Pausing outside my father’s door, I took a deep breath. I conjured the image of Valorie being knocked upside the head yesterday to steel my resolve.

I didn’t want that to ever be me.

Thankfully, Valorie was quickly recovering in the infirmary, but wouldn’t be let out until tomorrow because of the head injury. She was salty about it, but didn’t have much of a choice. I wanted to be able to defend myself, first and foremost, in dangerous situations, so I wasn’t stuck on the sidelines like her, or worse. Because if yesterday proved anything, it was how poorly prepared I had been to be anything other than a housewife.

Fuck that.

I knocked politely and waited with a hammering heart. My gut was telling me that I already knew what I would be told; no. But just like that crazy stunt that not only got me into the meeting but also on the task force, I had to try.

My father opened the door, staring at my blearily. He looked exhausted. I was immediately concerned.

“Did something happen last night?” I demanded, stepping inside and effectively forcing him to back up or be rammed into. I closed the door behind me and locked it. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything is fine. Meeting just ran late.” He rubbed a hand over his weary face.

“What meeting?”

“There was a follow up meeting about the vampire threat.”

“Why wasn’t I told about it?” I demanded.

“Can I at least finish my coffee before the interrogation?” His tone was patient. He eased himself back into his chair behind his desk and grabbed the mug full of coffee from the small coffee maker behind him. I waited impatiently as he took several sips before placing it down on the desk. “Okay. Now, what did you want to know?”

“The meeting last night. Why wasn’t I told about it?”

“It was a small meeting,” he sighed. “Me, Maddock, Bryce and Adam, Tobias, and Jonah and Noah. That was it.”

I crossed my arms. “You know just as well as I do that I belong in those meeting more than Bryce does.”

He chuckled, picking up his coffee again for a big gulp. “One of those days, is it?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I bristled.

“Just that you’re fighting for your place in the pack, and I’m way too tired to be of much help today.”

Sometimes it was hard to remember that my father was on my side, even though in the pack he had to publicly back Maddock. “Well, if you can help me with just one thing I’ll take my tirade elsewhere.”

He chuckled quietly. He really was tired. “Just one thing, hmm?”

“How much sleep did you get last night, dad?” I asked instead, stalling.

“That’s the one thing I can help you with? Get more sleep?”

“No. Don’t be a smart ass; that’s my job, remember?”

“Right, right.” He thought for a moment. “I probably got about three hours.”

“That is not enough. You need to go back to bed,” I insisted.

He shook his head. “There are things that need done, Eliza, that can’t wait.”

“Then why don’t Bryce or Adam take on a little responsibility today?” I suggested. I was proud of myself for not choking on Adam’s name. And I would be forever grateful that I hadn’t had to interact with him at all yesterday. “It’s about damn time one of them steps up to the plate.”

“That would be more work than it’s worth. Really, Eliza, I’ll be fine.” I crossed my arms, ever the stubborn daughter, but relented.

“Fine.” I finally sat down across from him. “I want to train.”

My father almost choked on his coffee.

“What?” He coughed, pressing hand against his chest. “That was…unexpected.”

“It shouldn’t have been. I got hurt yesterday because I was never taught how to defend myself or fight. I don’t want to be unprepared ever again.”

He rubbed his face again, a sign I was wearing on him. I didn’t mean to be. But this was important to me.

“I was wondering when this day would come,” was his only response.

I simply waited.

“Unfortunately, I cannot spare any wolves to help train you.” He acted as though the words were forcibly dragged from him. Maybe because he knew how I would respond.

“That’s bullshit.”

“There’s a lot going on right now, Eliza.” He leaning forward, resting his forearms on his desk.

“And what about the males? I’m sure there’s time for them to train. Why can’t I train with them?” I demanded, crossing my arms.

My father sighed. “You know why.”

And I did. It took less than a second for me to realize that my father’s hands were tied. It had nothing to do with having any wolves available and everything to do with the misogynistic alpha who wanted the women safe at the compound.

“Bullshit,” I repeated.

My father fought a smile. “Unfortunately, none of our wolves will be able to help you.”

I smiled slowly. “Then I guess it’s a good thing that we have visitors.”

***

It was probably a bad idea, but it was starting to seem as though my bad ideas were the ones that got me results.

Fortunately for me, it was Noah who left breakfast first, and I swooped in to intercept him.

“Can I talk to you?” I nearly begged, grabbing his arm. He flinched, seeming surprised. He wasn’t prepared for me to drag him down the hallway, either, so he didn’t put up a fight. I opened the door to one of the utility closets on this floor and quickly glanced around before shoving him inside. Even if someone did see us, I would rather they assume other things that what I was really up to.

It was dark in the closet, but I flipped the lightswitch and found Noah looking at me with one eyebrow raised.

“If this is a new way to try to get me to agree to marry you—”

I cut him off with a shake of my head. “No, I’m not here to proposition you for sex or even a blow job.”

“Disappointing.”

A startled laugh escaped me. I swatted his arm before thinking that it was probably too familiar of a gesture. My cheeks heated.

“I need to ask a favor,” I said, being brave and staring into his bright blue eyes. “One that’s completely unrelated to any potential future or lack of between us.” He seemed curious enough, saying nothing, which I took as a good sign. “I don’t think it comes as a surprise to you that I have no idea how to defend myself, let alone fight.”

Noah barked out a laugh. The sound was oddly…pleasant. I swallowed. “You could say that.”

“Through no fault of my own, might I add.” That got his attention. He tilted his head to one side, puzzled. I wave of embarrassment washed over me anyways as I admitted, “I’ve never been allowed to train.”

“Why the hell not?” His implied support of training women let me take a deep breath until I realized he was actually waiting for an answer to his question.

I bit my bottom lip and looked down at his shoes, unsure of what to say. I didn’t want to bad mouth my alpha; if Noah said anything, it could easily come back and bite me in the ass.

I jumped as his hand touched my chin and lifted it.

“Hey,” he said quietly. “What you say in here is safe with me. I promise. Even though you don’t know me, and I don’t know you, you’ll be family soon enough. Hopefully as my sister-in-law—no offense.”

I shrugged one shoulder. “I get it,” I admitted. “Although it sucks for me either way.”

His eyes shadowed. “Yeah. It does.”

“Anyways,” I said, getting back on track. “Maddock doesn’t—I mean, he believes that…” Why were finding the right words so hard?

Noah waited patiently, not rushing me. I could have hugged him for that alone.

I took a deep breath and let it out as I put my hands on my hips.

Okay. Here goes.

“Maddock has a very old-fashioned viewpoint on the way the world should work. And unfortunately, that means I was never taught how to defend myself or fight.”

He opened his mouth, but I cut him off. “Please don’t say anything to Maddock. Or your father,” I pleaded.

“Why not? My father needs to know about this. It’s potentially dangerous to not only you, but the other women in your pack.” He made to leave the closet, but I darted in front of the door and plastered my back to it. The knob dug into my side uncomfortably.

“Please, just…hear me out.” I put my hands up as though I would be able to stop him.

He sighed, a bit dramatically actually, and I let out a breath.

“Who do you think Maddock will assume said something?” I asked him. He frowned as I pointed at myself. “Exactly. Me. The 'trouble-maker. While I won’t be a part of his pack much longer, I don’t want the next week and a half to be more miserable for me than it already is.”

“He won’t take it out on you.”

“And how do you plan on preventing that?”

“Can you trust me?”

“I trust you to train me to defend myself, at the very least. But I don’t trust you not to leave me if I ever fall behind or make decisions on my own.” I crossed my arms with as much defiance as I could muster.

“So are you going to come with me or not?”

“To train? Right now?”

“To tell my father.”

“Please, don’t!” I was ready to beg. I didn’t want to be responsible for the fallout when I’m sure I was already to blame for yesterday’s disaster.

“Ell-iss-awn-druh.” He drew out my name unnecessarily slow, as though to a misbehaving child. “I’m going to tell him either way. Right the fuck now, in fact.” He reached beyond me and opened the closet door.

I didn’t realize how warm it had gotten in the closet until I felt the cool air as I was all but shoved out as he stepped forward.

Noah’s eyes darted to something behind me, and he paused. I turned to see what grabbed his attention.

Adam stood there, seemingly frozen, staring at us.

A warm, throaty chuckle came behind me as an arm snaked around my waist and pulled me against Noah’s front. It was a possessive move, one that I didn’t understand the reasoning behind. Adam paled, quickly turning and walking away. Noah didn’t let me go until Adam turned the corner, not looking back once.

I whirled on him.

“What was that for?” I demanded, whacking his arm again as it dropped from my waist.

“That wolf needed a reminder that you’re no longer available,” came the answer. I frowned.

“It’s not like we were actually doing anything like that,” I shot back. “Now who knows what sort of rumors he’ll spread.”

“Let him. The more your pack sees you as a part of ours, the less shit they’ll give you for training with me.”

I was left gaping as he patted my cheek condescendingly and strode off with his hands in his pockets.

He was starting to show me that he was as much of an ass as his brother.

He turned around, pausing when I wasn’t behind him.

“Are you coming or not?”

I groaned inwardly and muttered about stupid alpha-holes who think they can always get their way. But I took a steadying breath and started moving.

This certainly wasn’t going to bite me in the ass.

Fuck.