Chapter 14

 

“You’re too heavy footed, Henry.” Paul frowned as Henry, panting heavily, circled around a grinning Hannah.

“You want to stay on the balls of your feet.” Paul continued. “Don’t stomp around your opponent.”

“Okay, right.” Henry replied.

Hannah raised the wooden bokotu and gave him a short bow. “Try again, Henry.”

He nodded determinedly and attacked her with gusto. She parried his strike and danced backwards as Paul studied the two of them closely.

The wooden blades made heavy thuds as they clashed and Henry lunged forward, groaning loudly when Hannah knocked the bokotu from his hand and kicked his legs out from under him. He collapsed on the mats, his face red, and Hannah held her hand out to him. She hauled him to his feet, clapping him on the arm as he gave her a nod of thanks.

“Good, much better.” Paul said approvingly.

“Not really.” Henry muttered.

“It’s true.” Hannah smiled at him. “You were much lighter on your feet that round. It takes time to – “

She paused as the door opened and Chen, followed by Andrew, entered the room.

“Hello, master.” She bowed as Paul and Henry did the same.

“How are you feeling, master?” Paul asked as Andrew sat down on the long wooden bench against the wall.

“Fine, thank you, Paul.” Chen said softly. He held his bandaged arm against his side and looked around the room as Hannah smiled at him.

“It’s good to see you in here.”

Chen nodded before studying her and Henry. “Show me your training.”

“Yes, master.”

Hannah bowed to him again and Henry, clearing his throat nervously, bowed as well before turning to Hannah.

“Are you ready?” She asked softly.

“Yes.” Henry raised his bokotu and he and Hannah began to fight as Chen watched closely. After only a few moments, Chen frowned and raised his arm.

“Stop.”

Hannah stopped immediately, backing away from Henry and lowering her bokotu, as Henry gave Chen an uncertain look.

“How many times has she knocked the bokotu from your hand?” Chen asked Henry.

“A lot.” He admitted.

“Move your hand higher on the handle.” Chen advised. “It will give you both a tighter grip and better control.”

“Yes, sir.” Henry replied politely. He repositioned his hand, giving Chen another nervous look and Chen nodded briefly.

“Better. Begin again.”

He watched the two of them fight as the door to the training room opened and Natalie slipped into the room. She sat down next to Andrew and squeezed his arm affectionately.

“Hello, Andrew. How are you?”

“I’m good. How are you doing?”

“Oh, much better.” Nat smiled at him.

“Have you gone back to the farmhouse?”

Natalie shook her head. “No, they told us it was too dangerous. We’ve actually been staying here in the facility.”

“That’s probably a wise idea.”

“I guess.” She sighed. “I didn’t realize I had a touch of claustrophobia until we started living here. Jim said we should go to Heather’s and stay with her, but the boys don’t want to go and I feel like it’s too far away from Hannah. I’ve been practicing deep breathing techniques and trying not to think about how deep we are under the ground.”

She shuddered a bit before giving Hannah an affectionate look. Chen had stopped them again and Natalie smiled happily when he took the bokotu from Henry and began to swing it in a slow, deliberate arc.

“It’s so good to see Chen in here. Did you have to force him into the room?” She asked.

“Surprisingly, no.” Andrew replied. “It was his idea to come to the training room when we were going on our walk. I think he just wanted to see the room but I’m glad there’s a training session going on. I think it’s good for him.”

“Oh, I think so too.” Natalie agreed immediately. “Hannah’s told us what a wonderful teacher he is and he really seems to have a love for it. You can see that easily.”

“You’re not kidding.” Andrew smiled. Chen’s face, usually so solemn, was flushed with excitement as he talked with Henry and swung the bokotu again. His eyes dropped to Chen’s ass and he felt a sharp bite of lust in his stomach.

“Did you come here to watch Hannah train?” He forced himself to look away from Chen and blushed when he realized Natalie was grinning at him.

“No.” She said cheerfully. “I was actually heading to the kitchen and took a wrong turn. I’m forever getting lost. I peeked into this room and saw Hannah, and figured I’d get her to lead me to the kitchen when she was done.”

She laughed and crossed one leg over the other. “Jim and the twins were engaged in a rather spirited game of Scrabble when I left and I doubt they’ll even notice I’m gone. Although,” she paused and gave Andrew another grin, “why Jim even bothers playing Scrabble with them, I’ll never know. He’s not a dumb man, far from it in fact, but the boys are just brilliant. They’re going to destroy him at it.”

“I said no, Hannah.” Chen’s voice, raised in anger, washed over them.

Hannah raised her eyebrows at him. “It’ll be easier and faster to show Henry the proper technique you’re describing if you and I just fight.”

“I am not fighting today.” Chen said grimly.

“Why not?” Hannah persisted.

“You know why. Drop it, Hannah.”

“You are more than capable of fighting with one hand, master.”

“I said drop it.” Chen said warningly.

“Are you afraid that I will beat you, master?” Hannah said tauntingly. “Afraid that your student is better than you?”

“Oh dear.” Natalie whispered as Chen’s face turned bright red. He turned toward Paul and Henry.

“Leave this room. Both of you.”

“Yes, master.” Paul bowed and hurried toward the door as Henry trailed after him.

The door shut and Andrew held his breath as Chen turned toward Hannah. He had never seen the Asian man so angry but Hannah simply gave him a cool look and held her bokotu loosely.

“You dare to speak so disrespectfully to me in front of my students? You may no longer be my student but I am still your master.” Chen said in a low voice. His accent had thickened to the point where Andrew could barely understand him.

“I meant no disrespect, master.” Hannah replied.

“Did you not?”

“No.” She smiled impudently at Chen. “Speaking the truth is not being disrespectful.”

Chen’s face reddened further and Natalie reached out and gripped Andrew’s hand tightly as Chen bowed his head and took a deep breath. His hand tightened on the bokotu and he raised it in front of him before staring disdainfully at Hannah.

“Begin.”

A small grin crossed her face and Natalie gasped loudly when she attacked Chen fiercely. Chen, his face serene, battled back and Natalie and Andrew watched silently as the two of them moved quickly about the room, their bokotus clashing repeatedly.

“Goodness, it’s like a dance, isn’t it?” Natalie breathed.

Andrew nodded in stunned silence. He had assumed that Chen was good but he was unprepared for the fluid, silky movement of the man’s body as he thrust and slashed the wooden sword at Hannah. Hannah showed him no mercy as she darted and lunged and swung repeatedly at him.

“I don’t think this is a very good idea.” Natalie suddenly whispered. “Chen’s going to get hurt. Maybe we should stop them.”

Andrew cringed when Hannah pushed past Chen’s sword and knocked him to the floor. The Asian man winced as Hannah, panting lightly, backed away.

“Do you yield, master?” She asked insolently as Chen climbed to his feet.

He snorted angrily and raised his sword. “Again.”

She made a harsh bark of laughter and rushed him again. Her eyes were glowing a bright green and she stepped back nimbly as Chen’s sword swept past her throat.

“Not fast enough, master.” She taunted.

Chen didn’t reply and she winked at him as she attacked. Natalie squeezed Andrew’s hand again and made a ducking motion as Chen and Hannah swept past them.

“Oh my goodness,” she muttered, “I really think this is a very bad idea. I don’t – “

She gasped again as Chen rushed Hannah. He blocked her bokotu with his own before mimicking her earlier move with Henry and kicking her legs out from under her. She landed on the floor with a heavy thud and made a loud growl of anger when Chen stepped on her wrist, pinning her bokotu to the ground, and held his own to her throat.

“Do you yield?” He said softly.

She reached for his leg with her free hand and made a hoarse howl of pain when Chen ground her wrist into the mat with his foot and jabbed the wooden bokotu into her throat.

“Do you yield?” He repeated.

“Yes!” She snapped at him.

He smiled with satisfaction and lifted his foot from her wrist before dropping his bokotu. Hannah sat up and rubbed at her wrist as Chen held his hand out to her. After a moment, she took it and he helped her to her feet.

She held his hand for a moment. “Welcome back, master.”

He gave her a cool, assessing look. “Speak to me in that manner again, and I will not be so easy on you the next time. Do you understand?”

She flushed and bowed. “Yes, master. Forgive me.”

He nodded and then gave a grunt of surprise when Hannah hugged him and kissed his smooth cheek. He pushed her away lightly and she grinned and took his bokotu from him, hanging them neatly on the wall before crossing the room and plopping down beside Natalie.

“Hi, mom.”

“Hello, dear.”

“What did you think of our fight?” She rested her head on Natalie’s shoulder.

“I think you were amazing, dearest, but Chen still wiped the floor with you even with only one hand. He’s really quite a remarkable fighter, isn’t he?”

Andrew snorted laughter as Hannah raised her head and gave her a mock scowl. “You’re supposed to be rooting for me to win, mom.”

Natalie just shrugged as Chen joined them. He sat down on the bench next to Andrew and Natalie reached across and patted his leg. “Are you alright, Chen?”

Chen was sweating and his face had paled but he nodded and gave Natalie a faint smile. “I’m fine.”

Hannah’s face dropped and she stood and hurried over to Chen, crouching in front of him and studying him anxiously. “I’m sorry, master. Is your arm okay?”

“Now you’re worried about me?” He raised one eyebrow at her and she gave him a small grin.

“I didn’t think you wanted me to go easy on you.”

“I didn’t.” He said gruffly.

Andrew touched his arm lightly. “Let’s go back to your apartment, Chen. I want to massage your arm and check the sutures. I think you’ve had enough exercise for one day.”

As the two of them left the room, Natalie smiled fondly at Hannah. “You look tired, honey.”

“Will and I have been going out every night so I can practice shifting. I haven’t been getting a lot of sleep.”

“How much?” Natalie asked curiously.

“A couple hours every night.”

“What?” Natalie frowned at her and Hannah shrugged.

“Lycans don’t need much sleep.”

“How is it going?” Natalie smoothed Hannah’s hair back from her face.

“Not very well. If I’m not angry, I still can’t shift without, - well - never mind,” Hannah blushed and looked away, “and I don’t feel like I have any control over it. Will’s worried. He says he isn’t and that I’m doing fine but I know that isn’t true.”

“You’ll catch on to it, dearest.”

“I hope so.” Hannah said quietly.

“You will.” Natalie said firmly.

“How are you doing?” Hannah asked suddenly. “Dad said you were feeling a little claustrophobic.”

“I’m getting used to it.” Natalie smiled at her and Hannah hugged her impulsively.

“I’m so sorry, mom. I wish I had never dragged you into this crazy life and I – “

“Nonsense!” Natalie interrupted. “This is the most excitement your father and I have had in years, and knowing that you’re alive and safe is all that matters to us. Besides, if we hadn’t been dragged into this new weird world of yours, we would never have met the twins or Will and Chen and the rest of your friends. We love you, Hannah, and you have nothing to apologize for.”

“I love you too, mom.” Hannah hugged her again and Natalie squeezed her tightly in return.

“Now, why don’t you come back to the apartment with me for a bit? Your father is playing Scrabble with the boys and it’ll be a hoot to watch him get his ass kicked.”

Hannah laughed and nodded. “I’d like that.”

* * *

 

“Chen? Are you alright?” Andrew paused, his hands gripping Chen’s forearm just below his elbow.

Chen nodded without opening his eyes and Andrew rubbed his arm gently. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Chen said irritably.

He was lying. His arm was aching, although not as bad as he feared, but worse than that – he could feel a small trickle of hope. He had resigned himself to never using the sword again and his victory over Hannah earlier had ignited a small flickering flame of possibility.

She let you win.

No, she hadn’t. He knew Hannah had gone after him with everything she had. She hadn’t held back, despite his mind trying to convince him otherwise, and he was grateful to her for her lack of mercy. For the first time since he’d woken in the infirmary, he felt like himself again and a small part of him hated her for it. He wanted to wallow in his self-pity for a while longer, wanted to –

“Chen?”

He opened his eyes. Andrew had leaned forward until his face was only inches away and Chen’s gaze dropped automatically to his mouth. God, he had a nice mouth. He wondered briefly what it would be like to kiss that mouth, to slide his tongue between Andrew’s lips and –

He made a muffled noise of surprise when Andrew pressed his mouth against his. They were warm and firm and, after a few seconds, he kissed him back. Andrew moaned, a low hoarse sound that sent a thrill through Chen’s body and when he parted his lips, Chen slid his tongue into his mouth. He touched Andrew’s tongue with his own before kissing him harder, urging Andrew to open his mouth wider. Andrew’s hand tightened on his arm and he moaned again, sliding his tongue along Chen’s before he pulled away abruptly.

Panting, he gave Chen an embarrassed look. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. It’s just that watching you fight was, honestly, really hot.”

Chen grinned and Andrew blushed before looking down at his hands. “But I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Why not?” Chen asked quietly.

“I don’t usually throw myself at someone without knowing that they’re, you know, interested in me.”

“I’m interested.” Chen replied immediately.

A small grin crossed Andrew’s face. “It’s all kinds of inappropriate. I’m your therapist and it’s probably not a good idea for us to – “

Chen gripped the back of his neck and pulled him forward, kissing him hard on the mouth as Andrew slid his arms around his waist and held him tightly. The two men kissed deeply and Andrew gasped loudly when Chen nipped at his bottom lip.

“I like inappropriate.” Chen muttered against his mouth before trailing a path of kisses down Andrew’s neck.

“Me too.” He gasped. “But your arm – you probably should get some rest after fighting Hannah and – “

“I’m not tired.” Chen slid his hand under Andrew’s t-shirt and stroked the hard contours of his chest.

Andrew shivered lightly before cupping Chen’s face. “Chen, are you sure? I don’t want to pressure you.”

Chen grinned at him. “I’ve wanted you since the day I met you. Join me in my bed, Andrew.”

He bent his head and licked and sucked at Andrew’s neck, sliding his tongue along the rough stubble as Andrew inhaled sharply.

“Fuck,” Andrew muttered, “you’re making it very difficult to say no, Chen.”

“Good.” Chen stood and held out his hand.

Andrew grasped his hand and Chen, another small, pleased grin on his face, led him toward his bed.