Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Smirking, I turn my back on him and whisper loudly, “Whatever you say.”
Totally sweet.
***
“Oh my God. I think I’m gonna be sick.” Blocking my nose with my forearm, I begin to sweat. This is my reaction to seeing a pig carcass hanging from the rafters.
Outside. In broad daylight. As if it is normal.
“Don’t sweat it, Lily. This is the best way to teach you. You’ll be able to see the wounds you inflict and I can show you where to use little force to create maximum damage.”
I open my mouth to speak, but only a high pitched squeak escapes me.
Finding my voice, I whisper, “I think I changed my mind. I don’t want to do this.”
Game over.
A firm and cautionary, “Lily,” comes from Nox.
Turning to look at him, he offers, “You feel like you need to puke, we’ll stop.”
Okay.
I can do this.
Okay. I’m good.
Nodding, I tell him, “I’m good now. Where do we start?”
Looking relieved, he takes the small knife from my hand, opens it in record time then, lightning fast, he plunges the blade into the belly of the pig.
The carcass swings from side to side with my switchblade embedded in its belly and I’m surprised that it doesn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. I guess I thought there would be more blood. And there’s, like, zero blood.
“What was that?” I’m proud of myself for the steadiness in my voice.
“Kill shot.”
Holy shit.
Nox comes up behind me, raises my hand and repeats the motion over and over again, bladeless. I’m confident in myself. I feel like I know what I’m doing now.
He places the blade into my hand and jerks his chin to the piggie. Clearly hesitating, he asks seriously, “You’re thinking about it all wrong. What if this carcass was a bad guy? A person who was trying to hurt you?”
It’s not very motivating but I get what he’s saying.
Then he utters, “What if it was someone trying to hurt Terah?”
And without thinking, I grit my teeth and attack.
Perfectly.
My blade sticks out of the swinging pig’s belly and Nox’s hand lands on my shoulder, squeezing. Pulling me back a little, his lips hit my temple. I feel his smile there. The hand on my shoulder moves up to my neck and with another quick squeeze, he separates himself.
“Again,” he demands.
And I smile.
Yeah.
I can do this.
***
Today was a good day.
I learned to protect myself in a way I hope I never have to use, but the simple fact is, knowing what I now know could save my life.
Nox is (surprisingly) a very patient teacher. Even when I almost stabbed him in the eye.
I told him! I warned him! I said, “You sure you want me to come at you with something sharp in my hand?”
He grinned. “Lily.” He said this while shaking his head…like it was cute.
Alright, mister. You asked for it.
What Nox was not expecting was for me to incorporate the defensive and attack skills that he, Rock, and Boo had been teaching me for a month. So when he lunged at me and I feinted then jabbed, he didn’t see it coming. My hand with the switchblade jerked back as soon as I realized this.
What actually happened was I got him. I got Nox.
Insert shit eating grin here.
The sharp blade pressed against his cheek bone for not even a second, but it was enough to draw blood.
So, of course, I shit myself.
Dropping the blade as if it was burning a hole in my hand, I stepped back and waited for the yelling and arguments to start.
But they never came.
Instead, I got another neck squeeze and smiling lips at my temple. Still with his lips against me, he muttered thoughtfully, “Maybe I wasn’t the only one born for this life.”
My heart clenched for a full ten seconds before it released when I whispered my reply, “Maybe it’s because we’re lonely.”
His arms wrapped around my waist and he held me close, my side tucked into his hard stomach and chest. I closed my eyes, savoring the rare sessions of closeness he allows. When he kissed the top of my head and murmured, “Yeah. Maybe,” I did something that stunned even me.
Turning my head, I stood on my tiptoes and brushed my lips against his.
Lightly.
Whisper soft.
Pulling back, I told him, “I don’t feel lonely when I’m with you.”
His eyes met mine, searching for something. When he found whatever it was he was looking for, I lost his deep blues. With a squeeze of my waist, he let me go, and walked away.
I stood there thinking about what just happened, and I knew it changed things. Yet again.
Why was I feeling like this?
What was it about this man that made my brain stupid and irrational?
Why did I never want this threat against me to end?
Nox.
I wanted to stay with him.