One Bite

Chapter 5-5

"I'm seriously going to enjoy this, Sweetheart." Caleb threw me a very satisfied smirk and I swore his brown eyes gleamed in the late morning sun.

So much for not noticing each other.

"Enjoy eating dirt?" I goaded him, flashing a toothy smile.

"Simmer down, Flower." Raina's hand clamped down on my right shoulder, then she leaned forward and whispered in my ear, "One rule, no wolf. Theo's brother aside, I don't care what you opt for because everything goes during war."

Theo headed up the training sessions, since Alpha Sandolf and Eyolf took over the warrior recruitment efforts from him. An impressive number of Southern wolves turned up at their Alpha's request, or maybe orders I wasn't sure. Most of them were as young as fifteen or as old as forty. What one group lacked in experience, they made up for it in enthusiasm and vice versa. The lower numbers of wolves between eighteen to thirty made which part of the Southern territory's warrior base Cassius poached from obvious.

Nonetheless, the assembled crowd standing on the training grounds behind the packhouse benefited from three instructors here this bright, sunny morning. Theo had taken the younger warriors, males and females, while Cole worked with the more experienced group. After Raina paired up the few of us in the middle-aged group, I found myself in the unfortunate position of being right across from Caleb in a sparring demonstration.

As if his eyes on me weren't enough.

I hadn't at all considered Caleb's 'popularity' in his territory's pack until the moment I stepped across from him and saw so many female eyes glued on him. As the gossipy rumors flew, since one Southern bachelor was now off the market, the available females' attention drew to his still-unmated brother.

While Caleb lacked Theo's enormous frame with muscles upon muscles, he still towered over me and with his own chiseled physique.

Don't get me started on his skunk powers. Theo might smell like Raina but it doesn't burn my nose from the inside out.

'Mate perfume.'

My eyes closed and I groaned at that reminder.

Peeking one eye open, I used the opportunity of Caleb's gaze on Raina as she went over the 'rule' with him. The sunlight highlighted a glossy sheen on his dark brown hair and cheekbones, giving him a halo look that was so displaced, it was comical. His tight T-shirt stretched under his arm muscles as he palmed his hips, puffing his chest up.

Freaking peacock.

When Caleb saw my eyes on him, he smirked, straightened up. Crossing his elbows overhead, he peeled off his shirt overhead to a few gasps and swoons around us. My eyes, however, traveled to his chest, tracing the remnants of his cuts. Laying flush with his skin, they looked healed, fading much better than mine ever had.

"What are you going to do?" My hand found my hip, which I jutted out for added irritation. "Hit me with your nipples?"

"Whatever works." He winked, leaned forward, and reset his stance. His hands raised in between us, leaning forward. "You should take yours off too, unless you want me to choke you with your shirt."

"I -" I started when Raina's hand found my shoulder again.

"He's right, Flower." Her patting my shoulder did not reassure me. "Best to remove the loose clothes."

At the number of eyes on us, fine Caleb, my voice shrank into a whisper. "Raina -"

"Look at the bright side." She snorted, dropping her hand to her side. "You can blind him with your pasty skin."