Chapter 130

Instead of waiting for Lucas outside of the hockey locker rooms after school as usual, I decided to wait beside my car.

I needed some fresh air after the exhausting day I’ve had today. It had been a little too much with everyone’s stares and whispers. It was like they followed me around all day.

I texted Lucas earlier to let him know that I’d be in the parking lot, and he messaged me back saying he would rush to get there as fast as he could.

I scrolled up to our earlier text messages and reread his message.

Lucas: Maybe we should give them a show later to remind them we're still together.

A cool breeze of wind hit my warming cheeks. I hated that he could affect me so easily. It was just a message.

"Boo!" A deep voice, filled with amusement, suddenly sounded from behind me, causing me to jump in surprise.

I spun around to find Lucas standing there, a mischievous grin on his face.

"You scared the life out of me!" I exclaimed, my heart still racing from the unexpected fright.

Lucas chuckled and leaned in to give me a quick peck on the cheek. "I couldn't resist."

He held the passenger door open for me, and I climbed into my car with a playful frown.

Once Lucas was seated on the other side and had fastened his seat belt, he noticed my expression and arched an eyebrow. "I'm sorry for scaring you," he said, though his laughter belied his apology.

"You're not sorry."

He smirked. "You're absolutely right. I'm not."

He pulled out of the school’s parking lot and began making his way toward Grandma Jo’s house. I went to hit the radio to let some soft music flow into the car.

As he pulled out of the school's parking lot and began heading toward Grandma Jo's house, I reached for the radio, tuning in to some soft music to fill the car's interior.

"So, how was your day?" Lucas asked, his tone filled with sympathy. "Apart from the gossip, stares, and endless questions."

I groaned, letting my head fall back against the headrest. "If every day is going to be like this, I might implode."

Lucas chuckled. "People will eventually move on and find something else to gossip about."

I wanted to believe him, but I couldn't help feeling that our newfound status as a couple would continue to attract attention, at least for a while.

"I had training today," I mentioned, shifting the conversation.

"Oh? How did that go?"

“I…I think after shifting, my strength is at a new level. You should’ve seen how the coach and everyone in my class was observing me. Like I was someone completely different.”

“You showed more strength?” Lucas asked with a hint of worry in his tone.

“I tried not to show too much, but Lucas… it was like I couldn’t help myself. A part of me wanted to exert some of my strength.”

“We should get you into training as soon as possible,” Lucas said. “If you feel a need to exert your strength, I don’t want you to suddenly shift out of nowhere. Sometimes you need a release. I’m just happy nothing happened during your training a school.”

“Really?” I asked. “I could’ve shifted in class?”

Lucas nodded. “It doesn’t happen often, only when it’s an unstable wolf. But you’ve only recently shifted, and no offense, but that makes you a little bit unstable.”

I nodded, understanding that he wasn’t trying to offend me.

“So, we’re going to train right now?”

“Why not?” Lucas asked. “Normally, I would recommend the training room at my dad’s place, but he has another training facility downtown. I say we go for an hour or two and then make it back to Grandma Jo’s for some dinner.”

---

Lucas took me through a couple drills at first. Nothing that I hadn’t done before, but it was still challenging to my muscles.

Then he had me box as a warm-up which started to make the muscles in my arms burn.

“How about we play a little game?” Lucas proposed, a mischievous smirk taking over his face.

“What kind of game?” I inquired, curious yet hesitant.

Lucas circled me with the boxing mitts on his hands. “Every time you’re able to make contact with my mitt, you earn a kiss. Every time you miss, you earn a lap around the training room.”

My mouth fell open in shock. “That’s not fair!”

Lucas grinned, a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Life isn’t always fair, Shana.”

And so, our impromptu game began. I focused intently on his mitts, determined to earn those kisses and, perhaps, a few more unforgettable moments with the man who had captured my heart.

I focused all my attention on his hands as I held the boxing gloves up to my face.

All I had to do was hit his boxing mitts. How hard could that be?

My eyes moved to observe the look on Lucas’s face as he watched me in return.

Our messages crept back into my mind again. Need rushed through me. I really wanted to kiss him again.

I didn’t want to run laps around this room.

Lucas, for his part, maintained his cocky demeanor. But I could see the genuine enjoyment in his eyes.

He clearly relished in the challenge, even if it meant forfeiting kisses.

The growing tension between us was undeniable, a magnetic force pulling us closer together.

Suddenly, I saw an opportunity and seized it.

With a swift and calculated punch, I struck one of Lucas's mitts.

The satisfying thud filled the room, signaling my victory.

A triumphant smile spread across my face as I watched Lucas, who had been momentarily caught off guard by my successful punch.

“You said you’ve noticed more strength?” Lucas asked me, his eyes squinting at me in question.

I nodded. “Yes, why?”

“That punch…” he looked down at his mitts as if he were checking for something. “That was a very strong punch. I don’t remember you hitting me as hardly before.”

I stilled at his words. Was my change in strength that noticeable?

“Don’t look so worried,” Lucas rushed to say. “That’s a good thing. It means your body is catching up to your wolf. You’re only going to get stronger, Shana.”

A wave of excitement flushed through me then. I wanted to get stronger. I wanted to learn how to control and harness this side of myself.

But as I thought of my growing strength, a realization hit me.

I had earned my kiss.

Lucas and I looked at each other expectantly, and a smile began to take shape on his lips.

“Well, well, well,” Lucas said with a slight shake of his head. “I suppose that a deal’s a deal.”

Lucas didn't waste a second. He closed the distance between us and cupped my face in his hands. His lips descended upon mine in a passionate, hunger-filled kiss.

The training room seemed to slip away and all I could focus on was Lucas's lips on mine. I went to draw him in closer to me but realized the boxing gloves were still on my hands.

I yanked them off, hearing as they plopped to the floor, and thrust my hands in Lucas's hair.

As I pulled the ends, a groan slipped from his throat as he drove his tongue further into my mouth.

My hips responded, lifting up to meet his as an untamed need suddenly came over me.

I started to run my hands down Lucas's hard chest, reveling in the feel of his muscles. I had one clear goal in mind, but right as I got to the space below his belly button, he pulled away from the kiss.

"Whoa there. Where are those hands going?" Lucas said teasingly as he brushed his nose against mine. " All you won was a kiss, Shana."

“Maybe I have a different idea for how we could finish our training,” I said breathlessly.

He laughed but turned serious, getting back into position with his mitts up. “As tempting as that sounds… I take training very seriously, Shana,” he said in a mocking, but playful tone as he winked at me. "Put your gloves back on."

Even though he was playing it cool, I could tell that our kiss affected him because the top portion of his shorts showed me his growing excitement.

"I think we have a visitor," I teased back, pointing a finger at his crotch.

Lucas looked down, and when he saw the evil smirk that had taken over my face he said, "Just for that witty remark, take a lap around the room."

"But," I began to protest.

"Take a lap!" Lucas said with a clap, and when I rolled my eyes, preparing my jog he gave me the same evil smirk back. "Chop chop!"

Two could play at that game.