Enigma

Chapter 15

"How long"-gasp-"will I have to"-gasp-"keep doing this?" Lillian exhaled sharply.

"Until it becomes as instinctive as breathing," Kate said, taking a sip of her coffee.

The warrior lounged in a chair in the backyard of Lillian's cabin. Since it was situated on the very edge of the pack, they were out of sight of the village. Only trees surrounded them.

Kate had agreed to train Lillian. Daily lessons every evening after Lillian got back from her work in the pack house. Kate had shown Lillian a series of movements; jabs, punches, kicks, palm strikes, elbow strikes.

It had taken Lillian almost two sessions to finally get the moves right. Now, Kate insisted on having Lillian perform the same routine for what seemed like an eternity.

Lillian's muscles turned to jelly by the end of it, and every morning she felt as though she'd been hit by a truck. But she kept coming back for more. She never wanted to feel helpless again. She wanted to have a chance of fighting.

Although, as Kate had pointed out, Lillian was no match for immortals in either strength or speed. Which was why she needed to master a weapon. What that weapon was, they hadn't decided yet. Kate wanted Lillian to develop her physical strength and endurance first before moving to weapon training. Seeing as Kate was a warrior, Lillian trusted her judgment.

"Keep that leg straight," Kate said as Lillian's leg came down from a half-assed roundhouse kick. Her muscles just weren't cooperating. "Do it again. Straight and high."

Lillian obeyed, gritting her teeth to keep her leg straight, then continued on with the routine at Kate's approving nod.

Kate had been hesitant to train Lillian. But as Lillian had pointed out, Noah's order was clearly banning her from the training grounds. He hadn't said anything about training in her own backyard. It was only a matter of time before he realized she was training. But they'd cross that bridge when they came to it.

"Any ideas... about the weapon?" Lillian asked through labored breathing.

Kate wiggled her head from side to side. "Too many options. I'm going to have to consult with someone else. But we'll figure it out." Kate stood up. "Alright, enough for today. Stretch."

Lillian leaned down, hands on knees as she took deep breaths. She sat on the ground, stretching her legs before her, groaning when Kate pushed her back down to get her chin to touch her quivering legs. But Lillian's belly was not a flat slab so she only came halfway down.

Lillian felt a buzz in the back of her mind. She glanced over her shoulder to find Kate's eyes glazed over, looking into nothing. She was mind-linking.

Ever since the integration ceremony a few days ago, Lillian felt that buzz. It was a constant echo in the back of her mind, a background noise that hummed louder whenever she was next to someone mind-linking.

"Mom is bringing the twins over so you won't have to go pick them up," Kate said. "They already had dinner."

Lillian sighed. "Your mom is an angel."

Kate snorted. "So she keeps reminding us."

Lillian chuckled. She and Kate left their kids with Jennifer. The older woman loved having them around, and the boys always returned bloated from the food and dead tired from playing around in Jennifer's backyard. They could barely keep their eyes open for the shower.

"I was thinking," Lillian said, splitting her legs. Kate increased pressure on Lillian's back, drawing a groan from her lips. "We should have dinner someday, in my place. And you should bring Jasmine with you."