Page 112 of Pack: Posy 3

Adam beckoned Thoreau forward with two fingers, and Thoreau scrambled to his feet with excitement in his eyes. Emerson grabbed his shoulder before he got too far, though, and waited until Thoreau made eye contact before he spoke.

"Listen carefully, Reau. Donotreally put your fingers in Adam's eyes or slap his ears hard. Just pretend."

"Pretend on me first, Bubba."

"Okay. Here." Emerson brought one sausage-like finger up close to Thoreau's eye. "Poke."

Next, he held his hands on either side of Thoreau's head and brought them to his ears in super slow motion.

"Of course, you'd do it faster and harder if you were in real danger, okay, honey?"

"Yes, Bubba."

Then he raced over to Adam and they went through the routine: Two practice rounds at slow speed and two at normal speed.

"Luna," he shouted when they were done and I'd clapped for him, "come pretend on me!"

"Sure." It was easy enough. I wouldn't even be touching him.

I stood and joined the pair of them, and Adam monitored us to make sure I was doing it right. When my eyes moved from Thoreau's face to Adam's, I could see what he meant about it being hard for me.

"Yeah," I nodded. "I don't think it would be as effective for me if I have to jump to poke out his eye or ask him to wait until I find a step stool to deafen him."

Adam laughed and Nick, fully recovered now, came over and joined us.

"Now, if things go south and you get desperate," he said, "kick, bite and scratch any part you can reach. Kick a guy in the nuts or the knee. Let your wolf ascend and use your fangs and claws, even if it's against a human. If necessary, the alphas can work out some kind of story as to how you caused so much damage. It's more important that you're alive and safe."

"That doesn't seem like something we can practice," I hedged, hiding my hands in my long sleeves.

"No, that's something you can't practice," he agreed. "It's a fight-for-your-life moment that adrenaline and your wolf will control."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Landry stand up. He walked over to us, but never looked at me. He kept his eyes fixed on Thoreau.

"Last lesson for today," Landry said. "If your hands are free, strike your assailant in the nose, throat, or solar plexus. The heel of your palm works good for any of those three targets, but you can also use your fist. Just keep your thumb on the outside or you'll break it, which could slow you down or prevent you from getting a second hit in if your wolf can't heal it in time."

"What is solar plexus?" Thoreau asked, and I let out a breath, glad I wasn't the only one who didn't know.

Landry took his shirt off and pointed to the center of his chest above his defined abs and below his heavy pecs.

A she-wolf turn down all that?Lark slobbered and pretended to fan herself.Goddess, she a dummy!

Lark!I scolded.You have five mates!

Just looking and appreciating,she giggled.

"Watch me, luna!" Thoreau called out for what I hoped was the last time today.

I dutifully watched as he touched the heel of his hand to Landry's nose, then his throat, then his solar plexus. Landry didn't react, except to nod when he finished the first round to acknowledge he'd done it right. Thoreau did it once more at slow speed, then twice at a faster speed, and Landry nodded again.

"Yay!" I cheered for him and patted him on the head when he turned to me with expectation in his pretty eyes.

"Now you, luna." He nodded his head toward Landry. "You saw how easy I did it. You can, too."

"Um." I bit my lip and looked at Landry's face. His eyes showed nothing in them, not even the hate I'd expected.

"Go ahead," Nick said.

"Yeah, luna, you can do it," Adam encouraged me. "I think you can even hit his nose without jumping."

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