"I think I’ve proven that trying to intimidate me isn’t going to work." Hunter grumbled as he stared coldly at him.
Danny chuckled, "I don't want to do that anymore. I actually want to help you."
"Yeah, right." Hunter snorted, "Like you helped me when you’re a-team crushed me into the ground five times during practice today?"
He shrugged, "hierarchy, and thanks to your sister you’re now moving up in that hierarchy." Danny handed Hunter a small bag with two tiny pills, they looked like aspirin but something told him they were far more dangerous than aspirin.
"What’s this?" Hunter’s voice shook slightly and he put his hands up, not willing to touch the bag. Drugs! They want to offer me drugs? I was right, Danny is a douche.
"These little pills will make you bigger, stronger. They’ll make your life easier and send your social life into outer space." Danny grinned and placed the pill bag next to Hunter on the bench. "The first ones are free. Be smart and take the offering."
"So you’re a drug dealer?" Hunter hissed in a whisper.
Danny chuckled again, "Absolutely not. That’s Ethan's job. Mine is to simply scope out new talents for the pills."
"What is it?" Curiosity getting the better of Hunter as he shoved the pill package into his pocket. Fear of getting caught with the illegal substance on him overrode his adverse reaction to touching the pills.
"Blood." Danny grinned and he and his troupe left Hunter alone.
Jackson moved quickly to sit by Hunter on the bench. "What happened? Are you okay?" He asked, concern reaching his brown eyes.
Hunter nodded, "yeah, you know how they are." He shrugged, hopefully convincing Jacks everything was alright.
"I would’ve been here sooner, but his goon squad had everyone blocked." Jackson smiled. "How’s Becca?" Jacks asked.
Jackson and Rebecca were very good friends. At one point they pretended to be dating so that he could get his parents off his back when they noticed the lack of a girlfriend. She became his cover story, allowing him to remain in the closet for a little while longer. But all that changed when she started dating Lucky.
"She’s good, I guess." Hunter continued on, feeling like Jackson needed more, "Lucky is good for her."
Jackson nodded, "that’s good."
The silence stretched uncomfortably between them. Hunter liked Jacks enough, but he was Becca’s, friend not his. Jackson and Danny were friends. Hunter did not fit in with them. Besides, the pills were burning a hole in his pocket. "Well, I guess we should get to class."
Jackson nodded. “If you need a friend, I’m here for you.” With that he left the locker room.
Hunter sat there, wondering if the pills in his pocket really could make him stronger, bigger, and a better athlete. He wondered if taking them would bring him closer to his father's memory or push him further away. Hunter knew his father would want him to be who he was; brainy average kid. But Hunter wanted so badly to connect to his father’s memory, to prove he was as strong as him. Lately, he felt his father’s presence more than usual. It was that feeling alone that made Hunter decide what to do next.
He made sure he was alone and took out the pills. They looked so tiny, so innocent. It was hard to believe that something so small could make him stronger. Hunter bit his lip as he considered the options.
Mind made up, he made his way to the bathroom area of the locker room. He opened the package and tossed the pills in the toilet. He flushed them for good measure. Good riddance, he thought as he grabbed his bag and left for class.
Chapter Twenty-Four
~”To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.”
~Sun Tzu
Rebecca
School was so borrriiiinnnng. It wasn't really the subject matter; it was that Rebecca had other, more pressing issues on her mind. Issues like who was brazen enough to try and kill off the entire Arizona pack? Or how they were going to tell Savvy and Hunter the secret of their family history? What Rebecca was going to do about Sundae and her dream trick from last night? Not to mention the conflict she was dealing with choosing between Lucky and Gabriel. And then there was Celestia, the Covenant, and the Authority. And of course, the intense task of rebuilding her pack. While Rebecca’s parents’ deaths were originally the most important thing in her life, now, that had somehow worked its way onto the back burner. Seriously, with all the drama that had developed in her life over the last week, it was a surprise that anything was interesting at this point.
And if the truth was important, she wouldn't be able to absorb anything else at this point anyways. Not even if she tried. The sponge that was her mind was completely saturated.
So when the final bell rang she almost exploded from her seat. Lucky did his best to keep her calm as he ushered her out of the building. Savvy and Hunter had a late practice so Savvy drove her car to school that morning. That meant Lucky and Rebecca could simply head out to his house for training; not that she was extremely excited about being beat up by her pretend boyfriend under the guise of training. But she had an extreme amount of pent-up energy she needed to expend.
“Did you find out anything from the police last night?” Rebecca asked on the drive over to his house.
“My contact said it had been moved to cold cases. She said there was little to no evidence pointing to anyone. It was a clean crime scene.”
“Well, that does us no good.” Rebecca couldn’t hold back the disappointment in her voice.
“Actually, it is more help than you realize.” He turned towards her with a weak smile when they stopped at a stop light.
“Really?” She raised her eyebrows to accentuate the question.
“Yes. It tells us the killer was a professional.” The light turned green and they were off once again, maneuvering quickly through traffic.
“Which opens up an entire new group of suspects.”
“Yes and closes another group. Believe me; this information is actually very helpful. The person who ordered the hit had to have good reason to pay for their deaths.”
Rebecca hoped he was right. She wanted to find an ending to this investigation, some closure to her parents’ deaths. They had waited for far too long, she had sacrificed too much. She was silent for the rest of the trip to his house, lost in her own thoughts.
The house was empty when they arrived. They grabbed some snacks and water. He went upstairs to change and Rebecca made her way to the training room and changed in the back room. She decided to pull her long blonde hair into a braid while she was waiting for Lucky to join her. It took everything she had to keep her from snooping around the oversized training room; she was pretty proud of the fact that she managed to stop herself.
When Lucky came downstairs he was barefoot. His familiar yoga pants and t-shirt fit his body like a comfortable glove. It should have been illegal for him to be walking around with that dimpled grin and gold-amber eyes. He took his position on the mat, standing in a fighting pose, and motioned for Rebecca to join him. “Shall we begin?”
She did. "So what are we learning today?" It was a logical question since they weren’t holding any bamboo sticks this time.
"Hand to hand. I want to teach you some techniques you can use to get out of compromising enemy holding patterns. For example, what would you do if someone held you like this?" His speed was amazing. One minute he was in front of her, the next he was behind her holding both her arms hostage. It brought back memories of the dream and the way Gabriel was holding her and she blushed knowing he had the same dream.
In truth she had no idea why Sundae did what she did, she was missing in action from school today. She honestly thought things were good between them after their talk in the dress shop. But tomorrow she would find out. Lucky jerked her backwards, jarring her from her thoughts. She tried twisting and turning but the more she struggled the tighter his grip got, and the closer their bodies moved towards each othe
r. It was like a gravitational pull that was irresistible. His rough voice whispered against her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "Do you give up?" His breath was as shallow as hers.
'Becca, are you okay?' Gabriel's voice echoed in her mind. It was enough to break the spell and royally piss her off.
'Yes, I’m in training! Leave me be.' She hollered back, irritated once again at the intrusion. Mental telepathy wasn’t as great as one would think.
'Sorry, I just felt like you were in trouble.' He sounded hurt which made her feel even guilty about the situation.
"Rebecca, are you paying attention?" Lucky whispered harshly.
‘Step on his foot. Then turn around and kick him. Once he is off balance twist his arm back and spin him to the ground.’ The wolf offered direction.
‘Thanks.’ Rebecca followed the instructions. But instead of twisting his arm she squatted down and kicked his legs out from under him. He fell hard against the mat. Rebecca straddled his hips and placed her arm against his neck, applying the slightest amount of pressure. “You’re dead.” She smiled. “Was that good enough for you?” Rebecca asked with a dazzling smile.
“Not bad.” He chuckled and flipped her backwards onto the mat. He moved forward, his breath warm on her face. “Now how are you going to get out of this mess?”
Rebecca bucked up which only got her further tangled. He grabbed both of her hands and held them firmly above her head.
‘Twist your wrists. Dig your fingernails into his hands. When your hands are free buck up, and when he is in the air flip over onto your stomach.’ The wolf offered a solution.
‘Yeah, right.’
‘Do it!’ She growled.
Rebecca followed the instructions. Her actions were a surprise to Lucky which gave her an advantage. The steps actually worked and Lucky was behind her which gave her the ability to push up and knock him off her back. He flipped himself up to a standing position.
“Is your wolf helping you out today?” He grinned.
“She doesn’t enjoy us getting close. Any excuse to keep you at a distance.” She said lightly.
“That doesn’t bode well for a possible relationship.” He said matter of fact.
“I guess you’ll have to earn her respect.” She shrugged. “As for me, you already have it. So are we going to talk or fight?”
Before she finished her question he had both of her hands pinned behind her back, his chest against hers. His lips were inches from hers; his breath hot on her skin. “And how does she feel about this?”
Rebecca’s body responded to his closeness. The wolf growled her displeasure. “She’s not too happy about it.”
“Good.” He pulled her closer. “If I were honest I’d have to admit it’s a turn-on irritating your wolf.”
"Are you going to teach me or hold me all night?" Rebecca snapped sharper than she intended.
Her ice-cold tone caused him to release her immediately. He stood in front of her and had her grab him the same way so he could demonstrate how to get out of the hold. After a few maneuvers Rebecca learned how to slip out of that grip and a few more. They didn’t speak much during the training. They let their bodies do the talking instead.
When they decided to take a water break she used the distraction to attack him, swooping low and kicking his feet out from underneath him. The look of surprise on his face was well worth any price she was going to pay for attacking him without warning. She jumped on top of him and pulled the dagger from his ankle holster and placed it dangerously close to his neck. "You’re dead." Rebecca was only able to hold the evil look for a moment before she burst into laughter and moments later he joined her in the laugh.
He wrenched the dagger from Rebecca’s hand and pulled her tight against his chest. Eyes locked, and breathing grew shallow as the silence stretched for a few moments. His free fingers toyed with her long braid which had fallen forward. "I wish you would hurry up and decide already." He smiled, dimple and all. Rebecca knew he was referring to her making a choice between him and Gabe. She just wasn't sure what to say. Last night she would’ve chosen Gabriel and tonight she’d choose him. She needed space away from both of them to see who she couldn't live without.
"What’s that?" He asked, eyes narrowed on the silver mark Gabriel gave her. She couldn't very well wear a scarf while fighting; it would’ve been a liability.
"Well, don't you two look cozy?" The voice was unfamiliar. Rebecca snapped her head in the direction it came from; thankful for the distraction, at least for a moment. The voice belonged to a gorgeous redhead, long and lean. She had angry green eyes trained on her. If looks could kill she’d have melted on the spot, thankfully looks couldn't do anything but warn her of the danger behind the stranger’s eyes.
Lucky dropped the blonde braid and Rebecca rolled onto the mat. He was on his feet so fast all she saw was a blur. "Felicity, what’re you doing here?"
"Felicity? As in future wife Felicity?" Rebecca asked, now irritated by the sudden interruption.
"Ah," Felicity took a few steps down the stairs, French manicured fingernails walking the same path down as she spoke, "so you do know about me. They way things looked a moment ago I would’ve sworn you had no idea he was promised to another."
"What’re you doing here, Felicity?" Lucky's voice held a harsh amount of irritation.
Felicity continued to stare at Rebecca, wishing she was dead, no doubt. "Your mother called and thought you needed help training the new alpha; I assume you’re her?" Her voice and demeanor held an air of superiority. Something Rebecca really hated from people.
"Yes, I’m Rebecca Winters."
"Winters? As in the Winters?" Felicity directed her question to Lucky this time, completely ignoring the hand Rebecca stretched out to shake in greeting.
Rebecca stepped in front of Lucky, blocking Felicity’s path. "Yes, that Winters." She answered.
Felicity didn't look at Rebecca, her eyes now accusing Lucky of all sorts of terrible things. "Well, Rebecca, I’m here to help train you." She finally looked at Becca, "I hope you don't mind?"
"Of course not, the more the merrier." Rebecca answered tightly.
"Good, now if you will excuse me, I would like to hug my fiancé." Felicity walked right past Rebecca and flew into Lucky’s arms.
That ugly jealousy monster popped its head up again, but Rebecca held her tongue. He was, after all, promised to her, and had been since they were in diapers. She’d only known him for less then a week, so her hold on Lucky was a lot less.
The rest of the night was spent watching Lucky use Felicity as an example to teach Rebecca different ways to get out of holds. By the time he was giving her a ride home Rebecca was numb inside. The silence stretched between them. Both lost in their thoughts.
She looked at him, the muscle ticking in his jaw, eyes straight ahead, both hands on the steering wheel revealing white knuckles.
"Are you going to talk to me?" Rebecca asked him, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Sure, how about you tell me about the mark on your neck?" His glare cruel and cold.
"I will, once you tell me why Felicity is here." She was sorry the words were out the moment she spoke them. He never hid Felicity from her. It’s just that she never expected her to be so beautiful and so evil at the same time.
His stern look softened, just slightly. "Look..."
"The dream." Rebecca interrupted him, he wasn’t to blame for this mess. She was. He didn't need to apologize. She did. "Last night…the dream."
He ran a shaky hand through his blonde locks. "That was real?"
Rebecca nodded. "But I had no idea it was real. Neither did Gabriel, and apparently, you. I think Sundae did it. I don't know why." She shook her head, confusion setting in. "She said we were friends. Why would she do that?"
"To help you choose." He laughed, a deep laugh, and one Rebecca thought was completely inappropriate. "You’ve got a lot on your plate. My guess is she was trying to help you eliminate one of those choices."
/>
"But all she did was allow Gabriel to mark me."
"And while you were unaware, you allowed him to do it." He said, sadly. “Part of you knew what was happening and accepted it. You had to agree to the marking.”
"I also allowed you to kiss me, and other things." She felt a blush burn her neck and cheeks.
"But you let Gabriel mark you." His voice was full of hurt. "And I don't blame you. I told you I was unavailable. Gabriel can promise you forever and I can only give you now." He said just as he pulled up to her house. He couldn't have timed it more perfectly.
"That didn't matter to me." She wanted to talk more; she wanted to discuss their options.
"Good night Rebecca. I’ll see you tomorrow." And like that he had shut down the conversation. He wasn't listening; he was waiting for her to leave. So she did.
Chapter Twenty-Five
~”If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.”
~Sun Tzu
Rebecca
Lucky picked them up for school Thursday morning and played the perfect boyfriend; saying all the right things, offering his hand in all the right moments, even planting a soft kiss on Rebecca’s cheek when he thought it would benefit their cover. But the actions were lacking emotion, and connection. It was like he had built a wall between them and there was no way she was going to climb over it today. If she was being honest with herself she wasn't sure she wanted to break through that wall at the moment. It was kind of hard fighting for someone who doesn't fight for you back, especially when you had someone else fighting for you.
Gabriel came to school today as well, though most of his time was spent making sure Willow and River were set up correctly in their classes. At lunch, Savvy and Danny joined Hunter, Natalia, Lucky, Jackson and Becca. Halfway through lunch Gabriel managed to saunter up to their table and sit on the other side of Rebecca. Savvy tossed angry glares his way, but he managed to ignore them with a level of admirable restraint.
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