The Falcon Ridge Series Book 2 Not Just A Girl

(Chapter song ‘Attention’ by Todrick Hall)

JAYSON

I shouldn't have touched her. I shouldn't have fucking touched her. What hell was I thinking?

It was supposed to be innocent enough. Just training right. So, fucking wrong.

When I touched her, this electric heat went straight through my body. Her scent of sweet flowers and honey hit me like a truck. It filled my brain, making me light headed.

I had to get away from her, but every five minutes, I'm fucking looking at her and what's worse is the fucking semi in my shorts. What the hell?

Sarah is such a distraction, I can't seem to focus on anything else. “Wren! I’m going in!”

She looks up from her spot on the field and waves in acknowledgement. As I leave the field, I glance Sarah’s way. She’s being spotted by the kid with the tattoos. God, even that irritates me.

I walk into the Alpha building and Kale jogs up beside me.

He claps me on the shoulder. "Sarah's in at 5am again tomorrow?" He asks as we approach my office.

I put the key in my door and unlock it. "Yeah. Why?"

He rubs his nape. "Just asking in case you changed your mind."

I shake my head. "Nope. 5 am for the whole week."

"Great!" He smiles and claps my back.

I turn to him. "Kale, don't even think about it."

"Whatever happens, happens, Dude. I can't control it." He smirks and he jogs off.

I don't know why, but Kale's enthusiasm for training Sarah is really starting to grate. My wolf isn't liking it either. I really shouldn't care if she's on Kale's bang list. She’s not mine and I don’t want her to be. I'll just forget he said anything and bury myself in my work. He can have the distraction. I don't need it.

I spent the night tossing and turning. I kept thinking about how Sarah felt in my hands. How comfortable they felt around her midsection. Her hips were perfect. Her lips were so close, I could’ve kissed her right there.

The next morning, I’m miserable from my broken sleep and now, it’s even more irritating when I enter the field.

As expected, there they are, laughing, giggling, and fucking around again. Before I raise shit, I get pulled into how beautiful Sarah looks while she laughs. This isn’t helping me ignore her at all.

It might not be the fact that Kale wants to get in her pants. It just might be the fact that I made this as punishment. I mean to make her suffer for her smart mouth, but Kale's making it too fun for her.

I continue to survey the situation when Kale called it, then they see me and head my way.

She's got a nice sheet of sweat on her milky skin and she is a mess, so maybe they did work, but she still had way too much fun for my liking.

He's lean to her, saying something I can't hear. She's laughs and he puts his arm around her shoulder, shaking her. This makes my eyes narrow. My wolf growls quietly. He’s way too nice to her.

Kale has a stupid grin on his face. "Hey, dude. Come to watch the practice?"

Sarah also has the same stupid grin. I look between the both of them. "What practice? All I saw was you two fucking around... again."

Sarah crosses her arms. "Hey, I'm working hard."

I arch a brow. "Looks like it." I grumble. "Maybe this punishment isn't tough enough."

She was about to respond when Kale interrupted and turned to Sarah. "Uh, why don't you get ready for practice. I'll text you those tips I was talking about earlier." He flashes her a smile.

She gives a little salute. "Ok, Alpha." She spins on her toes and bounces toward the track for laps. I can’t help but watch that cute ass as she jogs away.

Once she's out of earshot, I glare at Kale.

He sees it and he gets this innocent look on his face. "What?"

"You got her number?" I question.

He smirks. "Yeah. Just for advice and stuff, of course."

I cross my arms. I don't believe a word out of his mouth. "Don't even go there, Kale."

He smacks my chest with the back of his hand and turns to leave. "Dude, if she wants this, who am I to deny a beautiful woman." He chuckles.

"She's a kid, Kale. Don't be messing with her." I warn.

His mouth ticks up. "Sounds like someone else wants to do the messing."

"No. I just don't want problems here, ok. I know how you are." I tilt my head to him.

"Hey," He puts his hand on his chest. "I told you, bro. Perfect gentlemen." He flips his hoodie over his shoulder. "I'll respect her in the morning over breakfast." He slaps my chest again, gives a wink and jogs off to the Alpha building.

The recruits file out onto the field as I'm watching Sarah run around the track. Kale’s words rattled my nerves. He's dangerous to kids like her. A girl like Sarah would be crushed by Kale's charm.

As much as she bugs the fuck out of me, I can't let Kale get his claws into her.

I'll have to switch him out. Maybe she'll do better with Luke. I'll meet with him later. Right now, I have a practice to run and some unexpected tension to release.

****

The afternoon session, I had the kids get in a group.

I stood in front of them with the other Alphas.

"Settle down! Eyes up here!" I yell.

I walk front and center. "Ok. So, you've all had a couple of days to adjust and get a feel for this place. I must say... you all need a ton of work."

The kids' heads whip back and forth to their neighbors.

"Now, although you'll be worked hard, we do have some activities that may not seem like work to you, but they are." I nod to Deacon and Luke. They bring out a big bin and drop it in front of the group. "Today, you'll be learning team work and strategy. Today..." I flip the lid. "We play some football."

The crowd woke up with quiet excitement.

"Ok. You'll break off into two teams. The losing team will have to do laps around the whole complex."

A hand shoots up. It's a kid named Brent. "What do the winners get?"

"The winners get to skip out on afternoon practice tomorrow." I smirk.

High fives and yesses were heard across the crowd of bodies.

"Alright! Let's play!" I let them get their shirts and a ball. The rest of the Alphas divided the teams.

The teams huddle, make their plays and take to the field.

I blow my whistle and the ball is punted.

A kid on Sarah's team has the ball. He throws it to her and she catches it. I was impressed. She runs up the field. Dodging and spinning around the other players. She's fast. She's almost to the goal, when she's pummeled to the ground by a rather large kid. My wolf claws and I watch with concern. She gets up, dusts herself off and they set up for the next play.

They get into a scrimmage and Sarah's twin, I found out, took the ball to the goal. Shane spikes it and the two of them do goofy dances, making the corner of my mouth tip up.

They take their kick and it's wide. Now it's defense.

The ball is punted and the opposing team goes in for the toss. The catcher grabs the ball and runs. Sarah jumps to tackle, but he's a solid kid and she bounces off him. He barely falters. She gets up and runs at him again. She dives for his ankles, grabs them and makes him fall on his face. Not the greatest play, but it worked. He dropped the ball.

When the play is turned to offense, Sarah once again gets the ball and runs. She can't seem to get around the opposing team, so she throws the ball and is immediately tackle by some kid who obviously wasn't paying attention. She goes down on her back hard. Again, my wolf is going nuts.

Luke blows his whistle. He strides out to the field and starts yelling at the kid. Kale runs to see if Sarah's alright. She seems hurt, but nothing serious. He leads her off to the side to sit and I meet up with them.

I glance at Kale then Sarah. "You, ok?"

She pants. "Yeah. Just a little winded and my chest hurts."

"I should take you to the infirmary." I put my hands on my hips.

She shakes her head. "I'm ok. I just need a minute."

"That wasn't a request." I tilt my head to her.

She rolls her eyes. "I'm fine."

I arch a brow at her defiance. "On your feet."

She groans as she stands, holding her chest.

I turn to Kale. "I'll be back."

He nods and runs out to the field to stop Luke from completely losing his shit.

I walk Sarah up to the Alpha building. The infirmary is a twenty-bed clinic with basic medical staff and access to more serious equipment, if needed. For this type of stuff though, we don't need too much. Shifter healing really is a great skill.

As we walk, she glances at me. "You don't have to walk me. I know where it is."

I side eye her. "It's my job."

"I know." She looks ahead. "I'm sure you have better things to do."

"This is part of what I have to do. I have to make sure you're OK." I side eye her again.

"I told you I'm fine." She doesn't look at me.

"I know you did. I'd just like to hear it from our doctor, if that's alright with you." I arch a brow at her.

"Whatever.” She mutters.

I can't tell if she’s mad about getting hurt, mad about having to leave the game or mad at me for coming with her. But her teenage attitude is clearly showing. The kind of attitude that bugs me to no end.

I take her in and sit her down on a bed. "Stay here." I order.

I find a nurse and fill them in.

The doctor comes in and tells Sarah to lift her t-shirt. I shouldn't have been watching this. The sight of her stomach and her ribs, although starting to bruise bad, has my wolf growling in my chest. I actually found myself biting my lip.

The doctor feels around and Sarah's yelps loud. He sighs. "Yep. A broken rib. You'll need to take it easy for the rest of the afternoon."

She develops a tiny wrinkle in the middle of her eyebrow. "Can't you just give me something for the pain? I've got to a game to win." She whines at the doctor.

One thing I actually like. She’s driven and determined to win. As far as soldiers go, it’s a great trait.

"Sorry, young lady." He crosses his arms. "Whatever game you were playing, it's over."

Oh, I think it's just beginning.

The doctor turns to me. "She sits out the rest of practice. She'll be good tomorrow."

I nod. "Come on. I'll take you to your room."

She slowly gets down from the bed. "I can walk myself."

I shake my head. "No. I'm escorting you. No arguments."

"Fine." Again with the eye roll.

I wave her out the door and we walk to the dorms.

We're about half way there when she stops, turns and looks me dead in the face. "Why are you doing this?"

I'm kind of shocked by her question. "I told you, it's my job." I furrow my brow.

"No." She shakes her head, not breaking eye contact. "I feel like you wouldn't be doing this for anyone else. Why?"

I scoff and continue walking. "I'd do this for anyone under my command. There's nothing to read here."

She steps in line beside me. "I don't know. You're hiding something."

"Don't pretend that you know me, kid, because you don't." I grumble.

"I think I do. At least a little bit." She smirks.

"Trust me, you don't know shit." I open the door to the dorms and let her in first. I escort her to her room five doors down the hall from the entrance.

She stops and turns around. "I think there's a cool guy in there somewhere."

I turn her knob and open the door. "Kid, you keep poking and you'll be thoroughly disappointed. Now, get some rest. You're training with Luke tomorrow at 5am and trust me, he's not as chipper as Kale that early in the morning."

She scowls at me and spins. Her blonde hair flails out, hitting me before she slams the door in my face.

I groan and walk back to the field. Fucking teenagers.

I join the guys in the huddle by the field just as the game finishes up.

"Luke, you're with the kid at 5am tomorrow morning." I bark.

He’ll fix that attitude of hers. He has just about as much patience for it as I do.

Both Kale and Luke go wide eyed. "What?" They say at the same time.

"What the hell? I'm not getting up that early!" Luke protests with a scowl.

I stare at him. "Yes, you are. Kale can't keep it in his pants, so I need you to do it."

Cass snickers and Kale jabs his arm. "I wasn't doing anything!"

I turn to him. "You're right, you weren't. That includes actual training. If I'm going to teach this kid anything, I need someone who's going to train her, not try to bone her."

Cass crosses his arms. “The fact that you think Jackson won't try to bone her is truly laughable.”

“Shut up, dick!” Luke growls.

“You actually gonna stand there and deny it?” Cass smirks.

He opened his mouth to retort, but closed it because it’s true.

I hold my hand up to him. "5am and make sure you train her, got it?"

"Fine." He grunts. "But you owe me." He points to my face.

"Just do your job." I walk over to the field. "Ok, recruits! Hit the showers!"

I stomp back up to the Alpha building. With that taken care of, maybe I can reign in this frustration.