Strength of the Pack (6 page)

They’d secured the discarded pugil sticks, and now Vince and Lucas were just beginning to neatly stack the mats.

“I’m telling you, Lucas,” Vince said. “There’s something about you he likes.”

Lucas snorted. “Sergeant Hammond does not like me. He tolerates me.”

Vince shook his head to emphasize his point. “When he’s around, you’re always so involved in trying to control him, you don’t get to step back and just observe him like I do. He’s quit standing like he’s got a steel bar running up his spine when you’re around. Now he only does it around other officers.”

“So, he’s not challenging my command because he’s decided I’m the lesser of many evils?” Lucas rolled his eyes. “Yeah, thanks, Vince.”

“Give yourself some credit; you’ve done more right than you have wrong,” Gunny said with finality.

“I just know he sees me as prey,” Lucas said on a sigh.

“You know how male lions lay around in the sun and wait for the lionesses to bring back dinner for them?” Vince asked suddenly.

“Yes, but what’s that got to do with this?” Lucas glanced at Gunny to make sure he wasn’t losing his mind.

“Alpha wolves don’t do that,” answered Vince. “They go with their pack and lead the hunt. They eat first, but they make sure their entire pack gets food. They lead the pack when it’s on the move, and they coordinate all its members.”

“I still don’t see the point.” Lucas folded the heavy mat onto itself with a little more force than necessary.

“You don’t order your platoon to hump twenty miles in full pack while you sit at your desk doing paperwork. You strap on your own ruck and run with them. You lead the way on the trail, and when everyone comes back, you make sure your men are fed and hydrated before you see to yourself.” Vince paused, giving Lucas a shrewd look. “You’re already more Alpha wolf than you realize.”

Lucas shook his head in denial. “How can I hope to dominate him when he can out run me, out climb me and has to hold himself back to not kick my ass in hand-to-hand?”

Vince chuckled. “That’s your problem, Lucas. You’ll never dominate him physically, he’s a fucking werewolf! You gotta get inside his head and figure out what it is that’ll make him submit to you. It’s all mental.”

Lucas’ response was forestalled by Noah entering the room, the door banging loudly against the wall. He still wore the olive-drab T-shirt and black shorts of the PT uniform they all wore. Noah’s eyes were blue, but they were hard and intense. If he saw Vince, Noah made no indication. He looked right at Lucas as he stalked across the room.

Aware of Vince tensing beside him, Lucas pulled himself to his full height and lifted his chin. So far, he hadn’t hidden behind his rank, so he wasn’t going to hide behind Vince now.

“Dismissed, Gunny,” Lucas barked, never looking away from Noah’s eyes.

Vince’s departure was far quieter than Noah’s entrance had been.

“State your business, Sergeant,” Lucas ordered firmly.

“I’d like to appoint an Assistant Team Leader, sir.” Noah lowered his head toward Lucas when he spoke.

“Fine. You can select any of the sergeants except Fowler and Rodriguez.” Lucas resisted the impulse to take a step backward.

“And if I want Rodriguez or Fowler?” Noah’s eyes narrowed.

“They’re the platoon sniper team,” Lucas replied quickly. “I won’t have my sniper team broken up.”

“Sergeant Viejo then,” Noah replied without hesitation or argument.

Lucas paused. He searched Noah’s face. He knew this was a challenge, to see if Lucas would object to the choice of the most junior of the sergeants to serve as ATL, despite being perfectly qualified. “Granted.” He could see no problem with Viejo serving as Noah’s ATL.

Noah’s gaze dropped to Lucas’ mouth, which happened with alarming frequency. Lucas steadied his breathing and clenched his hands into fists to hide the slight tremor. Noah’s expression was predatory, but Lucas still didn’t feel like he was in any particular danger.

Noah took a small step closer. Lucas refused to give in to the urge to take a step back.

“For the record, sir,” Noah said in what sounded like a growl, “I trust your judgment and have faith in your leadership.”

Lucas managed to cover his startled reaction, but he knew Noah’s shrewd gaze had seen it anyway.

“There’s no reason for you not to, Sergeant,” Lucas said evenly.

“Exactly my point.” Noah stepped off of the mat and out of Lucas’ space, crossing to the stacked pugil sticks.

Lucas felt as though a wall of heat had been removed from in front of him, and he shivered. “Is there something else you need?” he asked, turning to face Noah once again.

Noah examined the pugil stick as he spoke. “I held back when sparring with you today.”

“I’m fully aware of that,” replied Lucas. “I can assure you, there’s no need.”

Noah looked at Lucas and his eyes glowed bright blue. “I chose not to undermine your command authority by besting you while sparring.”

“Everyone knows you’re fully capable of kicking all our asses—at the same time, I might add—so they’re fully aware that you’re holding back with me.” Lucas’ frustration was rising.

Noah tossed the pugil stick to Lucas. “By holding back in front of them, I’m demonstrating my respect for your authority.”

Lucas caught the stick out of the air. “You respect me enough not to humiliate me in public, is that it?”

Picking up another stick, Noah crossed the room back to join Lucas on the mat. His long legs ate up generous expanses of floor with each step. Lucas watched Noah’s slow, languid movements. Everything about him appeared relaxed and casual, but there was a coiled strength rolling off of him.

Noah stopped, his chest mere inches from Lucas’. “I respect you enough to submit to you.”

Lucas’ eyes widened in surprise. He swallowed against a suddenly dry throat.

Noah’s eyes narrowed as they raked over Lucas’ entire frame. “Why does your scent get stronger when I walk into the room?” he murmured.

“I wasn’t aware it did,” Lucas replied, wincing at the rough sound of his own voice.

“When they realize what I am, most people’s fear spikes when I get close. You smell almost…aroused…” Noah smiled.

Lucas stood frozen. Noah’s smile was remarkably charming and endearing for someone so elementally dangerous. The sight of it caused Lucas to lose the thread of their conversation.

“You said I smell like what?” he asked, trying to shake whatever spell had settled over him.

Noah stepped back. “Technically you smell like Lucas. Now that we’re alone, I can show you a few ways a human can get the upper hand in hand-to-hand with a were. Care to learn?”

Yeah. Lucas really wanted to learn how to kick a werewolf’s ass, but that would clearly mean being in close contact with a hot, sweaty, aggressive Noah.

Hesitation meant weakness, and Lucas showing any weakness was like the scent of blood to Noah.

“Bring it, Sergeant,” Lucas said, setting his stance and gripping the pugil stick.

Noah’s initial assault was easy to counter. He moved at human speeds and used no more strength than Lucas could handle. If he didn’t know better, Lucas would think Noah was just another Marine, sparring with his lieutenant. Lucas launched his own offensive, driving Noah back several feet. He landed several blows with the padding of the pugil stick.

Lucas felt the air around him shift, but Noah’s attack came too fast and with too much power for him to counter. He found himself flat on his back, struggling to breathe.

Noah’s serious face appeared above Lucas. “You’ll never be faster or stronger than a shifter, Lieutenant. But that doesn’t mean you can’t learn how to use our speed and strength—and in my case, size—against us.”

Lucas accepted Noah’s outstretched hand and allowed himself to be tugged to his feet. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of one hand. Lucas was breathing hard and sweating through his T-shirt, and Noah had only just begun to unleash his were-skills.

Taking a deep breath, Lucas braced himself. If Noah was willing to teach, Lucas was going to fucking learn. This wasn’t just about dominating a werewolf, he realized. One day, it could mean the life of one of his Marines or possibly his own.

Lucas followed Noah’s instructions, paid close attention to the clues and tells he demonstrated. When each attempt to land a blow ended in failure, Lucas tamped down his frustration and tried again. Until the moment he struck Noah across the face with the pugil stick, Lucas hadn’t thought it was possible.

Noah straightened and backed out of Lucas’ reach. “Now you know that you can stun and distract a shifter,” he said.

“Maybe, but I didn’t even come close to hurting you,” replied Lucas.

Noah circled Lucas, moving with a predatory grace. “You don’t always need to inflict damage right away. You can wear us down first.”

Next on Noah’s lesson plan was defense. He launched increasingly intense attacks on Lucas, explaining how to counter each one. It was nearly impossible for Lucas to evade Noah’s speed, but Noah taught him how to convert that speed into momentum. Noah couldn’t compensate and when he was off balance, Lucas swept his legs and brought Noah crashing to the floor.

“You’re a quick study, Lieutenant,” Noah said, leaping back to his feet faster than Lucas’ eyes could follow.

“I think you’re going easy on me,” Lucas said darkly. He didn’t want Noah to patronize him.

“Not really,” Noah replied, lifting the hem of his shirt to wipe sweat from his face.

It gave Lucas an unobstructed view of the sharp cut of Noah’s abs. Lucas swallowed hard and hastily looked away.

Noah chuckled.

“What?” Lucas furrowed his brow in annoyance.

Noah’s nostrils flared. “You’re getting the hang of this. Do you want to continue?”

Lucas knew Noah had almost said something different. “If you’re not losing interest, yeah, let’s keep going.”

“I am most definitely not losing interest,” Noah replied.

A frission of electricity slithered up Lucas’ spine. He forced himself to focus on the task at hand and asked, “When you move at full speed, I can barely see you. How do I counter it, if I can’t see it coming?”

Noah took Lucas’ pugil stick from him and tossed it aside along with his own. They weren’t needed now, as Noah demonstrated many of the subtle tells in shifter body language that telegraphed their intentions. “If you can anticipate our movements, you can get the hell out of the way.”

“Save myself from a beating, at least.” Lucas said breathlessly, just barely catching sight of Noah’s punch before he threw it. The breeze kissed Lucas’ cheek as Noah’s hand passed by.

“Until you find an opening and land your own blow,” Noah replied.

Lucas was dripping sweat when Noah called a break. For several minutes they were silent save for heavy breathing and drinking water.

“Have you ever taught these tricks to an officer before?” Lucas asked when his breathing steadied.

Noah didn’t meet Lucas’ eyes for a long while. “No, sir. You’re the first I’ve met who’s competent enough to learn.”

“Thank you,” Lucas replied. “I appreciate it.”

“You realize it’s not enough to just counter our greater speed and strength, don’t you?” Noah finally turned to Lucas.

Lucas didn’t know how to answer.

“Shifters fight dirty, Lucas.” Noah’s expression said there was more to his words than appeared on the surface. “We use claws and teeth every chance we get. You have to be willing to do the same.”

“I don’t exactly have claws.” Lucas curled the fingers of one hand in illustration.

“No, but you do have teeth.”

“But no fangs.”

“You don’t always have to break the skin to win the fight,” Noah said enigmatically. “
You
won’t always have to fight in order to win.”

Lucas started to ask Noah what he meant, when something subtle in Noah’s posture changed. Lucas planted his feet and braced for impact.

This was Lucas’ final exam. Noah wasn’t holding back now. He used all of his were strength and speed to try to pin Lucas to the floor.

Noah captured Lucas from behind, preparing to lift him and toss him down. Lucas slithered around so they were face-to-face. He was stunned to see Noah’s eyes glowing silver and looking just like a wolf’s. His surprise almost cost him the fight, and Lucas realized he had to get his reactions under control.

Lucas shifted his weight, and Noah lost his footing. Together they crashed to the floor. Noah’s speed had him on top of Lucas in heartbeat. Lucas found enough leverage that he was able to topple Noah and slide out from under him. Pressing his unexpected advantage, Lucas shifted around to Noah’s back and carried him to the floor, face down.

He dug his knees into Noah’s legs to restrict his movements. Lucas shoved Noah’s left shoulder into the floor with one hand. His other hand he curled under Noah’s right shoulder and lifted slightly. Lucas had Noah pinned, unable to gain the leverage he needed to dump Lucas off his back.