Chapter 16: If you were mine...

Kai

The gentle hum of the apartment's air conditioning and the soft weight of the blankets wrapping her up are all that Kai can remember before the exhaustion of the day takes over. She drifts off quickly, the kind of deep sleep that only comes after you’ve fought your body to the point of collapse. Sara had practically forced her into bed, her worried eyes glimmering with something akin to motherly concern. Kai couldn’t argue. She was too tired, too sore to even keep her eyes open.

When she wakes up, the afternoon light is softer, more muted, slipping through the blinds in a way that’s comforting rather than harsh. She stretches under the blankets, careful not to make any unnecessary movements—her body still feels like it's been through a warzone. But as soon as her mind catches up with her body, the familiar fire ignites. She’s not staying home tonight. No matter what. She needs to train, even if she’s not going to be doing any movement or sparring.

Sara, of course, is not thrilled when she finds out. "Kai," she starts, arms crossed and face drawn tight in frustration, "you’re not going anywhere. You’re supposed to be resting."

Kai glares at her, determined. "I’m going. I’m not going to just sit here all night."

“You’ll barely make it through the class without collapsing,” Sara counters, clearly not backing down. But she knows better than to argue with Kai once she’s set her mind to something. It’s part of the stubbornness that makes her who she is.

In the end, Sara agrees to take her, but not without a resigned sigh. “Fine. But don’t think you’re going to train. You’re teaching tonight. That’s it. No arguments.”

"Agreed," Kai says, knowing exactly how this is going to play out. She'll teach, and that’ll be that. She'll get her fix of dojo time, without risking further injury.

When they arrive at the dojo, the last thing Kai expects is the heavy weight of James’s stare. He’s standing near the mats, talking to Marty and Scotty, and it’s clear from the tension in his posture that he’s been following her every move since they last saw each other.

Marty and Scotty are the first to approach her, both with friendly grins, chatting easily about the class, about the night’s plans, about anything and everything except the fact that she’s walking in here when she should be resting at home. Neither of them even questions why she’s here.

But James? He’s a different story.

The moment their eyes meet, he’s on her like a hawk spotting its prey. His expression darkens, a flicker of concern flashing behind those icy eyes. But it’s quickly replaced by something colder, more commanding. “You’re supposed to be at home healing,” he says, his tone clipped, the words a reprimand.

Marty chuckles from the side, shaking his head. “Good luck with that,” he mutters. “You think you can get Kai to do what she doesn’t want to do?” The laughter in his voice cuts through the tension in the air.

But James is undeterred. He narrows his eyes at Kai, his voice dropping low as he steps closer. “You should be at home. Resting. Not out here risking further injury. What the hell are you thinking?”

Kai meets his gaze, unwavering. Her defiance rises, even as she feels the pull of his dominance settling over her like a weight. "I’m not going home. I’m here to teach. That’s it."

James’s jaw clenches, but before he can argue further, Kai notices Damian walking into the dojo, his eyes darting around nervously. Something about his posture tells her he’s not quite himself tonight. She approaches him, hoping for a distraction from the tension swirling around her.

Damian’s face tightens with guilt as soon as he sees her. “I’m so sorry, Kai,” he begins, his voice quiet. “I never meant for you to get hurt. It should’ve never happened.”

Kai places a hand on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. “It’s okay, Damian. I’m fine.”

But James is watching them from across the room, his jaw tightening with every passing second. His anger is palpable now. This isn’t just a training accident; it’s much worse. Kai had stepped in during a five-on-one fight to protect Damian, taking a serious cut in the process.

As Damian steps away to prepare for class, Kai feels James’s eyes on her, the silence thick between them. She turns to face him, but the cold, quiet tone of his voice when he finally speaks makes her heart skip a beat.

“You’ve been lying the whole time haven’t you, Kai?” he asks, his words a low growl that sends a chill through her. “Tell me what really happened.”

Kai’s stomach twists in a knot. She knows she’s not getting out of this one. “It wasn’t an accident,” she admits quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I was saving Damian from a fight. A five-on-one fight. That’s how I got hurt.”

James’s anger is simmering just beneath the surface now. He steps closer, towering over her as he lowers his voice, full of authority. “If you were mine, you wouldn’t be here.”

Kai’s heart skips. “But I’m not yours,” she says firmly, meeting his eyes with an unflinching gaze. “You can’t say shit like that here.”

His expression softens, just slightly, before he responds, his voice quiet and edged with something deeper. “You need to behave tonight.” Kai rolled her eyes before turning away from him but he was faster, snapping out a hand to grab her arm, making her stop and look at him, “Promise me.”

Kai’s mouth goes dry. “Fine,” she says, the weight of his words sinking in. “I promise i will take it easy.”

The class goes on, but it’s clear that the energy in the room is different. Kai’s mind is buzzing with the knowledge that James is only getting closer to uncovering the full truth about her.

Kai moved between the rows of students with practiced ease, her steps light despite the dull ache in her side. She wore her Gi like armor, face calm, posture straight, eyes alert. Every few steps, she paused to correct a stance, adjust a grip, give encouragement. Teaching always centered her—it reminded her of who she was, outside the business meetings and boardroom politics.

James watched her like a shadow—present, imposing, silent until she passed him the first time.

“You said you were going to take it easy,” he murmured low, so only she could hear.

“I am,” she replied coolly, not slowing down.

The second pass, she stopped to correct a student’s footwork just a few paces from where James stood with Marty. James’s jaw clenched when she squatted briefly to demonstrate an adjustment.

“You call that taking it easy?”

She straightened slowly, her eyes flicking to him. “Teaching isn’t training.”

He scoffed, a sharp breath that betrayed his irritation. “You’re doing both.”

The third time she came close, he stepped into her path, just slightly—enough to make her pause.

“You’re pushing it,” he said, voice low and edged with something darker. “You promised to rest.”

She tilted her head, brows lifting. “I’m not made of glass, James.”

“No,” he said, eyes narrowing. “You’re made of pure bloody iron and stubborn to boot. But even iron bends if you don’t let it cool.”

Kai stepped around him with an exhale, moving to assist a young girl on her kata. James watched her with a glare that smoldered from across the mats.

By the time class began wrapping up, he’d had enough.

When she passed him one final time, he didn’t let her walk away so easily. His voice dropped into a tone—that tone that made her pulse stutter and seemed to go straight between to her core.

“If you were mine…” he said quietly, his eyes on hers, “you’d be forced to stay home. Tied to the bed with no choice but to rest and heal.”

Kai froze, a breath caught in her throat.

Her reply was sharp, defensive. “I’m not yours, James. Don’t bring that up here. No one knows about that side of me.”

His gaze didn’t waver. “Except Sara.”

She hesitated. “Yeah. Except Sara.” She confessed walking away from him to find her bag and getting ready to leave. Sara was already at the dojo door waiting for her. Between the two of them, the next 4 weeks were going to be insufferable.