15

Teach me to fight.

Henley

Parker, once again, is out doing his alpha duties. Blaine and Will are both on babysitting duty today. Since we got back from visiting with the dragon shifters, Parker's gotten even more paranoid about my needing protection. One guard simply isn't enough in his eyes. Which has me wondering… am I safe? Is there a reason that Parker is so worried? Maybe it's not just because he's my soulmate, but something deeper.

I finish my schoolwork before Will and Blaine even head to the kitchen for their second breakfast. As it turns out, doing school at home is a lot faster than being in a classroom. I try to read a book to get my mind off of my stress, but it does little to help.

"Will you guys teach me how to fight?" I worry my bottom lip between my teeth as I study Will and Blaine, wondering what their reactions will be.

Will jerks his head toward me. "You want to learn how to fight?"

I nod.

"Why?" Blaine narrows his eyes and I can see the refusal on the tip of his tongue.

I shut my book, slipping it onto the coffee table. If I'm going to get them to agree, I need a good reason. "Well, that phoenix is after me. What if he manages to capture me?"

"Do you really think me, Blaine, or Parker would let that happen?" Will crosses his arms over his chest.

Of course Will would make this about him and not me. But this is about me. All of this is. Even if I am surrounded by the pack, it would be nice to know a little something about self defense.

I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "No, I know you guys will protect me. But it would still be nice to know how to defend myself."

Will and Blaine share a look.

"She's right," Blaine says, keeping his attention on Will.

Will hesitates. "Parker would kill us."

"Probably." Blaine nods. "But it would kill him if anything happened to her and she didn't know how to defend herself."

Will takes a deep breath and slowly exhales. "Fine. But if we get in trouble, it's all on you."

Blaine smirks, turning to me. "You sure you want to learn from us, Vixen? Because we won't take it easy on you. Your boyfriend would baby you, but we won't."

Will smacks him on the back. "You shouldn't call Parker's mate ‘Vixen.' One of these days, he's going to attack you for flirting with his mate."

Blaine winks at me. "Henley knows I'm not flirting."

I ignore their bickering as I stand up. "Why would Parker be mad that I want to learn how to fight and defend myself? Shouldn't he be all for it, considering he's got you lot babysitting me around the clock?"

Will turns to me. "As alpha, he will think it's his job to protect you and look out for you. The fact that you want to learn how to fight will make him feel like you think he's not a good enough protector. It's a wolf thing but magnified because he's an alpha. He won't stop to think about it logically."

"That's ridiculous," I scoff. "Parker is plenty able to protect me—I know that. I just want to be able to protect him too."

Will's eyes bulge.

Blaine snickers.

"Henley, do me a favor and never say that to Parker," Will says. "Or any alpha. It is absolutely insulting that you think you could protect Parker."

Blaine nods. "As funny as it would be to watch, I agree with Will on this one." He pats me on the back. "Parker wouldn't take it well."

Just when I think I'm beginning to understand wolf shifters, something like this happens and reminds me that I'm not one of them. I don't understand wolf shifter culture or their way of thinking.

I'm not one of them, no matter how much I wish I were. The problem is, I don't fit in anywhere. I have a feeling I'd be just as lost, even if I were surrounded by phoenixes.

Blaine and Will lead me to the backyard. There is a nice, flat area that we can practice. At first, they just show me a bunch of hand movements. I mimic them as best as I can, but it's clear that they've had a lot of practice. I do a lot of jumps and kicks and I can feel the movement in my muscles. I walk a lot and exercise, but I've never moved these muscles and it shows.

I lean over for a moment, letting myself take deep, gulping breaths. "I didn't realize I was so out of shape."

"You'll be fine." Blaine claps me on the back. "Supernaturals don't get sore because of our advanced healing."

I shoot him a look. "But what if phoenixes don't have supernatural healing?"

He shrugs. "I doubt that. Your species is far superior."

I gulp at the reminder.

My species is strong. Powerful. Dangerous. So dangerous that the rest of the supernatural tried to off them.

Just what were my ancestors like that they were so feared?

I shiver at the thought.

"If I am sore tomorrow, maybe you can kill me and I'll come back to life without muscle aches," I tease.

Blaine narrows his eyes. "You shouldn't joke about that. If Parker hears it, he may up the number of guards he has watching you. If you think Will is bad, you should meet Will's uncle. He's way grumpier."

Will has an uncle in the pack? I'm about to ask when Will steps forward, capturing my attention.

"That's enough of a break."

I shoot him a glare and Blaine chuckles, showing me the next move.

This goes on for a good thirty minutes with me unable to even come close to beating Blaine or Will. It's clear that the two of them are very strong supernaturals who have trained a lot. It makes me wonder why Parker has never shown me these moves. Does he not want me to be able to protect myself? Or do I really misunderstand wolf shifter culture this much?

Will puts me in a chokehold. He's loose enough to not actually choke me, but tight enough that I have no hope of ever getting away.

"Come on, Henley. You're a supernatural—I know you're stronger than this," Will says. Even though I can't see his face, I can hear the frown in his voice.

He's annoyed. He thinks I'm not trying.

I'd tap into my powers and teleport away from him if I wasn't worried about burning him. But even I know that fire could seriously hurt him.

The sound of a low growl has Will abruptly loosening his grasp on me. He's gone in an instant and I fall backward without him supporting my weight. I land hard on my butt and groan.

"A little warning next time, Will." I lie on my back, staring up at the sky. I'm too tired to even attempt to move.

I seriously hope I have supernatural healing like Will and Blaine said. If not, I really will be tired tomorrow. My limbs feel like noddles as it is.

Will doesn't respond to me. He and Blaine have both gone completely silent. I glance over at them.

"Guys?"

But they're not watching me. Instead, they're looking toward the house, their faces pale. I glance over to see what they're looking at and spot Parker making his way toward us. He has a scowl on his face. His entire body vibrates and his eyes are golden amber in color, meaning his wolf is close to the surface.

"I am going to kill you," Parker threatens.

I jump up from the ground, ignoring the way my muscles ache in protest. I throw myself between Parker and the guys.

"Parker." I hold up both hands, trying to placate him.

He clenches his jaw as he looks away from Will and Blaine to look at me. His eyes don't change colors. If anything, they grow even more amber in color.

Oh, this is bad.

"I'm fine," I tell him. I shoot Will a glare over my shoulder. "Will may have bruised my tailbone, but I'm sure I'll be fine in a few hours."

Parker growls, taking another step forward.

I push at his chest to get him to take a step back. "Parker, chill. What is wrong with you? You shouldn't growl at your friends. It's rude."

Parker turns his gaze to me once more. He scans me from the top of my head all the way to my feet. I'm not sure what he's looking for, but his shoulders relax at what he sees.

Great. Now if I can get him to stop acting like a wolf for a second.

"Am I to assume your presence means that Will and Blaine are off babysitting duty?" I ask.

Parker takes a breath through his nose and slowly exhales. "Explain what was just happening."

But Parker isn't looking at me—his eyes are on Will and Blaine behind me.

Will's entire body is tense as he steps up beside me. "Henley asked us to teach her how to fight."

"And you agreed?" Parker's voice is low and growly.

"She said she wanted to be able to protect herself." Blaine steps up on the other side of me.

"We tried to talk her out of it, but your mate is stubborn," Will says.

I roll my eyes. "You calling me stubborn is a bit hypocritical, don't you think?"

Will ignores me though, keeping his eyes firmly on Parker. "We didn't hurt her, you know that. We took it easy on her. We were just showing her a few moves."

Blaine crosses his arms over his chest. "She needs the training, Parker. She couldn't get away from Will, even though he was barely using any of his strength."

My jaw drops open.

Will was barely using any strength?

"I don't think she could get away from a human as pathetic as her attempts were," Will says.

My stomach aches at the insult.

Okay, maybe I was pathetic in my attempts, but they don't have to be so mean about it. I didn't think I was that bad.

"She doesn't need to learn how to protect herself," Parker says, his eyes still golden amber. "Because it is my job to protect her. It's your job to protect her. She is going to be your luna one day. She is to be protected at all costs."

Will and Blaine both lower their heads. It's then that I realize the magic behind his words.

Parker was giving them a command.

I poke his chest with my index finger. "Parker, stop that. It's rude to use your alpha powers on them when they were only doing what I asked them to do."

Parker looks at me and his eyes slowly fade from amber to blue. My body relaxes a little as I see his natural eye color.

"I asked them to teach me how to fight. I would've asked you, except you're always so busy with your alpha duties. We hardly get any time together and I don't want to spend our time doing things like this." I point at the grass where I was sparing with Will and Blaine. "Besides, you heard them. I'm pathetic." I lower my head as I say the words.

I'm not even strong enough to hold my own against a human. I really don't have a chance against the phoenix.

Parker puts his fingers under my chin and gently budges my head up. When I meet his eyes, he's giving me such a sad look that it brings tears to my own eyes.

"Henley, why do you feel the need to learn how to fight? Do you have no faith in me as your mate? As your alpha?"

I swallow hard. "It's not that, I promise. I do trust you. I just… I want to be able to protect myself. I want to be able to protect you."

Will and Blaine both stiffen behind me and it's then I remember they said I shouldn't tell Parker that I wanted to protect him.

Oops… I guess that was the wrong thing to say.

I stand up straighter, continuing before Parker can respond. "I'm new to this world, Parker. I don't understand all the rules. I just know that I love you. You're the other half of my soul. And the urge that you feel to protect me is something I feel too. The difference is that I have no idea how to go about protecting you. I'm at a loss here. Don't be mad at Will and Blaine, they were just doing what I asked them to do."

Parker sighs, running a hand through his dark hair. I watch him, waiting to see what his reaction will be. At least his eyes are blue now, that's a good sign.

Parker turns to look at Blaine, then his gaze settles on Will. "I expected this out of Blaine, but not you."

Will turns his gaze to me for a moment, then he looks at Parker. "You say you didn't expect it, but if I had known how weak she was, I would've insisted on this sooner. She's right, Parker."

I flinch at his harsh words but try not to take them to heart. If Will is being as honest as I suspect him, he's not saying the words to criticize me. He's saying them for Parker. Because Parker needs to know. And, if Will has his way, he'll turn me into a worthy opponent.

"Then I should be the one to teach her," Parker says.

I shake my head. "No."

Parker turns to me, his nostrils flaring. "What?"

"I said no." I cross my arms over my chest, not backing down. "You're my mate. You'll take it easy on me. You seen Will and Blaine—they may hold back based on my skill level, but they're not afraid to hurt me. But you could never hurt me—your wolf wouldn't let you." I hold up my scraped arm for him to see. "You would've stopped the second I got this."

Parker's eyes flash gold again.

Will and Blaine both smartly take a step back.

I put my hand on Parker's chest to stop him from moving forward—not that I could actually stop him if he wanted.

"It's not their fault," I tell him, keeping my voice soft. "I did this to myself. Actually, most of my injuries are self inflicted." I rub at my sore tailbone.

"Most?" Parker's voice is low and growly.

Yeah, okay. Maybe now isn't the time to tell him about all my injuries.

I clear my throat. "So, am I to assume by your presence that Will and Blaine are off duty?"

Parker stays quiet, his golden eyes on Will and Blaine behind me.

I step up on the tips of my toes and attempt to embrace him. "I missed you. But my dad isn't home, so we should probably go to your house."

Parker puts an arm around me and scoops me closer to him. "I missed you, too."

I hear the sound of footsteps walking away.

Smart of Will and Blaine to flee while they can.

"We will be talking about this later," Parker says.

I glance up and see that he's looking at Will and Blaine's retreating figures and not me.

"Just remember, it was my idea. I asked them to teach me." I give him a stern look. "You will not be punishing them for doing what I asked."

Parker smirks, shaking his head. "Will's right—you are stubborn."

I laugh. "And you're stuck with me because we're mates."

Parker's smirk grows into a full, dimple showing smile. He leans down, pressing his forehead against mine. "You say it like it's a chore or something, but it's not. I promise you, Henley, you and I are going to have a very happy life together."

My breath gets caught in my throat.

He's right—we will be happy together. And I can't wait for whatever the future holds for us.

"I love you," I tell him, right before pressing a gentle kiss to his lips.

His arms tighten around me. "I love you, Henley. More than anything in the world."