IT IS JUST BEFORE SIX in the morning when Luke wakes me up for 'training'. Honestly, if it wasn't for him puckering his lips and soothing me awake in that sweet, Australian accent, I probably would hit him. But, he damn-well knows how to be adorable. In fact, when we are getting ready, his cuteness level goes to an entirely different point.
I am shrugging on my tank-top and running pants when he comes over and rests his head on my shoulder. "Won't you be cold?" he asks, kissing my exposed skin tenderly. The feeling that courses through me almost makes me yelp in surprise and pleasure. "I think you should take a jacket."
"No, I'll be okay," I say, turning around in his arms. "Plus, I'm sure you'll find a way to warm me up."
"True." He looks like he is pondering on that thought. "But I'm not sure if the big bro would be happy with what I have in mind."
I roll my eyes. "Don't get too excited. I was thinking more along the lines of a hug?"
Luke huffs. "You sure know how to put a guy down, Pearce."
"Am I a Pearce, or am I a Hood?"
He purses his lips. "Fair point. Come on, Cal's waiting for us downstairs."
"How do you-" I am cut off by his secretive wink and broad grin.
Luke takes my hand and entwines our fingers, and I can't help but smile as the sparks warm me up again. I an really starting to like them. We walk down the stairs - well, Luke walks down and drags me along with him - and stroll into the kitchen.
Calum is sat at the table eating a bowl of cereal. This doesn't surprise me, because Calum doesn't cook. He wouldn't if his life depends on it. He has this thing where he can't cook and won't cook. Can't because he is too terrible of a chef - seriously, the last time he was let near an oven, we ended up buying a new one. He won't cook because he always has someone to do it for him.
"You're eating already? Damn it, I guess Luke will have to eat your pancakes," I say with a smirk, knowing he lovea my pancakes.
His face drops. "No, no. I can still eat pancakes. Get them cooking, I'll manage," Cal says, and I start to laugh at him.
"I'm not making pancakes this morning. I'm too tired, thanks to Mister Early-Bird here," I say, motioning towards Luke, who rolls his eyes.
"You would've been kicking yourself if you overslept," Luke points out with a shrug, pulling out a chair next to Calum, and sitting himself down.
My replying expression is a slightly disbelieving one. "So you'd rather me kick you?" I raise an eyebrow, crossing my arms over my chest. Luke just grins, a mischevious glint in his eyes.
He snakes a hand around my wrist, and pulls me down to the chair that is next to him. "You're not gonna stand up all morning, are you?" he questions, quirking a brow. I ignore him, and pour cereal into one of the bowls that are stacked in the middle of the table.
Adding milk, I make myself a glass of orange juice, and start to dig in. Luke follows suit, and we eat our breakfast in silence. I can't help but wonder how today will pan out. Calum seemed really pissed last night, so how is he feeling now that we are actually starting to train for this war? He is being unbearably quiet, and I have no idea what he is thinking. I look around Luke so that I can eye my brother, who notices my stare and stops chewing his breakfast.
"What?" he asks cautiously, his dark gaze intently trained on me. I can imagine myself gulping.
"How are you this morning?" I ask, my tone an octave too high. I don't want to annoy him, especially after the previous events.
Calum just shrugs. "I'm good. Excited to kick your ass," he saya with a smirk. I give him the most challenging look I have ever given anyone.
"Try it, but I threw Luke against a wall once." I regret those words the moment they escape my mouth.
Luke chokes on his juice, looking at me with slightly amused and shocked eyes. Crap, was I not supposed to say anything about that? Apparently not, because Calum looks like he is just about ready to kill Luke. Damn it, it sounds incredibly weird out of context.
"Um, what?" Calum almost shrieks, and Luke is just about to stand up and escape my brother's mad rage, but Calum pushea down on his shoulder, keeping him cemented to the seat. Well, shit. I could've said it better.
"Cal, it's not what you think. Remember when you and Ash came to drop off my things, and Luke and I were training? Well, I was defending myself, and somehow forced Luke back, and he hit the wall," I explain, my calm demeanor hiding my panicked mind. If he doesn't believe me, I probably screwed things up.
He seems to take my word for it, and finishes off his breakfast. Luke gives me a look that expressed what I am feeling - complete and utter relief. I'm not looking forward to seeing brother-bear-Calum being released, and apparently, neither is Luke.
We are both wise and finish off our cereal and juice in silence, and when it comes to placing our dishes in the dishwasher, we wait until Calum disperses to speak.
"God, I thought he was going to kill me," Luke says, though he seems almost smug about it. He really confuses me sometimes.
"I did too, but it's better for him to beat the crap out of you in the clearing than it is for him to do it in the kitchen," I say pointedly, shutting the door of the appliance and straightening myself up.
He looks like he is considering it. "That's true, but I'd rather live for a while longer."
I ignore his comment, and pull my hair up into a hair tie. Luke guides me towards the door, where Calum waits for us. I figured we'd be walking, so am wearing my sports shoes. The boys seem to have the same idea, and carry bags of equipment over their shoulders while I am left to carry some bottles of water and some snacks.
I okay until we hit the surrounding forest, which is when my anxiety begins to kick in. I am reminded again by the nightmare when I was running in a damp, dismal woods, and that thought leaves a knot in my stomach. Each branch that we pass looks like claws to me, and when we breathe out the cool air, the cloud that escapes out of our mouths reminds me of the fog that kept me locked to the earthy ground. My blood is pumping through me so fast that I can hear it circulate through my ears, and a shiver passes through me. Luke notices this, and secures his arms around me, rubbing my arms in a way that sends my skin into a frenzie of tingles. I am warm immediately.
"I said you'd be cold," he says almost euphorically, and I have to laugh at him.
"I'm not anymore," I tell him, shrugging deeper into him arms.
Calum looks over at me. "Y'know, you always were a summer girl."
"What do you expect? The cold turns you into an icicle," I say, and Luke and Calum smile at each other knowingly. "What?"
"You always used to say that," Luke answers, and I can't help but blush under his gaze. He looks at me so fondly...my heart leaps every time his eyes are on me.
Despite the fact that being in Luke's arms makes me feel safe, I still jump every single time a twig snaps or the wind picks up. But when he questions me over it, I just tell him that I an paranoid and thought Max will jump out and grab me.
"We won't let that happen," Calm says, patting Luke's back lightly. It is the sort of gesture that tells you the air is good between the two. I am so relieved.
"No, we won't. He'd have to get through us first," Luke says.
"That's what I'm worried about," I mumbles, more to myself than to the boys.
We arrive at the clearing soon, and Michael and Ashton are setting everything up. I guess they're joining us, too. They are busy putting up a row of targets when we push through the greenery. They smile and wave at us, and Calum and Luke holler their greetings. I am still shivering, and won't let Luke let me go because, well, I like him holding me. He reminds me softly that I'll just end up feeling colder when he does eventually unravel himself, but I don't care.
"So, what are we doing today?" I question when we meet Michael and Ashton in the middle of the field.
"Skills in weaponry," says Ashton, and I raise an eyebrow, wondering why they'd let me near anything sharp that's capable of killing someone.
Luke, sensing my thoughts, laughs at me. "Don't worry, we've got vests to wear." I almost gasp. This shit is serious.
"Here you go," Michael says as he passes me one of the highly durable vests.
Luke then chooses that moment to release me, and I almost pout. Instead, I suck up my disappointment and struggle into the heavy piece of protection. The boys do the same, and we begin our training.
First, we are doing target practice. I could've figured that out on my own, but Ashton feels the need to point it out. I just nod and watch as they scurry through the bags Luke and Calum hauled through the forest. I am close to choking when they lift out several throwing knives. Do they really trust me that much? Apparently they do, because Calum hands me five. Trying not to look at them like they are crazy, I look towards the targets that Luke points towards. They are the shape of a human, with different circled areas on the face and chest. There are about six of these plastic human targets, and I try not to think of them as real people as I stare at them in astonishment. It all looks like specialised equipment, and I am again reminded that this is actually real and is happening.
"Alright, Ashton should go first so he can show you how it's done. Then Calum, Michael, me, and then you," Luke announces to me, though the others nod in agreement.
Ashton grasps his knives, and looks at me. "It's all in the wrists, and how hard you flick them. If you flick them too hard or too soft, you're not going to get anywhere." He demonstrates by tossing one of them, and it almost hits the centre of the chest target. I moisten my lips, wondering how many times he has actually thrown a knife.
"Ash is better than all of us when it comes to throwing things," Luke whispers to me, and I lean into his chest as Ashton throws his remaining knives, gaining a couple more near misses and perfect shots.
When Calum steps into position, he shoves Ashton in a joking way. They mess around for a few seconds just pushing and shoving each other, until they get bored and we get fed up. Calum stands in front of one of the empty targets, and throws his knives one after the other, without any hesitation. He seems to get annoyed when he doesn't hit the middle, but Luke did say that Ashton is the best at it. He seems to get over it, though, as when Michael steps up, he almost misses the target on one of his throws. Next is Luke, and he grins at me as he toys with one of the knives in his hand. He stands in front of another empty target, and stares at it intently before eventually launching the knives onto the corked surface. He seems smug as one of his knives land in the centre of the head, the other four are close to it, too.
He whistles as he came back over to me, and my heart lurches into my throat. The four of them have obviously done this before, and I am the only ametuer among us. I know I will probably end up making a fool of myself, but step up anyway. Might as well get this over with, right?
I face the human target, reminding myself of what Ashton said. It's all in the wrists, it's all in the wrists... I release a breath. I feels like I am being pressurised into doing well, even though the four of them are shouting supportive things at me. I sigh, and grasp the handle of one of the knives tightly, and fling it a little too hard. I screech as it hits the tree that is behind it, turning to the boys, who turn their heads towards where the knife is now stuck in.
"It's fine," Calum says when I start to panic, though it doesn't help my embarrassment. "Just...focus on the target, not on the trees."
Though I know his words are meant to be encouraging, they don't make me feel any better. I try to zone everything but the target out, and when I think I have it, throw the blade. It hits the border of the target, and I groan in frustration. This really isn't working out for me. When the guys try to show their support, I stare at them with begrudging eyes. Their mouths snap shut, and not bothering to even aim, I just toss the remaining three knives. Surprisingly, two of them actually hit the corkboard. It isn't fantastic, but it's a start.
I look at the boys, who nod their heads and purse their lips in appreciation. We stay at that station for another three rounds each, and, thankfully, move to the next. Archery.
This I am actually looking forward to. Like many others, I am a huge Hunger Games enthusiast, and admire Katniss' archery skills. Luke passes me an arrow and a quiver of bows. I run my fingers over the wind end of them, and smile a little. I am going to shoot a bow!
Michael volunteers to go first, and like with the throwing exercise, I am last up. After Luke, Calum and Ashton had their turns after Michael - and quite successful, at that - I stand in front of the circle target.
Luke stays with me to show me how to hold it. "You need to have it level with the centre of the board," he says, sorting it out for me. "The pointed end of the arrow rests here, and you need to hold it with your hands here." He does this for me, too, and when he touches my hand a wave of excitement run through me. "See where the hook is here on the arrow? That goes between these two metal bands on the string. You need one or two fingers above the arrow, and one beneath it." I nod, and adjust my fingers to what I feel comfortable with. "Okay, perfect. Now you need to lift the bow up - make sure you don't drop the arrow." I do as I am told. "Pull back," he continues. "And release."
I watch as the arrow is flung towards the target, the sound of the string twanging is still fresh in my ears. It soars through the air, slicing through space between me and the target until it makes contact with the target. It hits on the third circle, and I an pretty proud of myself. At least it hit the board, this time. I grin at Luke, who steps away from me to stand with the boys as I start to shoot more arrows. Each one hits, and I almost squeal as one nearly lands in the centre of the target. I smile a little too smugly at the boys.
"Step aside, losers. Archery is my bitch," I teased, and stuck my tongue out at them as they in return rolled their eyes.
I go to collect my arrows, and get back just as Michael is about to shoot his third bow. We have twelve each, so it takes quite a while for it to get back to me. When it is my turn again, though, I don't need Luke's help, I just get straight into it. We stay at that area for longer than we do at the throwing one, but by the end of it I am getting noticeably better. Not quite pro-league, but not too bad, either.
We do a bit a javelin and even throw some of those star-shaped things. It is pretty fun - more fun than I expected physical work to be. It's good because when it comes to fighting each other, we just mess around and push and trip each other over to gain the upper hand. I especially love it when the four of them jump on each other and topple over, at which point they all break out into a fit of giggles. I can tell that they have been through a lot together, and have this particular bond that can only be described as brotherly. Even Ashton seems to fit in with them like a piece of a puzzle, which doesn't surprise me at all. He could fit in with anything that is alive and walking. But, I smile like an idiot, because despite the recent events, they can still laugh and joke with each other.
When we are packing away, Ashton and I are in charge of collecting all of the stray bows and throwing knives. "I've never been this comfortable with anyone except you, Rid," he says to me, and I smile at him. I am glad he's happy. Then again, Ashton always is.
"I can tell. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that you guys are brothers," I laughe, shoving an arrow in its quiver.
"Well, that'd be weird because then Luke would be your brother, and you two dating would be disgusting," he points out with a cringe, though he laughs it off.
I laugh with him. "You're right, but I'm happy you fit in with them."
"Why wouldn't I? We all have lots of things in common, including that we would all do anything to protect you."
I smile at him, and pull him into a warm hug. He doesn't reject me, he gives me a huge squeeze which just about knocks the breath out of me. "Okay, Mike Tyson, loosen up." He chuckles, and we pull out of the embrace.
We finish up, and walk over to the boys. It turns out that Michael and Ashton brought a car with them, but Luke insists that we walk. So, the three guys drive off in the car which is packed with equipment, while Luke and I set off for the woods.
"I got a date for our date," he speaks after a few minutes of comfortable silence.
I look up at him. "When?"
Luke takes my hand and pulla me into his side, the electricity warming me up instantly. "Tomorrow night. My mum's going to be our own personal caterer." I purse my lips.
"I thought we were going to be alone?" I aske, raising an eyebrow.
"We are, but we need food. She'll set it up for us."
My lips curve into a small 'o', which shows my understanding. Luke chuckles, and buries his face in my hair. I smile at the gesture, my shoulder bumping into his.
"You know what I love most about you?" he asks, though I am sure it's supposed to be rhetoric. I shake my head anyway. "How you always make me smile." I start to laugh. "What?"
"You're too adorable," I tease, reaching up so that I can kiss him tenderly on the lips.
"What do I need to do to make you change that adjective?" I shrug at him, and squeal as he pushes me against a nearby tree. "We're going to have to see what we can do about that."
I grin as his lips come crashing down onto mine, one of his hands forcing my hands above my head, while the other runs down my thigh until it hooks beneath my knee. Luke tugs on my leg until it wraps around his waist, and I gasps for air as he pushes himself against me. His lips move against mine hungrily, and the hand that keeps mine above me squeezes gently. Suddenly, a twig snaps nearby, and as quick as Luke is against me - he isn't.
He looks around on high alert, whereas I am still panting from that breathtaking kiss. I have never been kissed like that before, by him or by anyone else. It felt exquisite.
A branch falls near me, and I release a high-pitched yelp. I clutch Luke's arm, hugging it so hard that I am afraid it might fall off. His light gaze scans the area, and the moment he catches sight of some bushes shuffling close-by, he takes my hand and tugs me into a run.
My heart is hammering against my chest, both from fear and from the kiss. What is out there? What is it doing? Is it going to kill us? Is it Max or one of his disciples. We don't stick around long enough to find out, and I know that if it bothers Luke, it is something to worry about.
We don't stop running until we reach the lake house, and as I look up at Luke, his expression makes me freeze in my place. He is scared - terrified. Something is definitely out there, and it was out there to get us.
~*~
Tadaaa and here is chapter twelve! What d'ya think? I had lots of fun writing this chapter and hoped that you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!
Also I published my new book! The first chapter is up and I know it's a little short but it would mean a lot if you guys checked it out! It called How The Story Ends and I'm so excited for it.
Also I want you guys to tell me who your favourite charrie is so far, just for a little fun xD
Byeee, and thank you for reading because this book has almost 4k reads! *shocked face emogi*
Love always,
~ Shan xxx