“Midnight raid?” I suggested, locking eyes with him over Shannon’s shoulder.
“Wouldn’t hurt. Not like most enemies call out challenges the way Ashley did,” Fillian reasoned, considering me.
Shannon sighed and shook her head. “She needs to rest. She needs to play. Hell, she needs to eat something.”
“And she will.” I reached out and squeezed Shannon’s shoulder. “Afterwards. It’s just a drill. We’ve all been through midnight runs.” I listened to Fillian toss ideas around as we headed up another flight of stairs. I would train Pixie through every possible sequence until nothing that could come at her would be a surprise. I wasn’t going to see her drop again, feel that soul deep fear as I nearly lost her. She would be prepared if it killed me.
Chapter One
Pixie
If I maimed someone and then healed them with my magic, did it really count as maiming, or did I get some kind of freebie there? My wolf growled her agreement in my head, she was as done with this as I was. The dark thoughts rattling in my mind were side effects of the hunger and anger plaguing me and the overlong training lessons Ian was insisting on. I was exhausted, sweaty, sore, and running on empty.
After my duel on the last full moon, Ian had petitioned Raff to have my regular schoolwork pushed to the side for the remainder of the summer to allow me time to physically train for the upcoming threat. Raff had immediately agreed, and Ian had been taking full advantage. While Ian was hot as hell, I had also found out he could be a little bit insane when it came to training those under his protection. He’d been a taskmaster in our prior sessions, but he’d far surpassed that. Now, he turned every spare moment into a lesson.
I’d been woken at three this morning when I’d been yanked unceremoniously from my bed with sharp teeth digging lightly into my ankle. I’d shifted without thought, my wolf jumping to the surface with a snarl and lunging for the attacker before I had even realized it was Ian, his scent masked by something. When he’d pounced, herding me into the hallway where Alarick and Chann had waited, their scents masked as well, his intent had been clear—another game of capture and escape. The sun was now peeking over the horizon, and despite the hours that had passed, I’d managed to slip away from the circling wolves and make my way back to the front doors of the academy. My wolf huffed her approval of our win and pushed me to shift back to our human form to re-enter the academy and head in for breakfast.
I hesitated however. While I’d braved nudity in front of others before due to the necessity of the situation, I was still far from comfortable in doing so on a regular basis, especially when I was as sweaty and disgusting as I was at the moment. Besides, I was sure the others would be joining me shortly, and I was hopeful that, considering they had planned this, they would also have planned for clothing. A large shape barreled into me, and I snarled when Zev pinned me, his reddish-brown fur mingling with the rainbow of my own.
Shouldn’t have let your guard down, he scolded through our mental link. They had been keeping their minds walled off during our exercise, preventing me from hearing them.
I made it to the entry, I won, I retorted, nipping him in punishment for the tackle that left me covered in dirt and bruises. His wolf snarled, his green eyes flashing, as he nipped in return, using his weight to press me down further. His wolf was larger than mine. I could release my magic, command him to get off of me, but that wasn’t the point of the exercise. Plus, you like him on top of you, a traitorous voice whispered in my mind. God, I hoped that thought hadn’t gone across the bond. From the glint in his eye, however, I guessed I wasn’t that lucky. Story of my life lately.
There is no such thing as a safe zone. Ian’s voice was icy as his black wolf slunk like a shadow from the tree line. Your enemy is not going to allow you to rest merely because you have returned home.
I think I’ve gotten that. I glared at Ian as well as I could from under Zev. Get off. I let my magic push the words from me, and Zev instantly jumped backwards, leaping from my body as I pushed to my feet. I shook out my fur as I turned to face Ian, lifting my chin. I’m going to get something to eat.
We’re not done training, Ian snapped.
I am. I pushed into a shift, not bothering to look back as I strode through the doors, completely naked, with my head held high despite the smell I was sure was wafting from me and the dirt marring my skin. I needed food and sleep before I dealt with any of them again. I knew Chann and Zev were following me, I could sense them behind me even in this form. I was sure a blush mantled my cheeks as I passed other pack members, though most angled their heads down in deference and murmurs of ‘Beta’ and ‘Omega’ rang softly to my ears as we strode past, heading for the staircase.
I took the stairs two at a time, ignoring the wolves at my side. I was sure they had simply been following orders, but I was as annoyed with them as I was with Alarick and Ian. I’d been running drills nonstop for the last eight days. Eating, sleeping—hell, Alarick had tried to convince Shannon to stage an attack during a shower. Thank Selene that Shannon had put her foot down on that one, or I probably would have ended up putting the beta on his ass for that little trick.
I wasn’t an idiot. I knew everyone was worried about Lyle, and the two calls I’d let roll to voicemail had only increased the urgency of that situation. I knew we were still dealing with the fallout from the masquerade and how I’d killed Ashley. A shiver worked across my spine at the memory, and I pressed my nails into my palms, fighting back the sensation. I hadn’t spent more than a few minutes with Luna since that day, since she spent most of her time with Zelda and her new bodyguards. While I’d received reports that she was doing well, even that she had asked about me, I feared seeing me would do her more harm than good. How could she handle seeing her mother’s killer?
But there was a difference between preparing for the bad things and becoming part of some kind of militaristic drill team. I was never going to be some soldier. If that was what they expected, not only were they going to be sorely disappointed, but they needed to adjust their priorities ASAP. Movement in the corridor ahead caught my eye, and I shifted slightly to conceal my nudity while also being able to see who was approaching. It only took me a moment to recognize the sleek brown hair pulled into a pretty braid, the slender figure in the school uniform, and the green eyes hidden behind silver frames. Shannon’s eyes widened as she took in my lack of clothing, and she sighed as she shrugged out of her cardigan before stepping forward to help me slip it on. Being tiny worked in my favor today, as even Shannon’s cardigan was long enough to offer me a modicum of privacy, skimming my upper thighs.
“Thanks,” I told her emphatically, wrapping it tightly around me.
“Training again?” she guessed, leading the way up the stairs toward my room.
“What else?” I replied wearily. Ian had insisted that all of them have a key to my room in case of emergencies. It was how they had been getting in for my kidnapping sessions, but it was also how I was able to enter afterwards to gather clothing, which was the only part I was thankful for. “The militia here decided to run another kidnap and escape drill at three a.m.” Shannon winced, glancing back at me, and I was sure I knew what she was seeing. The bags under my eyes were deep enough to store my makeup in. My hair was hanging in a mix of spikes and the lank strands were full of dirt and leaves around my ears. “Then once I escaped them and made it back to the academy doors, they thought that a running tackle was a great trophy to remind me that enemies will always be over my shoulder.” I glared at Zev then, and he huffed at the ice in my tone.