The Alpha and the Oracle (The Belesone Pack #1)

Chapter 15

Milo felt his mouth just about drop open as he watched Katarina stretch before they started their training. Her joggers were the skin tight kind and stopped halfway down her calf. Her top was more like a sports bra that showed off her greatly toned stomach. He thought the first sight of her in the get up was enticing, but watching her stretch was just a whole other ballgame.

As he watched her, letting his head turn to take in the view better, he realised that she wasn't just weak and small and pathetic. She was compact, lithe and kind of deceptive.

Katarina bent at the waist and not only touched her fingertips to her toes, but a few finger walks in front of them as well.

That was when he noticed that her joggers were low riders. It was a very nice view because, yet another thing he hadn't noticed about Katarina, was that she had a really nice ass. He wasn't sure how it had escaped his notice before, but he blamed it on the skirts she wore never showing it off to its full potential.

A smile graced his lips as Milo watched her reach her left arm over her body, bending at the waist to the side, to give herself a good stretch. Her little top lifted just a little and he realised that it was a sports bra after all. She wasn't wearing anything underneath it.

Katarina fell over and Milo snapped out of his thoughts. "Projecting!" She shouted at him with a faint frown.

He couldn't help but laugh, especially since his Beta stood to the side, totally oblivious to his thoughts. "I'm sorry, little wolf. I can't help it." He apologised with a happy smile as he held his hand out and helped her back to her feet.

Katarina dusted herself off and folded her arms.

"I'm not sure that's any better." He admitted. When she did that, it only drew his eye even more and emphasized her already well endowed figure.

Exasperated and strangely happy that the Alpha was ogling her so openly, Katarina let her arms hang at her sides.

"Please tell me that you are my punching bag?" She asked with a hopeful smile.

Milo wouldn't have minded, but he shook his head, caught her by the arms and pulled her forward into a brief kiss. He loved the stunned, yet not surprised look in her eyes.

When he turned to collect the suitable equipment for boxing, he liked the shocked, open mouthed stare his Beta wore even better. He had forgotten he was unaware of their previous kisses. That was for the best. A brief kiss, in front of his Beta was fine. But anything else was best left for privacy and closed doors.

"Milo. You're getting dangerously close to improper thinking." Katarina warned him.

He flashed her a smile over his shoulder before collecting the supplies and perching on the nearby bench. "Come sit with me, little wolf. Then I can do my improper thinking in close quarters." He teased her, patting the bench in front of him.

Katarina reluctantly made her way over and sat down, letting him take each hand and prepare it for her first step into boxing.

"Now, don't fully extend your arm. That's how you do yourself an injury. Loose and relaxed, bend the elbow and let it flow. When you punch, it should be a snap. Quick in, quick out." He advised as he stood behind the bag and held it for her.

***

Katarina knew that this was her chance to prove she wasn't as weak as everyone thought she was. She did a few dry practices, to make sure she was doing it right. With Milo's nod of approval and a minor adjustment, he let her loose on the bag.

She thought about every time she had ever felt inadequate, every word ever spoken against her, every vision and dream that had ever hurt her. And with it all at the front of her mind, she made her first punch.

The bag swung away from her and Milo moved two steps back with it, smiling.

"Good. Again." He encouraged her.

She hit the bag again and again, alternating arms when Milo told her to and even including some kicks that he instructed her on.

Soon, she was completing a circuit of right punch, left punch, right kick, left upper cut and repeating with the opposite sides. She felt good about it and pleased to see that Milo was happy.

"Quit drooling, Milo. She's only just better than an ordinary human." Leo grumbled from the side of the room. He had resorted to texting on his phone because he was so disinterested in what they were doing.

Instantly, Milo saw the joy and belief fading from Katarina's eyes. She felt useless again. "Shut up!" He snapped at his Beta, without thinking. "I'm still your Alpha. Don't talk to me that way." He ordered.

"Whatever. I'm going to get a drink." Leo grumbled, heading for the door.

"Beta!" Milo was losing his patience.

Leo stopped and turned, looking as angry as he felt.

"I won't stand for insubordination. Go home." Milo ordered, as Katarina watched, helplessly.

Leo stood there, glaring and opening and closing his mouth as if to make a protest.

He had never been sent away from the Alpha's side before, at least not angrily. When something needed done or when Milo needed to be alone, then he understood being sent away, but not this. Not because of a girl.

Katarina could feel his conflicted emotions. The accusation of insubordination was bad enough, but to be sent home when Milo was staying for another hour, at least, was wrong.

Milo waited until Leo left the room and turned to face Katarina again.

She was already crying silently and trying not to let him notice.

"Katie, don't cry." He sighed, stepping closer and brushing her tears away with his thumb. "You have nothing to cry about. You were doing really well." He soothed.

"Don't lie to me, Milo. Please." Katarina begged him not to lie. She hated when people lied.

"I'm not lying. Look into my head, if you have to. Yes, today you were just a grade or two above a normal human," he admitted, which was better than lying. "but that's because you don't believe in yourself. If you just trusted your instincts, you would be great. You're such a natural." Milo sighed and leaned his forehead against hers, trying to radiate calm and soothing influence.

Katarina stepped further into his arms and let him rest his head on hers. He would have held her all day and all night, but he knew that wasn't what she wanted. For too long people had been treating her like an incapable child.

He pulled back and cupped her chin in his hand. "Are you willing to hit me?" He asked curiously.

"Why would I hit you?" Katarina managed to giggle the words out, finding them utterly ridiculous.

"Because my living, breathing punch bag just walked out the door. If someone is going to try to hurt you, we need to get you prepared for hands on fighting." Milo smiled at her cheekily, imagining all the other hands on things they could do together. He deliberately projected his thoughts to her, to cheer her up and it brought a smile to her lips.

"You, Alpha, are nothing but a horny teenage boy." She scolded him as she gave him the second playful push of the day.

"You wound me with your words, little wolf. I am a man. Not a boy." He blatantly confessed to the one thing he had to complain about regarding her disapproval. He caught her up around the waist and carried her, laughing and kicking to be set free, across to the benches.

"We'll get these gloves off and then you're mine." He smirked at her as he removed the gloves and the tape.

He had set the alarm to go off on his watch after an hour, but depending on how well it went, she could hear him contemplating keeping her there a little longer. After all, the curfew Grene had given them was eight o'clock.