He kissed my temple. Nope. I’ve just decided to let him live. For now.
Jude came forward, her expression oddly calculating. “I, um, just wanted to ask…would it be so bad if I slit Eloise’s throat?” She was totally serious. Jude did love her knife and would latch onto any excuse to use it.
Before I could answer, Chico came up behind her and began pulling her away. “Jude, remember that talk we had about…” His voice faded as he moved away and the music overrode his words. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know what that ‘talk’ had been about.
Antonio, Luther, and Sebastian turned up later on…and just in time to see Stuart, Max, Evan, and I being perched on the other squad member’s shoulders and paraded around while people cheered. I wasn’t impressed, nor was I happy that Jared didn’t rescue me. Instead, he actually laughed. Plonker. I shot him a look that swore revenge but he just laughed harder.
When Denny and Damien finally finished their circuit around the apartment and returned me to Jared, he gripped my hips and slid me down his body until my feet met the floor. He easily dodged my bitch slap and pinned my hands behind my back. “Come on, baby, how could I not celebrate that you’re healthy and safe?”
Well, when he put it like that…“You’re still a plonker.”
Laughing again, he mashed his mouth with mine and sucked on my bottom lip before giving it a sharp nip. “I’ll make it up to you later.”
And he did.
Ignoring the ‘oh for God’s sake’ sigh that came from my left, I concentrated hard on the very important matter in front of me. Jared knew that I needed to focus, so he could sigh all he wanted. I blocked him out, blocked out everything around me, as I put every ounce of my concentration into dealing with the enemy in front of me. Almost
“As much as I’m glad that you love my gift, we have to go. The squad will be waiting.”
“Fine,” I grumbled, saving my progress and switching off the game console. Jared just shook his head at me, smiling. I shrugged a shoulder defensively. “Okay, so I get a little too engrossed in the game.”
He snorted. “That’s the understatement of the year, but whatever. Think Max and Stuart are definitely ready to return to training?”
“They’ve had enough time off.” We had given the entire squad three evenings off training, allowing Max and Stuart to fully recover from the exhaustion that had been riding them and giving the boys some time together. According to Antonio, ‘reconnecting’ would be good for them and for morale. It had also given me a nice break from my annoying shadow. Unbelievably, Collins had turned up at the squad’s party, expecting entry. Butch had opened Chico’s apartment door, looked at Collins blankly, and then allowed it to swing shut in his face. Ava had been delighted by it and had hugged Butch in gratitude. Salem hadn’t liked that.
I’d talked a little with Paige and Imani over the past few evenings, slowly getting to know them. Although Paige was pretty guarded, she was no longer suspicious of me. She wasn’t yet comfortable with everyone else, though. Imani was quiet among a crowd, but she was very chatty at other times – especially around Butch. She was pretty much the only person I knew who thought he was normal. I found both females to be very nice and fun, albeit cagey, people. I still had no clue as to why they still expected to be betrayed by everyone sooner or later, or what it was they were so afraid of. Paige had looked on the verge of telling me a few times, but she had quickly snapped her mouth closed. Winning her trust would obviously take time.
Abandoning my contemplations about Paige and Imani, I took the hand that Jared held out to me. A second later, we were stood in the arena. The entire squad was waiting there, laughing and joking – clearly excited to be training as a whole squad once more. The sight tightened my chest, making me smile. Training hadn’t been the same without them all there together. Unfortunately, Collins and Eloise were also present, sitting in the spectators’ area.
As usual, Eloise was practically half-naked. “You look good this evening, Jared,” she called out, close to purring. She licked her lips as she ran her gaze over him. Her eyes then moved to me and she grimaced. “Rough night?” The insinuation that I looked like shit was clear.
“I’d quite like to kill her,” I told Jared with all seriousness.
His mouth twitched in amusement. “But you know better than to let her get to you. We both know that she’s been baiting you since the second she arrived.”
I did know that. Admittedly, it hadn’t occurred to me in the beginning. But the more she persisted in pushing my buttons, the more I’d come to suspect that she was hoping I would do enough to fuck up the result of the Prelature’s investigation. It could simply be out of spite because I had Jared. But I sincerely doubted it, because she had never pursued him in the past – why bother now if she had originally been satisfied with a one-night stand?
As Antonio had pointed out, I would always have enemies because I had a position of power, so Eloise’s behaviour could even be down to that. Or it could be something else, something darker…Unfortunately, I was beginning to think it was the latter.
As Collins descended the steps and made a beeline for me, I inwardly groaned. Presenting him with a bright but totally false smile, I said, “Yes, Mr Collins?” He began ranting, pointing his finger as he towered over me…but no words came out. My confusion lasted only a few seconds. I sighed at Max, who shrugged. “How long has he been like this?”
“Since he tried to join us for breakfast earlier like we were all chums. He actually tried to play volleyball with us on the beach last night, too. That’s our time, Coach, and he’s got no right to bug us then.” Yeah, I could understand how Max felt. I’d been just as pissed when Eloise went to my apartment.
Butch came to Max’s side. “He’s right. That dick’s got some fucking nerve, Coach.”
Max briefly sneered at Collins. “After everything he’s done and what he accused me of, he should be grateful I only took away his ability to speak.”
I hadn’t been there when he confronted Collins the previous night about his claim that Max had contacted the Prelature about me. But apparently the little prick had told Max that he had only alleged it was him to protect the identity of the real complainant. He’d even apologised to Max, but his apology hadn’t been accepted. Collins had made himself an enemy for life in Max. If the entire squad didn’t already despise Collins, they would do so now purely because to go against one of them was to go against all of them.
“You’re right, Max. He deserved this, and he’s lucky he got off so lightly. But now that it’s time for training, I’m going to need you to give him his voice back – sadly.”
The entire squad groaned in both disappointment and frustration. Mumbling under his breath, Max waved his hand at Collins.
“…Parker you have no control over your own…Oh.” Collins paused, clearing his throat with a cough.
When he opened his mouth to speak again, I could tell another rant was coming. I raised my hand. “I don’t have time to listen to your grievances, Mr Collins. I have a squad to train.”
“Yes, well, a particular member of your squad”
“Got mightily pissed off when you approached him during his own time,” I finished. “If you had expected him to react any differently, you only have yourself to blame. The squad has been quite clear since the very beginning that they do not want your company. Had Max targeted you during training hours, I would have reprimanded him. But he didn’t. It’s not his fault that you can’t take a hint now, is it?” Collins said nothing. What could he say? I was right, and he was very much aware of that. “Now, is there anything else?”
His usual snooty look reappeared and he straightened to his full height. “Yes, as it happens,” he snapped. “I wish to know if there is a particular reason why you have not yet made use of the tactical field since Eloise and I came here.”
The tactical field was located within the rainforest and was more like a small abandoned village, only the buildings were made of
plywood and obviously it wasn’t normal to have drums and piles of tires lying around. We usually trained there once or twice a week, and we sometimes played paintball there as well. It had been a Binding present from Evan, and I bloody loved it. That was the reason why I hadn’t used it since Collins and Eloise had arrived. It was a special place to me that I had no intention of sharing with them. “I use it when I need to, Mr Collins.”
My vague answer clearly irritated him. “It is important that I observe all your training methods, Commander Parker. I noticed that the squad have not ceased calling you ‘Coach’, despite that I have repeatedly suggested that you should order them to refer to you with the appropriate title. Allowing them to give you a ‘pet’ name undermines your level of authority.”
Pet name? What-bloody-ever. “I happen to disagree with you. Now if you don’t mind, I have a squad to train, and you’re delaying the session.”
“I would appreciate it if you would move the session to the tactical field.”
And I would have appreciated it if he’d sod off home, but we didn’t always get what we wanted. “Sorry to disappoint you, but that will not be happening.”
He lifted his chin. “Then I will be forced to note your failure to cooperate with my request. I will also note that you persist in wearing vests, revealing more skin than necessary.”
“Yes, I’m sure the squad are drooling at the sight of my arms and shoulders. Maybe you should be a little more concerned with how very little your colleague is wearing, Mr Collins.”
Turning away from him in a sure sign of dismissal, I switched my attention to the squad. Max and Stuart turned amusingly giddy, clearly having missed working with everyone.
Having been fully debriefed on our ‘plan’, Max and Stuart were sure to fake weaknesses that they didn’t have during the session, and they didn’t question the longer breaks that they were now getting. They also took advantage of their recent encounter with death by faking tiredness and claiming to need a rest here and there. Although I knew it was for the best, it was still pissing me off because not only did it interfere with their training, but it meant that I couldn’t push them harder. And I needed to push them harder. Paige’s presence could cause a battle of some kind, and I needed the squad fully prepared. Of course they were more than capable of protecting themselves and each other during battle without additional training, but I wanted to be sure that they were at their best.
Expectedly, Collins spent the entire time asking questions and criticising my every move to the point of nit-picking. In addition, he complained for the millionth time that I swore too much (so?) and made a sound of disapproval each time that I did. He also complained that bringing Dexter from his tattoo form was distracting the squad – that was the whole point: to teach them to perform while distracted, because that was what they would need to do in a battle. Furthermore, he complained that when I divided the squad for sparring, I pitted them against members who they were quite vulnerable to gift-wise – well, duh, how else were they going to learn to rely on more than just their gifts to survive in a battle? The bloke was utterly clueless.
Eloise also gave her penny’s worth: I was condescending, I was too impatient, and I lacked room for error – all of which was simply to piss me off. But I didn’t rise to her bait because I knew it greatly annoyed her. Maybe that was why at the end of the session, when the squad had left and I’d just returned Dexter to his tattoo form while Collins babbled at me about something or other, she reached out to touch Jared. In a split second, a dark combination of rage, jealousy, possessiveness, and a need to hurt whipped through me so fast and hard that I almost swayed. I wanted nothing more than to grab the bitch and throw her across the arena. But I didn’t.
However, something else happened.
Just as her fingers went to touch Jared, a cold draft sliced through the air, raising the hairs on my arms. We all stiffened as the icy breeze built and built until, suddenly, a silvery-blue wind of pure energy formed around Eloise. What happened next was even more shocking. Like it was a vacuum, the whirlwind literally spat her across the wide space, causing her to collide into the far wall. What the fuck? The silvery-blue energy wind then instantly disintegrated like mist.
Jared’s head whipped around to face me. How did you do that?
I blinked. I didn’t. Or, at least, I hadn’t meant to do it. That counted, right? I kept my face carefully blank, not letting Collins or Eloise see my confusion.
Coughing and dusting herself off, Eloise rose to her feet. “You bitch!” She marched toward me, and I half-expected the wind of energy to appear again. It didn’t. Not even as she closed in on me. So I did the smart thing. Rather than attack her, and thus give her what she wanted, I called, “Novo.” Like that, a jet black Dexter was draped over my shoulders again. He hissed at Eloise, his scales turning red, and she stopped dead in her tracks. She was perfectly aware that he would attack her without hesitation if she attempted to harm me in any way.
Eyes wide, she pointed at me, shaking. “You just”
“What had you expected would happen?” Jared’s voice was calm, bored even. “Sam and I are Bound. You tried to touch me – and we all know that it was a flirtatious move on your part. Bound couples have gone to war over each other. You’re lucky that all Sam did was send you on a little trip across the arena.”
Eloise swerved to face a gaping Collins. “Do something! She attacked me!”
Outraged, Collins went to speak, but Jared beat him to it.
“No, she didn’t. She defended our bond.” Folding his arms across his chest, Jared glanced at Collins. “You know how it works. Your colleague’s behaviour is considered a threat to the bond. She wanted a reaction. She got one.”
Collins clenched his fists. “It was a most violent reaction that could have left Eloise seriously hurt! My report”
“Note it all down if you must,” I told Collins, somehow still masking my shock at what had just occurred. “But you’ll need to also note her provocative behaviour.”
Eloise curled her upper lip. “All I did was try to touch him!” Dexter hissed at her again, making her flinch.
“Ah, but it wouldn’t have been an innocent touch,” I pointed out. “Flirting with a Bound male is as good as signing your death warrant.”
“That is no excuse for your actions, Commander Parker!” maintained Collins. “And I believe it is quite clear that you do not deserve that title!” His raised voice earned him a hiss from Dexter.
“The session is over,” rumbled Jared, scowling, “so there are no more notes for you to take. I suggest you both go.”
“The session may be over,” allowed Collins as he marched toward the door, “but this is not.” He strode out of the building with an outraged, complaining Eloise in tow.
Once they were gone, Jared turned to me. “How did that happen?”
“I honestly have no idea.”
He inhaled deeply. “Then I think we need to have a chat with Antonio.”
So we did. Well, Jared did. I just sat next to him on the sofa in the parlour room opposite Antonio and Luther, who hadn’t said a word. I was still in shock, and I was also shitting myself. My gift had gone haywire once before, and I didn’t like the idea that it could be happening again.
Sensing my unease, Jared shackled my wrist with his hand and massaged my pulse point comfortingly with his thumb. I hadn’t returned Dexter to his tattoo form, wanting to calm his overprotective state first. Plus, he strangely had a way of relaxing me. Curled up beside me, he was currently a brilliant blue, indicating that he had calmed and was pretty content. Well, at least one of us was.
Antonio looked at me. “I cannot say I’m surprised this has happened.”
I blinked rapidly. “Say again?”
“You are an expressive person, Sam. But you have spent the past few weeks bottling up your emotions, despite how hard Collins and Eloise have tested your patience. Anybody who strangles their emotions will eventually get to a stage where they
‘explode’. A vampire’s gift is tied to their emotions. As such, it was truly only a matter of time before your gift…had an outburst, shall we say.”
One of Jared’s brows slid up. “You’re saying that happened because she’s stressed? Her gift had a tantrum?”
“Taking into account recent events, I would imagine that Sam is a bubbling cauldron of various emotions, for want of a better phrase. Her gift of absorbing and harnessing energy is strongly linked to her emotions. As such, the energy inside her will be bubbling just the same. Pent up emotions will manifest themselves some way or another. They eventually find an outlet.”
“All right, I can accept that my gift ran riot because I’ve been keeping a lid on my feelings. But I’ve never formed a whirlwind of energy before. It was huge, and it was bloody powerful.” I’d always been able to call on the natural element of air, but that was totally different from actually forming a whirlwind of energy.
Jared shook his head in wonder. “I swear it was almost like it was alive.”
“Just as every human produces energy, every vampire produces preternatural energy,” said Luther. “Preternatural energy is the fuel that fires vampiric gifts. The preternatural energy that Sam now produces is hybrid energy. It is powerful, and it calls to the surrounding energy like a magnet. The two energies mingle together inside of her, creating one hell of a cocktail, and strengthening her gift. Have you ever seen a mixture of chemical substances bubbling inside a corked bottle?”
Jared nodded in understanding. “The cork came off.”
“I would say so, yes.”
I massaged my temples. “I blame the brothers.”