Rieka repeated her instructions as she moved, talking Morlie through each step, then performed the same move in real-time, then slowed it down again.The first five times, Morlie still ended up on the floor.Only for Rieka to step back and call out, “Again!”
Once Morlie was only down a third of the time, Rieka added to her training.
“If my foot starts to leave the ground in a kick, anticipate the strike, absorb it, and sweep out my weighted leg quickly and hard.And pounce.”
Morlie discovered she could get Rieka down, but she was too slow at leaping onto her chest, giving the other woman time to get out of the way and get up and able to kick out.Only because Rieka didn’t follow the move-through was Morlie left with a head on her shoulders.
The tenth time Rieka came at her, Morlie felt something click in her mind.Her visual acuity seemed to snap into place, and it became easier for her to pick up on the subtle shifts of Rieka’s body and respond.
Morlie’s movements became more fluid, like second nature.
On instinct, Morlie struck out.When her fist made contact with Rieka’s jaw, Morlie froze in shock.Everything happened at lightning speed.
“Oh, damn.I’m sorry.”Morlie pulled the hand back and scrambled off the other woman’s chest where she had straddled her.She couldn’t believe she’d not only taken down Chanin’s mother but hit her.
“Nice.After breakfast, I’ll teach you to hit because you punch like a girl, not a she-wolf.”Rieka rolled up from the floor and gave Morlie a wide smile.
Rudie laughed as she vaulted up from the couch and headed to the table.
Morlie grinned in appreciation as she followed the two other women important to Chanin.She wiggled her nose, checking it for residual soreness.She found only a few twinges but didn’t miss the aches on her sides.It would be a long day, and she knew her body would bear the evidence by the end, but she felt surer of herself and less of a liability and was more than grateful for the older female Alpha’s expertise.
Chapter Three
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Marked?As she rose, she couldn’t stop the word from rolling around in her mind.
“Hey!I can walk.”Startled at being swung into the big man’s arms again, Avalore almost lost her rock as she quickly clutched his shoulders.She didn’t necessarily fear that he would drop her when he lifted her from her hiding spot in the tub.He had proven he was more than strong enough to lug her around, but when one was a bottom-heavy Afro-Latina woman like her, rarely were men looking to haul her around.
“You can.However, I have other things to do today.So, waiting for you to baby-step your way to the bathroom isn’t in my schedule.”
Her mouth dropped wide, and then she snapped it shut as she gave him a stern look.
“I didn’t ask you to babysit me, Liekki.”She poked a finger into his chest.His tattooed pecs were hard as granite.She bit the inside of her bottom lip to keep from wincing.She wondered if all his people were built like him.
What did they feed them?In the Dispatch, most men were thin and frail but were hard workers when they could find it.Hell, even in the lab where she saw the Providence men at the fancy dinner, they were lean and tucked inside their finery.But Liekki was not only massive in height but broad in bulk.And he had a face like an avenging angel, all chiseled edges, brooding eyes, and jet-black hair that was closely cut on one side even as it hung over his back and shoulder that made a woman think of midnight sins.
