A University of Betrayal (The Blairville Legacies #2)

Chapter 4

Miles

Alpha

JordanBeats

As I punched, I hit his left cheek, and a crack sounded.

I couldn’t help but grin, because how often did you punch your mentor and hit the bull’s eye? But as much luck as I sometimes had, just as much bad luck followed.

Laurent grabbed me by the upper arm and threw me against the stone wall of the training hall. This time it was my neck that made a sickening noise.

“Your successful hits are making you reckless,” my mentor rebuked me, looking down at me sternly as I straightened my shoulders. “At least you’ve managed to build up muscle mass.”

Did he have to bring that up now? I knew well enough myself that my upper body wasn’t exactly broad, and it had taken an awful lot of training to have the body I had now, not to mention the masses of protein-rich food.

Laurent held out his hand to me, but instead of pulling me up when I gratefully accepted it, he flung me back over his head. I wasn’t as good as him, but I already knew this move, so I managed to land on my two feet and hold him in his spin so that he couldn’t move.

“Reckless?” I laughed triumphantly.

Laurent grabbed my wrists, skillfully twisted his way through my arms, grabbed me by the neck, and smashed me down powerfully.

My head bounced painfully on the mat, and any ordinary mortal would have lost consciousness by now.

“Indeed, Miles.”

Shaking his head, he let go of me and pulled his black DUIO tracksuit jacket over his black T-shirt, so I jumped up too, but didn’t put on my shirt or tracksuit jacket. My body was boiling, and I didn’t want to soak another shirt. My skin was crying out for a cold shower, but I had something to do first. My fingers moved to the hidden pocket in my training pants, where one of my steel blades was located.

“Forget it, Miles,” Laurent grumbled without turning to me, and I pressed my lips together before taking my hands off the blade.

Of course he had noticed.

I watched as my mentor packed up the nasty wooden stakes, he had been throwing at me ten minutes ago.

“Done already?” I asked challengingly, undoing my short man bun so that my straight, dark brown hair fell down to my chin. The front strands fell into my forehead, so I had to wipe them out of my face. And no, I absolutely didn’t see the point in going to the hairdresser, even if Adrian was teasing me about it. As long as the women were into it, it was appropriate. End of discussion.

“Tonight is our last dinner before Nicolaj comes back. Besides, we have someone new among us, and we both know you should shower beforehand.”

I had completely blocked out the fact that she was here now because I was still trying to process what I had learned two days ago. If I had known beforehand, I would have done everything I could to prevent her from coming here, but unfortunately, in this family, you learn a lot of things only when it is too late.

“I think someone wants to talk to you,” Laurent sighed, running his fingers through his short brown hair while nodding toward the entrance.

I turned around, and my euphoria turned abruptly into tension.

“Remember what I told you,” were Laurent’s last words before he patted me on the shoulders and made his way upstairs.

I appreciated how Laurent just tossed me straight into the lion’s cage, not like Adrian or Bastien, let alone David or Camille, who treated me like I was a lion cub myself. I didn’t need their protection, especially not against Tristan DeLoughrey.

I Hate Everything About You

Three Days Grace

It annoyed me that he was here again. No one had invited him. Absolutely no one. Yet he ignored that he was unwanted here, bringing deadly chaos, ruining our brother- and sisterhood.

I unwrapped the bandages from my hand and tried to avoid his gaze as he came toward me in an almost human way. His knee-length coat was noble and menacing. Longer than the one I usually wore.

Behind it hid a man who had destroyed his own life and the lives of others.

“You used to be better, kid.”

I paused, but didn’t look up at him. Anger pulsed in my chest. How I wished I could have told him to leave it alone and fuck off again.

“Bastien should have taken you as a student and not Adrian.”

“Don’t talk so disrespectfully about him,” I snorted angrily and continued to tie off. “And don’t you dare question Nicolaj’s decisions.”

He didn’t answer, which was a good thing because the last thing I needed right now was a discussion with the man I loathed most in this world.

“I could take over your training.”

Stunned, I looked him in the face for the first time.

It felt strange to see him as if he was ten years older than me, and the knowledge that he was seventeen years older filled me with shame. His mere presence made me uncomfortable. On top of that, he was talking bullshit.

“Over my dead body.” I snorted honestly without changing my expression. “And while we’re on that subject. Why don’t you go back to California right now? That would be best for everyone involved. Nobody wants you here. Look at the mess you’ve made. And what a situation you’ve put Bastien in!”

I looked at him angrily, but then turned away to reach for my water bottle. I had lost so much fluid during this training that the cool water felt so divinely relieving. At the same time, my thirst for something else grew. Good thing dinner was coming soon. Another excuse to end the unnecessary conversation with that bastard.

“I don’t understand how you can hate your own flesh and blood so much, Milliam.”

God, how much I wanted to smack him right now.

“Everyone else understands. I understand it. That should be enough,” I pressed out.

What was he even thinking, asking that question? Calling me by that name. He looked at me, thoughtful but also indifferent. I had expected nothing less from him.

“I’m surprised they’re taking you back, that Nicolaj is taking you in.” I stood in front of him. We were the same height. “Don’t think that just because he or your brothers tolerate you here that I do the same.”

“You don’t know anything about my brothers, kid.”

There it was again. His bossy attitude.

“Don’t call me that!” I pressed out with anger seething in my chest.

The fact that he put on the apologetic look didn’t make it any better.

“I’ve changed, Milliam. That’s why Nicolaj gave me a chance. And all I’m asking is that you give me one too.”

“Changed...”

I laughed sarcastically and turned to reach for my T-shirt and bandages.

“A chance... The last thing you can expect from me is a chance.”

How many times had he begged Bastien for one more chance or for him to clean up the mess he left everywhere he went?

I wasn’t Bastien – even if I sometimes wanted to be – and I wasn’t obliged to do anything. That was the beauty of my position at the Receptum. The day they had chosen Adrian as the future heir. It had been clear to me that I was going to enjoy my life to the fullest. No obligations, no regrets. Back then, it was also called the privilege of the second-born. I didn’t really owe Nicolaj anything, even if I was living at his expense, but everyone in the brotherhood did, so what? The point was that I could do whatever the hell I wanted. And if there was one thing I didn’t like, it was the fact that Bastien’s younger brother was interfering, maybe even trying to change things.

“Actually, I shouldn’t care. About nothing. Just like I do for you.” I admitted those words were harsh, but it was all I had left to keep him away from me. “I hope you realize you don’t belong here and pack your things as soon as possible.”

I recognized something like regret in his eyes for the first time, which felt like a triumph. I wanted him to feel what he had made me feel all these years.

I turned away because it was a good time to leave, but he grabbed my arm, which upset me a little.

I looked at him, overwhelmed. His look was serious again, as if we’d never had this conversation.

“I’m going to prove to you that I’ve changed. Think what you want of me. I will prove to you that this family comes first for me. You have my word.”

His words sounded sincere, too sincere to be true.

I tore myself away from him.

“I don’t give a fuck about your word.”

It was all I could say before I turned around and walked away.