Devious Claws

Chapter Seventeen

Waking up was... interesting.

I'd had a nightmare, the plot of which quickly escaped my memory, and awoke with a start. The burst of adrenaline shot through me, making me roll over swiftly.

My eyes opened to a resting face on the pillow before me, and a naked body separated from mine by just a sheet. I gulped, and tried to blink myself properly awake. The room looked different in the early morning light, far bigger than before. I could tell it was still very early, how the sun hadn't yet warmed up the room.

Eros was surprisingly still asleep. I wondered if this was the perfect time to get changed.

I decided it was and snuck out of bed, across the cold floor to the pile of clothes that had been left for me. The shirt was wrinkled from sleeping in it but I didn't really dwell on it.

"Cindy?" came a groggy voice from the bed as I finished buttoning my pants.

"I'm here," I said, soon seeing yellow eyes locate me. "I thought you said you weren't big on sleeping."

"I'm not... usually."

"Right." I laughed, seeing his ruffled hair and glazed eyes, but couldn't deny the fact that he still looked amazing.

"It's much too late, we need to get up."

"Why?"

"Strategizing, but also... you need to get some training."

Ouch.

"I mean... that's not fair. Sure, Thanksgiving just passed, so I ate a lot - plus I haven't had a chance to go to the gym for a while--"

"What?" Eros raised a sharp brow, giving me an odd look. "You need combat training."

"Oh." I laughed awkwardly. Then began biting at the inside of my cheek. "But why?"

"Because you do. Besides, we'll be here for a few days to rest up and think up some sort of plan. My men, the few I have left, have been hiding for a while, and they're going to need a few days to get back into shape."

"And what if I get... mauled?"

"I've already organized for you and Luke to get some practice. I made sure to tell them you need to learn how to fight in human form, so don't worry about your cover." He looked at me for a second, then got up. The sheets fell down his naked thighs - and the room suddenly felt a hundred degrees hotter. "If anyone asks, you're normally my companion in court."

"Companion? You mean whore."

"Yes." Eros walked up to me, throwing some of my hair over my shoulder. He sniffed the crook of my neck, and seemed happy with the results. "My whore."

"How charming."

Despite my best efforts, I felt a tingle spread somewhere deep beneath my clothes. His gaze had trapped mine, as it seemed to have a habit of doing.

"Luke is Frill's brother, still new to the force when the coup happened. You two are simply survivors who now want to help overtake the crown once more. When we leave this room, I can no longer acknowledge our... connection."

While I knew very well he meant his debt to me, a part of me got stuck on his choice of words.

Connection.

"Got it."

"I need you to be careful. The men will look after you but... be careful."

"Got it," I repeated.

Right then, the door opened to reveal one of Eros' men that I'd learnt was named Fez, the one who seemed almost albino. His hair stood straight up like usual, looking like ice. Piercing blue eyes found us - if he thought the scene was strange, he didn't show it. Instead he nodded to me. "They're asking for you. You're late."

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If I had expected a gym or training hall with soft mats and safety equipment, I was dead wrong. I had been lead outside to the meadow behind Alpha Alheera's house where small groups of people were gathered. One team was sparring, another throwing knives at a round target a few meters away. A bit away, closer to the treeline, there was even a group of wolves wrestling with a man standing in the middle, yelling instructions.

It was a bit overwhelming to say the least.

I soon found Luke, standing with a man in the middle of the meadow, looking very puny next to the surrounding trainees. The man who I assumed to be our instructor was a mountain, bald and veiny. As I reached them, he gave me a once-over.

"You're small for a wolf."

"Thank you!" I smiled, recovering a little from Eros' comment this morning.

The intructor grumbled, looked to Fez, waved him over and began a hushed conversation clearly not intended for Luke or I.

"Where have you been?" Luke asked.

"Sleeping. What time is it, anyway? Five in the morning? Geez, it's fucking cold."

"These steroid buffs barely sleep. You should've seen the place we all slept last night, so many growls and barks I felt like I was in a kennel."

"Atleast you don't have to play being Eros' personal whore. God, I feel like I'm putting women back centuries."

"I don't know... For a bed, I'd even go so far as to do some method acting."

I snorted, pushing Luke. He stumbled but then pushed back, laughing as well. It happened so quickly I barely understood what was going on but suddenly both me and Luke were on our backs in the grass. My head rung from the blow, but I could tell the middle of my chest is where I'd been struck.

"What the fuck," Luke groaned next to me, sitting up, rubbing his chest. "Did you just shoot me?"

"No, but I might. Get up," the instructor spoke from above us, hands on his hips. His livid gaze targeted me. I was beginning to learn that these men weren't big fans of women.

I was a bit scared of getting hit again but thought it best to listen to the man, and scrambled to my feet alongside Luke.

"My name's Gore. You'd do best listening to me, as I have to teach you how not to get killed."

I couldn't help but appreciate how fitting his name was and carefully glanced over at Luke to see if he'd spotted the connection as well.

That was a mistake.

As soon as my head angled just a bit to the left, I was hit again. This time I flew farther back, landing on my ass. I let out a hiss of pain, and slammed my palm to the grass.

"Hey! Watch yourself!"

The instructor raised a mean brow at me, and I realized he wasn't the only one. Many people in the meadow had perked up at my exclamation, and my face flushed at how they looked at me. Even Luke was looking at me, worried.

Gore neared, making sure to tower over me. He shook his head a little. "Watch myself?"

"Yeah," I responded, admittedly a little less passionate, trying to find my breath.

"Or what? You're going to hit me?" Gore spread his arms out, shrugging. "Come on, then. Hit me."

Luke shook his head ferociously behind Gore, but I couldn't seem to just let go of the sly grin on the man's face. Assuming I had a bit of an advantage being so low, I shot up from the ground and attempted to tackle him.

I hugged his lower body, pushing.

It felt like hitting a wall.

Gore laughed. Grabbed my shoulder and pulled me up to his face. His smirk was menacing as he brought me so close that my feet left the ground.

"I'll start with you."

Oh, fuck.

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A/N

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