Page 32 of Targeted By Temptation
My mate stood off to the side as I took my first aim and then shot off one complete clip. When we walked to the target to see how well I did, I’d hit the bullseye every time.
“You are amazing.” Ezra hugged me and twirled me around, the rest of the world momentarily forgotten.
I loved the look of pride coming off my mate’s face as he set me down.
I held onto his admiration as I continued through each of the guns. They gave me only one clip per weapon. My guess was doing so was an attempt to keep them safe, or at least safer. There was too much on the line for me to rebel in that way, not to mention it being against my nature, but let them be cautious if that meant my mate could stay by my side.
With the exception of one bullet that hit the outer ring, I hit dead on each and every shot. I was a good marksman. Always had been. But this level? It was beyond anything I’d achieved in the past. I didn’t know if it was my mate being here, the knowledge that this wasn’t for fun sitting in the backdrop, or the particular set-up that had me doing so. It didn’t matter. What did was being ready when Calloway reared his ugly head.
“You know, this doesn’t really show you what I can do if he shows up.” I didn’t need to clarify who “he” was.
“Skeets?”
“No. Skeets don’t really work either, because I can hear them going up in the air.” There was always a warning that a targetwas about to enter my sight. With a murderous piece of shit, there was none.
“You’re right.” He looked at the table behind me. “Grab the piece you’re most comfortable with and I’ll ask for a couple of clips.”
He came back a minute later, the wolf guarding the ammunition not having given him any trouble. As I was loading the rifle with the three clips we were allotted, my mate was getting naked.
“Wait… how are we doing this?” I stood between him and the house, not wanting the others to see his gorgeous nakedness. “What are you doing? I don’t understand.”
“I’m wearing my fur coat while you hunt.” He explained to me we were going hunting in the woods, and that he was going to make sure I had some pretty active prey.
It was one thing to go hunting with my mate. It was another to know that he was running around in the woods with the goal of scaring my prey. The fear that I might accidentally hit him instead nearly froze me in place. But when I tried to voice my concern, he shifted, shook his body, head-butted me, and walked into the woods.
Apparently, that was the shifter version of, “We are not having this discussion.”
I followed him, and we wove our way through the trees. He head-butted me again and took off. He was getting me prey for target practice of the furry kind. Or maybe feathery kind, I didn’t know. And he hadn’t been exaggerating about making sure there was an abundance. They were good and scared of him, as well they should be. His wolf was fierce… and cuddly. Although, I had a feeling the cuddly side of him was only with me.
I watched bunnies, foxes, squirrels, birds, all fleeing for their lives. Only problem was, I just watched them, unable to pull the trigger. And then a deer came into the clearing. I couldn’t fail Ezra. He believed in me.
I lined up my shot and took aim. I was ready to do it, but at the last second I freaked and panicked, squeezing the trigger, pulling my gun out of the way just a little too slowly, and nicking the creature’s leg.
The deer fell to the ground but was definitely alive. I’d done that. I’d hurt him instead of giving him the quick death he deserved. I knew what needed to be done next. I needed to take the kill shot.
What I’d done to the poor thing wasn’t fair. He was suffering. He deserved so much better.
But each step I took closer to him, the harder my heart thumped in my chest, the more difficult it was to take a breath. I raised the gun and tried to shoot. I couldn’t, tumbling to the ground and sobbing instead.
A growl by my side told me my mate was there.
He took care of the deer, his teeth cutting through the flesh on its neck, leaving it open to bleed out, which it did quickly.
I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t even kill a deer. How was I supposed to kill a human?
My tears started flowing in earnest, and the next thing I knew, my mate was pulling me onto his lap, holding me tightly as I sobbed.
“I can’t even do this. How am I supposed to get rid of Calloway? How am I supposed to protect us? Protect you? Protect your brothers?”
He whispered close to my ear, “I’m here. I’m here. I’m here” over and over again.
And he was. He was the only comfort I needed. And when my tears slowed to nothing, he promised me it would all be okay and that he had my back… that we would figure this out.
I was letting him down, and he was still putting all his faith in me. I refused to fail. Too many people were counting on me.
17
EZRA
