16. Kali

My arms burned, and I pushed myself up one more time before collapsing back to the floor. I sucked in heavy breaths, my shirt wet from sweat. I hated pushups, but I couldn't deny how good it felt to work out again. Something I'd barely done since coming to this city. Deadwood, as the vampires called it. I'd heard it around Impulse more often, and I was curious about how many vampires lived here. I stared at the ceiling of Zan's bedroom for a few moments as I caught my breath.

I was getting antsy. My stubbornness about not wanting to deal with Zan was keeping me from leaving the room. I wasn't sure how long it'd been since Amaros had appeared. Maybe a week. The days blended together, and I really didn't care all that much about knowing what day it was. It didn't change anything for me.

The only time I'd been venturing out of the room was to grab quick food that was stocked in the kitchen. And the couple of times when Zan dragged me out of the room. He'd been sleeping on the couch again, but that didn't mean he'd been leaving me alone.

With a groan, I rolled onto my back and then bent my legs to do sit-ups. I silently counted, feeling my abs begin to burn.

"What are you doing?"

I startled for only a second at Zan's voice. Then I kept doing sit-ups as I answered.

"What does it look like?" I asked, my sarcasm thick.

I heard his sigh from across the room. "If you're bored, you can always come down to Impulse."

"I'm not bored," I gritted out. "I'm working out. I can't let myself go. Not here. Surrounded by vampires. I used to train daily with the Clovers."

The silence dragged for a while, but I could feel his stare on me, meaning he hadn't left the room. Once I finished, I stretched my legs out, content to just lie here.

"Get up," he said gruffly. "We're going somewhere."

"The beach again?" I mumbled.

He'd dragged me to the beach twice since our argument. He seemed determined to act like the news Amaros had dropped meant nothing. He wanted me to open back up. Something I planned to never do again. Though he hadn't pushed me to talk. We only sat on the beach, watching the water. There wasn't much left to say when he refused to talk more about his father.

"No. Somewhere else."

I frowned, hating that my curiosity was burning. Ignoring my aching muscles, I climbed to my feet and finally looked at him. He was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. His eyes met mine, and I let my face grow cold.

"Where?" I asked stiffly.

"You want to train," he replied as he pushed off the doorframe and motioned for me to leave the room. "You can do that with me."

My lips parted in shock. "What?"

"Isn't the whole point of training to fight vampires?" He cocked his head to the side, a ghost of a smirk on his lips. "What better way than to train with one?"

I bit the tip of my tongue, my pulse thudding a little harder. He was doing this to spend time with me just like at the beach. But I couldn't deny that his offer was tempting. If I wanted to keep my skills, I needed to use them. These small workouts in the bedroom wouldn't cut it.

"Fine," I bit out, crossing the room and grabbing my boots. "But only because I want to train."

The stake I'd taken from my bag at the hotel was in my boot, and I carefully slipped my foot inside, wanting to keep it hidden. I still wanted to somehow get to the bag on the beach that Tim had told me about. But with Zan not leaving me alone, I didn't see that happening anytime soon.

He waited patiently for me to tie my laces, and once I straightened up, I fixed my ponytail. Seeing as I'd just worked out, I put another layer of lotion on just in case. Lifting my chin, my body was tense as I walked past him and into the hallway, hearing him following closely behind. Viggo and Pax were in the living room, and Viggo shot me a gleeful grin as I went toward the door.

Even from the stairs, I could hear the music from Impulse. My stomach knotted as I entered the club. I hadn't been down here since Amaros had left. Gia was behind the bar, and she gave me a smile from across the room. The vampires surrounding us must have seen Zan behind me because they hurriedly got out of the way as I strode to the exit.

The humid air hit me in the face as I stepped outside, and I suddenly realized I had no idea where Zan was taking me. I jerked when his hand landed on my lower back, and I quickly took a large step to the side, moving out of his reach. A muscle in his jaw clenched, but he didn't say a word as we crossed the street.

Zan shot a glare over his shoulder. "Why the hell are you two following us?"

I followed his gaze, seeing Viggo and Pax trailing behind. Viggo's grin was wide, while Pax had his usual subdued frown in place.

"I'm not missing this," Viggo drawled. "I want to see Kali try to stab you in the heart again."

My stomach flipped, remembering my first kiss with Zan. The night he found out I could control my heartbeat. That kiss was the only reason I'd been able to get close enough with my stake. I highly doubted I'd get away with that a second time. My mind wandered despite my best efforts, and I clenched my teeth, pushing my thoughts away. Kissing Zan was in the past, and not ever happening again.

As we walked, I realized we were heading to the exact spot where we'd kissed. My nerves fluttered when the large open area came into view. It looked just the same as last time. Dead grass and the old picnic tables scattered about. This time there were no other vampires, and Zan strode into the center before turning around and focusing on me. Viggo and Pax sat on top of one of the worn picnic tables, neither of them saying a word.

"Come on," Zan taunted, his eyes dancing with a mischief that had my heart panging. "I need to see what you've got before we start training."

My teeth clenched, and I stayed frozen in my spot. The white-hot rage that had been slicing through me all week hadn't dimmed. Yet there was a tiny part of me that refused to let my feelings twist into hatred. I should despise him. Especially after what happened with Amaros. Zan was a Kane vampire who would never choose me. Not over what his father wanted. He'd never let me in on all his secrets.

"You actually have to move to train with him," Viggo called out.

I glanced toward the picnic table to see him lighting up a cigarette. Pax had his arms crossed, his gaze focused on Zan with a quizzical look on his face. I caught movement out of the corner of my eye, and I whipped my head forward to see Zan prowling closer.

He wasn't within arm's reach yet, but he could easily get to me before I had a chance to defend myself. I straightened my spine, my eyes locking on his. His cocky smirk had me itching to reach for my stake. Not that I'd kill him, but he was acting like I didn't have a chance against him. Even if that were true, I wasn't about to back down.

His gaze dropped to my feet. "You can even use your weapon."

My pulse thudded unevenly. "My what?"

"You think I didn't know you had a stake?" Zan cocked his head, his eyes finding mine again. "Gia told me you went to the hotel that night. Your bag is there, isn't it? Go ahead, Kali. It'll make this slightly more even."

His smug tone had me bristling, and I reached down, plucking my stake out of my boot. But his attention suddenly went behind me, the change on his face instant. Gone was his small smirk, and the humor in his eyes transformed into something lethal that had a chill rushing down my spine. His glare caused me to nearly take a step back, and he wasn't even focused on me.

I peeked over my shoulder to see a group of vampires watching us curiously. Until their eyes shifted from me to Zan. Blatant fear washed over their features, and they ducked their heads, scurrying away into the darkness.

Looking back at Zan, I raised an eyebrow. "They're going to wonder what we're doing."

"I don't give a fuck what they think," he said simply. "The list of people whose opinions I care about is short."

"Your brothers." My stomach knotted painfully. "Your father. Maybe Gia too."

"And you."

"Me?" I sneered, narrowing my eyes. "How would you even know my opinion about anything when you only tell me half-truths?"

"I did it to protect you," he gritted out, annoyance flashing in his eyes.

"No," I retorted sharply. "You lied because you knew what my reaction would be. That I'd never accept it."

"Seeing as you seem to pull stakes out of nowhere like magic, it's probably a good thing he didn't tell you," Viggo grumbled from the picnic table. His words made me think that there were no other vampires within earshot anymore.

Zan shot him a warning look before focusing back on me. "I didn't bring you out here to argue. You wanted to train. Let's go."

He circled me, forcing me to move to keep him in front of me. My fingers tightened around the stake, though I wasn't sure why I was still holding it. It wasn't like I'd kill him even if I got the chance. Not when his brothers were watching. My heart stuttered. I wasn't sure I could kill him even if we were alone. No matter how angry I was, I still didn't want him dead.

Stupid fucking human feelings.

"How many vampires have you killed?" Zan's quiet question pulled me from my thoughts.

I paused for a moment. "A few."

"Is that so?" My answer seemed to amuse him. "And how do you get the advantage?"

Before I could answer, he lunged. In the span of a heartbeat, his fingers were wrapped around my wrists, and he yanked me toward him. Fuck me, he was fast. Much faster than any vampire I'd ever encountered. The stake was still in my grasp, but it was useless with how tightly he was holding me.

"Let me guess," he murmured, his eyes gleaming with smugness. "You act like a scared little human until they get close enough to use that stake. Unless you have those wooden bullets. Then you wound them badly enough until you can finish them."

That was exactly what I did. It was the only way to beat a vampire when their strength outweighed mine. And most of the time, I wasn't by myself. Clovers didn't go out alone for that reason. But I wasn't about to admit all that to Zan. Not when he was so arrogant that he was right.

I tilted my chin up, keeping my eyes on his as I smirked devilishly. "I usually seduced them. Vampires lose their common sense for two things. Blood and sex."

Zan's jaw clenched, his eyes darkening as his grip on my wrists tightened. "What are you saying, Kali?"

His voice was soft but warped with so much danger that I nearly swallowed my words. Oh, I was pissing him off. Maybe not the best idea to keep pushing him. But I wasn't backing down now.

"Did you not hear me the first time?" I asked sweetly. "You wanted to know how I beat vampires. I seduced them. Isn't that exactly what I did with you?"

"You're lying," he forced out through clenched teeth.

"Maybe," I replied, unsuccessfully trying to pull out of his hold. "And if I'm not?"

His gaze was locked on mine, and the fury in his eyes slowly faded as a smirk lifted the corners of his lips. His sudden change had my guard rising, especially when he leaned down, putting his face inches from mine. I arched my back, attempting to create some space, but he only followed, keeping my wrists trapped.

"Then it's a good thing those vampires are already dead," he murmured, the lethal threat in his voice contradicting the grin on his face.

My heart pounded as I matched his smile. "Careful, Zan. Your obsession is showing."

"If that's what you want to call it, fine." He suddenly released me. "It doesn't change anything."

I scrambled back, my muscles tensing as I waited for him to pounce again. It didn't matter how well I could fight. I didn't stand a chance against him. Not when he was expecting it.

"None of those tactics will work in this city," Zan said in a low voice. "They think you're a new vampire here. One connected to me. If they see you as a target, they'll come after you when you're not expecting it."

"Good thing you never leave me alone," I muttered bitterly.

"You were last week," he tossed back. "You're lucky Gia was watching you."

I scoffed. "Lucky? Have I ever really been alone since I stepped foot in this city?"

"It could happen, and I want you to be ready. Which is why we're out here."

Was that nervousness I heard in his tone? Was it because his father was aware of me now? Just like Zan, there was no way I could ever be a match against Amaros Kane.

"You have to fight smart," Zan said, prowling around me again. "Catch them off guard."

I stayed light on my feet as I watched him. "And how do you expect me to do that?"

"Vampires, by nature, are confident," he answered. "You can use that."

I blew out a laugh. "Another word for that is arrogant."

"They'll protect their heart over anything," he continued as if I hadn't spoken.

"I know that?—"

He shot forward, and I raised the stake, slashing at his outstretched arm. He easily dodged it, and I let out a cry when he caught me above the elbow before spinning me around. My back smacked into his chest, his arm snaking around my waist to hold me in place. Then he snatched the stake from my hand, my tight hold on it doing nothing.

My breath caught in my chest when he pressed it against my back. It took me a second to realize that it wasn't sharp, which meant he had flipped it and was using the dull end. I felt him shift, and his lips brushed against my cheek.

"This is another way to their heart," he murmured in my ear as he slowly dragged the stake across my back until it was at my left side, and then he lowered it. "Angle it upward, and you won't even have to use as much strength as you do when you have to go through the front of the rib cage. It's mostly soft tissue here if you can get the right angle."

I'd learned this from the Clovers, but Zan's touch was making it impossible to voice that aloud. It was taking all my control to keep my heartbeat calm. He didn't need to know how much my body reacted to his touch. His arm stayed around me, his fingers teasing the waistband of my leggings.

I stayed absolutely still when he slowly moved the stake to the middle of my back, right over my spine.

"If you can hit this exact spot and apply enough force, then it'll give you the advantage." He pressed the wood just a bit harder against my spine. "If it stays in their spine, then they're paralyzed until they pull it out. If you put it right here, they won't be able to reach it."

"You must not see me as a threat if you're telling me all of this."

He chuckled. "Not entirely true. You've surprised me a couple times."

"You've made your point," I ground out. "Let me go."

Instead of following my demand, he lowered his lips back to my ear.

"Get behind them before they do it to you," he murmured. "Because once a vampire has you in this position, you're helpless." As if to prove his point, he lowered his head until his lips grazed the side of my throat, causing a shiver to tear down my spine. "Never give a vampire your back, Kali."

"Except you, right?" I mumbled, my sarcasm thick.

"Do you trust me?"

My heart clenched, my mind flashing back to our night together when he first asked me that. My feelings about him were even more tangled than they were that night. The only difference was that my anger was much more potent now.

"You don't want me to answer that," I finally said, my voice tight.

He was silent for a few moments. "Then no. You don't want me at your back. Only ones you trust."

The stake was still pressing against my spine as his arm stayed tightly around me. My blood was boiling, knowing that he considered me helpless. I hadn't joined the Clovers to let a vampire easily overpower me. Making a split-second decision, I planted my feet and then rammed myself against Zan. A jolt of pain hit me from the dull end of the stake, but it was worth it. He let out a snarled curse, his arm dropping from me as he stumbled away.

I spun around to see him dropping the stake and rubbing the middle of his chest. His eyes cut to mine, and I couldn't smother my grin if I tried. He should have known what was going to happen. The dull end of the stake was on me, which meant the sharp part was pointed at him. Though I knew there wasn't a chance to hit his heart from where the stake was on my spine. Annoyance gleamed in Zan's eyes, but I thought I saw a ghost of a smile before he turned to look at his brothers when Viggo let out a snort.

"You can't fight her," Viggo stated, sounding torn between amusement and disbelief. "You can't think straight around her. She nearly stabbed you—again."

"I'll do it."

Pax's words had shock swirling through me, and I watched with apprehension when he stood from the picnic table and strode toward me. Zan didn't say a word, his posture going rigid as he stayed in front of me.