Page 44 of Bought to Break
Sorin embraced her, giving her a soft, comforting kiss, and departed. Viktor grabbed her to him and fondled her breasts, making her heart quicken. He kissed her as well, but more roughly, his coarse stubble grazing her skin. They were so different from each other, she mused. Sorin was by far the gentlest, and Viktor was gruffer with her, angrier it seemed, and not just from what she’d done.
Kane was – she glanced over at him – well, she didn’t know. He was a mystery; sometimes he seemed as if he cared, other times that he would rather be rid of her. She opened the package, the subject of her thoughts ignoring her in favour of writing at his desk. Inside was a black tunic, shirt, breeches and boots, which all fit as if they had been made for her, impossible as that was. There was no chemise – clearly undergarments hadn’t been at the forefront of Viktor’s mind – so she tore a length of linen from the bedspread to wrap her breasts.
As she donned the low-cut black vest and buttoned her tunic over it, she realised Kane had abandoned his task and was watching her, his gaze heating though he was trying to hide it.
‘Well, you certainly look the part, I’ll give Viktor that.’
She looked down at herself. He was right in some ways. The garb was similar to their black attire, but hers was more form-fitting. It wasn’t shameless in the least, but the breeches fit snugly over her arse and the tunic nipped in at the waist. But it also left her movements free. ‘It’s different than yours,’ she observed.
His gaze swept over her, lingering on her hips and chest, covered by the tunic but not disguised at all. ‘Viktor had them made for you. Ill-fitting clothes are a liability in battle. You could get caught up in them, your movements could be slowed or they could easily be grabbed by your enemy.’
‘Oh.’
‘Are you …’ He cleared his throat and stood. ‘Are you in any pain from last night?’
She felt her cheeks heat up and stared at the floor. ‘A bit.’
‘It won’t hurt like that again.’
‘I know … It was explained.’
Kane approached her. ‘I – The coming weeks will be difficult for you. Training will be rigorous.’
He surprised her by putting a hand on her shoulder almost affectionately. ‘We are your unit now. That means we share each other’s burdens, but we can’t take this for you. It’s too important that you are able to take care of yourself.’ He stared at her for a moment before continuing. ‘It’s a good thing you already hate me, because if you didn’t before, you definitely will after today.’
‘What are you going to do?’ she asked, wondering what the coming weeks were going to hold for her.
‘What I have to, to ensure you learn to be one of us. But no matter what, you are to stay by my side, do you understand?’
She nodded.
‘Come.’ He ushered her towards the tent opening.
‘Where are we going?’
‘The fields. Today is about strength and combat.’
‘I’m going to learn tofight?’ Lana’s eyes widened. She’d been filled with trepidation about her new life here, but now excitement flooded her. A month ago, she would never have believed this could happen. If she could learn to defend herself, never again would men like Ryon and Ather be able to bend her to their wills, beat her, hurt her. At last she would have more than some slim hope that the gods would intervene on her behalf. Finally, she would control a piece of her own fate.
‘Yes.’
She couldn’t help it; she grinned.
He frowned at her. ‘It will be gruelling. It will take time and I will drive you hard,’ he added ominously.
They walked out of the tent and she followed him, still smiling, to where the lines and lines of grey canvas dwellings gave way to grasslands. There were many men training, some with their hands, others with weapons. If anyone noticed her in their midst, they didn’t show it or they were too busy to care. Kane showed her how to stand and began to demonstrate how to move. His lithe, quick steps belied his size, and though she tried to match his seemingly basic movements, she found that she couldn’t. He made her hold her body in various positions that quickly had her breathing hard and her ears roaring. Sweat trickled down her face and neck as she balanced on her toes and elbows. She felt his boot under her stomach, pushing upwards.
‘Keep yourself straight!’ he barked.
Her body shook as she tried to do what he asked but began to sink down again almost immediately. Finally, he told her to stop. She got to her feet, realising that this was only the beginning.
‘Get up!’he snarled at her, making her flinch in spite of herself. ‘Do you think your enemy will give you time to get out of the way of his sword?’
Lana rolled onto her front and got to her knees as quickly as she could, every muscle in her body screaming at her to lie back on the ground. She forced herself up with a hard breath only for Kane to catch her unawares and knock her down once again with a well-placed strike, winding her despite the padded leather she now wore for sparring.
‘Again!’
Lana gasped, rolling again to her knees and this time keeping an eye on Kane. When he came in for yet another attack, she rolled away and tried to kick his leg out from under him, but suddenly he wasn’t where she thought, and again she was on her back in the grass. She hit the ground with her fist. He was right, the pompous prick; if she hadn’t hated him before, she did now without a shadow of a doubt.
