9. FOUR

FOUR

Wren

“Beenforeversincewe’ve been out here, Coach.” Lachlan stretched his arms over his head, and his biceps flexed.

“Just Simmons for now, Lachlan. Until the war is over, and I can coach again that is.” Simmons shot him a stern look as we stepped onto the faeball field with the Defensive Tactics class.

“Who knows when that’ll be?” another student asked with bitterness lacing their tone.

“Decades, probably,” another remarked.

Saying tensions were high was an understatement. Not many know the specifics about the supernatural relic, but it is known that there was a dangerous relic that was uncovered and being fought for that could help win the war. It put everyone on edge. The motivation to attend classes was at an all-time low for almost everyone.

Simmons cleared his throat and clapped his hands together. “Enough of that talk. I need everyone to focus now. This is the first week of Defensive Tactics, but I want to try something different. We all need a break from war, even if it’s a small one. Pick a partner. We’re going to play a round of faeball. Move the ball to the last white line painted on the grass. Pick your sides and use any magic you need to win.”

Excited murmurs broke out through the class, and Lachlan threw an arm around my shoulders, our bond brimming with eagerness.

“Grab a ball from the bin and make sure you’re about eight feet from the other pairs. The field is big enough to have your own space. Play three rounds until someone wins then you can be dismissed. The goal is to practice your magic, but more importantly, have fun!”

Lachlan sprinted toward the bin and grabbed one of the heavy, gray balls while I snagged us the spot closest to the Bestial Forest.

The air was warm, but it wasn’t too unbearable. Especially not for the start of Summer, even so, my magic swirled restlessly within my body.

I’d managed control over my essence much better since all of my matebonds had been formed, but heat still affected my magic—just not Rowan’s.

My heart fluttered at the thought of my firedrake. He’d been doing everything he could, reaching out to every connection he had, to find the facility holding my father. Damien was the one who went as soon as he had a lead, which was what he was doing now, even though he technically had this class with Lachlan and me.

“Missing your shadow stalker, tiny fox?” Lachlan jogged over with the ball tucked at his side and a lopsided smile on his face. His brown eyes were twinkling with excitement, and it was contagious.

My lips tugged into a smile as he handed over the ball. “You sure you want me to start with it?”

“Of course. You’re the one at a disadvantage, after all.”

“How so?” My muscles already burned from the weight of the ball, but I attempted to hide my wince.

“Can’t hide anything from your bonded mate. I can feel what you feel, remember?” He brushed his nose against mine teasingly.

Huffing a breath, my magic tingled with the sweat dripping down my temple from the warm sunlight coating my skin. “Fine, but are you going to be able to behave when you chase me? We’re in class.”

Desire spiked in our bond as he smirked. “No promises. Now, run from me, tiny fox.”

My pulse spiked as I turned on my heels and ran.

The deep chuckle that fell from his lips sent a hot streak down my spine, but the other students around us forced me to focus my efforts on the task at hand.

Lachlan’s woodsy scent closed in fast, and since I couldn’t shift in a zig-zag pattern to run due to the other students around, he caught up to me easily. “Sorry, Wren.” His voice carried to me softly, even with the pounding of his shoes against the ground.

The earth shifted beneath my feet, and I tripped, giving him the time he needed to catch my wrist and pull me against his chest to stop me from falling as he swiped the ball from me all in one move.

Once I was stable, he bolted. I blinked after him a couple of times before the shock wore off.

He’d used his earth affinity to win against me, something he hadn’t done before.

A smirk played on my lips before I dug my heels into the ground and ran toward him.

My magic tingled before my ears and tail sprouted, and I closed the distance between us faster than I’d anticipated. Even so, he won, already dropping the heavy ball onto the ground over the line as my body smacked into his back.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and sighed. “You won, fair and square. I’m impressed by your earth affinity.”

“I’m impressed you caught up to me so fast,” he replied before spinning around and dropping his head, meeting my lips with his.

“Best two out of three, remember!” Simmons shouted, and we broke apart with smiles.

Lachlan bent down and offered me the ball, but I shook my head. “You won, so you start with it.”

“So you do know the rules of faeball.” He arched his brows as we made our way back to the center of the field.

“Well, I do listen to you when you talk about it, you know.” I stuck my tongue out. “Let’s play.”

“Can you catch me?” He ruffled his hair, holding onto the ball as if it weighed nothing.

Stepping forward, I touched his lips before trailing my fingers down his chin to his arm. “I already did,” I teased before grabbing the ball and pivoting on my heels.

I took off immediately, not wasting time by looking back at him, but I heard his footsteps close.

“Nice try, but I was expecting that one!” His hand swept through my hair as it flew behind me, and my magic exploded.

My body went incorporeal except for the two hands clutching the ball. It was excruciating to maintain hold of the ball in my hands. All of my hand muscles strained, but I pushed forward. I couldn’t feel my muscles anywhere but in my hands, and they burned as I kept going.

Lachlan whistled as his footsteps slowed. “Damn, tiny fox. That’s impressive.”

I passed the threshold of the field and dropped the ball as my magic sucked back inside of me, and my body materialized.

Lachlan’s arms wound around me, and I was lifted off the ground while he spun me around. “That was so amazing! I’m so proud of you!”

“I’m proud of you too,” Simmons said, making his way over to us.

A few other students had already left, which surprised me. I’d thought Lachlan and I were pretty fast.

“Thank you!” I squeaked as Lachlan set me back on feet. “I’ve been practicing a lot!”

“I can tell. That’s a very useful power you’ve gained control of.”

“I’ve learned how to use my shadow tendril in that form too. It’s a bit harder, but I’ve finally figured it out.”

“Your magic has become more at peace with bonding all of your mates,” he commented, rubbing a hand over his head. “It was like that when I met my mates too.”

A glimpse of blue caught my eye as a butterfly flew between us and landed on my cheek before going on its way, and my magic swirled in excitement from the gesture.

I smiled, watching it flap away toward the forest. “That was a pretty butterfly.”

“Never seen one like it before,” Lachlan said.

I turned back to Simmons, whose face had gone blank. “You two have a tiebreaker. Best of luck.” He turned and shuffled toward another pair of students with tense shoulders.

“What was that about?” I asked Lachlan in a hushed voice, but he shrugged.

“Coach, er, Simmons does that sometimes. Let’s not think too much into it. I have a game to win.” He smirked.

“We’ll see about that!” I bent down and grabbed the ball. “I start with it, and I won’t be letting you have it.”

His laugh enveloped me, and I grinned. It was nice to see Lachlan in his element. He loved this game, and he needed a break from the war just like all of us.

“Give me all you have, tiny fox.”