His Moonsilver Mate (Abby and Kade) novel Chapter 46

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Chapter 46

Abby

the time the moon was high enough to reach the training hall windows, everyone had already been waiting for me for ten minutes.

I stood behind the folding partition with my sweater halfway over my head and tried not think

about that.

They’re waiting for you, Diana said.

She sounded far too pleased with herself.

I pulled off the rest of my clothes and folded them over the chair beside me.

The training hall was one of the older rooms in the packhouse, large enough for a full class of warriors but mostly empty tonight. Liam and Ryan had cleared it before dinner. The mats had been pushed against the walls, the weapons racks covered, and the double doors locked from the inside.

Tall windows stretched along one side of the room. Moonlight already spilled through them in pale strips across the wooden floor.

Kade, Liam, and Tiernan waited on the other side of the partition.

Then Diana stirred impatiently.

Can we go now?

I took a breath.

“Ready.”

“Whenever you are,” Liam called.

I shifted.

The change came easier now.

Not painless, exactly, but familiar enough that I no longer panicked when my bones moved and my body folded into something else.

A moment later, Diana stood where I had been. She walked around the edge of the partition.

Three heads turned toward us. I immediately understood what it felt like to be something under a

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Kade stood. His gaze stayed on Diana’s coat. “The shine is stronger.”

Nooked down at myself. At first I didn’t see it. Then I stepped farther into the moonlight. Silver caught along Diana’s shoulders. Just a metallic sheen running over the pale gray fur whenever she moved.

Tiernan crouched slightly to look more closely. “There.”.

Liam nodded. “That wasn’t nearly as obvious indoors before.”

Tiernan straightened. “Do you want to start with the command?”

Kade’s expression changed. He looked at me.

Only if you’re comfortable with it.

I thought about it.

Then Diana stepped farther into the room.

Do it.

Kade nodded once. His posture changed almost immediately. He simply became Alpha.

The pressure moved through the room like something invisible settling over my skin.

Liam’s attention sharpened. Tiernan watched closely.

Kade looked directly at Diana.

Sit.

The command hit.

Or it should have.

Diana stayed exactly where she was. Her ears twitched once.

Am I a dog, or what?

I almost choked on a laugh.

Kade added more Alpha power.

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Liam laughed outright.

Tiernan folded his arms. “Well. That seems fairly conclusive.”

Diana stopped in front of Kade and sniffed his hand.

Can we do something more interesting now?

Tiernan stepped back. “Let’s see how much of that applies physically.”

Kade looked at me.

You still want to do this?

Diana practically bounced.

Yes.

I sent him the same answer.

Kade nodded. Then he walked behind the second partition at the far end of the room. A few seconds later, Knox emerged.

Diana forgot everything else.

He was enormous. I knew that already. I had seen him before. But seeing him like this, in a quiet room with no danger around us, was different. Black fur. Broad shoulders. Heavy paws. A wolf built for fighting.

Knox stopped several feet away.

Diana stared. Then started toward him.

Slowly, I warned.

She ignored me.

Knox lowered his head. They met in the middle of the room. Diana sniffed his muzzle. Knox sniffed hers. Then her neck. Then her shoulder. Diana moved around him, nose working along his side. Knox turned with her. For several seconds, they simply circled.

Tiernan said nothing.

Liam lasted less than a minute. “Are we testing them or giving them privacy?”

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Kade’s voice came through Knox.

Ignore him.

Diana pressed her head against Knox’s neck.

Liam made a sound. “No. Absolutely not.”

Tiernan laughed.

Diana rubbed along Knox’s shoulder. Knox leaned into her.

Diana.

What?

We’re supposed to be training.

Knox nudged her. Then stepped away. Diana followed immediately.

Kade’s amusement slipped through.

Ready?

For what?

Knox lunged.

Diana yelped and jumped sideways.

He didn’t touch her.

Barely.

But she stumbled over her own back legs and nearly went down.

Tiernan covered a laugh with his hand.

Liam didn’t bother.

I glared at both of them through Diana.

Again, Kade said.

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That was a mistake.

hit her shoulder with his and rolled her onto her side so easily it was humiliating.

Diana scrambled upright.

You’re huge.

That’s not an excuse.

It should be.

Knox circled.

Don’t watch my face.

Diana tracked him.

Watch my shoulders. You’ll see the movement before I commit.

She focused.

Knox shifted his weight.

Diana moved too early.

He changed direction and bumped her onto the floor again.

She growled.

Kade was openly enjoying himself now.

Stop trying to guess.

I’m not guessing.

You are.

I hate you.

No, you don’t.

Heat rushed through me even in wolf form.

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Liam folded his arms.

“She’s getting annoyed.”

Tiernan nodded.

“Good.”

Diana turned toward them.

Why is that good?

Liam smiled.

“Because you stop overthinking when you’re angry.”

Unfortunately, he was right.

Knox came again.

This time Diana waited.

Shoulders.

Weight.

Movement.

She jumped aside just before he reached her.

He turned faster than she expected and caught her with his chest, but she stayed on her feet.

Better, Kade said.

Diana’s tail lifted.

Again.

They went again.

And again.

Knox still won every time.

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different things.

She turned too sharply and slipped.

Misjudged distance.

Forgot how much power sat in her back legs.

Once, she jumped completely over where she meant to land and crashed shoulder-first into one of the padded walls.

Liam laughed so hard he had to look away.

I will bite you.

“You have to catch me first.’

Diana growled.

Knox nudged her side.

Ignore him.

I’m going to kill him.

Later.

Then something changed.

At first I thought I imagined it.

The room felt brighter.

Not by much.

The moon had risen higher, and one of the pale strips from the windows stretched farther across the floor.

Diana stepped into it.

Warmth moved through us.

Not heat.

Something cleaner.

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Diana stopped.

Abby.

I feel it.

The tiredness I had carried through most of the afternoon disappeared completely.

My mind cleared.

Diana lifted her head.

Every sound in the room seemed sharper.

Every scent stronger.

Knox stood across from us.

Diana looked at him.

He looked back.

Kade felt it too.

Not the power itself.

The difference in her.

Again?

Diana lowered herself.

Again.

Knox moved.

This time, Diana saw everything.

The shift of his shoulder.

The push from his back legs.

The direction of his weight.

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Knox turned.

jana was already behind him.

Tiernan straightened.

Liam stopped smiling.

Knox spun and came at her again.

Diana dodged.

His teeth closed on empty air.

She ran three steps, pivoted, and faced him again.

Good, Kade said.

There was no teasing in his voice now.

Diana’s heart pounded.

Not from exhaustion.

From excitement.

Again.

Knox came harder.

Diana met him.

For half a second I expected to hit the floor.

Instead, she held.

Knox’s weight drove against her.

Diana’s paws slid across the wood.

Then stopped.

Kade went still.

with

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Knox shifted away before she could throw him off balance.

Tiernan spoke quietly.

“She’s stronger.”

Liam nodded.

“A lot.”

Diana heard them.

Her entire body seemed to wake up another degree.

Again.

Kade hesitated.

Abby-

Again.

Knox’s head lowered.

He came at her.

Diana moved.

This time she didn’t try to meet his weight.

She remembered what Kade had taught her.

Watch the shoulders.

Let him commit.

Use his momentum.

She dropped low at the last second.

Knox adjusted.

Too late.

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Sat,

His shoulder hit the floor.

Diana followed him down and ended up over him, front paws planted on either side of his chest.

Silence filled the training hall.

I stared down at him.

Knox stared up at us.

Diana’s ears lifted.

I got you.

Kade didn’t answer.

I got you.

A laugh moved through the mind-link.

You did.

Diana’s tail started wagging.

I couldn’t stop it.

I actually got you.

Yes, Abby.

You’re twice my size.

Not twice.

Almost.

Knox pushed himself up.

Diana jumped back.

Tiernan was staring at us.

Liam looked somewhere between impressed and deeply concerned.

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No.

Tiernan looked at the moonlit floor.

“Again.”

Liam shook his head.

“No.”

Diana turned toward him.

What?

“That’s enough.”

I’m not tired.

“You were barely conscious yesterday afternoon.”

That was yesterday.

“Exactly.”

I knew that tone.

There was no point arguing.

Diana tried anyway.

One more.

“No.”

Tiernan nodded.

“He’s right. We know enough for tonight.”

Diana sat down hard.

Traitors.

Liam smiled.

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Kade walked over and nudged his muzzle against Diana’s cheek.