CHAPTER 22
Zarreth
A bead of sweat rolls down Frankie’s neck, into her cleavage. She looks exhausted, even though I watched her sleep through the night. “Don’t try to flirt with me, Zarreth. I know I look like shit with these dark circles under my bloodshot eyes,” she barks.
I move closer, my shadow blocking the sun as I loom over her. “You could never look like shit. I’d still ravage you, just saying.”
She scoffs as she sits in a butterfly position, stretching her inner thighs. “We just finished training, so you can leave.”
Ha! She thinks that was training? I can’t wait to see how feisty she gets once she realizes we haven’t even started training.
Ronin starts laughing. “Um, Frankie, what you did was called a workout. You know, to get you in shape. We haven’t started actual training yet.”
I hold back a smile when Frankie’s eyes get big. “What!?” Laying back, she groans, draping her arm over her forehead. “Are you trying to kill me?”
“Nope, quite the opposite, actually,” I remind her, offering my hand to help pull her up.
She scowls at my hand like it’s a used tissue before standing on her own. “Alright, let’s get this over with so I don’t have to look at you anymore.”
I remove my shirt and begin stretching. My back aches. It’s going to take a lot for me to regain my strength so I can fly. Even though I have my wings again, I haven’t used those muscles in twenty years.
Frankie’s gaze roams over my body, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip as I spread my wings, enjoying her eyes on me. She notices me staring at her and quickly furrows her brow, masking her reaction. She still wants me.
Eager to get started so I have an excuse to touch her, I say, “We’ll start with some basic self-defense skills because falling to the ground when someone has a hold of you didn’t work too well last time.” I think back to when she fell in the woods, her towel unwrapping, her naked body exposed to me for the first time. I should have known then and there she was mine.
Confused, Jess looks at Ronin. “Do I even want to know?”
“Trust me, you don’t,” he replies.
Frankie glares at me and crosses her arms. “You’re such an asshole. I won’t stand a chance against anyone as big as you, anyway.”
That’s what a lot of people think, but it’s not true. Frankie could hold her own one day with enough training. “You’d be surprised, skill and speed trumps size every time if you know what you’re doing.”
“That’s right,” Ronin says, signaling Jess to hop off the car. “Come on, Jess. It wouldn’t hurt for you to learn this too.”
“Okay, but let’s go over here so I’m not distracted,” Jess says, winking in my direction as she pulls Ronin away, giving us some privacy.
I look over at Frankie, who is putting her shoes back on, and smile. “You know, I’m really starting to like her.”
“Of course you are, my traitorous best friend is on your side in all of this,” she says as she stands directly in front of me, getting into the position I showed her when we practiced throwing a punch.
An invisible string pulls me closer to her. “Let’s start by showing you how to break a grip.” Demonstrating the technique, I grab her wrist. “You want to twist and pull away like this.” She watches me intently as I guide her through the movements. “You got it?”
“Yeah, it’s not rocket science,” she bites with a smirk on her face.
I grin. “There’s my Melita .” I grip her wrist with more strength this time.
She grits her teeth with determination. “I’m NOT your Melita ,” she says, twisting and pulling away just like I showed her. She gives me a cocky look, turning me on.
“Hell yeah, Frankie! That was good.” Pride lights up her face. Damn she’s beautiful.
We practice wrist control until she feels confident with it. We’ve gone through a few different techniques, and I know she’s tired, but I want to teach her a triangle choke. Every female should know how to do this. It’s the perfect choke to use on someone who is larger than you because you can use your leg strength, and it’s a position you might already be in if someone’s trying to take advantage of you.
“I want to show you one more thing for now, and then we can be done for the day,” I say.
Frankie’s face falls slightly at the mention of being done, but she quickly recovers it thinking I didn’t see. A glimmer of hope stirs inside of me, knowing she’s enjoying this more than she lets on.
She claps her hands together. “Okay, let’s do it.”
I quickly grab her by the waist, positioning her so she’s laying on her back, my wings fanning out slightly as I settle between her legs. “Woah, buddy! This is not what I had in mind,” she says trying to wiggle away, even though I can smell her desire.
Grabbing her by the thighs, I pull her back toward me. “Get your mind out of the gutter. I’m simply showing you a jujitsu technique,” I tease.
She fights back a smile. “Yeah, okay. Show me how it’s done then.”
I lock eyes with her, giving her a cocky smile, as I show her how to drag my arm across her body while wrapping her right leg around my neck. My face now between her legs, I instantly feel myself getting hard. “While keeping your right leg around my neck, place the back of your left knee over your right ankle. You want to make a triangle shape with your legs,” I explain, feeling the heat radiate from her body. “That’s perfect, now squeeze, locking in the choke.”
Her legs tighten around my neck, pulling my face closer to her sweet spot. “Control is key,” I murmur, not sure if I am talking to her or myself at this point. “Don’t let me get away.”
She thrusts her hips up, squeezing her legs tighter. I can’t help myself as I grab the outside of her thighs, pulling her closer so there’s no space between us, telling myself it’s for the sake of the choke.
A small moan, mixed with a whimper escapes her lips. I know she’s thinking the same thoughts I am as she runs her hands through the back of my hair, remembering what it’s like to have me between her thighs.
A low growl rumbles from my throat. “Honey,” I whisper, pressing my nose between her thighs. She smells so fucking good. She moans again. “I told you you’d be mine by the end of the day.”
“Damn it, Zarreth,” Frankie complains, pushing me away as she unhooks her legs and sits up. “That’s not fair. You had me in a precarious situation. You knew what you were doing.”
I feign innocence. “I was simply showing you some defense techniques.”
“Whatever, we’re done here.” Frankie stands, brushing herself off as I pull my wings tight against me, falling back onto the ground. I knew better than to say that, but I love getting her riled up.
Jess and Ronin are done training as well, so Frankie walks over to them as I stay laying on the grass, looking up at the sky. Well, that didn’t go as planned.
“I’m ready to go,” Frankie yells over to Jess before slamming the car door. Jess waves to us before hopping in the car and driving away.
Ronin walks over to me and kicks my boot. “She’ll come around,” he reassures me.
I don’t say anything. Instead, I close my eyes, squeezing the bridge of my nose with my fingers. Damn it, I need her. My chest is hollow, she took my heart when she left, and it fucking hurts.
I finally sit up, looking at Ronin. “Ready to get the shit kicked out of you? I need to spar.”
Before I finish my sentence, Ronin is already cracking his neck. “Let’s fucking go, brother.”
That night, I sneak into Frankie’s room once she’s fast asleep, just like I do every other night. I plan to just sit in the corner, watching her breathe like I’ve done so many times before, but she starts thrashing around, her breaths becoming shallow and erratic. With a painful expression on her face, her soft whimpers turn into screams. “Nate! I’m coming, Nate.”
Guilt washes over me. It’s obvious Frankie needs her brother. I will never let her risk her life for his, but I will gladly risk mine for her if that’s what it takes to make her happy. In that moment, my decision to go to the Dark Realm and save Nate is cemented. I will bring her brother back.
This may be the last time I see her. I go to her, comforting her even though I know it will piss her off. I need to feel her skin against mine, to breathe in her addictive scent.
Peeling off my shirt, I slip under the covers, knowing she will murder me if I strip completely naked. My heart races at the familiar pull toward her. Drawing her close to me, she immediately stops trembling, sighing softly as her screaming stops.
I know my touch brings her relief, even if it’s only temporary. Bringing heat to my hands, I run them over her back and rub the base of her neck. She exhales, tension leaving her body. Small whimpers leave her lips as I trail my hands over her hips and thighs, soothing her with my touch.
She instinctively turns toward me, running her hand down my back until it reaches my ass, where it rests. She snuggles in closer, her lips making contact with my chest. She’s gonna be so pissed when she wakes up, but I don’t leave. I need her one last time.
I feel Frankie’s body stiffen when she realizes she’s not alone. I hold my breath, waiting for her to freak out. “Zarreth,” she mumbles. Her eyes open, gazing up at me with conflict in them. She’s still angry, but there is an undeniable craving there too.
“ Melita ,” I whisper in her ear before brushing my lips against it, drawing a moan from her.
“Don’t,” she warns, slightly pushing me away, but I hear her breath hitch as her body responds to mine. Her hands begin gliding over my biceps. “Please, Zarreth, I…” She doesn’t complete her sentence.
“What is it, Melita ? Tell me what you need.” I hear the desperation in my voice, as I grab her chin and tilt it up, her eyes meeting mine.
She starts and then stops, a single tear running down her cheek. “I don’t know what I need. I’m so mad at you, but…”
Hope sparks within me. “Baby, you can still hate me in the morning but let me do this for you.” Let me do this for me, one last time.
She bites her lip, her resolve faltering as yearning seeps in. I know she needs this, but she’s too stubborn to let herself feel it. “All I need is a nod, don’t overthink it.”
She closes her eyes before giving me one quick nod. That’s all I need. I lose myself in her, letting the world fade into nothingness. I savor every part of her as I take her in, committing every curve, every freckle, every detail to memory.
Time stands still as we lose ourselves in one another, every touch strengthening our bond. She’s my anchor, my light in the darkness. I will save her brother, and I will make it back to her.