“Do you feel up to some light exercise?”
Ash grinned. “Yes!”
“Right, I want you to stay with the group here and work on your stretches. When I say light exercise, I mean it. If I see you pushing yourself too hard before the doctor has given you the okay to train, then I will pull you off training permanently.”
Aisline nodded solemnly, knowing that Kelton wasn’t bullshitting her. He was giving her a bit of leeway and she wasn’t about to push her luck. Heck, he could have sent her back into the library to do some more research, or to help with the ongoing unpacking, but he hadn’t. Not waiting for him to change his mind, Ash didn’t waste a moment in starting to stretch her limbs.
Kelton watched her for a moment to make sure that she didn’t jump straight into any strenuous press-ups before he moved over towards the far side of the mansion. The first group of runners were already sprinting around the corner, trying desperately to out-race one another.
As the next group raced off down the path, Denver came staggering around the corner, having to jump out the way so he wasn’t trampled. It was clear that he was trying to walk with his usual swagger and confidence, but failing miserably. The aches in his limbs weren’t making his movements very fluid and frown lines were etched between his eyebrows.
“Dammit Denver! This isn’t break time. Get a move on and get into a group.” Kelton roared.
Denver smirked and strolled over to where the rest of the guys were on the ground, apparently oblivious to Kelton’s ice cold stare. He was back in his element now that the punishment was finally over and done with. This training lark was going to be a breeze after all that hard work.
“What the hell are you waiting for?” Kelton barked.
Denver mumbled under his breath as he slid to the floor to join in with the rest of the group that were closest to him.
Aisline was watching Denver warily. There was no surprise that she didn’t trust a single move he made. The boy had done nothing to instil any trust in her. He had been the one that had put the group in danger when they were out in the field and despite his many apologies, Aisline wasn’t inclined to believe that he was going to change into a better person. Hell, he’d tried to push his luck with her from the moment she had stepped in the academy, including coming on to her a little too strong so that she had to injure him where it hurt to fight him off. Denver was the kind of guy that thought he was God’s gift to the female sex and unfortunately for him, he didn’t seem to understand the word ‘no’. Ending up on the floor writhing in pain sure hadn’t been part of his plan when he had turned up in her room that night. And, right now, from the look that crossed his face, he was about to start up some more trouble.
“Look what the cat dragged in.” Denver snorted, finding his own joke hilarious. “Or should I say, the dog?”
“Denver, give it a rest.” Ash hissed at him.
He had been the main one to ridicule and torment her when she’d first come to the academy. He had thought it was all one big joke that a girl had received the warrior mark, until she had knocked him flat on his backside during her very first sparring session.
Although Ash welcomed the reprieve from Denver’s jibes, she knew that it wouldn’t last for long. At the moment, he was still weighed down with guilt over what had happened to her and he could barely bring himself to look at her. However, she didn’t think that it was particularly wise of him to start something with the shifter. They were well known to be an unruly bunch, unpredictable. Caleb for one was clearly uncomfortable being there and a shifter on the edge wasn’t something that anyone should mess with. There was no way that way Caleb was going to take any of Denver’s crap lying down.
Caleb stood up, topping Denver by several inches. Caleb may have been standing alone against Denver and his cronies, but he didn’t look the least bit intimidated by any of them. “Have you got a problem, fanger?” he growled huskily.
Denver didn’t back down. He didn’t know when to back down. That was one of his main problems. He thought he was invincible. The Mortuorum had shown him that he was anything but, but here on his home turf, he had clearly forgotten that.
Trey stood up next to Caleb, but he didn’t seem to notice. Ash did and she appreciated the sentiment.
“Get back to it, all of you.” Kelton demanded, moving over briskly when he saw the boys bristling for a fight.
Denver smirked again as he casually curled to the floor to continue with the exercises. Caleb took another second or so before turning around and walking back over to where he and Trey had been exercising. Denver was still looking amused, but Caleb looked royally pissed off.
After speaking to Caleb the other day, Aisline was simply annoyed at Denver’s behaviour. He was reinforcing everything that Caleb thought about them all and about him not being able to fit in there. She hoped that Caleb would take a little more notice of Trey and see that the rest of them were nothing like Denver. He was in the minority.
“Denver, I seriously don’t expect to hear of any more problems involving you. I think that you’ve done more than enough in your short time here, don’t you? Wasn’t that punishment enough?” Kelton stabbed a finger in the direction of the exterior course.
Shaking his head, Kelton narrowed his eyes at the trainee. After the boy had completed his punishment, he was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and not resort to bringing up his past mistakes, but he also hadn’t expected Denver to roll back in here with his dumb-ass comments. Kelton had hoped that the boy would have learned something during his time of hard labour, but clearly not.
To give him his due, Denver had shown immense remorse for the situation that he had put Aisline in. It was not common knowledge what had happened out there in the field. The rest of the trainees knew nothing of Denver’s part in it, or Merion’s for that matter. That was on a need to know basis, and they didn’t need to know. Discretion was the better part of valour in this case.
Kelton glanced around at the trainee’s working up a sweat. Those that were on the floor doing press-ups were already flagging and the sprinting speed had slowed down considerably. “On your backs for sit-ups! Get moving!” he called out, wanting to give the guys a full body work-out.
He continued to watch them for a further forty minutes. It was clear that they all needed to increase their stamina, which was why Kelton had decided on this kind of exercise for tonight. As warriors in training, they had to have the full package. There was no point in being excellent in the fighting aspects of the work if they were tired out after the first minute. It would put their whole group in danger if they couldn’t keep up the speed out there in the real world. It was Kelton’s job to get them ready for that, in every way possible, and that was what he intended to do.
“How long do we have to do this for?” Lewis whined, the sweat dripping down the side of his face as he panted like a dog.
“Until your stomach muscles are screaming and your legs feel like they’re going to drop off. And even then you’ll keep on going.” Kelton said, not sounding out of breath in the least. He was on the ground, exercising along with the kids. If he could keep on doing it, so could they. He could feel the muscles burning and it felt good.
A collective groan rose up from the others, cursing Lewis for speaking up and probably making matters worse.
Pushing them for another ten minutes, he knew that the guys had had enough. Kelton sat up and called time. The runners fell to the ground as they finished up their sprint and the boys on the ground stretched, moaning at the relief.
“You’re all warriors in training. This isn’t an easy life. You have to constantly work at it. This is only the beginning for you.” Kelton said in a slightly softer tone. They’d done him proud. He rode them like he did because he had to, he had to get them prepared for the life they were going to lead. Sure, they might hate him for it now, but they would all thank him in the long run.
“All of us?” Denver snickered.
Kelton glared at him, knowing exactly what
he was insinuating. “Yes. All of you. Every single one of you out here. You are all going to be Sons of Satrina warriors. That is what sets you apart from the rest. Not your race or your gender. You are all here to work towards the same goal. You work together as a team now and you’ll trust one another with your lives out in the field when it really matters.”
“But, seriously, how’s that going to work?” Lewis piped up.
“How is what going to work?” Kelton looked at him blankly. If the kid had any sense at all, he would have dropped that line of questioning, but Lewis wasn’t showing any kind of sense at all. The more time he spent with Denver, the more arrogant he got.
“Well, um, uh, I mean, they’re shifters, right? Who are they going to protect? Us or them? It makes no sense?”
“What happens in the future is of no consequence to you. Caleb and Rees bare exactly the same mark as you and will both be going through the same rigorous training as you. They are warriors, same as you.” Kelton glared menacingly. Lewis couldn’t think of anything to say to that so Kelton continued. “You will all go through the same training and you will be out there working in the field together. I suggest that you consider this when you make such remarks. One day, you could be relying on one of these young men to have your back.”
There were selected murmurs of agreement. Caleb stared stonily ahead, hating being thrust into the limelight once again. A few of the other guys were exchanging grins and fist bumps, loving Lewis and Denver being taken down a peg or two.
Ash knew that it was going to be hard for Caleb during his time at the academy, surrounded by ‘bloodsuckers’ day in, day out. She knew that he would jump at the chance of going back to his old life, but that just wasn’t and option for him anymore. He would have to learn to work with what he had or he was going to have a very miserable life. Looking around, there were plenty of guys that were trying to be right with him, but he wasn’t seeing that. Hopefully, he would open his eyes one day soon. They weren’t all like Denver and Lewis.
Caleb glanced over at Aisline in that moment. He didn’t know why. She was a reassuring presence. Plus, she was strikingly beautiful, that was if you were into the fanged variety. That long dark blonde hair of hers was wrapped up into some intricate knot on the top of her head, showing off the warrior mark on her temple proudly. It wasn’t just that she was the only female his age in the place, she would have been a knock out in any given situation. But, it wasn’t just her looks that held him in fascination. It was how she was.
He had to draw his eyes away from her when Master Warrior Kelton continued speaking, but he wasn’t really listening. It would have been far easier for him to just keep on staring at her, but the guy who was standing next to Trey was giving him the evil eye. Maybe that was her boyfriend? She hadn’t mentioned anything about a boyfriend to him, but why would she? It wasn’t like he had asked her out or anything.
Aisline had been one of the very few that had tried to make an effort with him so it was a bit of a surprise when one of the biggest trainees, Trey, went out of his way to say hi and invite him to sit with them at lunch. Caleb didn’t know what to say and settled for nodding awkwardly.
It wasn’t like it was much different from any mealtime, for he had been sitting with Aisline at the same table, but this time it was different. The way the guys treated him was different. He may not have said much, but Caleb could feel a subtle difference in the way they treated him. It was like they were no longer so wary of having him around. He had no idea what had happened to bring about this change, nor was he ready to dive headfirst into making friends, but at least it was easier now. He didn’t feel quite so alone.
Caleb kept quiet, eating and watching as the others laughed and joked about. Luckily, they only had a short time to power up before they all had to head over to the gym area. He wasn’t the most social person. However, he did appreciate Trey making the effort and easily fell in next to him as they walked over to their next gruelling work out session.
It was quite a surprise to him to find that the guys who he was with talked about the kind of things that he normally would, such as the latest games on the market, bands they wanted to see, movies they couldn’t wait to come out on DVD. It was nice, in a weird kind of way. What he had expected them to talk about, he wasn’t sure. Blood? Biting people?
Plus, once they got to the gym, Trey didn’t hesitate to include him in their group when Kelton got down to arranging the guys. Usually, he would have hung back until Kelton had forced him on a group. Even he noticed the look of happy surprise on Kelton’s face when he saw him standing with the others, ready to get down to it.
Caleb thought that it was perhaps time for him to rethink a few things and give the guys at the academy a chance? Well, some of them, anyway. That Denver guy and his clique were still making snide comments every time Caleb walked by them and they thought the warriors couldn’t hear.
When they had all finally sorted themselves out into groups, Master Warrior Kelton demonstrated the circuit he wanted them all to do. It sounded like a piece of cake, even after the exhausting training they’d been put through earlier. Caleb could do all that and more without even breaking a sweat. Those vamps had nothing on shifters when it came to staying power.
“Well? What the hell are you all waiting for? Move it!” Kelton bellowed and the groups jumped into action.
Caleb glanced over at Aisline, who remained standing over near the door. “Aren’t you training?” His eyes flicked to the tight work-out gear she was wearing.
“No.”
“Too much like hard work, huh?” Caleb grinned, knowing exactly why she wasn’t training, but trying to make a joke out of it to make her feel better.
“Hardly,” she scoffed. “I’ll be running rings around you all when I get back to it.”
“Come on. You’re supposed to be my partner in this, man.” Trey puffed and pulled on his arm. Caleb laughed. He couldn’t help it. Out of all the vamps he had come across, Trey would have been the one that would have had least problems with this course. The man was a machine. He was doing this to help Caleb out, to get him to join in. Funnily enough, it didn’t feel like a charity move. Trey was a genuine guy. Caleb gave Aisline a mock salute and he and Trey raced off in hot pursuit of the others.
Aisline rubbed a hand over her face to try and hide her own grin. Caleb was gorgeous, fun and confident, but not in the arrogant way that Denver was. The more he settled in, the more she was seeing of him. He had a killer personality and would be a lot of fun to be around if he ever loosened up. He may be a little rough around the edges, but he didn’t seem like a bad guy. Hopefully, Trey would have the right kind of influence on him and bring him out of his hard shell.
Jackson was still glancing over at her every few minutes when he didn’t think she was watching. It was like he was afraid she was going to break. As much as she wanted his attention, the pity that he was throwing her way when he thought she wasn’t looking was definitely something she could live without.
Ash watched in silence as Kelton put the boys through their paces, working them harder than ever before. Never in a million years would she have ever thought that she would be jealous watching the others sweating buckets and huffing and puffing while she relaxed with a few stretches on the side-lines. It was strange to think just how far she’d come and how much she had changed. She wasn’t the spoilt little princess that her parents had hoped to make her into. She was her own person, making it in her own world.
This was her life now and she hated not being able to live it to the fullest. She was one of them now. It may be a strange concept to understand, but in a way, the abduction may have actually been a good thing. She had shown the grit, strength and determination to get through it. Those that had been in two minds about how a female warrior would work out should now totally accepted her as one of their own. However, she now had to get them to agree to let her train again and prove that she was made of tougher stuff and could get through it. It wasn’t easy.
They saw her as fragile, and she had to prove to them that she was just as tough as the boys.
“How are you feeling?” Kayleigh said as she walked up behind her, making her jump.
Ash moved to sit down on the wooden bench at the wall. “Like I should be joining in with them?”
There was a bitter tone to her voice that made Kayleigh smile. This girl truly was made of warrior stuff. “You’ll be back with them all soon enough.”
“How soon?”
“When Kelton and Doctor Phillippe give you the green light.”
Ash groaned. “But, why not? I’m fine. Look at me.” She held up her wrist where the bruising and raw rope burns had been the worst. “You can’t even see anything now.”
“You know why. It’s not just the physical aspect. And, this isn’t because you are female, so don’t even go there.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Ash grumbled. That had been her next line, trying to get Kayleigh on side. She’d tried that track with Doctor Phillippe, accusing them of picking on her because she was a girl, but the doctor wouldn’t listen to it. “It’s just so hard to sit here and watch them all getting on with it when I feel fine.”
“Well you need another assessment from the doctor before Kelton will even think about it. You’ll just have to sit tight until then.”
Ash didn’t bother to respond. What could she say to change their mind? Nothing. She knew that Kayleigh was right but it was still infuriating.
They watched as Denver tried to show off, probably for Caleb’s benefit. Ash rolled her eyes. He would never change. He would always be that arrogant, competitive ass that wouldn’t know when to quit. It was actually quite amusing to watch from the side-lines, not that she would ever tell him that.
Letting out another bored sigh, Aisline couldn’t wait for things to get back to normal. Counting down the hours, minutes and seconds was getting monotonous.
Chapter Sixteen
Kayleigh skipped breakfast. There was just so much for her to do. There were still a million and one things to get unpacked that the job seemed never ending. There was also an issue with one of the human donors that she wanted to get cleared up. The headaches were continuous at the academy. There was never a dull moment, even for her and she didn’t have an official capacity there.
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