Filed To Story: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Talia sucked in a sharp breath at this sudden invasion. But why did it feel so intimate?
Dayson spoke to Talia in a low voice, “If a guy is openly making a move against your will, he won’t hesitate to restrain you and harm you. Do you want to defend yourself? You need to decide if you want to be a timid victim or a fierce fighter. Do you have it in you to fight back, or will you go to the safe house and let warriors handle it?”
Talia knew that Dayson was talking about the last night’s incident. He said that she should go to the safe house, yet she didn’t listen. With her gentle mentality, Talia couldn’t bear to harm anyone, and she also knew that if the bad guys came to the town square instead of Dayson, she would be an easy target. A victim. A hostage. A liability.
Dayson held her without any force, yet she couldn’t budge.
Now she understood why Dayson was so relieved to find her last night. He feared that she was captured or hurt. Would he be able to fight against the baddies if they had her in their hands? She didn’t have an answer to this question.
Talia pressed her lips into a line as the gravity of the situation weighed on her.
“I’m sorry.”, Talia said.
Axel bolted to his feet. He couldn’t take it anymore. “You are scaring her!”
Dayson cocked an eyebrow at Axel. “Scaring? I think that before learning how to kick an immobile target, Talia should understand what she will be facing. Don’t tell me that you learned how to fight by being coddled.”
Axel’s frown deepened, but he didn’t argue. Dayson was right. If anyone wants to learn how to fight, they need to get out of their comfort zone.
Dayson grabbing Talia from behind and holding her in place was nothing compared to what Axel went through while training. Even now, as a seasoned fighter, Axel ends up with cuts and bruises after heated spar sessions. It’s normal for werewolves. Actually, they enjoy a good challenge because one can learn only by facing strong opponents.
Axel knew that he shouldn’t meddle, but for some reason, Axel didn’t want Talia to fight. He wanted her to live in safety and comfort and… she didn’t belong on the battlefield.
Seeing that Axel gave up on interfering and that Maddox observed all this with amusement, Dayson lowered his head and continued talking to Talia. “I can teach you as many moves as you want, but none of them will be useful if you are not willing to fight. Didn’t Keith show you how to kick? Kick me. I told you that you can punch me in the throat. Do it. I won’t retaliate. Make me let go of you.”
‘Easier said than done’, Talia thought.
Out of all the people in the world, Dayson is the last one she would be able to harm. Not because her punch won’t be more than a mosquito bite to him, but because he was the person she cherished the most.
Yes, Dayson got that spot in her heart, and even if he abandons her, regardless of the circumstances, Talia will cherish their every moment together as a precious memory.
Talia turned her head to see Dayson whose chin was rubbing on her shoulder as he spoke, and she blinked when she realized how close they were. So close.
Just a bit closer and they could kiss.
Inappropriate thoughts.
Dayson observed Talia’s cheeks that were getting increasingly red, and he chuckled.
“Kitten…”, he whispered. “Like this, I will never let go of you.”
Talia’s lips didn’t move, but her smile was clearly visible in her honeyed eyes. She didn’t want him to let go. Ever.
Keith was timid from the moment Dayson showed up in the training center, and things went downhill when Dayson announced that there will be a competition to determine Talia’s trainer.
Keith was confident in his skills, but in this case, he was going against his Alpha. No one wins when he goes against Alpha. That’s why Dayson is Alpha; he is the best. In everything.
However, seeing that Dayson was unusually non-intimidating and he was not even trying to train Talia, Keith found a bit of courage in the back of his heart as his competitive spirit urged him to speak up.
Keith showed Talia an effective kick and she practiced, while Dayson only held her from behind. The victor was obvious. Right? RIGHT!?
Wouldn’t it be glorious to have a victory against an Alpha as a badge of honor? And Dayson has a fierce reputation as an Alpha who never lost a fight.
“I thought that the competition was about teaching Talia a defensive move.”, Keith reminded everyone in his business tone.
Without letting go of Talia, Dayson directed his gaze at Keith.
On the inside, Dayson was irked that Keith interrupted his Talia-time. He was hugging Talia and inhaling her scent while enjoying the sparks of the bond, and they were having a moment, damn it!
“Yes, we were to teach Talia to defend herself. You went with a kick, and I went with a punch in the throat.”, Dayson said with a straight face.
Alpha Maddox and Axel were nodding at Dayson’s words, and Keith had to agree that what Dayson said was right. But something was fishy.
“So, how do we know who won?”, Keith asked.
“The criteria was that the winner is the one whose teaching is more effective. Talia will decide.”, Dayson said and glanced at the clock that was hanging on the wall. “There is no need to decide yet. You practiced with Talia for ten minutes, and I still have five more minutes to go.”
With that, Dayson lowered his head and rested his chin on Talia’s shoulder.
Keith’s mouth hung open. Did Dayson say that he will just stand there and hug Talia for another five minutes?
Alpha Maddox and Axel were also staring at Dayson in disbelief and Talia would probably laugh at Dayson’s shameless behavior if she was not in the middle of it with the audience watching.
This was the playful Dayson she would always welcome. This Dayson made her happy, but she was painfully aware of all the people staring their way; there were many eyes directed at them, and not just from the three guys who were in the vicinity.
Seeing that Dayson had no intention of letting her go and that he didn’t care about people who were staring at them, Talia gave up. “OK. I admit. Your teaching is better.”
“Hm? You need to be more specific.”, Dayson said with a smile as he could smell the victory. It smelled citrusy sweet, like freesia.
Talia wiggled a bit and Dayson released her from his hold.
Talia turned to face Dayson. “I want to learn to fight, and I believe you know best what I’m lacking.”
Dayson grinned victoriously and before he could respond, Talia spoke to Keith, “Alpha Dayson will teach me how to fight, but I also need to build my strength and stamina without straining my body, and for that, I will rely on your assistance, coach Keith.”
Dayson frowned at this. How come Keith was still in the picture? But he didn’t want to fuss about it. He got Keith out of the training where he would have physical contact with Talia, and Dayson was pleased with this small victory. For now.
“I want to have access to your schedule of training with Talia.”, Dayson said to Keith.
There was no way Dayson will allow Keith to have alone time with Talia. Dayson will come up with an excuse to be at the training center when Talia is with Keith, but he couldn’t reveal his petty reason, so he came up with something else, “I need to know about her physical condition so that I don’t overdo as I teach her how to fight.”
“Yes, Alpha.”, Keith responded respectfully.
Dayson moved closer to Talia, and he put his hand on her back, pushing her to move toward the dressing rooms. He really wanted her to cover up.
Dayson already decided to use one of the rooms in the packhouse for training, so that others can’t see Talia like this… exposed. Omegas can clean up the room, add a mat or two, a mirror on the wall, and a few machines. That can be done by tomorrow.
Ah, it will be just the two of them, and he can tackle her on the mat and kiss her until their lips go numb! Dayson was excited.
Talia was confused. Why is Dayson making her go into the dressing room?
When Talia looked at Dayson questionably, he explained, “Your lesson for today is over. As your newly appointed trainer, I want us to have a good chat so that I can understand your needs and expectations. Let’s talk this afternoon…”
Axel observed all this in silence while Maddox’s interest in Talia increased.
Seeing how Dayson was acting around Talia, and knowing that Dayson has a short fuse, Maddox was confident that there will be a scuffle, or at least that the poor coach will suffer a miserable defeat.
Unexpectedly, Talia managed to solve the situation without any blood getting spilled. To make it even more unbelievable, no egos were hurt and both Keith and Dayson seem to be content with this outcome.