by Mia Hawkins
“Are you sure it’s ok that I stay in her room? I’ve seen so many doors I am sure there’s another room you could put me in, I don’t mind.” The last thing I want is for him to feel like I am invading his sister’s space.
“No, you can stay where you are. It’s good that someone can get use out of it, and you are the only girl around.” He looks lost in his own thoughts as we continue to walk together in silence. I don’t want to say anything, because I am scared he will remember I’m here and go back to being an asshole again. We turn down a hall that looks a little familiar; we must be getting close to my room. Xavier finally stops in front of a door and turns towards me.
“Thank you for bringing me back here,” I whisper, hoping I don’t scare him away. His face loses the softness so quickly I question whether I saw it or not. He nods his head and starts to leave.
“Alex put new clothes for you in the dresser,” he quickly adds before turning away from me.
“Thank you for telling me about them. Your parents, I mean. I never had a family, so I don’t know how hard it is. But I am sorry they aren’t here with you,” I say to his back. He doesn’t acknowledge that I spoke; instead, he just walks away. Since that was the first decent conversation we have ever had, I better not push my luck for the day. I turn around and go inside my room to find those clothes. After searching through every drawer in the dresser, I finally find something that could pass for exercise clothes.
I put on a green tank top and black shorts. The shorts are just like the ones I wore back in Valley Junction. They don’t cover much, but they are really comfortable. Luckily, I was able to find a pair of sneakers, as running barefoot is not my idea of fun. As I leave the room, I make a mental note of where it’s located. The last thing I need is to end up in one of the guys’ rooms again. My goal right now is to find the way outside so I can work off some of this extra energy. I was completely drained yesterday, but I slept amazing last night, so I’m feeling pretty good right now.
I make my way down the stairs to the first floor, and I walk through what must be a formal sitting room. There are beautiful dark leather couches all arranged around a huge stone fire place. This house is gorgeous. I walk over to the bookshelves lining the back wall. It is covered floor to ceiling with old books, most in a language I’ve never seen before. Looking around, I don’t see any pictures anywhere. There are so many places that you could hang a family portrait or nestle in a snapshot, but those spots are all empty. If I had a house like this, I would have pictures everywhere.
I finally make it to the front door, but I haven’t seen a soul. Where is everyone? I thought they would have a guard near me at all times to make sure I don’t run away.
I push open the door, and my question is answered. Outside on the front porch are all four of my kidnappers. I don’t look at Chaice for too long. Does he know I climbed him like a tree and slept on top of him?
“Are you ready to train?” Alex asks as he comes closer and wraps his arm around my shoulder stopping my train of thought.
“What kind of training?” I ask, curious as to what they have planned. He just smiles and pulls me towards the back of the house. For twins, he and his brother are really easy to tell apart, besides the fact their hairstyles are so different. For one, Alex is very outgoing. He really knows how to make someone laugh, while Matthew is quiet and reserved, which makes me think he’s probably a great listener. I lean into Alex as we continue walking towards the woods. I take a deep breath and inhale his lavender scent. I’m not sure when I started smelling people, but my goodness, these men smell delicious.
“Where are we going, Alex?” I ask, looking around, trying to see where we could possibly train.
“A little impatient, are we?” Alex gives my shoulder a squeeze and turns his panty melting smile on me. I bet ladies have a hard time resisting him. The thought of him with other women makes me start to tense. I hardly know him, but I feel very territorial. I need to get my head checked, either that or my hormone levels, because I feel something is seriously out of whack.
We finally reach a huge clearing in the trees, where it looks like an obstacle course. There are sand pits, huge walls, logs, all sorts of things I would assume were in one. I have never been to one, but I’ve seen some shows on the TV a couple times while I was at work. That was enough to tell me I would love to try it for myself a couple times. I think I have pretty good endurance, and that would be the perfect test. Alex steers me to the left and brings me into a sandy field that has benches on either side.
“This is our training spot while we are here. That building over there has all of our workout equipment. If you ever need to burn off some steam and you don’t want to be bothered, that is the place to go.” Alex points to a brick building on the other side of the field we are on.
I have to say I am totally geeking out at the thought of actually having a choice of which equipment I want to use. I only had a few things back in my apartment, so I am definitely coming back later to use everything they have. Alex notices my huge grin and smiles back at me. He is so handsome; the way his eyes light up when he smiles is breathtaking. My heart rate picks up as he takes his shirt off, so he’s only in loose workout pants. I swear the temperature outside just raised twenty degrees. As any sane woman would do, I let my eyes drink in his toned body. I knew he had muscles, but his shirt misled me to underestimate exactly how much he had. His skin looks so smooth I have this strong need to reach out and grab his huge bicep. Someone clears their throat behind me and snaps me out of my thoughts. My face must turn tomato red, and Alex seems to know the effect he has on me, because he throws a wink my way. Today is going to be a long day if it keeps going like this. Do I really think I can last a full week?
Chapter 15
Rayven
“Push harder!” Xavier yells from the middle of the obstacle course. I am on my fifth lap around, and he is still yelling at me like I am not doing anything. I push myself harder as I come up to the platform since I have to climb it. I learned my first time around that it is a lot steeper and taller than it looks, so I get about halfway up before my arms start shaking. My body feels like it has been run over by a truck. I guess my endurance isn’t as good as I thought it was. I usually work out, but actually putting my body to the test is showing me that I don’t work out enough. I must admit though, I do like being out here pushing myself. It beats being locked inside, that’s for sure.
I plant my feet and push myself up the wall and force myself to keep climbing even when my hands start to slip. As soon as I reach the top, I use the rope to climb down the other side. When I’m about five feet from the ground, I jump and run towards the logs I am supposed to walk across. I have always had really good balance, so I am able to breeze through those. Before I know it, I’m back at the beginning of the course. I look to the guys to see if they want me to do another lap, but they wave me over to them.
“Very impressive, Rayven. That was the fastest this course has been done in years. You’ll certainly give Xavier a run for his money.” Alex laughs as he grabs my hand and starts walking towards the sandy field we stood in earlier. I look over at him with questioning eyes.
“What do you mean I would give Xavier a run for his money?” I ask. Alex takes a seat on the bench and grabs a drink of water.
“He was always the fastest on that course. I think it’s only because he would come out here when we were sleeping, and he would practice for hours until he could do it perfectly.” Xavier cuts him a glare.
“I did not. I can’t help it I am just naturally better at it than you are.” Alex laughs at Xavier and claps his hand down on Xavier’s shoulder.
“You keep telling yourself that, buddy. One day it might be true,” Alex says. Xavier just shakes his head and then grabs his own water and starts chugging it down. He tried to hide it, but I saw his smile when Alex was giving him a hard time. I wonder if he misses the relationship they used to have. From what I’ve gathered, they used to be best friends.
I’m curious what caused them to drift apart.
Chaice walks up next to me and hands me a water since I forgot to grab one on my way out. “Ok, now that we have done some warmups, what do you say we go ahead and try to figure out what you can do?” I nod my head in excitement as I try to drink as much water as I can. Who knows how long it will be until I get another chance to drink some more?
***
“How about you try getting angry,” Chaice suggests.
“How would that help anything? I already told all of you that I cannot do all of the stuff you think I can.” For the past two hours, we have been in this field, trying to figure out what I can do. It’s not going too well. I tried to tell them I can only fight, but for some reason, they feel I am holding back. Xavier still believes I was the one who phased us out of the house, but I wasn’t. I think they’re holding on to some lost hope that I can help them, when in all actuality, I can’t.
“You’re not trying hard enough; you still think this is a joke,” Xavier spits out. I turn my glare on him. How dare he accuse me of not trying. What does he think I am doing out here, sunbathing while drinking a fucking martini?
“Just calm down, Xavier, yelling at her won’t do any good. We are all a little on edge right now. Ok, Rayven, I’m going to tell you the truth. We don’t know what you are. My brother and I feel you are a wolf, but I can also feel a block in your magic. Like something is holding it off. If we break that barrier, you should have access to your power then, and we can find out for sure what you are,” Alex explains.
“There is no way she is a wolf shifter; I felt her dragon as soon as we landed,” Chaice chimes in. I look between them. Damn it, they honestly have no idea. I am standing out here based on guesses and assumptions. I turn around and start up the path back to the house. I am not staying here if these guys can’t help me. I would much rather go back to my normal life of solitude.
Out of nowhere, a force throws me down to the grass-covered ground. I get up and look at where the attack came from and see Xavier making his way towards me. Did he just throw magic at me or something? From the look on his face, the guy I talked to earlier is long gone, and in his place is the asshole I first met. I crouch down lower, so I am ready for him to come at me. I have been waiting for this moment since I first met him.
He phases behind me and kicks my feet out from under me. I fall forward, but I quickly recover and jump up. He throws a fist towards my head, and I throw my arm up to block it. He takes advantage of my open abdomen and lands a hard blow to my stomach. I hear a cracking sound before I feel the intense pain of a broken rib. I push the pain back and roundhouse kick his face, but he grabs my foot and twists, causing me to land hard on my left shoulder.
“Stop playing around and fight me!” Xavier snaps.
“I told you, I am not who you think I am, you big thick-headed asswipe!” I yell right back at him, hoping he will see that I’m not lying. Ok, maybe I am faking my fighting skills, but I really just want to go home. Even if I could help them, I don’t want any part of this.
Xavier reaches down and grabs the front of my tank top. He brings his face right in front of mine, yelling about how I’m holding back. I look over his shoulder and see the guys pounding on some sort of barrier. They look panicked, and that answers my question of why they haven’t stopped their crazy friend yet. They can’t. I see their muscles bulging as they try to push against the invisible wall. It’s in that moment I decide I am done with Xavier. If they can’t get in here, that means they can’t stop me from hurting him either. I smile at the thought of finally showing him not to fuck with me. His eyes widen as he takes in my crazed expression.
“Fine, you want to fight, then let’s do it, sunshine,” I sneer at him. I grab his hands where they are holding onto my shirt and squeeze. At first it does nothing, so I force more power into it. His hands are forced to let go, and I fall to the ground, but my legs are ready, and I catch myself easily.
Xavier comes at me, and I sidestep him, my vision slowing everything down perfectly. I can feel the adrenaline flowing through me, mixing with my need to end him. As he passes, I slap my hand against his back and send him flying. He recovers and phases behind me again.
“The same trick twice? I had more faith in you, fairy,” I say as I turn around and kick him in the chest. Looking at him, I notice that his eyes are starting to glow gold. As if my body knows it is a threat, I feel my energy level rise in order to protect myself. He lunges for me, and I meet him punch for punch. Soon enough, he starts getting sloppy and slowing down, but I’m just getting started. After landing a couple good blows, I switch and send a hard kick to the side of his head. As soon as it connects with him, his head flies to the side.
He is pissed off now. Without giving me time to register what he is doing, he sends a pulse of energy out. As soon as it hits me, I fly back into the invisible wall. I’m still seeing stars when he straddles my waist and puts his hands on my head. His palms start heating up, and I scream in pain. I try bucking to get him off of me, but he’s too big to move. I have never gotten pinned before. I always knew if I did, it would not end well for me. I am not small by any means but compared to most people my five and a half feet puts me at a disadvantage. With how tall Xavier is, it’s no surprise that no matter how much strength I use he is able to hold me down. The pressure in my head keeps building, and I start to panic. I grab his hands, hoping to pry them off, but they don’t budge. I force extra energy into my muscles, but still nothing happens. My head feels like it is going to explode, so I grab onto his wrists because I have no idea what else to do. No one can get in here to help me. Is this really how I die?
As soon as I make contact with his wrists, I feel like a flood gate has opened. I scream as energy pours out of me and into Xavier, making him fly off of me. My anger consumes me. I didn’t realize until this moment just how much anger I’ve held in. There is so much in this world to be furious with, and it’s time I quit holding it all in. I let out a beastly growl and look around for Xavier. He’s crumpled up on the ground about thirty feet from me, and I glare in his direction, seeing only red. I need him to pay for how he has treated me. I didn’t ask for any of this. I stalk towards him with every intention of ending him right here and now, but as I get closer, something deep inside of me stirs and makes my anger fizzle out.
In its place is a deep worry that I actually hurt him. I don’t see anything besides him lying there bleeding. How on earth did I do that? I don’t have time to dwell on the fact that he deserves to have his ass handed to him on a silver platter. Right now, I am too consumed with the guilt I would have if he dies. I rush the rest of the way and kneel beside him. He does not look good; he is bleeding from his ears and nose. I feel his neck for a pulse, and although it is weak, at least he has one. I can feel my energy urging me to let it go on him just like it does when I am injured.
“You need to choose what you want to do. Either you want to hurt him or help him, not both,” I tell my energy in a stern voice. It won’t actually listen, but it was worth a shot. These back and forth emotions are giving me whiplash. I stretch my palms out, place them on his chest, and immediately feel a connection to Xavier. I can see just how badly I hurt him, and it scares me.
I sense his injuries starting to mend back together, but I also get a rush of feelings that I don’t think are my own. I feel heartbroken, like I have lost something very near to my heart. There is anger towards people who are the cause of my pain. I must be seeing into his mind, because I start getting flashes of things I have never seen before, like a beautiful woman sitting with me in a field, laughing at something I said. I must be seeing through Xavier’s eyes as well, because in the next glimpse, we are at a restaurant talking. I can feel the love he must have for her. Then I see a group of robed men. They must be saying something Xavier didn’t like, because I feel how furious he is. What are they doing that is making him so mad?
In the next instant, I am in the university I used to work at. I
am seeing myself through his eyes, and I feel pride that my mate can defend herself. He feels in awe that he finally found me, but it is quickly covered up by pure hatred—of himself or me, I am not sure, because I’m jerked back into my body so fast I’m left reeling. I look down into Xavier’s gold eyes and smirk. “I told you not to fuck with me, elf,” was the last thing I said before I lost all strength and collapsed on top of him.
Chapter 16
Matthew
We are in the field trying to get Rayven’s powers to manifest, but all I can think about is how amazing she looks. Everyone else has been talking for the last fifteen minutes, but I have taken the time to study her. They think she’s not trying. I, on the other hand, only think that is partially true. Yes, she could try harder, but whatever is blocking her magic is the real reason nothing is happening. It is weird, it’s like she has access to a small amount of her power, but I know she has much more. I wonder how long ago the block was put on. It must have been when she was very little. I think that’s why it is starting to fail. She must have started to break the block the night when she came into her powers. Even if I didn’t know she was bearing the mark on her shoulder, I could still feel her energy from a mile away, which means her powers must be too strong for the block to hold back anymore. It makes me nervous for her when she finally has full access to them. Will her body be able to handle that much power?
I have been zoning everyone out, because the way Rayven is dressed makes me want to leave the library and work out with her every day. Her shorts don’t leave much to the imagination. I guess I should expect it since Alex picked out most of the clothes in her room. I need to thank him for that later. Tuning back in, I hear Chaice say, “There is no way she is a wolf shifter, I felt her dragon as soon as we landed here.” I look at Chaice and try to process what he is saying. Is he trying to say she is a dragon? That can’t be right, no one has ever been two different types of sup before. Even if they had parents from different groups of supernaturals, you end up with a child with only one power. Sometimes they even end up having no magic at all.