Chapter 8 - Training

Kaleigh woke up feeling completely content and safe, wrapped in Dominick's arms. She had never slept so well and didn't want to move because Dominick was still sleeping. Kaleigh thought about their time together last night, and she had talked to Skylar. She was going to speak with Dominick about spending a week at her packhouse and then visit his. She would then make up her mind.

Kaleigh knew she wanted to stay with Dominick with every fiber of her being. However, she was still worried about his safety. That is why she wanted to spend this time with him at both packhouses. When they get to the White Raven Pack, Kaleigh intends to sit down with the Alpha and Luna to explain everything to them as she did with Dominick.

After hearing their thoughts, she would know if she could follow her heart. While lost in thought, she absently rubbed her hand over Dominick's abdomen. She enjoyed the feel of his tight muscles and smooth skin. Kaleigh slowly traced her fingers over the ridges, following an invisible path.

"If you keep doing that, I won't be able to show the same restraint I did last night." Dominick's deep, sleepy voice startled her but made her smile.

"What's the matter you don't like when I touch you?" Kaleigh didn't stop but instead increased her rubbing to include his chest. He slightly shifted, and she suddenly stopped toying with him. She could feel his hard erection against her leg that was thrown over his leg. Kaleigh thought about touching it with her hand like last night but then changed her mind. They had agreed to wait, and if she wanted him to continue sleeping with her, she would need to keep her promise not to jump him.

"As you can feel, I like your touch too much, Kaleigh. What were you so deep in thought about while rubbing all over me?" Dominick sounded amused as he leaned down to kiss her forehead. She wanted more but decided to wait until they were out of bed. If it got as intense as last night, they might be unable to stop.

"I have a proposition for you. I want to stay here for one week, so we can do what we said and spend some time together. I'd then like to go with you to your pack, so we can talk to the Alpha and Luna to explain my situation. Based on what they say, I'll decide on the best path to take. Dominick, if I followed my heart, I would be packing my bags to go with you now. I'm only holding back to follow both my head and my heart. What do you think?" Kaleigh moved a little away from him so she could see his face.

"I think that sounds like a wonderful plan. Kaleigh, I told you that I would do whatever you wanted. My parents will love you because you are a wonderfully strong, beautiful woman. So what is the plan for today?" Dominick felt the heaviness that had been weighing on him lift. He had been worried that Kaleigh would have a change of heart today and tell him she didn't want to be with him.

Dominick still couldn't believe this beautiful young woman was his mate and she was a virgin. Once they finally mated, he would be the only one to ever touch her. He started thinking of all the ways he wanted to be with her, most of which he had never done himself. Ash quickly reminded him he needed to change his thoughts.

"Well, right now, I think we should join the training. We typically train twice a day here. How about at your pack?" Kaleigh untangled herself from him and got up. She pulled out a pair of shorts, a sports bra, and a tank top from her dresser.

"We have two times a day for mandatory training, but some of the warriors choose to train three to four times per day. Every wolf starting at the age of five begins their training. We ensure that our wolves can care for themselves when away from the pack." Kaleigh looked excited with her eyes shining.

"That is awesome, we train young too, but I always thought they should start even younger. I am going to get ready to go, why don't you do the same and we can meet downstairs. I will show you to our training facility." Kaleigh smiled to herself as she walked into the bathroom. She would make sure to be Dominick's partner. She didn't need to tell him she was the best female fighter in the pack. He could find that out for himself.

Dominick was practically skipping to his room to change into his training clothes. He was anxious to see Kaleigh in action. He already could tell she was powerful just by looking at her physique. Hopefully, this will help burn off some of the sexual tension that keeps building the more they are together. Dominick almost came in his shorts when she she was running her fingers over him this morning. He quickly changed his clothes and headed downstairs.

Kaleigh was waiting on him, wearing tight black shorts that showed off her long legs, a pink sports bra, and a loose white tank top. Her hair was pulled back into a long braid. However, what made Dominick see red was the tall, handsome young man she was talking to.
Dominick almost flew down the steps putting an arm around her to stake his claim. He pretended not to see the young man standing too close to his mate for comfort. Kaleigh looked up at him in surprise but smiled with a twinkle in her eye.

"Dominick, this is my cousin Riley. He is Allie's brother. Riley, this is my mate, Dominick. You remember him, don't you, Dominick? He was one of the groomsmen in the wedding." Riley's eyes widened at Kaleigh's introduction.

"Hello again, Dominick. Glad to see that Kaleigh has found her mate." After closer inspection Dominick recognized Riley. When he first saw him standing next to his mate, he didn't take the time to see who it was. He felt ridiculous about how jealous he got just seeing her next to another man.

"Nice to see you again as well, Riley. It looks like my pack is taking away your sister and your cousin. Please feel free to visit any time; we aren't that far away." He smiled again before leaning down and kissing Kaleigh's forehead.

"Thank you for the invite. See you both at training." Riley left out the door after sending a little wave their way. Kaleigh turned to Dominick with a raised eyebrow.

"Showing a little jealousy, are we? I told you I was a virgin and had never even been kissed, so there is no reason for you to be jealous even if Riley wasn't my cousin. It was entertaining to watch, though. I almost expected you to pee on me to mark your territory." Kaleigh had been utterly amused at his reaction a few minutes ago. She decided to not let him off the hook easily. Kaleigh smiled as he looked away sheepishly.

"Sorry about that. I may have overreacted a little to seeing another man next to you. In my defense, I didn't realize it was your cousin at first. Until we officially mark each other, this may happen any time another man is around you. So be prepared because I will probably not want to leave your side." Kaleigh started laughing as she grabbed his hand to lead him outside.

"No worries, I don't want to see any female around you, or I may have the same reaction. Maybe it is better if we just stick to each other for now. We don't want any innocent bystanders getting hurt." She looked up at him and gave him a little wink. Dominick chuckled at Kaleigh's sly way of marking her territory but with a little more discretion.

"By the way, Kaleigh, most people call me Dom. I didn't tell you sooner because I like hearing you say my name." They were walking hand in hand to the training facility, and even though she didn't look up at him, he saw her smile.

"Okay, Dom. You can call me Kal if you want; some people do." Dom smiled to himself. As they walked into the training facility, all eyes turned to them with looks of surprise. Kaleigh, not being the least bit shy, smiled widely at everyone.

"Good morning, everyone. This is Dominick, next Alpha of White Raven Pack and my mate." Dom smiled to himself as he saw a look of disappointment on several men's faces who had probably hoped to win her heart if she didn't find her mate. It made him hold her hand tighter as they walked in.

When they found a free spot, they began doing stretches like those around them. Two older men at the front of the room gave instructions on what they were working on today, and Dominick saw a small smirk cross Kaleigh's face.

Kaleigh and Dominick then turned toward each other taking a fighting stance. He motioned Kaleigh to come at him, but she shook her head. They circled each other a few times, reading each other's moves. Just as he was getting ready to go in to attack, Kaleigh jumped up, did a flip over his head, and was behind him.

Before Dominick could react, she put her arm around his neck and used her foot to sweep his legs, making him land on his back on the floor. Dominick lay there for a few seconds to regain his pride and figure out what just happened. When he looked up, he saw Kaleigh standing over him with a smile, holding her hand out to help him up.

"What the heck did you just do to me?" Dominick asked her, still confused.

"I forgot to tell you I'm the best female fighter in this pack. Also, I am quite an acrobat. I can jump higher and flip better than most. I will show you what I did in slow motion."

Kaleigh had him stand as she explained how when she saw him getting ready to attack, she leaped up and used his shoulders to flip over his head to land behind him. While he tried to figure out where she went it allowed her to attack. Dominick was impressed. They didn't have anyone in their pack that could do anything like that. Kaleigh showed him several more of her signature moves, and he quickly saw why she was the best female fighter in the pack. He figured she would probably also be able to beat most males too.

As they were training, Dominick saw several people around them stop to watch him and Kaleigh. He would have been watching if he wasn't the one training with her. Her moves were fluid making look like like a dance rather than a fight. She was so fast and flawless that she got the jump on him several times because he was mesmerized by her moves. After two hours, when they were finally done, they were both drenched in sweat and tired.

"Kaleigh, you're an amazing fighter. Where did you learn to fight like that? I didn't see anyone else in there doing what you did." They held hands again and headed back to the packhouse for breakfast and showers.

"My mom and dad taught me some before they were killed. Being a witch, my mom wanted to know how to fight without using spells. She was very acrobatic, so she and my dad taught me how to fight both ways. I kept it up after they died, I have tried to show some of the other fighters how to do some of the moves, but no one has been able to catch on. Do you want to shower first, or do you want breakfast?" Kaleigh looked up at Dominick, and he was still staring at her, speechless.

The more he learned about his mate, the more he thought he was falling in love with her. Without warning, Dominick took her in his arms and kissed her. A soft sensual kiss that made Kaleigh's heart skip a beat and her knees feel weak. When he pulled away, she was still trying to catch her breath.

"What was that for?" Kaleigh asked when she could formulate words again.

"That was for being the most amazing woman I've ever met. Let's get our showers first and then breakfast. I think I need a cold shower after training with you for the past two hours." Kaleigh smiled.

Kaleigh had gotten aroused, too, after watching the sweat make his dark skin shine. She had seen some other she-wolves waching him, too; that's why she had declared him hers when they walked into the training facility.

"We could always save time and water by showering together, but I don't think we have that much restraint." Dominick laughed as they headed up the stairs.

"Kaleigh, you are going to be the death of me. Now all I will be thinking about while in the shower is you naked and in there with me. That kind of beats the purpose of a cold shower." She laughed before putting her arms around his neck and pulling him down for a light kiss.

"Don't be too long, Dom. I miss you when you're away from me." Dominick held her tighter to him and gave her another kiss.

"I miss you too, Kaleigh. Let's both be quick." They reluctantly parted ways to go to their rooms.