The North Star | COMPLETED ✔️

Chapter 29~ Training

I eyed the cigarette, the dream still vivid. My mind couldn't wrap around the fact that it wasn't real. It had felt so real, everything, the pain. How couldn't it have been real?  I looked to my shoulder, and the ink was just as I'd left it, no burns, nothing unusual. My hand drifted to my back but still found nothing.

Bard studied me, taking in every motion. "It's done, Tequila. We took care of it. No one is coming." He moved closer.

"No." I jumped up and scrambled off the mattress, ran down the hall to the kitchen sink, then pulled the lever and splashed cool water onto my face.

"Tequila..."

"Stop." I held a hand up without turning to look at him. "Don't say they're not coming, because they are."

He was quiet a long moment. "You're right."

I turned. Bard had his arms across his chest, shoulder leant against the door frame. It reminded me of the morning he'd caught me stealing his breakfast. His head had the same tilt, his eyes that same intensity, the same one that always seemed to take in way too much. "Are you ready?"

The question caught me off guard, and it took a moment for me to answer. "For what?" He couldn't mean the club. I'd never be ready for that.

"Its eight. Shop opens at eleven. We're gonna train for a couple hours." He pushed himself away from the wall and walked towards me.

"Train?"

"Yes, I'm going to teach you how to fight, remember?" He was standing right in front of me now, and I had to tilt my head back to meet his gaze.

"Today? Are you serious? After everything..."

Bard cut me off. "That's all the more reason to start as soon as possible."

After a minute's worth of thought, I nodded. He was right. At the very least, I could use a distraction. "Okay. Just let me change."

I watched him walk away before moving to grab a change of clothes, and settled for a pair of shorts and a t shirt.

When I stepped outside, Bard was waiting. His eyes landed on my legs, then slowly made their way up until his gaze met mine. His jaw clenched. "Why are you wearing that?"

I looked down at my clothes. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

He eyed my legs again. "Don't you have anything... more..." He paused. "Jeans or something?"

"All of my jeans are dirty," I answered. "If you want, we can wait. I didn't realize my legs frightened you so much."

Bard looked like he wanted to say something, but stopped himself. Instead, he pulled his hair back into a bun and in a gruff voice said, "Let's get started then."

I smirked. "Are you sure? I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

He ignored me. "Stand here." He pointed to the spot just in front of him, and I begrudgingly complied. "I'm going to attack you. You defend yourself."

I took in all six-foot five inches of him and lifted an eyebrow. "You do realize you are a fucking giant, right?"

Once again, ignored. "Get ready."