Daemon Grudge

by Stacey Brutger

  Any pleasure she received from the training vanished. It didn’t take a genius to know they were going to leave her behind.

  She searched the pit, spotting Warrick on the other side of the arena. It only took one look to know he wasn’t any happier about the decision. His blue eyes were bitterly cold, rage seeping into the air around him with each breath.

  “When do you leave?” Octavia tore her gaze away from Warrick to find the three remaining guys staring at her.

  “Now.” Keegan didn’t sound happy about the fact.

  Apparently the other two guys weren’t pleased either.

  In fact, they were furious, and some of her own ire evaporated.

  “It was part of the deal Warrick struck with the demigods.” It didn’t take a genius to figure that out, and she gave the guys a crooked smile. “Go, I’ll be fine.”

  If anything, her acceptance pissed them off more.

  “Not alone, you won’t.” Warrick spoke from behind her, and she resisted the urge to whirl and face him.

  “What? Do you think I’m going to get in trouble and snoop around without you to watch over me?” Because fuck, yeah, she had every intention of doing exactly that.

  Warrick came to a stop at her side, then grabbed her chin, tipping her head back to study her face, and she raised a brow at him in challenge. His mouth quirked up at one corner before he could crush the urge, and he released her, seeming satisfied with what he saw. “Yes, which is why Atticus will remain behind to keep an eye on you and make sure you stay out of trouble.”

  Her face tingled where he’d touched her, and she clenched her hands into fists against the need to rub the spot and find out if he worked some sort of magic on her.

  What she felt wasn’t attraction.

  And if she denied it long enough, she could make it true.

  She hoped.

  Nikos scowled, swinging his arm out to point at Atticus, drawing her away from her rambling thoughts, thank the gods. “Why him? He’s infatuated with her. I’m the better choice to keep her in check.”

  Keegan actually cracked a smile. “At the first hint of mischief, you would become her sidekick. Instead of keeping her out of trouble, she’d seduce you into joining her.”

  Nikos opened his mouth to object, then closed it and crossed his arms, clearly pouting.

  Octavia understood why Warrick had to go. He needed to protect his team. He would never send them out without him being in charge. Keegan, though…his eyes caressed her, memorizing her features. She wasn’t sure if it was because he didn’t expect to return or if he wanted to make sure she was the same when he returned.

  A sour taste flooded her mouth at the thought of him not coming back, and she pressed her lips together against asking if he saw something with his abilities, but she didn’t think his worked that way. He didn’t see the future, he saw ways in and out of dangerous situations.

  And she suddenly knew why he was going.

  “You’ll make sure they come back okay?” The pit echoed with the sounds of stomping feet, laughter and loud voices as the trainees exited for break, but she ignored everything but the man in front of her.

  His shoulders relaxed, as if he’d been worried about how she’d feel when he didn’t volunteer to stay with her. “Always.”

  Her mouth parted like he’d whispered the promise to always return directly to her, leaving her heart fluttering, and she wished she didn’t react so strongly to any of them.

  Pythia’s words came back to taunt her…mates.

  She never expected to have a mate, much less four of them, never found anyone who inspired such devotion, but she couldn’t shake the yearning to claim all these guys as her own. They were special, and as much as she wanted to deny it, they were getting to her.

  While she could shrug off their combined efforts to seduce her, she wasn’t sure she could fight her own desire at the same time. As the guys prepared for their hunt, she wrestled with the anxiety of having them out of her sight.

  Chapter Seventeen

  After the guys geared up and disappeared on their clandestine mission, Octavia fought against the impulse to follow, the need to go after them riding her hard. She’d tried to argue that it would be safer to take her with them, but they were having none of it.

  She was here to train.

  So she would stay behind and train.

  “I’ll make you some food.” Atticus turned and hightailed it to the kitchen, letting her pace and work off her frustration.

  Smart man.

  “Wait.” She smiled at his retreating back. “Why don’t we go down to the cafeteria for the evening meal? We came here to spy on the daemons, and how are we supposed to do that if I’m never allowed near them?”

  The wolf disliked the idea judging by the way a snarl curled his lips, his fangs flashing in annoyance. One look at her mulish expression and he snapped his mouth shut, knowing better than to deny her again. “Fine.”

  He stomped toward the door, and Octavia scrambled after him, hauling ass for fear he would change his mind. As the elevator door slid shut, she shifted from foot to foot, barely able to contain her excitement. Oh, she didn’t give a shit about the food or meeting more daemons. No, it was the chance to get out of the jail where they expected her to stay, like an obedient little woman, while they ran off to do manly stuff.

  As the elevator descended farther underground, she studied the quiet wolf at her side. He practically bristled with aggression, and she suddenly felt awful for forcing his hand. She touched his arm. “I promise I’m not up to any mischief.”

  He quickly grabbed her hand, then set it on his arm, before reluctantly releasing her, patting it as if to make sure she would stay put. “I know.”

  Shivers raced down her spine at the rough grumble, and she lost her train of thought at the feel of muscles rippling under her touch. Warmth seeped into her at his nearness, the scent of a campfire whisking around her.

  The elevator doors opened, and she jerked upright, dazed and more than a little confused. When the elevator doors began to slide shut, Atticus shoved his foot between them, and it took her a moment to remember where they were heading. Instead of exiting the elevator, she turned to find him devouring her with his eyes, the stunning green had shards of red spearing the center as he struggled to keep his wolf in check.

  “If you don’t want to find yourself pinned to the wall and kissed within an inch of your life, you best move. You have two seconds.”

  Her brain actually froze at his demand, desire warring with common sense.

  “Two.”

  She was thinking, dammit.

  “One.”

  “Fine.” Octavia huffed and stomped off the elevator, completely dissatisfied and beyond frustrated, but until she decided whether she wanted them as mates, she would not give in to temptation. It wouldn’t be fair to any of them. She had a feeling that one touch, one kiss would never be enough, and it scared the bejesus out of her.

  She followed the hallway and came to the double doors of the cafeteria. The babble of voices quieted and all eyes swung toward them when they entered. She was able to spot the trainees scattered throughout the room. To her surprise, there were more than fifty people present.

  Atticus nudged her toward the food line. “Not every daemon comes here to become a fighter. It takes hundreds of lesser daemons to run this place.”

  Looking closer, she noticed the subtle differences—the fighters were seated together. They didn’t interact with anyone else, almost like the others didn’t exist unless the elites wanted something.

  Atticus sauntered toward the food, completely unfazed by the divide. He grabbed a tray and began loading a number of dishes on it. She followed his lead, selecting everything that caught her eye.

  By the time they reached the end of the line, her tray was overflowing. As she walked toward an empty table, a male a few years younger rose to his feet, twisting his hands together as they neared.

  Just past the kid’s should
er, she saw Atticus stiffen and turn, his eyes shimmering red, like he was ready to set down his tray and rip the kid’s head completely off. She subtly shook her head, and breathed a sigh of relief when no blood was spilled.

  “You’re the Valkyrie.” Awe colored the kid’s statement.

  It wasn’t a question, but she answered anyway, responding to the expectation and hope lighting up his expression.

  “Yes.” Trepidation swamped Octavia, and she glanced around the room, waiting for the predators to circle and rip her to shreds.

  “You saved my brother’s life years ago.” He reached out as if to touch her, then pulled back and curled his hands into fists. “If there is anything you ever need, just ask.”

  Before she could say anything, he ducked away and sat back down at his table.

  Octavia stood immobilized, caught completely unprepared and unsure how to react. Atticus grunted, turned, and continued on to their table. Just when they reached it and set down their trays, everyone at the table next to them rose to their feet, and the room fell silent.

  The fighters watched with interest, not one of them protesting, while the rest of the room held their breath.

  A male trainee from the pit and his henchmen smirked as they approached. “They’re not going to be around forever to protect you.”

  Atticus just rolled his eyes and sat, smoothing down his beard to disguise his smirk.

  Octavia couldn’t help it and burst out laughing. “Does that line work on all the girls, or am I special?”

  The brute narrowed his eyes, menace pooling around him. “I’m going to enjoy breaking you.”

  “Listen, creep,” she set down her tray with a little more force than necessary, the items rattling ominously before she turned to face the asshole, “I’m only here for the training. Once I learn how to control my abilities, I’m out of here. Don’t start something you’ll regret. While you might land a couple of blows, I will ultimately win the war.”

  Without waiting for him to reply, she sat and picked up her fork.

  He stormed toward her, his fury blistering the air. “You bitch—”

  Not giving him a chance to unleash his magic on her, she twisted her arm and slammed her fork into his thigh. He bellowed in pain, grabbing his leg as he stumbled back. He gripped the metal handle of the fork and yanked. Blood soaked his pants in an ever-increasing circle.

  He gaped at the wound, then the fork before his eyes snapped up toward her, rage darkening his face. “I’m going to—”

  “To what?” Atticus stood and leaned over the table, his eyes turning pure red as his wolf rose to the surface while Atticus fought the urge to leap over the table and rip out the guy’s throat.

  “Come on, Chuck.” One of the smarter kids grabbed her attacker’s arm and tried to pull him away.

  Chuck?

  Huh.

  She squinted up at him, never pegging him for a Chuck. It was such a mundane human name.

  Chuck, the one who called her fresh meat earlier, jerked his arm away and thrust the bloody fork in her direction before flinging it to the floor and pointing at her. “This isn’t over.”

  She wanted to grab the offending digit and break the fucker. Some of her thoughts must have telegraphed to him. His finger wilted slightly before he tucked it away, and he scowled at her with renewed animosity. “You were about to use magic in a restricted area. What do you think would’ve happened if I hadn’t stopped you?”

  She took a vicious bite of her fries instead and raised a brow at him.

  His eyes narrowed in a way that promised retribution, then he stomped off, steam all but pouring from his ears. She didn’t know what pissed him off more…that she stood up to him, or that she was right and had saved his ass.

  Atticus glared at the man’s back, then released a long sigh. When he glanced back at her, small shards of green had returned to his eyes. “You’re not making any friends.”

  “He never had any intention of being my friend.” Octavia snorted and grabbed another fry, waving it in the direction of Chuck and his minions. “He wanted to grind me under his boot the moment he saw me.”

  The wolf grumbled under his breath but didn’t disagree. “It might be best to finish our food back in our room.”

  It was an order.

  When he grabbed the tray from her, she snatched up the burger and smirked at him before taking a bite. As she rose to her feet, two older daemons entered the cafeteria. They scanned the area until they spotted Atticus, then strode toward him.

  Curiosity piqued, she kept quiet as they approached.

  Atticus was having none of it and hastily shoved the two trays at her. She dropped her sandwich on top and grabbed them. Only he didn’t release his hold, and she peered up at him. “Go directly to the room. No detours. I’ll be there shortly.”

  Tiny crinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes, the only outward sign that he was displeased by the interruption.

  She was furious all over again that they were keeping things from her, but now was not the time to question him. She studied the two daemons, noticed their weapons, sensed their restrained power, but she didn’t get the impression that they were a threat.

  Giving Atticus a reluctant nod, she took the trays and hustled toward the elevator, her hunger long gone. She didn’t like leaving him alone. He was a grown man, he could take care of himself, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she needed to stay.

  It didn’t take long to find the elevator. She stopped in front of the doors, glanced at the trays in her hands in consternation, then carefully turned and used her elbow to press the button.

  And froze when Chuck and his goons rounded the corner.

  Chuck took in her awkward position, and a grin spread across his face. “Well, what do we have here? A little mouse. All alone. You think you’re so special because you’re the Valkyrie. You’re nothing, and I’m going to prove it.”

  Two of the daemons held back and shook their heads. “Count me out. I don’t have a death wish. If she doesn’t manage to kill you, her team will. They’re possessive of her, you saw that. They won’t be happy if you fuck her up.”

  Chuck laughed, smugness oozing from him. “I’m not worried. They might have been hunters once upon a time, but they couldn’t cut it. They haven’t been active for years, they don’t have the balls to break the rules. They won’t risk their precious freedom for her.”

  “It’s your death wish.” Two daemons turned and took off, leaving her to deal with the other three. While she could take them, they were trained, so it wouldn’t be an easy fight, especially in the enclosed space. She thought about running but knew she wouldn’t get far.

  As they sauntered toward her, full of cocky confidence, she didn’t wait for them to attack. She flung one tray at the kid on the right, then brought the remaining tray up, and slammed the edge into the throat of another.

  Before she could turn, Chuck yanked the tray away from her, and she dodged as he swung it toward her face, which put her in the middle of the three guys. The one she throat-punched was leaning heavily against the wall, cradling his neck, so she focused on the other two.

  The one on the left picked up the knife that had fallen off the tray, the urge for vengeance twisting his expression. Then his eyes flickered to look over her head. Acting on instinct, she dropped and twisted away.

  She managed to dodge Chuck, but fire streaked along her ribs when the knife bit into her flesh. When the doors to the elevator dinged, everyone froze and turned.

  Five elite daemon hunters straightened lazily, their eyes sharpening on the scene before them…then their combined gazes landed on her. Each one was more gorgeous than the last, and her eyes clashed with the leader of the group. His short blond hair was styled, his cheekbones sharp, his green eyes piercing, but it was the deadly aurora around them that screamed danger and made her take notice.

  The hunters were older, the cynical look in their eyes similar to her guys—they’d lived through hell and didn
’t come back whole.

  “Problem?”

  Octavia straightened, trying not to slip on the food smeared across the floor, and smiled brightly, ignoring the blood trickling down her back. “Nope, just waiting for the elevator.”

  Chuck and his men scrambled to attention, their faces pale, none of them meeting her look. The knife that had scored her back clattered to the floor.

  Amusement twitched the lead hunter’s lips. With a nod of his head, the four guys behind him exited the elevator, and he followed, then reached out and held open the elevator doors for her. “Darren—at your service.” He clicked his heels together, then bowed gallantly. “Your chariot awaits, my lady.”

  Despite herself, she was charmed, and gave him a quick curtsy. “Thank you, my lord Darren.”

  She stepped onto the elevator, suppressing a grimace at the trail of blood she left behind. Lifting her chin, she gave Chuck and his goons a little wave as the doors closed. She reached forward to press the button for her floor when a menacing voice reached through the metal.

  “Which one of you touched her?” Octavia froze, recognizing the authority in the voice—Darren was pissed.

  “She had an accident, dropped her tray. We only stopped to help.” Chuck sounded strangled, as if one of the guys had a hand around his throat and pinned him to the wall.

  “Good.” Dark amusement coated the leader’s word. “Then I don’t need to tell you that when her wolf smells her spilled blood mingled with your scent, he will hunt you down and rip out your throats.”

  Honest to gods, she’d swear she heard Chuck and his idiot friends gulp. An evil grin tugged at her mouth. She really wished she could see them. Not waiting to hear more, she pressed the button to her floor. As she travelled upward, she twisted around to gauge the severity of her injury, gingerly probing her ribs.

  Bruised, but nothing too serious.

  The wound was shallow.

  She reached their suite without further incident. She carefully peeled off her shirt, wincing when the movement tugged at the cut. On the way to her room, she detoured to the bathroom to toss the blood soaked shirt in the garbage.