My Second Chance Mate is a Barbarian (Sera and Fenris) novel Chapter 174

Kane

Jace shook his head, looking at me like I was a pup failing a basic hunting lesson. "You aren't listening. If you listened more to what I was telling you about your technique, then even more yards away wouldn't be so difficult. I can see the potential, Kane. I’m envisioning it. I just need you to get out of your own way."

I went quiet. I hated to admit it, but he wasn't exactly wrong. In my head, I could map out the entire physics of the shot. I could see the curve, the wind resistance, the exact point of impact. But when it came to making the hit, my hands just... failed. It was like there was a disconnect between my brain and my body. It had been that way since Sera left. Since she ripped that piece of my soul out and walked away leaving me for dead.

But Jace didn't know about the "Sera" part of the problem. He just saw a frustrated Alpha.

I looked away, waving my hand like I was brushing off a fly. "Whatever. Shut up, Jace. I’m going back to the house."

Jace reached out and pulled me back, his grip surprisingly firm. "What’s your problem? It’s literally something feasible. A few days away, a little competition, some fresh air."

I snapped. I turned on him, my voice rising. "Are you forgetting I'm an Alpha? I have a pack to run. I have responsibilities. You want me to just go out there competing in some human-world game while my people are dealing with border issues? Leaving my whole responsibility behind?"

Jace was quiet for a second. I could see him "cooking," his brain whirring through a dozen different comebacks. He was a childhood friend who had become more like a brother I never wanted—the kind that knew exactly where to put the salt in the wound.

"Kane," Jace said slowly. "You need to do something that allows you to breathe a different air. Don't you feel it? This environment is too stuffy for you. If you leave for a few days, no one is going to die."

"Elara," I said. It was the only word I needed.

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