26. Addi

TWENTY-SIX

Having a friend who isn't Nora is weird, but comforting. I feel protective over her, but not in the way I would be if it was Nora walking with me to the dining hall right now. The thought alone steals my breath. I would be practically feral. But Flora doesn't feel like a direct connection to me like Nora does. I have to trust that she can handle herself, while I would have Nora under my arm, throwing death glares at anyone who even considered looking in her direction. Trouble or not.

We spent the rest of yesterday watching the entire first two seasons of The Office—all twenty-eight episodes. We were so addicted that Arlo showed up when the sun had gone down with pasta dishes for dinner.

Again, she slammed the door in his face, and I get the feeling that something more is going on between them. It's not my place to pry, though. If she wants to tell me, I'm sure she will. That seems to be the balance we have between us, and I like it, so as eager as I am to know, I'm not rocking the boat.

"You're definitely getting looks from at least four different groups of wolves," she murmurs as we walk past the water fountain at the end of the individual origin pathways, and I grimace.

"Great."

"I'm not getting a read that they're pissy over anything, more an air of intrigue," she adds, hoping to put me at ease, but it doesn't change anything inside me.

"Well, if that's all it is, they'll go away soon because there's really nothing to see here," I grumble, running my hands over the gray cloak that screams I'm a fae at everyone.

"You're funny."

My eyes narrow as I turn to her. "You're mean."

She scoffs, unfazed by my bullshit. "Please. You're a badass and you know it."

I shrug, trying to bite back the smile born of her assessment of me, but the matching tip to her lips tells me she's spotted it anyway.

Arlo walks a step ahead of us, peering over his shoulder every few moments until we enter the dining hall. Then, as we head toward the food, he moves to Flora's other side.

"Get your trays and pile your plates high. You both need to feed those egos, and those limbs need all the extra power they can get because something tells me our first combat class isn't going to be as easy as the others we've had," he states, and my gut twists, agreeing with what he's saying. I've got that same feeling in my gut, too. I don't know why, but I don't want to ignore it.

I make sure to pile my plate with eggs, bacon, and avocado with a piece of toast on the side before finding a spot at the table that's now been declared the fae pit. Flora sits beside me, and Arlo is across from her. I'm ready to get lost in my food when Arlo speaks again.

"People are definitely watching."

"Pay them no mind. They'll go away eventually," Flora insists, but her voice is softer than usual.

"Why don't you sound sure of that?" I ask, and she rolls her eyes.

"Because I'm definitely not, but one of us needs to be positive," she retorts before focusing on her food.

To my surprise, we eat without interruption, but I notice the air shift the moment the guys walk in. Raiden. Cassian. Brody. Kryll. It's clearly not just me they have an effect on. The entire room practically hangs off their every move.

Brody's eyes land on me first, then Kryll's, while Cassian and Raiden act as though I don't exist. Which is great, truly great, except it fuels the murmurs around us as people's eyes flicker from Cassian to me and back again.

Fuck.

When I'm still drowning in the intensity of it ten minutes later, with my plate now empty, I snap.

"This is suffocating. I need to get out of here," I grind out, my muscles coiling tight with anticipation.

Flora practically leaps from her seat. "Let's go."

Arlo stands without a word and the three of us head for the exit. We make it outside without issue, but I don't get a chance to breathe in the fresh air and exhale all of my problems away before a familiar vampire stands before me.

Fucking Vallie.

The sneer on her lips and her red nails aimed at me tells me I'm about to experience more of her bullshit. "You think because you have a claim on Cassian it's going to give you rights to Raiden, too?"

I frown at her, instantly irritated by her mere proximity. "Did you start half of that conversation in your head or something because I have no idea what the fuck you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb," she growls, inching closer, but I don't back away; I stand taller, using the few inches I have over her to my advantage.

"Don't stand in my way."

She cackles, head thrown back as a few of her vampire friends step closer. "Oh, someone's getting brave because they made a little pup tap out. Newsflash, scum, I'm no pup. A duel with me would see you face first in the dirt."

"Are you forgetting what happened last week? I can remind you if you like," I offer, eager to follow through as I let my magic tap into the ground beneath us.

Watching the vines wrap around her would be the perfect start to my day, especially if I weaved them around her mouth and shut her the hell up.

Her mouth falls open, her venom ready to be unleashed, but an arm drapes around my shoulders and heaves me away from the queen vampire hell bent on causing me issues.

Confused, I blink up at the asshole getting involved to find Kryll's auburn hair and black markings along his skin. "I'm in the middle of something here."

"Not anymore, you're not."

I try to step out from under his arm, but he makes it impossible, tugging me into his side as he guides me toward our combat class. Flora is a step behind, with Arlo beside her. Neither of them say a word, happy to see what's going on, and I glare at them before turning my wrath back to Kryll.

"She was giving me shit. Again. I have to stand my ground against idiots like that. You pulling me away makes me look weak." He shrugs, not offering any kind of response, which only irritates me more, but it seems I may have to try a softer approach with this asshole to get anywhere. "What do you want, Kryll? I was hoping the four of you would forget I exist and leave me in peace," I grumble, and he snickers.

"It's nice to see you too, Addi," he muses, making my eyes narrow.

"Don't play games with me. What do you want?" I push, and his hand on my arm tightens as if he senses I'm going to make a run for it. I definitely need to, but not for the reason he thinks. It's almost nice feeling his warmth around me, and I need to put as much distance between us as possible.

"Me? Nothing. Cassian and Raiden? A moment's peace," he offers as an explanation, and I huff.

"Let me know where they find one. I could do with one of those as well."

He smirks but doesn't respond, keeping me tucked under his arm as we step into the large gym space for combat class. The entire floor is one giant mat, but otherwise, the room is bare. Everyone gathers in the different colors, confirming who is what without having to look deeper than our clothes.

"Good morning, I'm Professor Tora. I'll be your combat teacher for the foreseeable future," he announces, standing in the center of the room with his arms folded over his chest. Everyone gathers around him, and as we get closer, it's impossible not to note how stacked he is. He's not wearing colors like the rest of us, but his aura gives an easy read on him.

Nomad. Built. Strong.

He's a shifter. Thankfully, not a wolf. I've had my fill of those forever.

I try to shake out of Kryll's hold, but it only seems to tighten. "You can get off me now," I bite, glaring up at him, and he shakes his head without peering down at me.

Fucker.

"I want to know everyone's abilities from the get-go," Tora states, pacing in front of us. "Which means we're going to break off into pairs, bring it to the mat, and see what we're working with," he explains, confirming my initial thoughts. Even though part of me knew this was coming, I still feel the nerves threaten to overwhelm me.

I need to remain focused and free of distractions, so I can't let nerves take over. There's no room for that on the battlefield, and there's no room for it here, either.

He starts to rattle off names, going along the crowd before his steps slow in front of us. "Nice, Kryll and Addi, you two can go together."

Kryll grins, slapping hands with the professor, and my gaze narrows.

"What the fuck is that?" I mutter when Tora carries on.

"Tora has my back."

"And?"

"And…" He looks at me, puzzled, like he didn't just give me half a damn explanation, and I know I'm not going to get anything else from him.

Fucker.

We find a space on the mats and face off with each other. I roll my shoulders back, calculating how I can use Kryll's size against him as he assesses me, too.

"You had room for improvement back at the diner." My eyes widen at his comment, but I tamper down my defenses and shrug, acting as unaffected as possible.

"Thanks for the assessment."

"At least I have it easier than she did since you don't have any daggers hanging off you this time."

"Says who?" I retort, cocking a brow at him. He's right, I don't have any, but he doesn't need to know that. He wets his lips, looking over me once more to try and find any hints of silver. "Don't worry, I'll try and show you the same mercy too. You just have to tap out," I state sweetly, smiling wide at him, and his gaze narrows.

This may actually be fun. Despite the unfazed exterior he's always rocking, I can see the smallest crack in his walls, and trying to get to him offers a little excitement.

He charges at me first, testing my reflexes as he swings his arms at me in quick succession. I manage to deflect the first four with my arms, but the fifth catches me by surprise as he changes his angle. His balled fist connects with my stomach, but not enough to wind me. He's holding back. That's for sure.

"You hold your arms too high. You need to centralize them a little more so you can shift up and down when needed," he points out. He's right. I know he is. But admitting that to him feels like defeat. So I nod and carry on.

Refusing to let him continue with the upper hand, I circle him, hoping to make him feel like prey for a minute. He watches me with amusement as I hook my arms into my chest, fists balled, ready to connect with him.

I extend toward his right shoulder first, and he blocks it effortlessly. I repeat the motion with my other hand, aiming for the same spot as I stretch my leg and kick at his thigh. I catch the weak spot perfectly, and he stumbles, dropping to one knee with a look of utter surprise on his face.

"You focus too much on my hands because you underestimate what I can do. I have legs, too, and they work just as well as my fists." My pointer is definitely condescending, but I can't help it.

"You know how to handle yourself. Well, you think you do. I can prove you wrong," he says, but it's not an offer. A moment later, he's on his feet, stalking toward me with purpose in every movement.

I inch back a little before stepping sideways to circle him. He can cut the distance between us quicker than I can blink, and it's exciting how alert and on edge I am all at once.

The sound of other people hitting the mat around us echoes in my ears, but I try to block it out, focusing on him as his gaze seems to darken. I know he's going to come at me stronger this time, and I'm ready for it.

He shifts on his left foot, heavier than any other steps he's taken, and I brace for impact, wanting him to come at me. We collide a moment later, sailing through the air as his arms band around me, blocking the full impact of the floor beneath us as he lands on top of me. I wrap my legs around his waist without missing a beat, using the small pocket of energy from the impact to roll.

I'm met with little resistance, which I think has more to do with the surprise that flashes in his eyes than his inability, but I use it to my advantage, plastering his back to the mat as I lay on top of him, pinning his wrists.

I grin, victory dancing in my head as my heart races.

It doesn't last long, as he repeats a similar move on me. A second later, I'm back beneath him, the pair of us panting for breath. His eyes swirl and I get the sense his animal is right beneath the surface as he tries to catch his breath.

"This is almost fun," I rasp, acutely aware of his body pressed against mine, and he shakes his head, trying and failing to focus.

I could take him again. I think. It's worth a try.

Hooking my legs around his, I get ready to shift my weight when a shrill voice bites through the air.

"Fuck this shit. There's no way I'm having some fae bitch infiltrate the Kenner line. I challenge her to a duel."

Fuck. My. Life.