Page 110 of Pack: Posy 3

"Yay, luna!" Thoreau cheered. "Do you want good job pats?"

"No, thanks. I'm good," I murmured, my cheeks hot. "Let's try again, Reuben, but faster, please."

We did and, although my heart and lungs were running a little harder than normal, I managed to break out of his grip at normal speed two times before I stepped back.

"I got it now. Thank you."

"You did great, luna," he praised me, and my face heated up again.

Nodding once, I went back and sat next to Thoreau, and it was like everyone in the room took a big breath for the first time since I stood up. Thoreau bundled me up in a hug, bouncing us up and down as he giggled with glee, and I smiled as he patted my head.

"I'm going to need to go drinking after this," Nick muttered and pretended to wipe sweat from his forehead.

"You and me both," Rio said out of the side of his mouth.

After we explained to Thoreau that they weren't thirsty and didn't need him to go refill their water bottles, Nick got up and stood in the center of the mat.

"This next technique is for when you get grabbed from behind," he said. "You have three options. Punch or grab his balls, kick your heel into his knee, or grab his pinky finger and bend it the wrong way. That last one doesn't sound like much, but it's painful as hell and should distract him enough for you to scream and run."

I went through the three options in my head, picturing each one and wondering if I could manageanyof them.

"Reau, want to go first again?" Nick asked.

"Yep-yep! Watch me, luna!"

I giggled, sensing that was going to be his line every time now.

Thoreau and Nick moved into position in front of us, and Nick slowly put his arms around Thoreau's upper body.

"Which do you want to try to target? Groin, knee—"

Gamma Nick's sudden yelp made me jump, and I couldn't understand why he was rolling around on the mat while Thoreau stood over him with a puzzled look.

"Did I do it wrong, Gamma Nick?"

Frowning, I looked at the other gammas. Reuben and Rio were smirking and Adam grimacing. Landry's face was as blank as it had been since I met him.

"Wait. What happened?" I asked.

"Reau! You have topretend!" Emerson scolded. "You can't do it for real! You hurt him."

"Oh, I am so sorry!" Thoreau dropped to his knees next to the curled-up gamma and patted his head and shoulders fretfully. "Gamma Nick, are you okay? Do you need cuddles?"

"He needs an ice pack," Rio snickered.

"I will get one!" Thoreau hopped up and took off.

"Did Reau hit him in the—"

"Yep!" Reuben interrupted me with a laugh. "Just like Nick told him to."

"His wolf will heal him in a minute," Adam said with a wince, "but damn! He got him good."

When Thoreau came back with an ice pack, he helped Nick to the edge of the mat, but Nick shooed him away when he went to put the ice pack where he'd punched the gamma. For some reason, the moment made me think of Topaz, Granite, and Sid's obsession with each other's boy parts, and I covered my mouth with my hand to hold back a grin.

26: Surprise Attack

Posy

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