Chapter 32
Runaway Fairy
“ T hank you for suggesting the chakrams as my go-to weapons. They feel right, as if they’re meant to be,” I purr as I wrap my arms around Bradan’s waist and look up at him.
His chest is bare and he’s all sweaty. Proving he’s no longer holding back. I don’t mind, I feel stronger. I’m no longer afraid to spar with him.
“They suit you. Your speed is improving. Let’s keep going.”
“Okay, let’s do this,” I say and smile.
Releasing him, I back up and allow him to get ready to attack. For a moment, I’m stuck in awe. He seems taller and more powerful as he stands with heat rising off his skin.
This time, he has chains in his hands. They are lit with flames as he spins them like nunchaku. Bradan is a magnificent being. He moves with such fluidity and focus. Not flinching in the slightest as the flames whirl around him.
“Focus, Taylor. You can’t be in awe of your enemy,” Bradan says in my head.
I take in a sharp breath. I didn’t realize I was so transfixed by his actions. He begins to move toward me, slowly at first, then he flashes in front of me in the blink of an eye. I dip back as one chain moves through the air to connect with my head. It sails over my face as I turn my head to the side. The heat caresses my cheek as it passes.
“Nice, baby girl,” Bradan says proudly.
I straighten and duck as the other chain comes at me from the other side. My chest swells with pride as I note I am moving a lot faster. When I come up, I call on my chakrams and cross them before me to block his next attack. The sound of metal-on-metal pierces my ears, but I stay focused.
Good thing I do because Bradan flashes behind me and tries the same attack. I twist around and duck out of the way, bending forward at the waist, the chains and heat moving across my back. When I straighten, I can see the second chain coming for my face out of the corner of my eye. I flash out of the way and come up behind Bradan, but he has already countered my flash and is at my side, spinning one of the chains above his head.
This is my move; time for me to strike. I run at him, making him think I’m going to come in close. The moment I can anticipate he’s about to try to wrap me in the chains, I pull up short and run at the air as if running up a wall to do a backflip. Sparks come from my feet with each step.
I draw on those sparks and allow them to move through me, building into flames. Then I pull them up into my chakrams. Completing the flip and releasing the weapons, I land in a crouch before him.
Bradan has a look of shock on his face as I look up through my lashes and smile at him. His cheek has a trickle of blood spilling, as does his right shoulder from the wounds that are already healing. Yet, I can see the skin was seared as well, causing the wounds to heal slower.
“Fuck me,” he breathes. “That was damn good, baby. Damn fucking good.”
I smile and hold my hands up for my returning weapons. They fit into my palms like old lovers. I lift to stand and saunter forward to close the distance between us.
He looks down at me with a heated gaze in his eyes. Excitement fills me because I know I’m about to receive a reward for my efforts this session. Suddenly, his eyes go distant, and a frown comes to his face.
“Hold that thought,” he says to me.
I already know he’s being mind-linked about club business. It’s been weird around here over the last few weeks. Today is the first day I haven’t been followed to training by someone in my court. It seems all the ladies had to be called away for something or the other, much to Bradan’s annoyance.
“Son of a bitch,” Bradan snarls. “There’s been a disturbance I need to see to. Something ain’t right. Kendrick sounds off.”
“Off? Off how?”
“I can’t explain it. He sounds like he’s in a fishbowl or something. You stay here. Don’t leave this room. Lola is on her way back. Violet says she’s close by too. They’re heading straight here.”
“Okay, I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”
He looks like he’s about to change his mind, but his eyes go distant again and he disappears. I shrug it off and go to put away the mat and weapons we used during our sparring. I’m lost in thought when my hackles go up.
Someone has entered the gym, but I don’t recognize the energy right away. It doesn’t feel friendly. I turn to find Seraphina, Bradan’s ex, glaring back at me. Quickly, I throw up a shield.
It’s the right move as she throws a fireball my way. She throws two more, cracking the barrier as I didn’t have much time to form it and it’s something newer to me. I haven’t perfected them yet.
I begin to back toward the box, I can climb in there until help comes. However, I realize too late that’s what she wants. She’s cornered me in here for a reason. I grind my teeth as she steps inside and closes the hatch.
“Bradan won’t feel me in here,” I breathe as the realization hits.
“That’s right, bitch. By the time he gets here, you’ll be dead. I can’t believe he picked you over me. Mate bond or not, you’re just some weak bitch.”
“You sure about that?” I hiss.
“Oh please. You’re no match for me, but you’ll be with my man over my dead body,” she snarls.
“As you wish.”
She goes to hurl another fireball at me, but I dodge it. Swallowing down my nerves, I remember all my training. I’m not about to lose my first battle.
Once I’ve dodged another attack, she growls and flicks her wrist out. A fiery whip appears in her hand, and she begins to wield it. Something tells me not to show my hand and use my chakrams.
I allow a dagger to appear in my hand instead, slicing at the tip of the whip as she cracks it. I flip, run, and jump to keep out of reach of her whip. However, a loud thump from above us grabs my attention. Two huge wolves are trying to get the hatch open to get inside.
While I’m distracted, her whip hits me first across the chest, then my face. Instantly, I’m pissed. One of the wolves has shifted back to its human form to pull the hatch open, but I’m too angry to care who.
Rage rolls through me like a fire roaring once a door is opened. It’s like my anger becomes a back draft. It’s all-consuming and unstoppable.
My fury sears me from within. I release a deep roar that feels like it comes from my toes and everything stills. The next thing I know, I’m the one attacking.
Bradan
I enter the training room just as it happens. Kendrick called me to the gate to deal with some unwanted guests who didn’t have coins to enter. Once I got there, Aravos said there was never a problem.
He didn’t know what I was talking about. I doubled back for Taylor immediately. Before I could get there, I felt something was off. Taylor’s energy was rising.
Now, I know exactly what I was feeling. My mate has transformed. We didn’t think any of the women would reach this level.
I was proud of Taylor for getting her magic to peak, but I didn’t think she would turn over to this level. This is right before a king’s release—when our avatar appears.
My brothers and I are the only ones to ever reach that level but seeing Taylor do this so young in her training and magic abilities, I can’t help but wonder if this is her max.
I can’t help the grin that comes to my lips. My little mate is the cutest little flame I’ve ever seen. She runs at Seraphina and delivers a blow to her chest, sending her flying back into the wall.
Then she punches at the air, sending a ball of fire from her fist into Seraphina’s chest, then another and another. I snap out of my shock and jump down into the box Violet has opened.
Lola jumps down in after me, shaking the space. I glance back as a second vibration happens. It’s Violet.
When the fuck did these two get so big? I’ve seen their wolves before. They’ve never been this huge. I shake the thought off and go to restrain my mate before she does something she regrets.
Seraphina crumples into a heap, her head hanging with her chin to her chest. Taylor’s chest heaves as I hold her in my arms. I shh and coo for her to calm while I bury my face in the top of her flame as my mind races.
The wolves start to growl. I lift my head to see what’s happening. Seraphina is engulfed in a flame before she vanishes in a puff of smoke. I growl as the bitch gets away.
“This was Kendrick’s doing,” I snarl. “He released her, and she nearly hurt you.”
“Bradan, wait,” Taylor calls after me as I teleport to Kendrick’s room where I feel him and Ray.
I’m going to beat the shit out of him. He should’ve let me kill the bitch in the first place. If something would have happened to Taylor, I would have lost my mind.