Travis nodded and turned back to watch the barn.

It wasn't long before Emily felt the old exhilaration that working with the animals brought her. She let the horses out into the corral and watched the colt play for a while before going in to grab some hay for the cows. She felt her neck wound pull painfully as she lifted the bale of hay and cursed when she felt the bandages. Blood was soaking through them. She decided to deal with that later and loaded a new salt lick by the hay. The ATV ride was always fun, and she enjoyed it today as well. She inhaled deeply and smiled.

Chapter 16.

Chevalier came out of his office and looked around the castle. Things were going smoothly. Nothing had happened to cause concern in over two months. He headed up to Emily's room to see if she was there. He had trained his senses enough not to feel the common emotions she experienced, which lately, was constantly. He was also able to hear voices from her dreams though, and he found it fascinating.

She wasn't in her room, but the heavy curtains were tied to the side, and bright sunlight filtered in from the balcony door. He stepped onto the balcony and looked out over the grass, then froze when his eyes fell onto the three figures on the lawn.

Emily was lying on her back on the thick green grass. Travis was on top of her. His teeth were at her neck, while Kyle stood aside and watched. Fury raged through him, so he jumped from the second-story balcony and landed on the ground, denting the soft grass when he landed. He blurred to them and ripped Travis off of her, throwing him far enough that he landed against the side of the castle, and the rocks crumbled beneath him.

Kyle was at Chevalier before he could get to Emily. "Chevalier! It's not what you think," he said, but was pushed aside.

Emily was on her feet quickly and had her hands on Chevalier's face. "Stop, Chev, stop... it's okay."

She locked gaze with him, and her green eyes calmed him. He was able to repress the rage long enough to see that she wasn't injured. He quickly scanned her body. Her neck was fine, so he ran his eyes past her sports bra and down to the muscles in her tight abdomen, then along the curve of her delicate waist. He found no injuries. Her cut off shorts were sitting low on her hips as his eyes traveled down and noticed no injuries along her legs either.

He stepped back and frowned at her, confused.

She touched his face softly. "It's okay, Chev, honest."

Travis returned while he tweaked his back into place and kept well away from Chevalier.

"Chevalier, it's not what you think. We're teaching Emily some self-defense is all," Kyle said, stepping over next to Travis.

Chevalier shook his head. "You're doing what?"

"Self-defense," Emily said, stepping back from him, smiling.

"But... he was biting you..." His mind swam.

"I was not!" Travis said, offended. "We were trying out a different position. It's no good teaching her to fight a heku if it's not as close to real as possible."

"Watch, Chev!" Emily said proudly. "Come on, Travis. Let's show him what we just went over."

Travis hesitated and gave Chevalier a wide berth as he approached Emily. His eyes were weary when he grabbed her from behind with one arm around her stomach and the other high on her chest. He kept a close watch on Chevalier as he brought his teeth to rest against Emily's neck. He noticed Chevalier tensed and crouched slightly, but he didn't attack.

Suddenly, Emily kicked back and her foot connected with Travis' knee, knocking it out of place as she dropped her body weight and rolled away from him while he fell to the grass. Travis groaned and grasped his dislocated kneecap while he pushed it back into position with a grinding pop. He winced and slowly got to his feet. Emily stood up and smiled at Chevalier.

"See!" she said.

Chevalier was shocked. "Why didn't I think of this?"

"We aren't guaranteeing it'll work against a real attacker, but Travis said it's quite painful and would make him think twice," Kyle said.

"Yeah, it hurts like hell for a few seconds. We figure if she can just buy a little time until help arrives." He was now standing straight, and his knee was entirely healed.

"Okay, back how you were," Kyle told her.

Travis hesitated and then climbed on top of Emily while she laid on the ground. He watched Chevalier cautiously before again bringing his teeth to her neck.

Kyle studied them and sighed, "I'm thinking... there has to be a way. Emily, can you even get your foot up to his knee?"

She brought her knee up but wasn't able to position her foot by his kneecap. "I don't think so."

Chevalier growled. "Let me do it, Travis."

Travis scrambled quickly to his feet, and Chevalier took his place, his jealousy finally subsiding. When he placed his teeth at her neck, he grinned and kissed her neck instead.

Emily slapped his arm. "Behave."

Travis knelt down beside them, studying the location of arms and knees.

"I can knee him," Emily said, bringing her knee up slightly.

"That won't stop a hungry heku," Kyle said, bending down.

Travis moved closer. "Can you get your hands on his head?"

Emily reached up and put a hand on each side of his head.

"That's it, Travis. Good idea!" Kyle said. "It's the element of surprise that'll make this work. If he knew it was coming, he'd be able to stop it, but I doubt anyone will think of this."

"What?" Emily asked, thwapping Chevalier's head when he kissed her neck again.

Emily focused on Kyle, who was demonstrating the move behind Chevalier's back, and she winced. "Seriously?"

"This whole training will only work if we know it's possible for you to do," Travis said, standing up.

Chevalier felt Emily's body tense moments before his head was wrenched to the side, and the crack of his vertebrae echoed through the lawn. He growled and rolled off of her, then readjusted his head and cracked his neck back into place.

"Are you okay?" She was crouched by his side.

"I'm okay. Just give me a minute." The pain was lessening quickly, and he could feel the bones reforming correctly in his neck. "Damn, Em."

"I'm so sorry." She stood up and glared at Kyle and Travis, who were laughing.

"No, no, it's okay." Chevalier stood up and chuckled. "I just wasn't expecting that."

"Let's consider that exercise a success then. The trick is that the heku won't know it's coming," Kyle said finally. "Maybe we should try a wrist attack."

"No one's going to go for her wrist... male at least," Travis said, and then his body tensed as he turned to watch Chevalier.

Emily blushed when she remembered Chevalier saying he'd always go for the neck if he found his donor attractive.

"I guess you're right," Kyle said, thinking. "Besides, you can't control her body if you only have focus on her wrist. By taking her neck, you have your entire body against hers."

Chevalier growled low in his chest, but Kyle ignored it.

"Femoral?" Travis asked.

"That usually only works consensually. I can't imagine going for the thigh while trying to control a hostile victim." Kyle was deep in thought.

Chevalier tried to remember that they weren't talking directly about his wife, but he found it hard, and he was getting antsy. He was also overtly aware of the visible skin Emily was currently showing.

"Let's try a non-feeding attack," Kyle finally said.

"Good idea," Travis said.

"What? Why?" Emily asked.

"It's just a precaution, Em," Kyle said, and turned to nod at Chevalier.

"She'd be running more than likely, right?" Travis said, focused on Emily.

"Yeah probably. Run, Em, and Chevalier, you restrain her and let us have a look," Kyle said, moving into position.

Emily gasped at the look in Chevalier's eyes, and she turned to run. She wasn't more than two feet away when he grabbed her from behind and pulled her off her feet with his hands around her waist.

"Perfect, now freeze," Kyle said. He walked up to them and studied their position.

Emily took the opportunity to kick at Chevalier's knee, but she couldn't reach it and her hands were pinned at her side by his arms. She struggled and could feel him chuckle.

Travis came up from behind and considered options.

"Easy enough, I held you similar to this once," Kyle said, nodding at Emily.

On cue, she brought her head forward and slammed it back into Chevalier's nose. Travis winced when he heard the loud crack. Chevalier let go of Emily suddenly, and she fell to the ground, landing hard on her butt as she looked up at him.

"Argh!" Chevalier yelled, and readjusted his nose. Emily wasn't sure, but it sounded like he might have been cursing in another language.

"Sorry, hun," she said, getting to her feet.

"It's fine... that one stung a bit," he said, smiling at her, and his nose was completely healed.

"Would it make you drop her though, if you really wanted to hold on?" Kyle asked. "When she did that to me, the only reason I kept a hold of her is that I think she was more shocked than I was, and she froze."

Travis tried to suppress a grin.

"No doubt if it's mortal, she'll win... immortal though, if I had to keep a hold on her, I think I would have." Chevalier looked over at her.

"Why even worry about fighting off a mortal?" Emily asked.

She noticed that the three heku glanced at each other quickly.

"What aren't you telling me?" She put her hands on her hips.

"Paul mentioned that there are donors out working for the Valle. We have to be prepared for anything," Chevalier explained, moving closer to her.

"Paul?"

"One of the Valle we have down in our cell," Kyle answered her.

"Still? He's still down there?" Emily frowned.

"What are we supposed to do with him? We can't let him go," Travis piped in.

"Next," Kyle said, changing the subject.

Chevalier grabbed Emily without warning and threw her over his shoulder, nipping at her side playfully.

"I hate this one!" she said, feeling like a child.

She looked up at Kyle and glared when he laughed.

"This one's harder to get out of. There're no vital parts left exposed," Kyle said, studying the newest restraint.

"Okay, put me down," Emily said, but Chevalier didn't let go. She bent into him and bit his back.

"Ouch! Damnit, Em, stop it," he said, grinning.

"Biting an immortal won't work," Travis said seriously, and then looked up when Chevalier chuckled.

"I don't think that was for training purposes," Chevalier explained, smiling.

"Oh!" Travis grinned and looked away quickly.

"Emily, how far back can you throw yourself?" Kyle asked, ignoring the other two.

Emily's body tensed, and Chevalier could feel the strength in her abdomen as she brought her upper body up off of his shoulder and flung herself backwards. Chevalier wasn't prepared for the sudden shift in weight and almost dropped her when she fell back and slammed into his thighs.

"Ouch!" Emily cried, and Chevalier lowered her gently to the ground. She grabbed her knee. "That hurt."

"Sorry, Em." Chevalier knelt to massage her knee. "The sudden weight difference threw me forward, but I wouldn't have let go, and it didn't hurt me at all."

"Hmm, was just a thought," Kyle said, watching them, his mind deep in thought.

"Let me see. Travis, grab Kyle," Chevalier said. Both Travis and Kyle looked to see if he was serious and followed his order when they saw that he was.

Travis easily swung Kyle over his shoulder, though they were the same height.