She had been right. The look on his face was priceless. When he walked out of the back room to greet his new students, he stopped dead in his tracks with the door half opened, took one look at her, then slammed it back shut.
"Ted, what are the names of our new students?" Zenah could hear the conversation even through the wall.
"Jason, Amy, Chris, and Zenah, why?"
"Nothing, I just wanted their names before I greeted them. Makes for a better introduction, thanks."
Again the door opened, only this time he completed his exit. He was dressed in a pair of workout shorts and a muscle shirt that showed off his ample shoulders and flat, rock hard stomach. Zenah sucked in a breath. Heat rose in her and she took a step forward before catching herself and stepping back into line.
"This is Taekwondo, and it's not for everyone." Zach began looking straight at Zenah.
For the next ten minutes he gave the rules of the dojo, what was to be expected of every student, and the schedule of the classes.
"Now I'm going to be leaving you in the capable hands of my partner and fellow black belt Ted Winters." He walked over and stood in front of the middle-aged man whose name was Chris. After he bowed Ted came out of the back room and bowed to Chris and they both went into one of the other rooms.
Zach bowed to each of the new students and handed them off to other, more experienced of his students until he reached her.
"And as for you. I'll leave your instruction to myself."
"Surprised to see me?" Zenah whispered.
"Oh, you have no idea." Zach dropped his head and shook it.
"Are you trying to get us both killed?" He asked.
"Me? I'm just here for some martial arts instruction, that's all." Zenah tried to put on her best innocent face. Zach wasn't buying it.
"Come on, let's go in here." He led the way into another of the dojos' five rooms. He even opened the door for her.
"Are you trying to get us both killed?" He asked again the instant the door clicked closed.
"I'm just trying to get to know you better. I don't have a choice, this is out of either of our hands. Do you know what happens to a wolf who isn't with his or her mate, they die end of story."
"But don't you realize that if we are together, we're dead anyway. I touch you once and your father will smell me all over you. I can't risk that, I won't risk that." Zenah watched him turn and walk to the other side of the room.
Sometimes she was a bit thick, but this time she felt so dense she wanted to slap herself. He hadn't been brushing her off because he was a jerk. He'd been trying to protect her, and he'd been right to do so. If her father smelled any of him on her, he'd hunt him down no matter where he was. Or how far he had to go to find him.
"Okay, then I'm just here for the Taekwondo. Let's start from there and see where that goes." She tried to lighten the heavy cloud that had gathered over the room.
"Zenah, I can't. To instruct in this form of martial art, I need to be able to touch my student. To shift their stance when it's wrong to the proper form. If I were to touch you I'd be getting you killed."
"Killed, who would kill me. Sure, my dad would be mad, but he's not going to kill me."
"Don't be so sure. You may not know him as well as you think you do."
Zenah's mouth dropped open. Had he really said what she thought he'd said about her father? Yet he'd said it without a drop of insincerity or hatred. If she didn't know any better, she'd have sworn he'd said it because he was trying to protect her from something. What was with this guy, one second he wanted nothing to do with her and the next he was super protective?
And you love it. The voice in the back of her head told her.
She did love it, and it confused her even more.
"So shall I show you the basic stances?" Zenah was so far into her thoughts that it took several times of him asking before Zenah heard him.
"Huh, what?" She shook her head, her eyes bringing him back into focus.
"I asked if you would like to learn some actual Taekwondo while you're here. You are after all paying seventy-five dollars an hour."
His smile disarmed her and all she wanted to do was spend the rest of the day with him. So for the next three and a half hours he showed her what a front stance was and how it was performed, as well as the back stance. With most of his students, he would have moved their shoulders into the proper form with his hands if they were having a hard time. Or nudged their feet into the proper posture with his. With Zenah, he didn't dare. So he spent most of their time together showing her the stances, and how to move forward or backward in them. He could do nothing else.
By the time two hours had passed, Zenah could guild forward or backward in each of the stances. Only the frustration she was feeling had nothing to do with Taekwondo. Each time he had to show her what she was doing wrong, every time she'd intentionally did a back stance wrong, hoping he'd reach over and touch her bare foot, yet didn't, her feeling of irritation grew.
Finally the session was finished, and they both bowed to one another and walked from the room.
"When would you like your next class to be?" Zach asked.
Right now would be good.
Today's Monday, so how does Thursday look for you?" She asked.
"Same time?"
"That would be fine." Zenah answered.
"Ten o'clock it is then." Zach walked over to a small shelf and took down his cell phone. After inputting something, he put it back on the shelf and walked back to Zenah.
"There's a shower in the back if you'd like to take one before you go." He looked down at her and she almost melted.
They were both covered in sweat. She could smell every inch of him, could hear his heart beating inside his chest. But the hardest part was when she looked up into his eyes.
God, you've got gorgeous eyes. She thought.
They weren't blue, but they weren't quite green either. They seemed to her to sparkle when the light through the glass wall hit them. They made her warm, feverish.
"No, I'm good. I'm a dog, remember. We don't worry as much as you do about how we smell." With a quick smile, Zenah turned towards the door.
Before she went three steps Zach was in front of her.
"Zach." He told her.
"What?" She took a step back.
"My name is Zach."
Zenah smacked her palm into her forehead. Of all the stupid things, she'd never even asked his name, and she'd been here for over four hours.
"Hi Zach, I'm Zenah." Without thinking, she shoved her hand forward, causing him to step back.
"Sorry, I'm still not used to that."
I don't think I ever will be
"One more thing before you leave." Zach stepped forward, narrowing the gap between them until she could feel the heat emanating from his upper chest.
"Yeah?" She gulped, her head wanting with everything inside her to press against the bare skin she could see inches in front of her.
"You smell wonderful just as you are." And with that, he spun around and marched into the room she'd first seen him walk out of.
Zenah watched him go and noticed something. He was trembling. After he'd disappeared through the door, she turned and made her way back out onto the sidewalk. The rush of cooler fresh air helped clear her head. Even then she staggered from the doorway on weak legs. Pushing herself against the cold brick of the dojos wall, she slid down until she was sitting on the sidewalk.
He was having as hard a time at this as she was. He was just better at hiding it. Another thought struck her. He was trying to fight against this for her sake. Protecting her even when she didn't think she needed it. He was a real man, so unlike the males she'd grown up around who took what they wanted, not caring for those they hurt.
Get it together girl or people will start to think your one of the homeless
Getting back to her feet, she trembled at the fresh memory. Him standing so close, her heart beating so hard she was afraid he'd hear it. Then those words, "You smell wonderful just as you are." Was he trying to kill her or something?
Now to get back to the den and see how this is going to pan out. They hadn't touched all the time they'd been together. But that didn't mean much, with noses as sensitive as those of the pack.
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