6. Daxton

SIX

DAXTON

As I stood by the picnic table near the pond with everyone, the prevalent mood was tension. I glanced at Kiera, knowing most of the tension rippling through the tribe bond stemmed from her.

"I don't like it," she said. "It's been too quiet. Lucius hasn't made a move against us yet. He's being too patient."

Neo wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. "Don't worry. Let him take his time before he comes at us. He'd be smart to do so. We can handle Lucius."

He was right; we could. Any threat that came at us we could tackle. We always had.

"I don't like waiting," Kiera countered. "If he's going to retaliate for what I did, or for you standing in his way of getting to me, then I wish he'd do it now and get it over with."

"He's probably been watching us, waiting for the right moment," Miranda chimed in. Neo shot her an icy glare. "What? You know it's true. He knows nothing about us. Of course he's waiting and watching before he strikes."

Lorenzo laughed. "Strikes, ha! Because he's a snake. Good one."

I glanced at my watch, noting the time, and then nudged Lorenzo. "We'd better patrol," I said, wanting to stick to my routine.

Lorenzo grinned at me. "Is this because you're meeting that woman who has you wrapped around her little finger? The one you mentioned the other night at Last Drop?" he teased.

I rolled my eyes, a smile tugging at my lips despite my attempt to look annoyed. "No, it's because there's a new piece of equipment that was supposed to be delivered to the gym, and I volunteered to set it up this morning," I countered.

"Okay," Lorenzo said, but it was clear from his tone and the way he'd dragged the word out that he didn't believe me.

I shook my head. "Savannah doesn't have me wrapped around her little finger." It was a total lie. The woman could ask anything of me and I'd do it. My panther made a noise of agreement. "Besides, she doesn't come in until seven tonight." I winked.

Lorenzo erupted into a fit of laughter as we started toward the woods.

"You really like her, huh?" he asked in a sly tone while we continued through the thick underbrush.

"Yeah, I do. She's different. There's something about her," I admitted, a sense of rightness about my feelings for Savannah spiraling through me. "I can't explain it, but I've never felt anything like this before."

Lorenzo clapped me on the back. "Well, just be careful, brother. We don't know how all this will play out with Lucius lurking around, and I'm sure you don't want to drag her into it."

My panther paced, his irritation at the thought growing by the second. He didn't like the idea of placing Savannah in danger any more than I did. She already had enough on her plate with that asshole ex of hers.

Lorenzo headed left, and I went right. Once there was some space between us, I stripped out of my shorts and set them beneath my favorite tree before giving way to my panther.

As we moved through the dense underbrush and towering trees, the concern Savannah might be in danger because of us sharpened his senses. With the thought filling his head, he searched for any signs of Lucius.

The woods were calm, though. There wasn't a sign of him or any other threat, but I hadn't expected there to be. Part of me wondered if Lucius had moved on, heading back to the city where Kiera claimed he ruled like a shifter king.

Miranda could be right, though.

Lucius might have been studying us this whole time. After all, he was a snake shifter and snakes were sneaky.

As we completed our patrol without incident, my panther stepped to the side and let me have control again. An underlying urge to be near Savannah pulsated through him as I made my way to my favorite tree and pulled my shorts back on. The urge intensified as I headed back to my camper to get ready for work.

"No luck?" Kiera asked, peeking out of her and Neo's camper. Worry creased her brow, and I knew she'd been waiting for me or Lorenzo to get back so she could ask.

I shook my head.

"I know Neo said not to worry, but I can't help it. Lucius has been quiet for too long. He should have done something to us by now," she insisted, gripping the crystal dangling from her necklace tight. I didn't know what it was for, but if I had to guess, I'd say it had powers of protection.

"Neo was right when he said we can handle it. You've got to trust him," I said, before continuing to my place.

After a quick shower, I dressed for work. I grabbed my gym bag and headed off to set up the new piece of equipment. On the ride, Miranda's warning that Lucius might be watching us, biding his time to strike, echoed through my head, intertwined with Lorenzo's advice to be cautious and avoid dragging Savannah into the mess with Lucius.

In fact, both thoughts stuck with me throughout the day. Even though my panther found Savannah interesting, I knew the dangers of involving her in our world.

By the time the clock showed it was almost time for her session, I'd made a vow to myself not to get involved with her. At least not until things with Lucius cleared up. It was a vow that went against every instinct I had, but I knew it was the right thing to do, whether my panther believed it or not.

However, the moment Savannah entered the gym, my resolve crumbled.

Today she wore tight black leggings, and a red strappy sports bra that complimented her sun-kissed skin. Her blond hair had been pulled back into a high ponytail, and she looked focused and ready for our session. The sight of her made my heart race, and my panther stir restlessly.

"Hey, how are you?" I asked, trying to keep my tone even and professional.

"Hey," she replied, her smile lighting up her face. "I'm good. Ready to torture me again?" she joked, a playful glint in her eyes.

"No pain, no gain." I chuckled, the sound more strained than I'd intended.

She laughed as I led her to the area where we would hold our session.

While we walked, I seized the moment to ask about the situation with her ex. She seemed in a good mood, so I assumed the issue between them had been resolved.

"Were you able to hold your ground with your ex about the rental?" I asked, hoping it didn't sound like I was prying.

She locked eyes with me, triumph flaring through them. "Actually, yes. I stood firm on my terms, and he finally accepted them."

"That's great to hear." Relief worked its way through me and my panther.

"Thanks. It wasn't easy, but I'm glad I did it."

"You should be," I said, feeling proud of her. "Ready to get started with the warm-up?"

Savannah nodded, and we moved into the warm-up routine I had planned. This woman impressed me. She was physically strong, but mentally as well. That called to my panther and me in ways I hadn't expected.

As we completed the warm-up and moved into the actual workout, I tried to focus on just being her trainer, but it was a struggle. Every time she laughed or concentrated hard on an exercise, sinking her teeth into that plump bottom lip of hers, I found myself admiring her more. Her determination, her resilience drew me in. Even despite my earlier vow.

A battle of willpower brewed within me when it came to this woman.

Every shared laugh, every exchange, seemed to pull me closer to her. As a trainer, I'd always maintained a professional boundary with all my clients, but Savannah was different, which was becoming increasingly hard to ignore.

"All right, let's step up the intensity a bit," I suggested, leading her into the next set of exercises.

We started with some weight training, and I couldn't help but notice how much her form had already improved in a few short days. She had drive and I liked that.

"You're getting the hang of this," I complimented her, handing her a different set of weights.

"I have a good trainer," she countered, shooting me a playful glance that nearly did me in.

The air between us charged with something, and my panther's attention piqued. I had to break eye contact with her, because I worried my panther might be too close to the surface. I didn't want my eyes to change and for her to see. The last thing I wanted was to scare her away.

As we moved on to the cardio exercises I had planned, I tried to steer my thoughts away from the dangerous path they were wandering down. Reminding myself that the complexities of my world were something I didn't want to draw her into, especially with Lucius still such a threat. Yet, the more time I spent with her, the less certain I became of my ability to resist asking her out.

"You okay? You seem distracted," Savannah noted when we paused for a water break.

I offered her a small, reassuring smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."

I wasn't, though. Inside was a struggle between what my heart wanted and what my head warned against.

And that was when I knew I needed to pay attention.

As we wrapped up the day's session, I realized what I felt for her was more than a fleeting attraction. Somehow, the thought of staying away from this woman seemed more daunting than any threat Lucius could pose.

"Good work today," I said, handing her a towel.

"Whew, you about killed me," she panted out, wiping the sweat from her brow. "I always feel great after our sessions, though." She smiled, and I swore it sent a jolt straight to my heart.

Despite all my reservations about drawing her into my world, the pull I felt toward her was too strong to ignore. I couldn't deny the bond forming between us—the bond of a panther—any more than I could deny my need for my next breath.

"Savannah," I started, my heart thundering inside my chest. It had been ages since I'd asked a woman out. "Would you want to go out for a drink with me tomorrow night?"

Her face lit up with another smile. "Sure. I'd love to."

My panther had never felt more content. He was pleased with my decision to pursue the connection we both clearly felt toward her, and with her answer.

So was I.

"Awesome. How about I pick you up at seven?"

"Okay," she said. "What's your number? I'll text you my address."

I rattled off my number, watching as she input it into her phone.

"There. Saved," she said, her gaze lifting to lock with mine. "Wait. Shouldn't we book another session for tomorrow at seven?"

I shook my head. "Rest days are needed."

"Oh, right. Okay." She beamed. "See you tomorrow."

Watching her leave the gym, excitement for tomorrow night crept through me. Even with Lucius still a dark cloud hanging over my head, I couldn't help but feel eager to spend time with Savannah outside the gym walls. I wanted to get to know this beautiful woman, and I felt lucky she'd given me a chance to do so.