The Awakened

by Amanda Carol

  He takes off too, which leaves Aria, Declan, Abby, Bennett and I.

  “Demigods, huh?” Bennett jokes, trying to lighten the mood.

  “Ha. Yeah. It’s a shock to me too,” Aria mumbles, casting her green eyes down at the ground.

  “Could be worse. You could be a mutant alien-vampire hybrid.” I step closer and nudge her playfully.

  She looks up at me with a small smile playing on her lips. Lips I wouldn’t mind claiming with my own.

  “Yeah, a demigod sounds so much better than a mutant alien-vampire hybrid.” She laughs.

  She has a nice laugh. I wouldn’t mind listening to that every day.

  “Well, I guess I’d better change. Training in jeans isn’t very comfortable.” She motions toward her clothes.

  I’m not going to protest her decision. Especially if she comes to training wearing those tight leggings again. Oh, for fuck’s sake. What am I, fifteen again?

  “C’mon. I’ll walk with you,” Abby says to her and loops her arm through Aria’s as they head back to her cabin.

  I guess Ciera already brought Declan a new shirt to change into, because he’s still wearing the shorts he wore last night, but the shirt is different. Bennett and I always keep spare clothes in the training room.

  When the three of us walk into the barn, I tell Declan to wait for us by the weights while Bennett and I head to change in the changing room. It’s not a huge room, as most of us go home to change, but some of us like to come in after a patrolling shift and workout. Bennett and I are among those who do that. We like to blow off steam after we patrol.

  I change into gym shorts and opt for no shirt because it gets hot as hell in that damn room. When we walk into the training room, Knox is already there along with a few other trainees. I know Knox, and I know he’s not about to go easy on our newcomers.

  I change into some workout pants, a sports bra, and a loose-fitting tank top, then tell Abby that I’ll catch up with her later and walk out the door. With all that’s happened within the last twenty-four hours, I’m ready to blow off some steam. Finding out that Mom knew about what would happen to Declan and I once we put those amulets on pisses me off. I didn’t mean to leave the room, but a lot of information was thrown at me all at once and I still have questions.

  I’m a freaking demigod, for crying out loud!

  Our powers were activated by my best friend’s mother, who used dark magic to create an amulet to protect us. Which it does, but it also awakened our demigod powers without the assistance of the damn gods themselves. Oh, and we are the reincarnates of Apollo and Artemis. I’m not sure if I should be excited about getting powers or not. Because, I mean, that is pretty cool. But I’m also slightly freaked.

  I wonder what powers we will get from the gods. I make a mental note to brush up on Greek mythology as I approach the front door to the barn. The air conditioning hits me like a slap in the face and sends shivers over my damp skin.

  I hate the heat.

  I open the doors to the training room and when I walk in, my mouth drops open. There are a lot of people in the room. Some are stretching, some are lifting weights, and some are sparring. But my eyes drift over to the corner, where a certain dark-haired man is stretching. He’s changed from his jeans and white t-shirt into a pair of basketball shorts and opted for no shirt. He has his arms stretched over his head and is smiling at something Bennett is saying. He lets his arms fall back down, placing his hands on his hips. I let my eyes wander down to his six-pack. Wait, no, eight-pack?

  Is that even possible?

  He has that deep V muscle that trails down under his shorts. Seriously, the man takes gorgeous to a whole new level.

  His laugh brings my attention back up to his face, where his dimples are on full display. He must feel me staring because his gaze drifts over to me. The smile disappears from his face as his eyes lock with mine.

  Busted.

  I can feel the heat from his appreciative stare down in my core, making me squirm on my feet. His gaze slowly lifts, and our eyes lock once more. His eyes are glowing softly until he blinks and they are back to normal. I’ve never had a guy make me feel like this before.

  “You might want to wipe that drool off your chin, little sister,” Declan whispers in my ear, causing me to jump.

  I turn my head to him. Without thinking, I reach up and touch my chin, which is completely dry. And it’s only now that I realize my brother just caught me checking Hunter out. He’s got his famous shit-eating grin on his face and it takes everything in me not to wipe it off with my fist.

  “Someone’s got a crush,” he teases as I narrow my eyes at him.

  Before I can respond, he is walking away from me toward the guys. Damn him for using that twin intuition thing on me. We’ve always been able to sense things about each other. Not huge things, but we know when the other person is feeling something intense.

  One time, Declan was in a car accident. Nothing major, thank God, but I knew something was wrong. I ended up waking our parents up. No more than twenty minutes later, we got a phone call from Mrs. Roberts telling us that her son, Jeremy, Declan’s best friend, had swerved to miss a deer and ended up hitting a tree.

  “Alright, everyone, line up against the wall,” Knox orders from the front of the room.

  Everyone around me stops what they’re doing and hurries to follow his directions. I turn to go stand against the wall as instructed. If I’m being honest with myself, Knox kind of scares the hell out of me.

  Declan, Bennett, and Hunter all walk over to where I’m standing. Declan and Hunter take either side of me while Bennett stands next to Hunter. My heart rate kicks up as I take in Hunter standing next to me in all his shirtless glory. I take in a deep breath to calm my nerves when the scent of cedarwood and ocean reaches my nose. I feel Hunter’s arm brush mine and I realize that he’s moved closer to me. I refuse to look at him, though. This room doesn’t need to see me turn several shades of red.

  “We have two new trainees joining us today. And while I know they’ve had some training, I would like to see how much they know. So, they will be sparring today,” Knox exclaims from the center of the room. His arms are crossed over his chest and he’s looking around the room at each individual person. “Declan, please come forward.”

  Declan confidently walks up and stands next to Knox. Declan is a few inches shorter and leaner, where Knox is broader and more muscular.

  “Axton,” Knox instructs.

  A tall man with blonde hair tied up in a small ponytail walks forward. He’s tall and kind of reminds me of Thor. He nods at my brother and stands next to Knox on his right.

  “No holding back, gentleman.” Knox takes a few steps backward.

  Axton turns to face my brother, who does the same. Declan is a strong fighter, quick on his feet like me, but this guy outweighs him by at least seventy-five pounds. Declan bends his knees and balls his hands into fists in a defensive stance.

  Declan is calculating and patient in a fight. He waits for the opponent to make the first move. Axton takes the bait and throws a punch, which Declan blocks. Axton then tries to kick out, which Declan sees coming and blocks again. Then my brother takes the offensive and throws his first punch which connects to Axton’s jaw.

  Axton recovers quickly, then charges at Declan, wrapping his huge arms around my brother. They both tumble to the ground with Axton on top. He delivers a successful punch to Declan’s right cheek and then the left, and keeps repeatedly delivering blows.

  Out of habit, I move to jump in, but Hunter grabs my hand, pulling me back. He laces his fingers with mine. I glance down at our intertwined fingers and then look up at his face. He shakes his head slightly, as if warning me not to get involved. I relax slightly and turn my attention back to the fight.

  Hunter never lets go of my hand.

  Declan takes a few more hits, but then he grabs Axton’s fist mid-punch and uses that momentum to shoot their hands backward up into Axton’s face. Using that distracti
on as an advantage, Declan punches him again and then bucks his hips to knock Axton off him. Declan gets to his feet swiftly, kicking Axton in the stomach, sending him flying backward.

  As Axton gets on his knees, Declan uses that moment to rush forward and wrap one arm around Axton’s neck and the other pins his arms to the side. They both go down again, only this time, Declan wraps his legs around Axton’s body and squeezes tight, holding on for life.

  The fight is over.

  That’s Declan’s signature move, the move that’s saved our lives on countless occasions.

  “That’s enough!” Knox shouts from where he’s standing in the front of the room.

  Declan quickly releases his hold on Axton, who sucks in a loud breath once Declan lets go. They both stand, nod at each other again, and shake hands. Axton walks back to where he was standing before, rubbing his neck. A guy with dark hair pats Axton on the shoulder before giving my brother a dirty look. I don’t think he will be part of our welcoming committee. Declan is making his way back to us when his gaze drops to Hunter and I’s intertwined hands. He quirks a brow and smirks, then takes his place right next to me.

  “Aria and Sloane.” Knox calls.

  I try to release Hunter’s hand and walk forward, but he doesn’t let go right away. I look up at him, but he’s staring daggers at Knox, who apparently doesn’t notice. I give my hand a slight tug and Hunter finally lets go. When I turn and look at the girl I’m going to be sparring with, she’s easily twice my size. She has short brown hair, and her dark eyes give me the once over. The sadistic smile on her face tells me that she knows she’s going to win this fight. But I’m stronger than I look and royally pissed off. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, and when I open them, Sloane is charging full speed ahead toward me. I jump to my right and roll as she lunges at me. She falls to the ground as I get back up on my feet. She quickly gets back up, then starts for me again. I manage to jump to my left, narrowly avoiding her meaty arms.

  Good God, it’s not like I’m wearing red.

  She doesn’t fall this time, but when she turns, she growls as she charges at me, quicker than before. I brace myself for the hit, then we both tumble to the ground. I’m on my feet quicker than she is and I deliver a kick to her face. I go for another kick, but she grabs my foot and twists it.

  I fall face-down onto the mat while she gets up on her feet. She kicks me in the ribs, knocking the wind out of me. I try to suck in a breath, but before I can, she kicks me again, harder this time. I grunt as she grabs my shoulders and pulls me up, only to throw me onto the mat again.

  I roll into the fall while trying to get air back into my lungs. Sloane grabs me again, and when she gets me to my feet, she punches me, and I’m right back on the mat.

  I hear a deep growl from across the room, but I’m kicked in the ribs again.

  Okay, that’s enough.

  Anticipating another kick, I grab her foot and twist, and she comes tumbling down, smacking her head on the mat. I slowly get to my feet and run my hand over my mouth, and when I pull it away, I see blood on it. Ignoring the pain in my ribs and my lip, I decide to show Sloane what it feels like to be kicked in the fucking ribs.

  I get one good kick in before she blocks me, and I stumble back. She shoots up to her feet before I can gain my footing and punches me in the face. I stumble back again, but manage to not kiss the mat this time. She goes to throw another punch, but my reflexes catch her hand and keep her from making another connection with my face. I’m struggling, trying to throw her weight off, so I put my hard head to good use. The hit catches her off-guard, and she releases me, grabbing her nose.

  Using that to my advantage, I throw a punch at her, then another, making a connection each time. Then, for my final blow, I throw my foot out and kick her right in the stomach.

  She falls against the mat.

  “Okay, enough!” Knox shouts, ending the spar.

  I remain in the defensive stance for a moment longer, then let out a breath and relax my posture. I reach up and wipe my lip again, finding that it’s still bleeding. I feel something warm run down the side of my face, so I touch my hand to my forehead and wince when I feel a wound I didn’t realize I’d sustained. When I pull my hand away, there’s more blood, so I quickly wipe it off on my leggings.

  “You alright, ladies?” Knox looks at me, then at Sloane, who is sitting up on the mat, blood dripping from her nose.

  We both just nod. I walk over and hold my hand out to help Sloane up. She pushes my hand away gets up on her own. Then she gives me a dirty look, brushes past me, and takes her spot back along the wall. Next to Axton and that dark haired man. He, too, gives me a dirty look.

  Rude.

  Trying not to let it get to me, I turn and start back for my spot on the wall, clutching my side. When I look up, I see Bennett and Declan holding onto Hunter’s shoulders. His eyes are glowing a bright blue and he is snarling and glaring at Knox. It’s not until I get closer that his eyes shift to me. He lets out a ragged breath and his eyes dim down to his normal Caribbean blue. He relaxes his stance somewhat, and the guys loosen their grip. He reaches up and pulls some hair out of the cut on my forehead, and his hand freezes when I wince. Damn, that stings.

  “Hunter, take her to see Kora to get that cut on her head cleaned up and to check out her ribs just to make sure nothing is broken,” Knox commands from behind me.

  They share a look, as if silently communicating. Weird.

  Shrugging it off, I turn toward Knox. “I’m fine.”

  The sudden movement causes me to wince. It’s not the worst injury I’ve gotten, but damn, that girl kicked my ass. Either I was really off my game just now or the vampires that I’ve come across all fought like prepubescent boys.

  My head starts to spin a little and I stumble back into Hunter’s bare chest. A low growl rumbles in his chest. He reaches down, putting one arm under my legs and the other around my waist, careful not to press too hard into my ribs, and picks me up. The movement is so quick that I don’t even have time to think about it, and he’s out the door before a protest can form on my lips.

  I feel Knox try to open the telepathic link as I walk out the door with Aria in my arms, but I deny him.

  What the fuck was he thinking pitting Aria against Sloane, who is twice her size? Not that Aria doesn’t know how to fight. She’s quick on her feet, which is how she won that fight with Sloane. It’s a damn good thing too, because Sloane is one of those girls who punches first and never asks questions. She loves seeing blood and that’s what makes her one of the best in the pack. But to put her against Aria? I feel myself start to shake with rage again.

  “Are you okay?” Aria’s soft voice diminishes the anger in me, and I stop dead in my tracks.

  “You’re the one who’s bleeding and possibly has a few broken ribs, and you’re asking me if I'm okay?” I look straight into her green eyes.

  Her lips part on an inhale, the movement bringing my attention to her mouth. I suddenly have the urge to kiss her. No girl has ever intrigued me as much as Aria has. I’ve dated a few girls, but I’ve never really been serious with anyone, or even wanted anything serious. But there’s just something about her that draws me in.

  She’s fearless and brave. And so damn gorgeous.

  “You look pissed. And I saw your eyes. They were doing that glowy thing again,” she murmurs.

  I feel her breath on my cheek, and now I have the urge to do more than just kiss her.

  “Glowy thing?” I raise my brows, trying to distract myself from letting my thoughts wander too far off. So, I concentrate on walking to the medical room.

  “Yeah. I’ve seen it happen a few times. I wasn’t sure if I was seeing things or not, but back there? Yeah, no mistaking that. Why do they glow?” she asks tentatively, as if she’s not sure she should be asking.

  “When shifters feel an intense emotion, our eyes will glow. The intensity just depends on how intense the emotion is.”

  I feel her eyes on
me, so I glance at her and our gazes lock.

  “They were really glowing. Why were you so mad?”

  “I was pissed that Knox partnered you up with Sloane.” I let out a nervous breath. “Sloane doesn’t know when to stop. It doesn’t matter whether she’s sparring or out hunting vampires. She loves the fight. She gets her rocks off by beating the shit out of her opponent before she goes in for the kill.”

  I reach the medical room door and when I kick it open, I hear a small scream. I look over and see Ciera on her feet, clutching her chest, her books scattered on the ground.

  “Sorry, Ciera.” I say, feeling a little guilty. Talking about Sloane made me kick the door harder than I intended to. “Where’s Kora?”

  I walk over to the closest bed and gently set Aria down. I turn to face Ciera again and she has her hand clutching her chest still.

  She takes a steadying breath. “Um, she’s out gathering more herbs and supplies. What happened?”

  She walks over to us, pulling her long blonde hair into a bun on top of her head.

  “I’m fine, Ciera, really. Just give me a paper towel and a Band-Aid and I’ll be as good as new,” Aria answers, trying to sit up.

  Ciera gives her a once-over, then pokes her right in the ribs. Aria lets out a grunt and a low growl rumbles in my chest.

  “Down, wolf.” Ciera looks up at me and smiles. “She’s going to be fine. Luckily, her ribs aren’t broken, just bruised. Given the fact that she’s a demigod, she should be feeling better in a few hours. A lot sooner if she took that amulet off.”

  She turns and heads to the medicine cabinet behind the desk.

  “Wait, how do you know?” I ask her, folding my arms across my chest.

  Ciera flushes. “Luna told Grandma and I after your meeting this morning. Plus, I was doing research before I was so rudely interrupted.”

  She turns to glare at me before turning back around. She finds whatever it is that she was looking for and walks back over to us.

  “Don’t worry. No one else knows, But Luna thought it would be good for us to know.” She pulls a cork out of a tiny glass bottle, handing it to Aria. The liquid is a pale purple.