Devious Claws

Chapter Nineteen

"Not bad."

A large hand landed heavy on my shoulder, squeezing a bit too hard but well-intentioned nevertheless. Gore looked down at me, then to Luke who he gave a quick smack to the back. Luke grimaced from the pain but gave a nod back. We were still in the meadow but training was over for the day and everybody had begun moving inside - it was close to noon.

"I feel like I can taste my spleen," Luke complained.

"That's normal," Gore dismissed. The last few hours of brutal fighting had left no trace on him besides the dried blood on his upper lip from my hit to his nose. He was still a beast but I had to admit he was growing on me. "You two are pathetic sights - but you have spirit. That must be how you survived the coup, I reckon."

"I think my spirit left my body about an hour ago," Luke murmured to me, rubbing his arm.

"I think my spirit is somewhere in Hillstone," I retorted with a painful chuckle. "Is he still watching?"

He looked to the porch where Eros had been stood for the last hour, glaring at our spot in the meadow with arms crossed. Luke nodded.

"You must have one magical tongue," Gore commented, also looking at Eros, hands at his sides.

"Yeah, Cindy," Luke trailed with feigned innocence. "Do you have a magical tongue?"

"Shut the fuck up." I threw a punch at him but he easily dodged my cramped movement with a devious laugh.

"Careful now, female," Gore warned. "You'll need to rest up before tomorrow. Food is at nine tonight so go on in and tend to yourself. You too, Luke. I have to admit that you do look a bit rough, though... Here, follow me."

Luke and I shared a quick look before hurrying after Gore. He moved like a walking boulder, heavy and swaying side to side. He began going to the house, and Eros seemed content with our training being over, disappearing inside with the stream of people.

"What's going on between you two?" Luke whispered to me, braver now that Eros had gone.

"I don't know," I admitted. "He's a bit..."

"Obsessive?"

"Protective," I shot back.

"You can't seriously be considering--"

"I'm not, Luke. God." I ran my hands through my hair, praying that the sticky parts were dirt and sap. "What's wrong with you, anyway? You keep insinuating that there's something going on."

"Hey, I wouldn't blame you. I just... they look so human."

My mind wandered to Eros, to his muscular back and intense eyes - his laugh when we had been in the lake.

"Yeah," I murmured. "They do."

"But they're not. And we are about to risk our lives for their politics, so I want your head to be completely clear. Don't let emotions cloud your judgement - they're dangerous, killers."

My heart softened. I saw Luke's gaze saddened for a second and pulled him into my side. "I'm sorry about your dad, Luke."

"Yeah," he dismissed but did squeeze me back. "This was nice, though. Like therapy."

"Right!"

"So crazy, feeling like you're being beaten within an inch of your life."

I laughed, shoved him away. We had entered the house and by now the kitchen was completely stuffed with trainees, half naked men both bloodied and bruised. It was clear that Alpha Alheera's kitchen wasn't actually big enough to hold them all and more of a panic solution. Some sat by the table but most stood up, wrapping their wounds or stretching.