Chapter Ten

 

THEA

 

Thea loved her training sessions. She soaked in as much as she could, trying as hard as she could.

She loved feeling capable and powerful, especially when she battled with Cam and did something that surprised him. He peered at her oddly on those occasions, which was different from the usual stern-faced expression he usually held onto. He had seemed like a towering wall to her at first, but slowly, she felt confident enough to attack him without reservation.

“Quicker,” he urged, as she punched and kicked at him one morning. She had to hit all the pressure points on his body in order, from top to bottom, within one minute, but he moved too fast and every time she hit him, a hard jolt shuddered up her arm or leg.

“Time’s up, Thea,” Cam said. He straightened, disdain in his eyes as he looked down at her. “Too slow.”

Thea released a yell in frustration and stormed away from him. She put her hands on her hips, breathing heavily as she walked in a wide circle and headed back to him.

He simply stood in place, observing her. “You’re not concentrating.”

“I am,” she snapped, “but I’m still tired from yesterday.”

Cam’s eyes narrowed. “What were you doing last night?”

“Nothing. I’m just not used to basically pounding my muscles against a wall day after day,” she said, gesturing to his massive build. “I need time to rest. Muscles are supposed to rest at some point, aren’t they?”

Cam strode toward her and took one of her hands in his own. Thea drew in a breath at his sudden closeness but didn’t have time to think about it. He began to massage her arm from the wrist up. She breathed deep, enjoying the distinctive, fresh scent of him, enjoying his hands on her. The relaxing of her muscles under his fingers felt amazing.

“You need to look after your body when you’re training, Thea.”

She hummed in response, closed her eyes as the sensations caused by his fingers rippled up her arm in tingly goosebumps. They spread up to her shoulder and across her neck.

“Your muscles need to be healed so that you can maximize the benefit of the next session.”

His fingers massaged up her arm, reached her shoulder and moved to either side of her neck, while the sensations traveled down her body. She lolled her head to one side. He was speaking again, but she couldn’t concentrate on what he was saying. The sensations pricked at her nipples, causing them to stand to attention, and as his thumbs circled along her collarbone, the sensation arrived between her legs. A moan escaped, and she clamped her mouth shut. She couldn’t help but get turned on by him, but she did not need to make him aware of it. The sensations crept down her legs and into her feet, a warm glow exuding from her whole body.

His hands slowed and one of them moved off her shoulder as the glow began the fade. A light brush on her cheek brought her attention back to the moment. By the time she opened her eyes, his hands were by his side and the pain in her limbs had completely disappeared.

His intense eyes scrutinized her with a harshness that made her almost wince. “Finished with your daydreaming?” He turned around, heading back to the center of the space.

“W-what?”

“Did you hear anything I said?”

“Um. I think you said to heal—”

“Again,” he barked, prowling the space before her.

She stared at him. Why was he so agitated? Okay, so she didn’t hear it all. Did he expect her to hang on his every word?

“Now, Thea!”

“Okay,” she muttered harshly, heading toward him.

Cam grew even more surly as the weeks passed, hounding her to improve and impatient when she made mistakes. During a footwork exercise one afternoon, she stepped the wrong way, bumping into him. He quickly adjusted, but she slipped and fell, ending up sprawled on the ground.

So. Embarrassing.

He made a point of exhaling heavily as she got to her feet, and anger twisted in her. “Sorry to inconvenience you with my painful drop the ground,” she snapped, rubbing her aching hip.

His stony expression barely changed, though he glanced at her hip. “I accept your apology,” he said, smoothly. “That fall was unacceptable.”

Thea’s mouth dropped open. “I fell, not you! It was a simple mistake.”

He backed away from her, turning slightly. “Mistake’s happen in the field, Thea. I’m not training you to be the most technically correct demon-hunter, I’m training you so you can respond to a threat. The demons aren’t going to be polite. They don’t attack the same way every time, and they will viciously exploit any mistake you make. If something happens you don’t expect, adapt.”

She glared at him. He was making complete sense, of course, but fuck, he was annoying. Everything he said was dripping with disdain. This was the first time she had ever done anything like this kind of intense training and he had been doing it for… God knew how long.

He held her eye for a moment, his expression changing to something else. He turned away before she could see what it might be, heading for the benches to pick up a bottle of water.

She breathed out, letting out her frustration and lingering embarrassment. She meandered over to the benches and stood next to him, leaning over to pick up her bottle of water. Her arm brushed against his and a spark of arousal stirred in her stomach. “You know,” she said, conversationally, “you could have just fallen with me to make me feel better.”

Cam looked down at her and she grinned at him, trying to lighten the mood.

He stiffened, threw his water down and headed back to the middle of the space. “Let’s go again.”

Thea clenched her jaw and exhaled harshly, holding in a curse. He wasn’t even willing to try and make things more comfortable between them. She took a few mouthfuls of water and reluctantly returned to the space to tolerate his contempt, wishing she were strong enough to kick him out of his overwhelming ego.

 

***

After about two months, Thea learned how to use her angelic abilities. It was harder than physical fighting, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. She learned how to draw angelic energy and channel her powers into her hands in order to form the weapons she would need to do battle. The first time she did it, it felt like a warm breeze sliding through her body, comfortable and soothing. It was almost addictive, and sometimes uncontrollable. She had to practice with it, again and again, to get it right.

Forming the weapons was the hardest. Thea had to use her body as well as her mind to do it successfully. She worked to shape the energy into deadly balls and spikes that would vanquish an enemy quicker and more effectively than physical combat, but it took a while to learn how to do it correctly.

In the meantime, Cam grounding his teeth, barked at her and shot her cool glares every time she didn’t do something quite right. Harsh and distant, he hardly said anything except to give her instruction and criticism. It made her work harder but also made her frustrated and resentful.

The first time he showed her how to properly position her arms and hands to form weapons, he’d stood behind her, his arms against the back of hers, his large palms against the back of her hands. She tried to act normally but a tremble shivered through her at his touch.

“What do I do then?” she asked, trying to keep her voice from squeaking.

“Curve your fingers like this,” he said, curving her hand into a claw with his own hand.

His rumbling voice caused a vibration to skip through her body, straight to her pussy. She swallowed. “Um hum.”

She waited for his next instruction, but he was silent.

“What next?” she asked.

No reply, though she could hear smooth breathing next to her ear.

She turned slightly. “Cam?”

He stared down at their hands, his face hovering next to hers. The tips of his hair stuck to his forehead, sticky with sweat and his eyes were hidden by his dark lashes, fanning out under his lids. His expression was almost peaceful and her desire deepened. She resisted the urge to lean in and nuzzle his jaw, to breathe in his smell and kiss his neck.

“I’m… thinking,” he said, his voice soft.

Thea’s eyes widened and she turned to look closer at him. That almost sounded—

“If that’s okay?” he added, curtly. He lifted his gaze, glancing at her, the coolness returning to his expression.

She turned back, holding in a sigh. He hadn’t been thinking. He’d lost his focus, like training her was too boring for him. He’d struggled to keep his focus in the room with her many times before; no doubt he had other things he would rather be doing. Yesterday he’d had her doing drills while he barely looked at her. There she was trying not to hump his leg while he was wishing to be anywhere but with her.

She would never find out what he had truly been thinking, though, because whenever she tried to engage him in light-hearted, friendly conversation, his responses were short and disinterested unless it was about her training—she eventually gave up altogether, preferring to use her energy practicing her powers.

Still, she couldn’t help but stare at his magnificent body when it was gleaming with sweat and rippling from the movement he showed her. She tried to convince herself that her racing pulse was due to the training and not that intensity he always watched her with.

One afternoon, he was teaching her how to shield herself using her angelic abilities when she nearly fell over from the force of the energy she had summoned. The energy had shot out of her hands too quickly and sent her sprawling backward, directly into Cam’s arms. He held her up and she turned around to thank him, then realized that he was holding her pressed against his bare chest, his arms firm on her hips. She stared up at him and when he met her eyes, she could have sworn she saw a flash of lust; pure and unadulterated. Then it was gone. She blinked, and he released her with a blank look.

“Careful, Thea,” he said. “It wouldn’t be smart to knock yourself over in a fight—let the demons try and do that.”

“Sorry.” She paused then huffed out a breath. What was she becoming? “No, I’m not. Look, this is the first time I’m doing all this, Cam. I’m trying.”

“Try harder,” he snapped. “Do it again.”

She built the shield once more, the energy coming out of her with an almost frightening intensity due to her annoyance with him. If she had been in a fight just then, she was sure she could have destroyed one of the lesser demons with one spike of power.

When they were finished for the day, Cam stood like a statue, he arms folded as she drank her water. “You cannot fight when you’re emotional. You have to learn to rein it in.”

Thea glanced at him. “Is that why you’re so emotionless?”

He held her eyes. “You have the potential to be powerful, but you need to control your emotions if you are to use energy from the Stream effectively.”

She didn’t respond to that. Instead, she said, “Tell me. The demon’s energy—how can it hurt me? What would happen if one of them attacked me that way?”

“It could burn you and injure you. Or hinder your powers. You must have your shield up at all times, even when you’re attacking.”

“I can try it.”

“We will practice it,” he said, and then turned to head for the gym entrance. He tended to wait there until she was ready and then escorted her home.

“Wait,” she called. “Sit down. I’m not done. You can spare a few minutes. It’s not like you have anywhere you need to be, right?”

He raised his eyebrows, his lips quirking into a small, almost unnoticeable smile. It was the first she had seen from him and her breath left her. So he could smile. She didn’t know what he found amusing but her pulse jumped into a quick, joyful rhythm that she had finally been able to have some sort of effect on him.

“You’re bold. I’ll give you that.”

She paused, shooting him a puzzled look. Maybe he was used to people humbling themselves for him, but she was not going to do that. “So are you. Well done to us both.”

He wiped his hand over his mouth as if to smother another smile. “What else can I do for you, Elithea?”

Thea screwed up her face. “Thea.”

“Thea, then.” He hesitated. “Would you like to practice some more? I do have time.”

Thea nodded, grateful. What he’d said about keeping her shield up while fighting had intrigued her. And, if she was honest with herself, she didn’t want to let him go just yet. Being in his stern presence with his strict approach was frustrating but in an odd way, she enjoyed it, enjoyed the challenge he presented to her, enjoyed his respect for her skills. Plus, she had made him smile a little. That was progress.

They spent the rest of the evening practicing Thea’s shield, and Cam helped her learn how to keep it up while she fought. He taught her a specific stance to take—feet apart, shoulders squared—and when he did so, he lowered himself to the ground to position her legs. When she looked down at him he was gazing back up at her with another unreadable expression on his face. His hands lingered on her bare ankles while he seemed to think, and then he stood up and put his hands on her shoulders, leveling them out. Thea was so tense from his proximity that her shoulders and neck were stiff with tension. His large, warm hands seemed to tingle on her skin and she found herself wishing that he would linger there, that he would massage her tension away again. Her mind wandered to where else on her body she wouldn’t mind him touching. The thoughts made her flush and she turned her face to hide it, but he took her jaw in his hand and tilted her face toward his.

“Never look away from your opponent,” he said, staring into her eyes. “Ever. Do you understand, Thea?”

Thea nodded, breathless. She could have leaned into him, kissed his plump lips, but instead she shrugged away from him. He pulled back and checked her form, nodding his satisfaction, and they began to practice again.

It took most of the evening for Thea to get it right but by the time they were through, she had improved both her shield and her attacks simultaneously. She glanced at the clock, saw it was well past midnight and realized how exhausted she was. As soon as she yawned, Cam insisted they head home.

At her door, he bid her a crisp goodnight. “Rest in the morning, no cardio.”

Thea gave a tired whoop, though she had started to enjoy the run.

“But tomorrow evening, we go out,” he said. “Be ready.”

Thea went to bed thinking about him, her whole body aflame. His hands on her body, the way he looked at her—all of it sought to drive her crazy with a lust that she didn’t understand, a lust that couldn’t be satisfied with masturbation.

 

***

In the morning, Thea awoke in a mood, having slept so restlessly that she might as well not have slept at all. She prowled around her bedroom throwing on clothes and running a brush through her hair.

The apartment Cam rented her was amazing. Decorated in a modern but homey style, its colors coordinated—sleek silver fittings among dark wood, baby blues and rich cream. Obviously brand new, the standard of the place felt like a hotel. Fitted closets housed an expansive number of new outfits and the open-plan kitchen was stocked with so many gadgets it just confused her.

It was hard not to get excited about living there, but Thea knew she couldn’t stay. As soon as she was earning, she would look for somewhere else. She had used as little of the money in the bank account as possible, hardly touched the wardrobe, and would give back the car when she moved. Not only was she adamant she would not be dependent on Cam, but she didn’t belong here. Nothing about the place reflected her life and who she was, though it was nice to pretend and forget for a while. It wasn’t even in her neighborhood but near enough she could visit Amber for coffee catch ups, which was where she was headed that morning.

When Thea arrived, Amber sat at their regular table. She sat down across from her, and Amber lifted her head to meet her eyes. Thea knew instantly that things still weren’t going well with Leo, but when she pressed Amber about it, she didn’t give Thea any details.

“Let’s talk about you,” she said, smiling. “You seem different. You seem… good. Are you seeing someone?”

Thea shook her head but the thought of Cam must have shown on her face.

“Oh my god, you are!” Amber squealed. “Tell me all, now!”

Thea blew on her latte, diverting her eyes, a smile on her lips. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I knew it,” Amber said. “Your skin’s glowing, your hair looks great, you’re wearing fancy jeans, and you had money to buy me those gorgeous earrings for my birthday.” Amber turned her head, squinting at Thea from the corner of her eye. “Is Thea Robinson, of all people, finally a kept woman?”

Thea laughed. “No, Amber. No. Honest, I’ve just been working like crazy and saving for a little while.” She shrugged. “Thought I would try and look after us properly for a change, without resorting to our usual tactics.” A squeeze in her chest tightened at the lie, but it was as close to the truth as she could go without telling her everything. And anyway what would she say? That she’s into a gorgeous angel, who hated spending time with her?

Amber wasn’t totally convinced, but after quizzing her for a few more minutes, she let it slide, moving on to talk about a new catering course she had seen.

They chatted about the latest news in the neighborhood, laughed, joked, and teased each other. Amber still didn’t want to talk about Leo, so Thea decided not to push her. If she was laughing, she probably wasn’t too distraught about it.

When Amber when to get their refills, Thea’s thoughts drifted to Cam. Although there was nothing romantic between them, she did feel sometimes like they were in a weird sort of relationship. They spent all their time together and she was realizing his arrogant manner and brick-like personality weren’t turn-offs. She had to admit, she wanted him, even if they were nothing to each other but student and teacher. Still, Thea found herself wondering about that small smile he had given her. If he could smile, he could laugh. If he could laugh, he could feel emotions. Right? Could he feel lust, love, attraction?

She quickly reined her thoughts in. Although she cherished the tender way he always touched her, she couldn’t forget his usual stoic demeanor. While her attraction to him grew every day, he seemed to simply tolerate her. She had to wonder if he was capable of feeling anything at all, let alone love.