Moon Touched (Zodiac Wolves: The Lost Pack #1)(42)

I swayed, still caught in the moment, wondering what would happen if I tilted my head back to encourage him to kiss me. I was caught halfway between reality and the fantasy, and it took a sharp, “Again,” from Kaden to fully pull me out.

I shook my head and tried to remember what Kaden had said. I could still feel his hand on my hip, and I moved the way he’d moved it, making sure to exhale as I punched.

“Like that?” I asked, and if Kaden noticed that the tone was just this side of breathy, he didn’t say a damn thing.

“Better. Again.”

I punched the bag a few more times, making sure to engage my whole body each time. The strange spell that had been cast over me faded, and although Kaden was still distracting, at least he was distracting over there and not touching me.

"That’s enough for today. Let’s move on.” Kaden let go of the bag and lifted his shirt over his head. He seemed to be allergic to wearing a decent amount of clothing, no matter the occasion. The number of times I’d wandered downstairs to find him standing in the kitchen in just sweats or jeans was bordering on ridiculous. I should have been desensitized by this point, but with a body like that, I doubted I’d get used to it anytime soon. And seriously, gray sweatpants? Was he trying to make me wet?

We moved into hand-to-hand combat next, which was my least favorite part of training because it felt so hopeless. Kaden was a true warrior, through and through, but that wasn't me. I was a scrappy survivor who somehow weaseled out of every bad situation, not a fighter. When things got bad, I ran. No amount of training would ever fix my true nature.

Kaden seemed to disagree though, or why else would he keep doing this? I could tell he was holding back though—probably good, or I’d end up getting punched in the nose—but I still couldn't land a blow on him.

It didn't help that I could still feel him pressed against me, holding me in such a casual, yet intimate way. My gaze slipped to his bare torso, and I soaked up the sight of all those muscles in all the right places. He’d been so hot against me, so hard. Like that day at the waterfall, when he'd been on top of me.

One of Kaden's blows glanced off of my temple, my instincts allowing me to pull my head away at the last second. Shit, I needed to focus or I was going to get knocked out.

“Good,” Kaden said. “You’re getting better.”

Right as he said that, he shoved his hand flat against my sternum. The blow sent me sprawling on the ground. I tried to go into a tuck and roll to break the fall but didn’t quite manage it. I still was able to avoid hurting myself, but it wasn't very graceful.

“You can’t just say that, and then do that,” I said, trying to catch my breath. It hadn’t been hard enough to hurt, but it had taken the wind out of me.

"You seemed distracted." Kaden stepped up to me and held his hand out. I frowned at it, remembering the first day. Right. I took his hand, expecting him to fling me over his shoulder, but he simply lifted me up, arm muscles flexing.

Then he pulled me close and lightly touched my temple, his brow furrowed. Inspecting me to make sure he hadn't really injured me, I realized. Kaden's other hand still clutched mine tightly, and it had become hard to breathe, or move, or even think. Desire and longing made my chest tighten almost painfully, and I found myself reaching up to touch the soft, dark stubble on his jaw. But when my fingertips lightly brushed against him, he jerked back, like he'd been burned.

We stepped apart, and I pressed a hand to my chest, wishing I could calm my runaway heart. He's not your mate, I reminded myself. But my body wouldn't listen.

“Again,” Kaden said, but his voice sounded a bit off.

I took a deep breath and tried to stay focused on the fight, not the fighter. We exchanged a few experimental jabs, and suddenly I saw an opening. I didn’t know if it was purposeful, but he’d overextended in a punch, leaving his side vulnerable. I struck out quickly. He saw my fist coming for him and contorted, dancing out of range, but I felt my knuckles brush his ribs.

I let out a shocked laugh as I stepped back. “I almost hit you."

Kaden looked as surprised as I felt, but it faded from his eyes just as quickly. “You’re becoming more confident in your body, in its instincts. The more you listen to it, the easier this will be. You keep getting in your head and second-guessing where your muscles want you to go. It’s what trips you up the most.”

We continued, and though I didn’t come close to landing any more blows, the rest of the training session went without a hitch. Kaden continued to correct my positions, but he didn’t pull me against him again. I shoved the disappointment down.

Finally, Kaden called a halt. I noticed I wasn’t breathing quite as hard as I had been for the first few days. It was a small, but welcome improvement. Maybe soon I would go through this entire routine without breaking a sweat, like Kaden.

We cooled down, doing some light stretches. We usually did these in silence, so I was surprised when Kaden spoke up. “Stella says you’re doing well with your wolf training.”

I shrugged, ducking my head at the praise. "I'm still not that good at tracking, but I'm trying."

Kaden paused and appraised me. “The pack is going on a hunt tonight. Maybe you'd like to join us."

I froze, his words catching me completely off guard. Kaden was very protective of his pack, and I knew he didn’t want me interacting with most of them until he felt I was trustworthy. This would put me in the thick of them, almost like a real member of their pack.