We drank in silence for a few moments, catching our breath.
The adrenaline of victory was still coursing through me and I couldn't help a giddy stamp of my feet. I grinned and looked up at Jack, whose navy gaze was on my leg.
"Shit. Does that hurt?" he asked, leaning forward to brush his thumb over the skin below my cut.
The thick gash was about eight inches long and weeping blood. It was probably the worst injury I had sustained in all my years training with Jack.
As the rush of victory ebbed away, it was starting to sting quite a bit. Unable to shift like Jack, I couldn't magically close my wounds.
Large hands lifted my leg, and I was surprised to notice Jack had moved to crouch at my side. His eyes met mine, the same darkness in them that I had seen earlier.
This time though, combined with his touch, I felt my heart begin to pound.
"You know I can help. If you want me to?" His voice was low and gravelly, and my stomach clenched in response.
He was referring to the fact that a wolf's saliva had mild healing properties for flesh injuries that weren't too deep.
I swallowed a sudden ball of nerves and tried to shrug it off. "Nah, its fine really."
He shook his head, dark eyes almost pinning me in place. "This place is dirty. If it gets infected, it will interrupt your training."
I knew he was right.
I nodded. Anticipation building inside me. Insanely so, for something as basic as medical treatment.
Slowly, he poured cool water on the wound and I whimpered.
Keeping his eyes on mine, Jack lowered his head towards my leg. Seeing no objection, he looked down at the cut. He once again traced the skin below with the pad of his thumb, sending electricity up my thigh.
I gasped as the warm wetness of his tongue touched my flesh. The slow lick made my body tremble and a moan burst from my lips.
We both froze in unison.
I stared down at the top of his head. Heart hammering in equal desire and mortification.
Slowly he raised his eyes to meet mine. The navy darkness was now a full black. And this time there was no mistaking the desire in them.
Suddenly, he grabbed my thigh and pulled me beneath him.
The thousands of times I had lain beneath Jack were forgotten in this alien moment and I felt so bare. Suddenly acutely aware of how little clothing we wore.
He groaned my name softly in my ear as he brushed the rough stubble of his jaw against my cheek.
I could feel myself getting wet as the warmth of his breath stoked the fire raging in my body.
Inhaling deeply, he groaned louder.
His dark eyes smouldered over the fit of my shorts and top and he growled low in his throat. "Seriously Charlie?"
I flushed and bowed my head, refusing to look at him. The hard length of his body was setting me alight.
"Do you think I didn't feel you shiver at my touch? Don't smell your arousal?" He transferred both of my hands to one of his above my head and used his other to tilt my face to look at him.
"Have you any idea what you're doing to me?" The amber eyes of his wolf flickered in the darkness of his eyes. "You're killing me. And I am supposed to ignore it all and be your fucking teacher?"
I licked my dry lips, heart hammering in my chest as I took a chance. "I'm sure there are other things you could teach me."
Fingers tightening on my jaw, Jack's lip curled in a snarl.
I had never seen him so angry.
I'd be terrified if I couldn't feel the evidence of his desire throbbing against my thigh.
The longing in his eyes betrayed him and I couldn't help feeling a small thrill.
"This isn't a game. You know the stakes." His words were softer than his face and body portrayed. The urgency behind them only serving to make me want him impossibly, infuriatingly, more.
Ever since the raids, the pack had become wary of wolf/human relationships. Countless threats came from an unknown enemy, an enemy that despised humans.
Sadly, the result had eventually been an unspoken taboo, one that meant leaving the pack if you chose a human over home.
Other packs in the area had suffered similarly, wolves becoming more secluded than ever.
Incredibly... the even bigger taboo was that Jack was my mentor. The Alpha forbade it, and it would be him we would have to answer to.
I bit my lip, warring with myself. I knew right from wrong. But I also knew what I wanted.
Jack's bare chest rose and fell above me. A muscle jumped in his jaw as he clenched his teeth. Looking away from me for a moment before wrenching himself off me.
I scrambled to a sitting position as he paced. Biting my lip worriedly.
"Jack... You know what adrenaline does to wolves." I tried, desperate to pull our relationship back to how it had always been.
He flicked his eyes over to me and grunted, continuing to pace.
Lust was an easy accompaniment to aggression in wolves. We like rough, hot sex and a victorious fight is a great way to get the sparks flying.
Jack ran his hand through his hair in a familiar restless motion. "I can't train you anymore Charlie. We almost crossed the line... Jesus." He groaned and looked at the ceiling. "I've known you since you were a little girl... I'm your teacher!"
The despair on his face dampened any residual flames I might have had, and I stood with a sigh. "Get a grip Jack. It's not like I'm still a pup. I'm plenty old enough. That isn't the issue and we both know it."
He glared at me from across the room. "Julian trusted me to take care of you. Not fuck you."
"Well, you haven't fucked me. So, its fine." I countered, mirroring his glare.
He shook his head sadly. "I disgust myself."
I snorted. "Am I really that bad?"
He looked up surprised. A sudden twinkle back in his midnight eyes. "Don't worry, I'm sure we will find some poor soul to have you." He chuckled.
He laughed harder as I threw my empty water bottle at him and I smiled.
"So, are you going to finish what you started?" I asked silkily, biting my lip suggestively.
His answering growl made me burst into laughter. "I meant finish my training, obviously." I spluttered.
He grumbled with a smile and headed over to the duffle bag.
It was getting late and the sun was beginning to set, painting the room in inky shadows.
"Should we head back soon?" I asked, heading over to close the windows.
Hearing him snort as they thumped closed, I turned to see him pulling sleeping bags and a lantern out of the bag.
"What? I thought you were joking about staying here. Why do we need to stay?" I groaned. Not happy about staying a couple of uncomfortable weeks on this dirty floor.
"Because time spent going back and forth is time wasted. You got the better of me once, but I want to see you replicate that at least a dozen times before I put my good name to you at Qualifying." He grinned, turning on the lamp.
I sighed and tried not to think about our earlier moment. Now I knew we would be sharing a room, a nagging heat had began swirling in my stomach.
"I'll need clothes. We will need food. Running water!" I tried. Only to be told that the Alpha was arranging a delivery for the following day.
I huffed and sat down on my sleeping bag.
Jack seemed plenty content, stretching out on his. All traces of his earlier discomfort erased as if it had never happened.