by Jen L. Grey
When I reached the clearing, the first person I saw was Madison. Her long blonde hair was in a ponytail, and her light green eyes sparkled, perfectly highlighted by her outfit—blue sports bra and black training pants. “And there she is.”
Her voice had the superior tone expected from most vampires. They all were stuck up and moody; all except for Cole.
“Yes, here I am.” My gaze landed on Damien. “I didn’t realize when you said we’d be finding someone new that you meant the next session.”
“You should know by now. I mean what I say.” Damien furrowed his brows and shrugged. “Besides, you should be ready for anything.”
He was absolutely right, but that didn’t mean I had to be happy about it. “Alright, so now what?”
“Are you kidding me?” Madison lifted her balled hands and placed her legs shoulder length apart. “We fight. What else?”
She was a little too eager for this. I wasn’t sure if this was such a smart idea after all. “Alright.” I took a few steps further into the clearing and took a deep breath.
Damien took several steps back and leaned back on one of the trees just a few steps away. “Okay, let’s begin. Remember, no serious injuries and if anything gets out of hand, I won’t have a problem ending it for either one of you.”
I loved the clearing for many reasons. Sometimes it felt like it was a secret place tucked away and hidden with large thick trees circling the open space.
The sun shone bright, and it stirred the animal inside me. “Ready?” I’d never fought a vampire before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.
Suddenly her form blurred, and a fist connected with my cheek. My head snapped back, and my vision darkened for a brief second. I shook my head and blinked hard.
“Oh, this is going to be too easy.” A smirk crossed Madison’s face, and then she swung her fist upward, aiming for my chin.
I moved my head backward, narrowly dodging her.
“Stop taking the defense,” Damien yelled at me.
A deep growl resonated within me, and I swung my fist toward her nose.
She easily dodged my hand and kicked me in the stomach. I flew back ten feet and hit the ground with a thud.
Damn, that hurt. Even before I could get to my feet, she was already standing over me. With a huge smirk on her face, she wasn’t even sweating or breathing hard. Bitch.
“I’m so glad I agreed to do this.” She reached down and picked me up by my shoulders. She lifted me high enough to where my feet couldn’t touch the ground. “You aren’t good at this.”
“That’s enough.” Damien pushed off from the tree and marched toward us. “Let her go.”
“Okay.” She smiled as she let me go, dropping me once more on my butt.
My body hurt all over. I hadn’t expected to be great at fighting a vampire, but I didn’t think I’d be so awful.
“Are you okay?” Damien held his hand out to help me get up.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” If I took his hand, I’d look weaker than I already did. I waved his hand off and slowly climbed to my feet. I felt like I’d been hit by a tank.
“Awe, I wish I could say I was sorry,” Madison chuckled, “but I’m not. I’ve been wanting to kick your ass since the very first time I met you.”
“Well, you succeeded.” I held my side and slowly straightened out. “Hope you got it all out of your system.”
“Not even close.” She held out her hands again. “Ready?”
“No, I think that was enough for today.” Damien stepped in between us.
“How in the world do you get all three of them to protect you like this?” Hatred poured from her words.
“I never asked for them to protect me.” I was beginning to realize how much some people hated me all because of Damien, Cole, and Rage.
“Then you must be good in bed.” Madison stepped closer to Damien and used her index finger to glide down his chest. “I bet I’m better.” Her voice purred.
Damien grabbed her pointer finger and pushed it back to her body. “Not interested.”
“See, what does she have that I don’t?” Madison pouted, and at any moment, I expected her to stomp.
“That’s one thing.” Damien stepped beside me but kept his focus on her. “She doesn’t force herself on us. She has no ulterior motives, unlike every other girl and guy on this campus. When I didn’t warm up to her immediately like Rage and Cole, she didn’t push herself on me. She came here, worked hard, and then went straight back to her dorm.”
“Then, why is she here?” Madison shook her head so hard her ponytail whipped from side to side. “This place isn’t for the weak. You’ve got to be calculative and take risks.”
“Do you not think I took a risk just by coming here?” Somehow, right then, everything clicked and made sense for the very first time. “I didn’t come from a well-connected family, but you know that. I don’t have anything to prove to you.”
“Now.” Damien smiled at me and glanced back at Madison. “Are you in for training?”
Even though her face was tense, she nodded.
Whether I liked it or not, Madison gained something from fighting me as well. She would learn my weaknesses, so I had to get better than her and fast.
“Why don’t you take off? I’ll let you know when we’re ready for you again.” Damien watched her carefully as if she might strike at any time.
“Fine, she’ll be feeling those injuries tonight anyways.” She sashayed past both of us and headed toward the school. “Have fun.” She giggled like she was the funniest person on Earth.
Yeah, she was far from that. I had to admit I hurt pretty badly. I needed to stay strong though, so I forced my hand from my stomach. “Damn, that was bad.”
“Yeah, pretty much like I had expected.” Damien frowned and scanned me over. “They fight completely different than shifters.”
That was an understatement right there. “A little warning would’ve been nice.”
“In my defense, I did tell you that.” Damien huffed and ran his hand through his dark auburn hair. “Remember, you even knew who it was going to be too.”
“She’s damn fast.” She was barely a blur; that’s how fast she was.
“They’re dead fast,” Damien emphasized. “All vampires are that fast if not faster.”
Professor Shaw taught us that in class last year. It just hadn’t hit home until today. “The older they are, the faster they get.”
“Yup.” He moved to the middle of the clearing. As the sun hit him, his pine scent filled the air even stronger. “Well, she hates you too, which is even more of her motivation.”
“I’m starting to realize how many people hate me.” It was a rude awakening for sure.
“It’s not hate. It’s something even stronger than that.” He focused back on me and sighed. “It’s envy and obsession. That’s what every person desiring power winds up feeling. There is always someone more powerful, attractive, and influential.”
“But I’m none of those things.” That’s what I couldn’t figure out. I grew up completely disconnected from my wolf. I was brought here without any choice, and now I was facing people who treated me as an adversary.
“That’s what makes you so different.” He sighed and stared off into the woods. “That’s what makes Rage, Cole, you, and me their target. We don’t care about power or where we end up on the social ladder. Women like Madison want to date one of us, and guys who are wanting to be on the top desire you.”
It made sense. If you don’t care, no one has a hold on you. That wasn’t why we did it. “So what do I do?”
“You kick Madison’s ass.” His words were simple, but executing them was going to be hard. “Go on back, and lick your wounds. We’ll try again next time.”
If I didn’t get this down pat, there was no telling what could happen. I was sure Madison was already bragging and yelling about how weak I was at the top of her lungs.
Chapter Eight
The next few weeks flew
by. Damien was training me again but was incorporating new moves that most shifters didn’t use unless they were battle trained. Rage hadn’t been thrilled with how I’d been coming home all black and blue, but he understood it was something I needed to do.
“So, why are half-breeds so dangerous?” Professor Shaw paced in front of the classroom as he waited for the answer.
This class was as interesting as his first one where we learned about each supernatural race and the common facts about each one. It focused on how combining certain elements resulted in half-breeds and their particular struggles.
Multiple students raised their hands, but Nate had to continue being his normal obnoxious self.
“Because they are unstable and weak,” Nate called out before Professor Shaw could call on anyone.
It broke my heart that these people were struggling and needed a safe place to call home. I, at least, had an idea of how uncomfortable it was being out of sync with your magic. I could only imagine how they felt at the end of the day.
“Yes, that’s exactly right,” Professor Shaw exclaimed. “Even if both halves of them are shifters, the animals can’t tolerate one or the other. Both continually striving to be the alpha.”
“If that’s the truth, then why isn’t this public knowledge?” Jess chewed on her bottom lip, and her knee bounced.
“A long time ago, the supernatural races kept separate from one another. So these types of issues have only become a problem recently.” Professor Shaw sighed and shook his head. “Just like the human population, our races have merged and want equal rights, which is fine. But when the younger generations find love outside their races, we’re only now learning about the havoc of blending species together.”
My mind flashed back to the young hybrid again. How could something so horrific come from two people loving one another?
“On that note, our time has come to an abrupt end.” Professor Shaw rubbed his hands together. “Please come back to class with some suggestions on how to find these creatures. It’ll be a quiz, so make sure you’ve done some research.”
I grabbed my pink bag from the floor and stood from the desk. “I wish there was something we could do to help them.”
“Funny you should say that.” Jordan glanced at Madison and pointed to Jess. “Please distract her for a minute.”
“Are you being serious?” Madison startled and blinked. “You want to talk to them?”
“Did I ask for your opinion on the matter?” Jordan narrowed her eyes and pointed to Jess once more.
“Fine.” Madison scowled at me before she obediently walked a few desks over to talk to Jess. “Hey, girl.”
“Hey?” Jess caught my eye and raised her hands.
Not knowing what else to do, I shrugged.
“Alright, Jordan.” Rage took my bag from me and slung it over his shoulder. “Spill it.”
“There is a hybrid that someone has located in town.” Jordan looked over both shoulders and lowered her voice. “The Elites want the three of us to go get him.”
“Get him?” I wasn’t sure how comfortable I was doing that. It’s one thing for someone to go willing. The last thing I wanted to do was force him.
“Well, you’ve got to understand. Most of them don’t know what’s going to happen.” Jordan took a step back and adjusted her gold top. “We can discuss this later, but meet me at Dave and Buster’s at eight tonight.”
“Uh, Raven?” Jess stood near her desk as Madison picked at her nails right next to her. The discomfort was clear in both of them.
Rage nodded. “Fine.”
“Hey, Madison.” The words strangled out of me, but luckily it was hidden by my voice.
Madison flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder and chewed on some gum. “I’ve missed our little training sessions.”
Yeah, I was sure she did. “It’s getting close to that time again.”
“But this time, Raven will kick your butt.” Jess snapped her fingers and grinned. “I know my girl.”
The last thing I wanted to do was goad her, but Jess was being supportive, so I couldn’t say much.
“I doubt it after the slaughter she took last time.” Madison placed one hand around her stomach and propped her elbow on it. “I can’t wait to relive the experience.”
“If you hurt her beyond what’s needed, you’ll have me to answer to.” Rage somehow looked hotter than hell threatening the vampire with my pink backpack slung over his shoulder.
“Don’t worry.” Madison rolled her eyes and blew a bubble. She popped it and sighed. “Damien is there the entire time. He won’t let it happen.”
“Madison, you should be nicer to Raven.” There was a slight irritation in Jordan’s words, but she masked it pretty well.
“Wait. What?” Madison’s mouth dropped open, and her eyes widened.
“You heard me.” Jordan placed an arm around her shoulders even though she made sure it was only lightly touching. “Raven and her gang are friends of ours.”
“But Cole?” Madison's forehead wrinkled, and she was at a loss for words.
“We’ve come to an understanding.” Jordan dropped her arm and pointed to Jess. “All of us.”
“Uh … Okay.” If her head could spin, it would be right now. “Why?”
Rage smirked as he watched the entire show.
“It doesn’t matter.” Jordan took a step toward her and jabbed her finger in Madison’s direction. “Got it.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She lifted both hands in front of her face and stumbled back.
“Is there a problem here?” Professor Shaw arched an eyebrow and joined our semi-circle.
“No, not at all.” Rage reached for my hand and tugged me toward the door. “We were just leaving.”
“Yes, we were.” Jess walked around us and headed to the door.
“Okay, good.” Professor Shaw crossed his arms, focusing on Rage and me. “I’d hate for two of my most promising students to cause trouble.”
That sounded like a threat, and I wasn’t sure why.
“I’m not sure which two you’re talking about, but Raven and I stick together no matter what.” Rage wrapped his arm around my waist and straightened. “We just want to stay under the radar and do our own thing.”
“That’s good.” His attention then landed on Jordan. “I think you are done here, right?”
“Of course.” Her usual facade returned, and her blood-red lips turned upward. “Come on Madison, let’s go get our snack.”
Not wanting to waste another second here, I tugged on Rage’s hand, leading him out the door.
“What the hell was that about?” Jess whisper screamed at us as soon as we stepped into the hallway.
“I’m not quite sure.” There were so many things going on.
“Right, it’s like we were in an alternate universe.” Jess glanced back toward the classroom.
“Let’s head back to your dorm.” Rage pushed through a group of students who were standing in the middle of the hallway.
“Hey, what the hell?” Nate hollered even though we didn’t break our pace.
Not even bothering to answer him, I kept my focus on where we were heading.
A hand grabbed my arm and yanked me back. “Do you think you’re too good to answer?”
“Do not touch her.” Rage’s voice thundered.
“Bite me.” Nate focused on him.
I reared back and punched Nate square in the jaw again. His head snapped back, and he staggered back a few steps.
“Hell yeah.” Jess cheered behind me.
Nate shook his head, and he snarled at me. “Bitch.”
“Coming from you, that’s a compliment.” I never disliked someone as much as him—not even Greg.
“I’m about to take you down a notch or two.” He shifted his jaw left and right, working out the punch.
“Like Hell you will.” Rage tossed my bag over to Jess, who caught it, and he stood right next to me.
We both stared down the
asshole, and I growled. “Come on.”
“That’s enough.” Isadora stepped from the adjoining hallway and shook her head. She glared at Nate. “Not even a month into the Academy and already causing trouble.”
“No, I …” His mouth opened and closed like a fish in water.
“It’s best if you head back to your dormitory.” She adjusted her black suit jacket over her black slacks. “I have no time for this nonsense. Mr. Jackson and Ms. Wright, please follow me to my office.”
Every time I’d run into her, she had a sour face. “Of course. Jess, I’ll see you back in our room.”
“Yeah, okay.” Jess pulled at her ash blonde hair. “I can stick around and wait.”
“No, that won’t be necessary.” Isadora waved her hand, dismissing her, and marched toward her office.
“It’ll be fine.” I forced a grin and winked. “I’ll be there soon.”
“Come on, she’s going to get angrier if we don’t rush.” Rage took my hand, and we followed behind Isadora. When we made it to her office, she sat at her desk and pointed at the chairs. “Please, sit down.” Even though her words were polite, it was clear that we didn’t have much of a choice.
She ran her fingers through her short, black bob and sighed. “Ms. Wright, ever since you’ve joined this Academy, trouble seems to follow you.”
“It wasn’t her fault.” Rage stiffened and leaned over her desk. “He grabbed her.”
“Mr. Jackson, sit your ass down … now.” She slammed her hand on the desk, and the noise hurt my ears.
Rage didn’t move, his eyes beginning to glow. His wolf was bleeding through.
I grabbed his arm and tugged him backward. “Hey, it’s fine.” There was no telling what he was going to do if he didn’t calm down. He had to be upset over Nate grabbing me. “Come on.”
He took in a deep breath, trying to rein in his control. He stood back and slowly sat in his seat.
Not wanting to piss her off even more, I plopped in the chair as well.
“As I was saying, Ms. Wright, strange things always seem to happen around you.” Isadora held her hands in front of her with the fingers on both hands touching each other. “You haven’t purposely caused any harm, but between Ashley and Nate, you seem to be a magnet for trouble.”