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Anka blinked, stared Clearly, she’d expected a rude coument He’d disarmed her with his sincerity and honesty He could see so her in the way her face softened and her shoulders rounded
"I don’t fault you for what Mathias did to me When it happened, neither of us fathomed that he would stoop to that level"
"I should have I kneas attacking fa woht to those who opposed hi up for battle that I didn’t realize how vulnerable I’d left you"
And that fact still pained hiickind that he’d left his own ht one of the worst evils their people had ever seen
"It’s over and done Leave it"
She sounded ready to forgive the unforgivable, and he couldn’t Nor did he understand Where did her anger come from, if it wasn’t over his failure? "I can’t I should have seen to your safety before anything else I should have kept ether when Mathias broke our bond so I could save you I failed you, and it eats me alive every day"
"You had no control over your mental state, any more than I did Witches lose their memories Wizards pine, sometimes to insanity I don’t blame you for that"
"What do you bla I hear it in your voice"
"Are we going to chat all day or get some bloody work done?"
"Your atte to work We have quite a bit of training to cover So the sooner you tell er you, the sooner we can move forward"
"Who says you have? Why is it about you? Maybe living with Shock, his attitude has rubbed off, and it’s made me a bloody bitch"
He shook his head "I know your dirty little secrets, love And one of them is that you like to please those around you" When she blanched, he dropped his elbows to his knees and stooped a bit to look directly into her eyes "It’s all right Except you don’t always tell the people in your life what you need in return I won’t let that happen with ain"
Lucan’s heart pounded furiously, and he wondered if she heard his unspoken e If she needed a best friend, confidante, or lover, he would fill the role If she required a firmer hand, well… he would take care of her there, as well She would get his undying devotion If anyone left marks on Anka in the future, it wouldn’t be Shock He’d kill the dodgy fuck first He wouldn’t push Anka too hard--yet Despite her appearance and attitude, she was still fragile She needed his reassurance But he’d soon test the theory that she also needed sosexual noould have to wait until they established more trust Otherwise, she would run to Bra He must be careful
For now
Anka’s face closed up "What the devil does any of this have to do with teaching ht Anarki?"
"You can’t learn from a trainer you don’t trust And I can’t teach a pupil on’t open up to me and tellthings halfway or not telling et you killed We have to be a team, rely on one another without question I won’t tell Braht until I know it’s absolutely true"
"Fine I trust that you will not allow "
Her ansas just a breath shy of petulant Whatever hurt plagued her, she held it tenaciously
"That’s a start, but there’s a certainyour life in another warrior’s hands, love"
"Stop callingthe trainer how to train" He raised a disapproving brow at her
She dropped her gaze to her lap Her unconscious show of deference was both a confirmation of Thorpe’s words and an affir He liked it, too, which took hi of a caveility under the leather and fighting attitude rabbed the edges of his chair to stop hi her pretty red bowin a breath for self-control, he thought through his options If he hadsure she felt cared for and secure every step of the way But with Morganna on the loose and Mathias plotting who knehat, not tohis meaty fists into her heart, time wasn’t his friend
"Before we proceed, I think it’s i to ask you a question, and it won’t be an easy one to answer When I’m satisfied that you’ve answered it completely and honestly, I will reward you in return"
She raised a brow "Did you sit about playing ‘Truth or Dare’ with the other boys and offer them a lolly, too?"
"One more burst of sarcasm, Anka, and I’ll tack on a five-kilometer run" He’d rather not threaten her when she see hiht his attention "Do you understand?"
"Yes, Lucan"
God, he loved the way she said that Her voice was low and angry, but carried a hint of softness that made him even harder
"Good, love Either tell ood will that do? You’re here to train me I’m here to learn End of story"
"Thank you for your suree We are here to build our trust That includes honesty, even if it’s brutal Even if you think I won’t give a shit, I want your sincere answer If I don’t wish to hear so you have to say, I’ll tell you Otherwise, you don’t make those decisions fortobastard"