119
NIRVANA
“Why are you scared to punch me? You punch like a little girl, Nirvana.”
“Why is it everyone says I punch like a little girl?” I groaned, my eyes flaring at Dane.
“Remember, this is not a practice or training. Make it real. Punch like a real woman, a luna.”
“Maybe I can only punch like a girl, Dane. And your abs are distracting.” My comment made Knight groan while Kailin rolled her eyes at me.
“So if you see an attractive guy about to pull the trigger at you, you won’t shoot him because he’s too cute to die?”
I huffed a breath. I was sweating and sticky like a pig. He’d been training me for hours when McKaye suggested that Dane teach me instead of him. When Knight gave us a go, I let my body beat up.
I lost count of how many times I fell on the dirt and felt my strength was wearing off. I tried blocking his punches, but he was just so good. Considering he had long limbs and was taller than me, he could easily break my bones.
“Just punch him, Vana. I’m bored to death here.” Kailin puffed air against her hair, her arms crossing over her chest.
“You can’t hurt me, Nirvana, and don’t worry, I healed faster.” Dane gestured with his hand, challenging me, but I still hesitated.
“My love, he knows what he’s doing. He’s better than McKaye. Trust me, you can’t take him down. Just make this training more realistic. Don’t hesitate. Just give what you got.”
I turned to Knight, who looked annoyed. “I’m scared of losing control, okay? I don’t wanna hurt him.”
“Okay.” Knight raised his hands. “You don’t wanna learn from the expert? Let’s wrap it up.”
“You’re such a baby.” I drew a deep breath, spread my legs apart, and made my stance. I first threw a punch at Dane, but he managed to avoid my fist, and my other fist blocked every jab and kick I threw until we just liked dancing together in harmony.
“Now we’re talking.” Dane was so much enjoying watching me lose and fall on my butt.
I realized I was the one ducking each attack he struck. I anticipated and memorized his move; he could tell me what was inside me or what I was learning.
I was suddenly aware that he was about to use his left fist, which had the strongest strike. I blocked him with my arm, and for the first time, I hit him on his abdomen a little harder, knocking him into the dirt.
Seeing his shock, Kailin gasped, and that was the first time I saw him smile. He looked younger and even more handsome when he smiled.
“Sorry.” I offered my hand, and then he took it. The moment our hands touched, I sucked in a breath as if a high voltage of electricity jolted my entire body.
Shocked, my eyes widened, and my head fell back as I stared straight at the sky. Then, something like a memory in a fast-forward clip of events that my brain could barely keep up. It all flashed before my eyes all at once before blackness took me over.
***
Gasping, I jolted up. Still catching my breath, I looked around. I was lying in bed in the small cabin room while Kailin rested her head on the bed.Belongs to © n0velDrama.Org.
“K?” I called her name. It was my instinct not to touch. I was scared that something might happen again.
She raised her head, eyes widening. “Vana?”
I jerked back, raising my hands. “Don’t touch me. What happened?”
“Guys?” she called to everyone. The room suddenly became terribly small and filled with testosterone.
“Sweetheart.” Knight came to the foot of the bed, about to touch my knee.
I pulled my knees against my body. “Don’t come close.”
“What’s going on?” Knight frowned, eyes filling with pain.
“I’m fine.” I looked at Dane. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. You just collapsed. I’m so sorry I pushed you hard.”
“No. I’m feeling okay.” I looked at everyone, and they seemed concerned. “What happened?”
They looked at Knight instead of giving me answers.
“When Dane fell, you offered help, then gripped him hard. Your eyes were glowing, and you froze and stared up for a few moments, then collapsed.”
I looked at my clothes; I wasn’t wearing the same dirty clothes anymore.
“I have to clean you up. How are you really feeling, Nirvana? You scared me. You scared us.”
I stared at Dane, trying to focus on his heartbeat. “Who are you?”
“What do you mean?” He looked taken aback by my question.
Kailin turned to look at her mate. “Why? What’s going on?”
“Do you have a gift?”
He shook his head. “No. I don’t. Why?”
“Sweetheart, please tell us what happened?” Knight stared at me, sounding concerned.
“I saw flashes of events. I did not see myself there and can’t remember those events and places. I’m not sure if it was mine or someone else, or-”
“It hasn’t happened yet,” Knight finished my words.
I nodded.
“I called Zarah. She told me to let you rest and no more training.”
“What happened in those flashes?” McKaye asked.
“You don’t have to tell us if it’s something very traumatic.”
“It’s not. It’s just so fast my brain hurts. But I remember it was beautiful, nice weather, and there’s a clearing where kids play, chase, and then-” I closed my eyes as I tried to remember what happened next. “Shit.”
“It’s fine. Take your time.” Knight reached out to me.
“Baby, no.” I placed my hand under the blanket. “I can’t. I don’t like that feeling.”
“You can’t hurt me.”
“I know, but I don’t wanna see something like that again, and I can’t remember. It’s awful.”
“Maybe you got the gift from your mother. You’re still your mother’s daughter. She was a seer, right?”
“No, Luka. I’m not a seer, but maybe him.” I looked at Dane. “I’m sorry to ask you this, but do you remember anything about your parents?”
“I was young to remember, and it was painful I chose not to talk about it. What is clear to me is there was an attack on our pack. We managed to escape, but a werewolf awaited us on the road. It just came out of nowhere, and my father was driving fast. They died in a crash. They were werewolves, and I don’t remember them having gifts. I survived when I was thrown off the windshield. When it happened, my mother was trying to secure my seat belt, and they didn’t make it.”
“I’m so sorry, Dane.” I wiped my tears. Kailin looked away to hide her emotions from her mate.
“It’s fine.”
“Does anyone have a pen and a paper?”
“Yeah.” Luka left the room. A few moments later, he came back and gave me what I asked for.
I closed my eyes, trying to jab my memory while scribbling that place. It was messy, but I sketched it fast so I would not miss any detail before those flashes of that memory were gone.
Once I finished it, I showed it to Knight, who gave it to the boys.
“You’re good, and you sketched it while eyes closed.” McKaye chuckled. “Impressive.”
“It’s been a while.” I smiled sadly at Knight. His sympathetic look made my heart melt.
“I don’t recognize this place,” Kailin said.
“Let me send it to Shadow.” Knight took a snap on his phone.
“Don’t.” Dane got all our attention.
“Why?” Kailin asked.
“It was the last happiest memory I have of my parents.”
I looked at Kailin, who looked at me as a single tear rolled down her face.
“I chose this kind of job because I wanted to eliminate the kind of people who took good people away from their children. Call me a cold-blooded killer, but this is me.”
We were all too speechless, including Knight, to say a word. Then, all of a sudden, Dane left the room.