Caged

Chapter 33

**| Kota's POV |**

Nathan would call Sang scrappy. She wasn't an enforcer or a warrior, she was a survivor. That meant using every trick she knew to win. That was both a blessing and dangerous. She knew how to fight, how to stay alive. If she were separated from us while in battle, she'd be able to survive. But it was dangerous because she didn't know how to fight alongside other people. She barely did it with Silas.

While Sang, Silas, Luke, and Sean fought as a team, I stood back and watched North and Nathan use guerilla warfare tactics to attack.

When I saw a weakness, I sent to Nathan, Go right, to Luke.

Nathan did exactly what I wanted, seeing what I saw. Luke went down.

Passable was all she was in fighting as a group. She was where she needed to be some of the time and she too often lost focus of where everyone was on the battlefield. That was dangerous.

My job was to beat it into her, that her back was safe and she was expected to keep theirs safe too. The partnership of Sang and Silas was decent, but only because Silas had experience fighting along Sang and knew how to adapt.

But once we tossed in Sean, the group dynamics began to fall apart.

North, I sent. Go to Silas's left. She's not in the right spot again. Nathan, finish it.

The two of them did the maneuver, North distracting Silas and while Sean should of had it covered while he dealt with the danger, Sang had shifted too far away and Nathan slipped right through, just out of Sean's reach and sending Sang to the ground. She snarled at Nathan and he quickly backed off, his hands in the air.

"Okay, stop," I said. They paused the moment I spoke and turned me, waiting for instructi

ons.

"Sang, use your link," I said. "Listen to them. Listen to your senses. If it tells you Luke is to the right, then trust that Luke has that side covered. There is no reason to step on his toes. Leave him room to work. Same with the others. They are all trained and they'll burn hell itself to make sure no one gets through them to you. Trust that."

The others nodded their agreement because it was true. They would burn hell to the ground if they needed in order to keep Sang safe. I would too, not that I was ready to admit that. Sang was a puzzle and until I had the full picture, I needed to remain cautious.

"Silas, step out. Sean and Luke stay in. Sang, you're job is to help Sean keep Nathan and North away from Luke. Think of Luke as something precious—like a pup. Treat him a like a pup."

"Hey!" Luke called out, clearly offended. I just sent him a look warning him to shut it. He pressed his lips up and stepped back, giving Sang and Sean room to work.

Sang stared at me for a moment, her expression blank. I hated not knowing what she was thinking. Her eyes flickered to Sean and then she turned to look back at Luke. When she met my gaze, her wolf was clear in her eyes, and she gave a short nod.

I sent her a small smile, pride swelling inside of me. She could be fighting back, yelling, being stubborn. I had expected some kind of push back, but she wasn't. She listened and she was trying, even if I could feel her frustration.

She wasn't complaining at all.

Her dedication to learn and grow made this easier and I was beginning to think she'd do just fine in the battle field when we attacked. She wanted it badly enough to do what she needed. Besides, it was blessing she was following any of my orders. I wasn't so sure who was dominant to who and I didn't want to find out.