Kyle chuckled, then opened the Bo Staff and twirled it around. “You’re very brave, Jessie. But what Gordon didn’t teach you is that bravery can get you killed.” Kyle shot a glance toward Gordon, then lifted his brow as his attention drew back to me. “Never rush into battle. Let your opponent come to you.”
“Then let’s see what you got.” I gave him a slight smile as I held my ground.
Kyle chuckled again as he walked around me in a circle. “Oh—I’m sure that I’m more than what you can handle.” His gaze narrowed as his lips formed into a mischievous smile.
“Stay focused, Jessie!” Gordon shouted. “He’s trying to catch you off balance.”
I nodded, but kept my eyes on Kyle’s movements as I slowly moved around in a circle too. I arched my brow and returned his smile. “Are you saying you’re a badass, Kyle?”
Kyle shook his head, then stopped. “Nope. I’m saying if you’re going to beat me, you need to stay on your feet.”
As soon as those words left his mouth, I felt something hard against the back of my shoe that lifted my foot up, and I fell backward. There I lay, flat on my back, and looked up into Kyle’s face.
I gave him an annoyed smile. “I’m getting the feeling that you like looking down at me.”
Kyle held out his hand to help me to my feet. “No.” He pulled me up, then close to his body. “I’d rather see you eye to eye,” he whispered softly. “Jessie, you’ve seen that anything can happen out there. Attacks come from anywhere—you need to remember that.” He turned to Gordon, then looked back at me. “Plus, you need to let what’s inside come out.”
I frowned and let my arms fall to my sides. “Okay—that, I don’t know how to do.”
“Oh, it’s easy. You just haven’t been taught how to summon it yet.” A sly smile crept across his lips again. “See, this is what they won’t teach you here, because no one here is a Dragonborne.”
“Get on with it, Kyle. I don’t see the point you’re making,” Gordon snapped.
“The point I’m making is that Jessie has something inside her that you and everyone else in this Sanctuary is afraid of. All of you fear us, —the dragons, the outcasts. Yet, we’re the ones who do the dirty work your precious Bloodbornes don’t want to do.”
“I think we’re done here.” Gordon stood and grabbed his jacket.
“Oh no, we’re not. She needs to learn how to summon it, because without it, she could get killed. Sorry.” Kyle frowned. “But that’s not happening on my watch.”
I looked to Gordon, who stood stiff as a statue with his jaw muscles flexing in disapproval. “It’s okay—I need to learn this. Gordon, he’s right.” I assumed the stance, then turned to Kyle. “Let’s see what you got.”
Kyle stood tall, rolled his shoulders, then twirled the staff around and locked it underneath his arm. I must say I had gotten a bit distracted with those muscles, but what was a girl to think anyway when a guy showed up wearing a muscle shirt and green army fatigues? He grinned as he slowly walked toward me. Silently, I swore an oath to myself that Kyle would never have me on my back again.
“You’ve got to let it out, Jessie,” Kyle taunted as he swiped at me with the staff, and I blocked him with my daggers. He chuckled at my attempt. “Don’t be afraid.”
“I’m not afraid,” I grumbled as I pushed his staff back.
Before I had the chance to blink, I felt Kyle behind me as he brought the staff over my head and to my neck. I didn’t even have the opportunity to defend myself. He was way too fast. It wasn’t until I felt his lips against my ear that a soft, low snarl erupted from within me.
“Are you the hunter or the hunted, Jessie?” Kyle’s voice came out in a low growl against my ear.
As if I didn’t have a choice, I felt the heat rise within my blood and rush over my entire body. Without any warning at all, my fangs descended, and a guttural sound erupted from my lips.
“That depends,” I growled back. “Are you my prey or not?” I grabbed hold of the staff with both hands and pushed back into Kyle, which unsettled his footing so I could flip him over my back. As he went tumbling over, I slipped out from underneath the staff, and when his body hit the floor, I dropped one knee down on his chest and held a dagger at his throat. For some odd reason, wave of chills swept over me as I leaned forward and hissed at Kyle.
Kyle’s eyes widened, and his mouth opened to reveal his fangs. He hissed back at me, then growled as he pushed me off him and did a backflip which landed him straight on his feet. I observed his moves, but even with his super speed, he couldn’t get past me. I finally understood what he meant when he told Gordon that they were training me like a Bloodborne. Dragonbornes were different—and we fought differently.
At that moment, everything around me seemed like it had changed. Each one of my senses was heightened—especially my eyes and sense of smell. It was as though time stood still around me again. Finally, the time continuum made sense to me—time didn’t slow down—I sped up! Every inch of me was on high alert. Kyle looked as though he moved at an average speed, but I knew he moved with super speed. He charged at me, and I twisted my body around and avoided his advance. His retaliated move was pretty much expected when he pulled the staff up, then stuck it out in front of him as he twirled around to his right side. The staff swept low and down around my feet. Almost instinctively, I jumped, then brought my knee up and punched hard with my foot against his chest, which sent him flying backward.
Kyle caught his balance and pulled his arms in front of him as he dropped down on one knee and slid to a stop. My heart skipped a couple of beats when I noticed the flexing of his muscles as he strained to pull himself together. I knew I’d kicked him hard—but damn, son!
I’m not exactly sure what happened to me after that—I pulled myself into a half-crouched mode and held the daggers, ready to attack, when I heard Kyle’s low growl as it rumbled. It felt as though the vibrations of his growl ran over every inch of my body. I leaned forward—for some reason, I wanted more. I wanted him to attack me.
I remembered the times in my life where I’d made some bad decisions—stupid, even. This was going to be one of those times where my decision to willingly have someone beat my ass was absolutely insane.
“HA—AACK!” I yelled before I growled tauntingly at Kyle.
He narrowed those glowing blue eyes at me, then returned the same hacking noise. A rush of smells and a plethora of aromas hit me like a brief gust of wind. At first, there were strong tones of cinnamon, then a very faint lavender, and just a slight blush of a citrusy-orange undertone. I closed my eyes for a second and inhaled deeply, allowing the scents to consume me. As it happened, something strange came over me—a strong feeling, like a desire that had arisen.
My eyes snapped open, and Kyle slowly stood to his feet. My heart rate had picked up, and whatever this sudden attraction or desire I had for him took entirely over. I couldn’t quite explain it, although it wasn’t the same as my attraction to Jacob. This feeling—desire, lust, or whatever one would call it—was strong enough to shake me all over. I trembled in its quake, but as much as I didn’t want to give into it, I couldn’t deny that the scent had raptured my soul.
Another guttural growl erupted from me again, and Kyle was there in front of me before I took the next breath. One hand wrapped around my waist, his other hand grabbed at my wrist, holding it tightly as he pushed me back against a far wall. His body pressed hard against mine as he held my right hand over my head. Kyle’s eyes glowed brightly blue as he pressed his face alongside mine and inhaled a deep breath against my neck.
My mind swirled with his intoxicating scent. I didn’t understand what had happened—I wanted to know, to ask, but I wanted something else that appeared to be more critical. Kyle pulled back slowly, and his eyes peered deeply into mine as I felt his chest rise and fall against mine with each breath. Slowly, his lips inched toward mine, and the very breath I had planned froze in my throat.
“Well done!” I heard Gordo
n call out from behind us as he loudly clapped his hands. “You’ve proven me wrong.”
Kyle’s gaze narrowed as his attention snapped to Gordon. A low growl erupted from him as his body suddenly became my shield. I knew at that moment, something had gone off course, and I needed him to come back to reality.
“Kyle—” I grabbed his arm and tried to calm my voice. It worked, or at least, I thought it had worked when he turned to me, but I saw the frustration and anger in his eyes. It was a look I’d never forget.
Kyle blinked slowly and inhaled a couple of slow breaths. “Sorry—” He retracted his fangs and took a step or two back from me. “I hadn’t planned for that to happen.”
I shook my head. “What was that?” My voice barely came out in a whisper.
Kyle glanced back at Gordon, then to me again. “I’ll tell you as soon as we get out of here.” I nodded and followed Kyle back to Gordon.
“I’m not sure exactly what I just witnessed. But I can say I’ve never seen anything like that before.” Gordon crossed his arms over his chest.
“Well, it’s a dragon thing,” Kyle replied. “Jessie let’s get something to eat. I’m starved.”
“Sounds good to me.” I looked at Gordon and gave him a smile. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”
Gordon shook his head. “I honestly believe that Kyle can teach you better than me. But you two can have the gym in my stead.”
Kyle looked back over his shoulder and called, “Thank you, Gordon. I do appreciate that.”
With one hand slipped under my arm, Kyle guided me out the door and down the hall, then stopped shortly after we rounded the corner toward the Dining Hall. He pulled me to the side and turned me around to face him.
“I’ve never experienced anything like that before. I’ve heard about it, but it’s just never happened.” Kyle ran his hand through his hair, then over his chin. “This complicates things.”
“Could you please fill me in on your Dr. Phil episode? I feel like I’ve just tuned in and have no idea what side I’m on here.”
“Jessie, as a Dragonborne, our senses are a thousand times stronger than that of a normal human. We can see, smell and hear things most people miss. Your scent—” He shook his head, then ran his hand over his face. “You don’t understand, do you?”
I shook my head. “Not really. I know I smelled something as well. It kinda had an effect on me.”
Kyle lifted his right brow and frowned a little as if I’d insulted him. “Kinda?” He looked around the hall, then leaned closer to me. “I wouldn’t call that a kinda experience. I was ready to take you then, right there! You have no clue how strong your scent was to me. It was like—” He stepped back away from me as he paced back and forth, clasping his hands together in fists. “Maddening, almost. I wanted you—everything about you. For a moment, for just a split-second, I actually wanted to bite you.”
“What the hell?” I gasped. “Is this some type of hormone thing?”
Kyle stopped pacing and looked around, then stepped closer to me again. “Look, I have never done any drugs in my life, but that was a complete rush for me. Your scent is like what I think being high is—only the bad part for me is the desire that comes with it.”
I nodded. “I felt it too.” I bit my bottom lip, as the heat rushed to my cheeks.
He opened his mouth to say something when he noticed a girl who had turned the corner. Kyle stopped mid-breath and backed away from me until the girl walked past. After he made sure she was out of earshot, he leaned back closer.
“I was told a few years ago it would probably happen one day. It’s a dragon’s age type of thing, call it a mating thing, if you want. But that’s primarily what it is.”
I gasped in disbelief. “Wait—what? Are you saying that was foreplay?”
He nodded. “I think we both need to learn to control this.”
I shook my head. “I’ve never experienced something like this before. I don’t know how to control it.”
“When Gordon spoke to me, all I could see was him as a threat. I was ready to kill him only because he was a male and around you.” He shook his head. “I have to control this.”
“Yes, you do. I do as well, because of Jacob. I mean—”
Kyle’s gaze narrowed. “Jacob? What do you mean because of Jacob?”
I frowned. “I thought you knew. Weren’t you there when the King made his announcement?”
Kyle shook his head. “No, I was talking on the phone with my uncle. What did he say?”
I pursed my lips together. “He basically declared Jacob and me to be together, and dropped the feud between the Bloodborne and Dragonbornes.”
“WHAT?!” Kyle roared. “No way! Jessie—he can’t just claim you to Jacob! You are a dragon!”
“What is your problem? Jacob is now a halfling, and the whole thing about the Bloodbornes being a pure race is out of the window when he becomes king.”
Kyle chuckled. “You think that’s what this is about? You are a deadly weapon for them, can’t you see this? They’ll try and make you a guard dog for Jacob and his royal blood. But now, since he’s a halfling, things with them have changed? I doubt it. You belong to your own race.”
“I think it’s up to me to decide what I want,” I snapped back.
He took a step back as a shadow of sadness filled his eyes. “You would choose a Bloodborne over your own race?” He held out his arms to his sides. “Look at me, Jessie. You see me as nothing? Or do I not arouse the dragon inside you?”
My heart rate picked up again, and I felt my fangs slowly descending. I shook my head and felt the pain bear down on my heart. I didn’t ask for this—I didn’t want any of this confusion to spill into my life. I couldn’t deny that I had the hots for Jacob, but it was my inner dragon that wanted Kyle. My heart told me otherwise, that Jacob would be best to help save my people—my blood kin. A tear spilled out and ran down the side of my cheek.
Kyle stepped up to me and brushed away the tear. I placed a hand on his chest, then slowly pushed him back as I turned and darted off down the hall. I’d get something to eat later. For now, I just needed to clear my thoughts and put some space between Kyle and me.
How had things gotten so complicated? Yes, both Kyle and Jacob were hotter than hell. Jacob was stable—I suppose more so than Kyle. There was no way that I could back out from what I needed to do. Kyle didn’t understand that this union would bring peace amongst our clans. Perhaps with that, the Bloodbornes could find a way to protect the Dragon Blood trees. My duty, if there ever was one, would be to my people first.
That evening, Jacob met me for dinner with his family. I felt a bit uneasy with them, especially around Gordon. It wasn’t like I had anything to hide—I didn’t do anything wrong. But the way Gordon looked at me, the uneasy feeling of being judged, didn’t go well with dinner. I couldn’t help but wonder if he mentioned anything about the earlier event to Jacob.
Jacob didn’t seem any different at all, he chatted normally with his family, and me. He even brought me a rose before we walked down to the Dining Hall together. I suppose it was mostly my imagination, and perhaps a small amount of guilt from my attraction to Kyle.
Who was it that I had lied to other than myself? I glanced over at Kyle, who was also at the table with us. His expression was a bit sad, perhaps even frustrated. He remained silent as he ate his dinner, only taking a few glances my way, which added more tension in the air than needed.
I had been so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t even hear Jacob when he spoke to me. His hand gently touched mine, which snapped me out of my delusion.
“Jessie?” Jacob’s soft voice drew my attention to him.
“Yes?” I looked over to Jacob.
“Are you done with dinner? I have a surprise for you.” His bright smile seemed to chase away my dark thoughts for the moment.
Jacob wiped his mouth with his napkin, then dropped it on top of the plate. He stood and held out his hand for me. His old-fashioned metho
ds still seemed to draw me in. In some ways, it made me feel respected. His heritage believed in traditions, and even though I didn’t understand their ideas very well, I liked the way he made me feel. I felt important to him, which was nice.
I took Jacob’s hand, and as I stood, Kyle’s attention snapped to us. His eyes darted away quickly, then he excused himself from the table before we had the chance to leave. Jacob gave me a curious glance, and I shrugged my shoulders. His hand rested softly on my back as we walked outside and down the long hall toward the garden outside, one of our favorite places to be together.
Once we made it outside, Jacob motioned for me to sit down on the cement bench. I sat down and crossed one ankle over the other, wondering what was going on. He sat down next to me. His gaze traveled from me up to the star-filled night sky. I had to admit the sky was gorgeous that night.
“You know when I was younger, I often wondered about those stars in the sky,” Jacob began. “Mostly if they were angels looking over us.”
“They say that angels are beautiful.” I kept my voice soft and light.
A smile crept into the corner of his lips as he turned to me. “Not as beautiful as you, I’m sure.”
My cheeks burned from the sudden rush of blood, and I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my lips. I lowered my gaze down to my hands, then up again to see a softness in his blue eyes.
Gently, Jacob reached over and took my hand in his. “I know, I’m old-fashioned. I get that. But there are reasons for everything we do here. Our traditions are more like life guidelines that help keep us on track with happier and healthier lives. We’re not a part of the outside world, Jessie. Things that pertain to the Claybornes do not appeal to us. Despite what you may think of my father, we don’t all agree with him and his ways.”
“What are they going to do with him?”
Jacob took a deep breath and released it slowly. “I’m not sure. He’ll have to stand trial with the High Order, which is the ruler of all Bloodbornes.”
I squeezed Jacob’s hand. “I know this has to be hard for you.”
Bloodborne Awakened (Borne of Blood Book 1) Page 17
