrupted.

Nicholas pulled his hands away from me and turned around while shaking his head, "No. Bring the car to the front. We'll leave."

I pulled my hand up, bringing my fingers to my lips where I continued to feel his kiss still lingering even when he had stopped.

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