Shadowed

Chapter 73

My shoes crunched across the gravel on the drive and heat flared up my back, my throat tight oxygen fighting to pass through to my lungs. I sank onto the steps near the front door in a heavy slump frustration bubbling beneath my skin. Hands burying into my hair in tight fists my head dropped low above my knees, I could still see Gareth's face close to mine and feel his tight grip upon my wrists. My stomach was rolling with anxiety. Weak. I had been so weak. "God dam..damnit!" I stuttered through gritted teeth. All the gusto projected from my body in that moment had been but words, words which against all of Gareths physical strength had barely scratched him. I thought I'd left this weaker side of myself in the dirt the night after the tragedy and murderous slaughter of my parents, but apparently not. My muscles clenched with building anger and frustration. A shadow fell across my body and I stared at the well worn Nikes in front of me their white laces grey and dirty with scuffed fronts. Just leave me be. "Kalea..."


I was weak. The next time Gareth, Elijah, or god forbid Trent himself showed up I couldn't be this weak again. "Kaela come on you're okay now." A warm hand rested on my shoulder and my head snapped up, his hand left my body in under a second as I sat up rigid on the step still breathing hard. "No. I may still be in one physical piece Brody but I am not okay." Despite my trembling knees I slowly got to my feet till I stood eye to eye with him. "I am a fucking Bambi being hunted by someone bigger and stronger than the big bad wolf."


Brody stared me dead in the eyes his mouth a straight line of resolute determination as he took half a step closer towards me till we were only inches apart from one another. "Well what do you want me to do about it?" 


His voice was hard and steeled with challenge. Narrowing my eyes I slammed both palms into his chest forcing him to step backwards. "You either haul ass and get out of my face, or; you suit up and help me train." Brody's eyes glinted and his jaw twitched as he ground his teeth, behind me the door frame creaked and Brody's eyes shifted to look up over my shoulder. A low chuckle of dark humour and I felt a surge of adrenaline pulsated through my body. "So bambi wants to beat the beast huh?" Caleb leant against the door frame his eyes aglow beneath his dark hair and his solid arms folded across his muscled chest. My jaw tensed as a smirk slid across his face. He shrugged, "I could help you with that." 



Sweat beaded across my forehead and was moist across my upper lip. "Come on Kaela hit me like you bloody mean it." Snarled Brody rocking in fighting stance his fists up and ready his muscles visible in a loose tank top were glistening with sweat. I lunged forward driving my fist into the open space he had left in his defence slamming into hard muscle which created a spreading ache up my arm. Grunting Brody's foot slid back slightly and in the next second I am screaming as my arm is twisted behind my back Brody's body pressing hard against me his hands gripping my arm tight. "You're too predictable Kaela come on." Snarled Caleb. 
Predictable my fucking ass! I pushed back into Brody twisting against him till I was at the angle I needed. Brody was staggering back with a groan before he even saw it coming. Spinning round on the balls of my heal my foot slammed into the side of his head knocking him off balance and then I sent him down hard onto the mats with one last painful drive of my heal into the crown of his head. 


"Jesus fucking christ." Groaned Brody his hands clamping onto his head as he rolled on his back. My chest ached as I sucked in air my breathing hard as my muscles ached from the forty minutes of hard physical cardio. As I turned to question Caleb my breath was knocked out of me and I gasped keeling forward my eyes wide in shock. I staggered forward and then hit the mats with a loud smack as Caleb sent me sprawling. "Pay more attention to your surroundings Kaela."