Prove To Be

20

Jay exited the car, closing the door with a soft thump before taking in a large breath of air. The cool winter air filled her lungs with its frosty touch, scouring every surface before exhaling it into a cloud of fog. She was exhausted from tonight's events. Jay wanted nothing more than to crawl into a soft pile of blankets and have a dreamless sleep without interruptions.

"You stink," Kieran said as he walked by her through the open door. Jay frowned, pausing at the door's entrance as she pulled at her clothing. She didn't doubt that she reeked of sweat and blood, but he didn't have to voice it aloud.

Ignoring his attempt to stir her emotions, she gave him an emotionless glance before making her way toward her bedroom. Jay heard his footsteps behind her, but she didn't have the energy to turn around and tell him off. Just as her hand clamped around the door handle, Kieran's hand grabbed onto her arm.

Sighing harshly, Jay turned to look at Kieran. "I get it, okay? Now let go of me so I can shower and get some rest."

A slight smirk tugged at the edge of Kieran's mouth as he let go of her arm. Before Jay could react, Kieran was taking his shirt off.

Taken aback, Jay averted her eyes from his sculpted chest. "What are you doing?" Jay's voice was in a rushed whisper.

"I meant, you stink of that pup." Kieran placed his shirt in her hand. "Wear this instead, so I don't need to smell that awful stench around the house." And with that, he turned away from her and walked toward his room.

Jay let out a breath once he was out of sight, tightening her fingers around his shirt. Shaking her head, Jay entered her room, thinking of taking a hot shower to soothe her aching muscles. The bathroom was a sauna by the time Jay was done with her shower. The foggy mirror dripped with condensation before her. As she exited the bathroom into her room, goosebumps trailed up her skin at the feeling of cool air brushing against her arms. Her eyes fell onto black material lying on her bed as she walked over to her closet full of clothing. Pausing, she thought of the soft fabric and how it would feel against her skin as she slept away her worries.

She shook her head, ignoring the temptation of Kieran's scent lingering on it and decided it would be best to wear her pyjamas to bed. Jay would return the shirt to him when she awoke, and he would come to find that it had been left in the same spot all night. She couldn't afford to have him know she wore his clothing. Kieran's ego would grow with his satisfaction, knowing she had done what he wanted her to do. Jay needed to distance herself from Kieran. She needed to gain control over her emotions and realize that falling for his temptations was a terrible idea.

Deciding on her next move, Jay would sleep for now and then train with Brennan and Simone later. She needed the distraction and the stimulation that the exercise brought her.

Unfortunately for Jay, the only distraction she faced was losing focus when Brennan's hands gripped Jay's body. His actions were forceful. Brennan was pushing Jay to learn faster than she could keep up, and not only was she getting frustrated, but Brennan was too. She could tell by how he spoke with her and treated her. He had been quiet the entire time Simone and she worked in wolf form, not having anything to add to Simone's method of training. Now she was gone, and it was Brennan's turn.

Jay rolled her eyes as Brennan's fingers dug into her waist, positioning how he wanted her to stand. Before Jay could even react to Brennan's onslaught, the coolness of the floor was gracing her sweaty back. "Are you even taking this seriously?" Irritation laced Brennan's words as he hovered over top of her.

Jay glared, pushing at Brennan's chest to try and stand to her feet. When he didn't budge, she sighed in annoyance. "I am taking this seriously."

"You sure fooled me," Brennan said, prickling at Jay's nerves. "You almost didn't make it out alive when those rogues attacked you. You need to be ready if they come back."