Chapter Thirteen

A note on the classroom door told us that today's class would be hands-on. At the field.

The place that held a bad memory but, thanks to Bodhi and last night, a very good one as well.

"Hands-on as in, we're going to fight each other?" I asked the boys. We had gotten into the habit of sitting together during breakfast and then walking to class together. We still got sneers and even my less-than-a-shifter hearing could pick up the whispers.

My mind had a hundred things to say about their gossip, but when Theron took my hand, it all faded away. I wondered how they could do that but brushed it off as another shifter thing I didn't understand.

"Not fight. Spar." Grim patted my hip once we arrived at the field.

"In this body?" I asked. They knew what I inferred. If we were sparring as wolves, I would have to duck out.

"Yes," Theron offered. "With human hands and feet. There are times we can't shift. All kinds of reasons our wolves don't come out sometimes. We have to learn to defend ourselves in both forms."

All eyes landed on the professor who was the only one dressed for fighting outside. I wished she had given us a heads-up. Looked like I wasn't the only one who would learn to fight in jeans. "For today's lesson, we're going to spar with each other. I'll be pairing everyone off and giving you instructions. Some senior students have come in to help me critique and give correction."

She walked around, pairing people off. Bodhi, Grim, and Theron gravitated toward me more and more as she meandered around. Finally, she stood in front of us and announced that Theron and Grim would be together.

And Bodhi would be with someone named Alex.

I held my breath, hoping Stevie was free, but she'd already begun training with an older boy, one who was only supposed to be critiquing us.

"Minx, you're with Drew. He's good with his hands. You can learn a lot."

Wolf whistles rang out all around me. All three guys grumbled but paired up with their designated sparring partner.

"Come on," Drew said with a wink. He'd come out of nowhere. "You're with me."

We walked over to an area away from the others a bit but still in sight of the boys. Stevie was right. They did stare a lot. I didn't mind it.

"Have you every defended yourself before?" he asked, looking me up and down as though my body would have the answer.

"No. Never had to," I quipped. "I mean, verbally, yes. Physically, no."

He chuckled. "Don't worry. I'll teach you."

The next hour was spent mostly with me landing on my ass over and over, but I'd gotten some good tips from Drew, nonsense aside.

"One more time before class is up," he said. "I've got more tricks up my sleeve."

Gods, I bet his lines really did something for some of the girls. I'd noticed a lot of them gawking, some blushing.

My sights were already fixed on Theron, Bodhi and Grim, but I had things that needed to be sorted out with them. Would they mind if I kissed all of them? They were longtime friends, and I didn't want jealousy to become a thing.

The thought of choosing one of them over the others tore me up.

Females didn't have more than one mate.

Then why did I need all three of them?

I half-ass went through the motions, trying to predict Drew's movements then his leg swiped under mine and, before I knew it, I was on my back in the grass, the wind knocked out of me. Drew hovered above me, asking me if I was okay, but the fizzling in the air had my whole attention.

"Damn, you're beautiful, female. Has anyone ever told you that?" Drew reached up with one hand and brushed some of my hair back, but I froze in place. Ickiness made me shiver and if I ever caught my breath, I would tell him to get off me.

"Stop," I barely croaked out when three growls rang out so loudly I turned my face away from the shattering sounds.

I knew those growls.

Drew glanced over his shoulder, seeming unfazed by the noise but soon widened his eyes. A whoosh of power forced me to turn my head back and see three wolves where my guys had once been sparring in the distance. They charged over, hair on the back of their napes standing on end. Teeth bared. The earth below me vibrated as they grew closer.

Had I angered them?

Drew stood, palms out in some show of surrender. "No harm done, guys. It's not like I kissed her."

A feral sound came from Theron, the wolf. Drew stepped back and shook his head as though the sound affected him physically. I scrambled to sit up and back away from the scene. Grim turned his head toward me and whined.

No. I wasn't their target.

Drew was.

"I'm leaving, okay. Gods!" Drew let out a few more curses before picking up his bag and hightailing it off the field.

Everyone stilled in shock.

When Drew stepped off the field, the wolves, my wolves, grabbed their bags in their teeth and ran from the field in the opposite direction.

It felt like forever until we all moved, and some laughed it off.

The teacher reformed her bun on her head and rolled her eyes. She reached out a hand to help me up, and I accepted it. My insides were still shaking. What in the hell was all that?

She patted me on the back. "Wolf shifters and their mates, I swear."