by Winter Rose
Sarah quizzically stared at me but didn’t say anything.
“Breakfast?” I asked.
She gave me one last look and gave up on whatever was bothering her.
“Sure.”
Families visiting for the trials filled the dining hall. Most adults left The Estate once they graduated for one of the nearby Koray towns that surrounded this area. The only people that lived on The Estate’s campus were high-ranking Council members, League Warriors, and academy students. The Estate was the beating heart of the Koray, the most secure complex in all the Arcadia.
Having so many people in one place set my teeth on edge.
“Hi, Sarah.” Dave, a Council member who graduated the year before, hurried toward our group. Dave was tall and lean, and his face always looked as if he was up to mischief with his roguish smile. Not only was he heartthrob material, but he was also extremely intelligent. Like Sarah clever.
Speaking of which, she looked so nervous she could be sick. I put a palm on her back to prompt her to reply rather than just stare at her lifelong crush like a crazy person.
“Hi there, Dave.” Sarah did a nervous half wave along with a dazzling smile which seemed to cause Dave to take a step closer.
“How are you? Are you nervous about the exams? No, of course, you won’t be; you’re completely brilliant,” Dave rushed without taking a breath. My friend stood staring at the babbling man, her mouth half open, and she honest to gods flushed!
“Hardly,” Sarah said; not because she was seeking attention, but she genuinely didn’t believe that she was.
“Do you need one last cram session before tomorrow?” Dave asked Sarah, holding onto the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. “I mean, if you’d like. Just because I experienced them only last year, I could come to the library with you and help?” Dave ended the sentence sounding less sure of himself. Geesh, this was the most academic way to try and court someone.
Sarah looked at me with panicked eyes.
“I, erm, said I’d spend the last day together with Lu.”
I gave her a sad, knowing smile in return.
“No, you guys go. Honestly, I’m going to head to the gym and kick some unlucky mutts’ arse.” Sarah started to say something, but I held out my hand to cut her off. “It’s fine, go get your study on.” I smirked, wiggling my eyebrows. Sarah rolled her eyes and gave me a half hug whispering her thanks.
“Finally,” I whispered in return before she pulled away, bright red and looking like a rabbit in the jaws of a Wolf. I did my best not to do an evil laugh at their retreating figures. About bloody time.
Continuing to walk down toward the food, I kept my head high, pretending that the whispering wasn’t bothering me. The smells of the food in the hall were making me nauseous, but my stomach grumbled, sending painful pangs, so I settled for fruit.
I slid down the bench across from Luke and started to nibble at a piece of apple.
“James is back,” Luke muttered as he stacked his bacon between two slices of bread. “Sirens.” My head snapped up; Sirens were renowned for their skills around the realms.
“And?” I whispered.
“Nobody knows,” Luke rolled his eyes, “but if it wasn’t fixed, there is no way in the Underworld that he would have bettered a Siren.”
“He must have failed; the whole Estate would know by now if he passed,” I stated. Luke hummed his agreement while taking a huge bite into the greasy sandwich.
“Hi there, handsome,” said a sickly-sweet voice belonging to Veronica the Vile, and yes, that ingenious name was my idea. I tried not to laugh at handsome right now, whose face was covered in grease.
Veronica the Vile had been pissing me off since birth. She was your typical poofy dress, blond, shallow mean girl, and in one more day, I would not have to deal with her shit again. She had her eyes on Luke as soon as she realized that with his dominance, he was likely to be Alpha or at the very least Beta.
“Heard you fucked a Vampire warlord to win the trial, mutant.” Obviously, she was addressing me, the dear. “Didn’t know you had it in you. I wasn’t sure you had the correct equipment; you know being a mutant and all.” She said this loudly, cupping her pink-stained lips with her perfectly manicured hand. People on tables nearby chuckled, and Luke looked upon her with pity.
“Put much thought into what’s in between my legs have you, V? I’m flattered.” Before the bitch could say one more thing, I ran a finger down Luke’s bicep, “Come on, handsome, let me give you a workout.”
I pulled at his shirt so that he stood. I took a step toward him, mere inches separated us, causing him to gulp. Pausing for dramatic effect, and with my most sultry smile, I winked at the bitch before I walked away swinging my hips. If they all thought I was a whore, Underworld, I might as well own it.
“What?” I snapped at the blond-haired, blue-eyed Wolf that was currently smirking in my direction as we pushed open the double doors.
“A workout, hey, Moon?”Luke’s eyes ran down my body with a shit-eating grin.
“In your dreams dog breath, we’re going to the gym, and that’s all the workout your randy self will be getting.” With a punch to his arm much harder than needed, I walked toward the direction of the gyms.
Chapter Six
The gymnasium was a domed, whitewashed building with various training equipment surrounding a combat ring in the center. We were alone, everyone taking full advantage of the day off by spending it with their loved ones.
“Earths to Luna!” Luke exclaimed, waving his hand in front of my face. Realizing that I went off into a trance, I quickly wrapped my hands and ducked under the side of the ring.
“Come on, Wolf boy, let’s see if you can land a hit,” I smirked at Luke. He looked down at me, his eyes twinkling before he removed his shirt, revealing his golden, athletic stomach.
Without one ounce of fat, his muscles rippled under his narrow waist, before his shape broadened along his chest and back. His arms were vascular, and each corded muscle flexed under my scrutiny. Holy Aphrodite, when did Luke get so hot?
A clearing of a throat brought me back to reality,
“Rethinking your choice of exercise?” Luke smirked, standing a foot away from me. His heated glare ran over my body in some sort of sick revenge, so I did what any reasonable person would. I kicked him. Hard.
Holding onto his stomach, Luke let out a shocked laugh; then his expressive face morphed into a mask void of emotion. His svelte frame took up a lethal stance, and all jokes were immediately forgotten as Luke, the fighter, commenced his attack.
Circling me, I could see his eyes calculating, trying to find a fault in my stance where he could catch me off guard. Lashing out his foot toward my lower abdomen, I caught it easily, twisting and forcing him to his knees with his back to me. He shot his leg back as he aimed for my throat, but I was in front of him before the thought had even formed.
For what seemed like hours we sparred, him on the offense while I blocked. I never tried to land a hit, I just defended. I could see Luke was visibly tiring; his movements became slower and more sluggish. The sweat which evaded me, covered every inch of his visible skin, it rolled in rivulets down his front.
“Staring at my incredibly hot body again, Lu?” Luke panted.
I knew that the stubborn Wolf would continue to spar until he landed a hit. The chances of him doing that before he passed out with exhaustion were slim, so I kindly twisted his arm and threw him over my shoulder flat on his back.
Kneeling on his chest with his chin tightly in my hand, I growled,
“The only reason I would ever look at your incredibly hot body would be to plan where to hit next.” I pushed his smug head to the side,
“Ah, ha! So, you do agree that I am incredibly hot?” I used my knees to push myself into a standing position, causing Luke to grunt and laugh at the same time, cocky bastard.
A slow, deliberate clapping behind me made me twist around to find a man at the top of the spectator seats.
He sat with his legs resting on the seats before him. The shadows hid his face. Gracefully, he swung his legs to a standing position and began to glide down the stairs. Luke stood up next to me as we watched the newcomer closely.
He wore military grade boots, black trousers, and a black, skin-tight, short-sleeved tunic. It fit snugly against his enormous body, leaving nothing to the imagination. Everything about this man was huge. His legs were like tree trunks, and his arms were ripped, every inch of them looked to be wrapped in an intricate tattoo that ended at the top of his neck.
His skin was the color of midnight, his hair as black as mine, cropped into a military style cut. He slowly stalked down the stairs toward us, until the lights that lit up the middle of the dome finally uncovered his features.
His face was impassive, but every instinct in me screamed predator, run away. I assume Luke felt it too because he stiffened beside me, his breathing taking on a feverish quality. The man’s square jaw ticked; his hands fisted tighter as he moved closer. Ducking under the ring, he rose up so quickly, towering over us both.
He must have been almost seven foot, but the way he unfurled his body was with liquid grace. The smell of smoke surrounded me, I took a step backward, and the man’s eyes honed in on my face. They were so dark and rich; you could get lost in the void they created.
His strong nose gave way to voluminous lips. He had the strongest jawline that I had ever seen. The angles of his face were harsh, but his overall appearance was breathtaking.
Be still my beating ovaries; this man was a god.
“Impressive,” his rumbling voice caused my heart to flutter. “But I wonder what you’d be like against a worthy opponent.” With that, he took up an offensive stance; his muscles coiled to pounce.
Luke looked at me, his gaze questioning. He waited for me to nod, before he eyed the stranger once more.
“Your funeral, mate,” Luke laughed as he rolled out of the ring and onto the floor. I realized that this guy was waiting for me to start. I cocked my head to the side, looking over him quizzically. I couldn’t work out what he was, but whatever it was, my instincts told me he was strong. Hairs rose on my arms as I internally made the decision to accept the challenge, and the second I did, he was on me.
His leg took my feet from under me, and for the first time in about five years, someone managed to plant me straight on my arse. From behind, I could hear Luke’s shocked intake of breath. I flipped my legs up so that I could stand again. Changing my defensive tactics, I kicked my foot toward his groin and like I did with Luke earlier, he caught my foot, twisting me around, so I once again landed on my backside.
I continued with this embarrassment all afternoon. Sure, I spent more time on my back than upright, but for the first time in a long time, I was working for it.
He hit out again, landing his fist on my chest, winding me. I bent over to try to catch a breath, but the pain stopped my lungs from inflating. His brow scrunched as he looked me over, almost disappointed. He seemed resigned to the fact he was kicking my arse, which pissed me off.
My annoyance quickly turned into rage, and the rage somehow awoke every nerve ending in my body. My control slipped.
“Do you yield?” He grunted toward my folded vulnerable form, pity lacing his voice. Oh, Underworld no.
The freed energy within me roared to life. Fire spread along my muscles; my hearing intensified along with every other sense. I could almost taste smoke in the air as I straightened up. The sensation spread to every ache and pain, burning away all internal signs that I was losing this fight. I took a deep breath, my lungs inflating, my opponent’s brow twitched.
You are going down, I thought as I tapped into the power I usually avoided.
I threw myself at his massive frame, landing my feet squarely on his chest. Time seemed to suspend as he fell back onto the shuddering mat. I landed with my knees either side of his torso. Heat blazed painfully under me but I refused to recoil back; instead, I drew the heat within myself.
The man stiffened beneath me, his face awash with emotion.
“How?” he asked as the heat below me surged, and once again, I allowed it to flow into my body. I tried not to concentrate on how amazing it actually felt as I bit my bottom lip.
His black eyes honed in on my mouth; time hitched, and so did my heart.
He closed his eyes tightly before his hands snatched my ankles, lifting and throwing me behind him as he stood up. I tucked and rolled.
Stop getting distracted Luna, finish this. The second I thought about moving, I was on him: the speed which I moved, lightning. My fist lashed out against his jaw and then his solar plexus, causing him to bend over as my knee came up to meet his nose in a crunch.
He held onto me, almost in an embrace, crushing my arms either side of my body. With strength that should have been impossible for a female Hybrid my size, I threw him backward ten meters against the side of the ring. His face showed the briefest flicker of shock and excitement, maybe? No, that’s me.
Without even meaning to, I moved in front of him, taking advantage of his shock and landing kick after punch. His arm shot out, smashing me against the side of the ring. I used the momentum to push myself forward, and as my foot kicked out, he lost his balance, pulling me down with him.
A tangled mess of limbs shot out at one another, rolling across the floor. The fire in the pit of my stomach had graduated to burning lava that was licking its way up my throat. I stopped, straddled on top of the man.
A smell that was so incredible filled my senses; I leaned in toward the intoxicating perfume, no longer in control of my actions. Heat surrounded me—heat and a smell so delicious it melted my thoughts. Everything disappeared as every part of me was consumed by the need to get closer.
Hands dug into my hips, and I flattened my own against something solid. An alluring rhythm under my fingertips danced, pulling me in further toward the smell.
“Sire?” A confused voice shook me out of my trance. A growl rumbled from under me. Breath danced across my face, lifting the hair on my arms. The haze lifted to reveal two dark, stormy eyes so close to my own.
“What?” he demanded. His top lip was split, causing his blood to trickle over the crease down to the bottom lip. My stomach panged; my throat closed.
“I … you …” the intruder interrupted once more. A hiss escaped the back of my throat as I snapped my head toward him. The giant hands on my hips dug in further as I took in the face of our disturber. He was a small, dumpy, unremarkable man. Very easy to kill … wait, what?
“The Alpha … he asked me to bring you to the meeting,” he stuttered, visibly shaking. Seeing him cower in the corner was the cold splash of water onto the fire, shocking me back to reality—I was sitting on top of a man that I didn’t know, sweaty and bloody, in a gym, alone.
The hands around my hips slackened as soon as I came to that realization; my fight died. I shot up.
“This better be good!” His voice boomed across the gym, and the messenger shook more than I thought physically possible. I felt him stand behind me as the air changed, the fire in my throat once more clawed its way up painfully. Without another word, the man stormed toward the messenger as he cringed.
The door slammed behind them both, leaving me in the middle of the gym standing in the fucking ring alone.
Chapter Seven
The stream carried blood-tinged water down my body. I felt like I had been beaten to a pulp. Stretching out my limbs, I tested to check the damage. My shoulder and my spine were sore, but nothing was broken. The burning lava crawling up my throat returned to a hollow ache in the pit of my stomach.
After I finally rinsed my hair, I turned off the water and found a towel. Peering into the looking glass, I wiped away the steam to see my reflection. Bruises dotted around my body, one eye was swollen, and my cheek cut. My ribs had taken a beating, and perfect fingerprints marked my hips. Tracing my hand over them, I shook my head, wondering who the stranger was, and how I could learn to
fight like him.
Dressing again in another set of black, skin-tight trousers and a black, long-sleeved tunic, I piled my hair atop of my head in a messy bun and headed toward the library to make sure the bookworm had eaten.
Pushing through the intricately-carved wooden doors, I stepped into the library. With three levels, the library boasted more decoration than the entire Estate. Mahogany bookshelves covered each wall, surrounding large stone fountains with marble statues. Row after row of desks in the same mahogany, seated clusters of girls and the occasional boy, pouring over their books, cramming before their final exams.
Sarah was on the third floor in the furthest corner, tucked away from everyone. Her small frame was dwarfed by Dave’s, who currently had his arm around her back. Interesting.
“Come on, bookworms; let’s get some food in you both.” The pair shot up like they had been caught in the act, definitely interesting.
After several protests from my dedicated friend, and some serious convincing that she couldn’t possibly retain any more information—apparently, it’s easier to do when you have dimples—Sarah stood up. Dave instantly picked up her books, and I coughed over a laugh at the puppy dog eyes she gave him.
“Luna, what’s happened to your face?” Dave asked, completely shocked. Sarah reached around, pulling my face into her hands, eyes full of concern. Those blue eyes were framed with dark rings, and her normally perfect golden complexion was showing signs that she wasn’t looking after herself.
“I will heal soon. Your brain on the other hand, will be no use to anyone if you don’t feed yourself and sleep, you look like a corpse Sar,” I deflected. She made a grumbling sound and rubbed her dainty hands across her brow.
