Chapter 16
16
TALIA
T he Training room was located on the basement level, and they had more weapons than I could dream up.
To my right was a wall lined with every weapon imaginable: bows, crossbows, long swords, daggers, shields, battle axes, and ten other types of swords and knives I wanted to get my hands on.
My hand was twitching with the urge to grab a blade.
I’d never seen so many weapons in one place.
To my left, mats lined the walls and floors and at the end of the room were various targets and dummies.
What surprised me most was the obstacle course that looked like I might die if I tried to complete it.
Spinning wheels, ropes that hung from the ceiling and ladders lined the walls behind it.
There was a wall that looked to be twenty feet tall that people were running at, trying to make it to the top.
Only a few ropes were attached in case they fell.
“Hey Tals? You’ve got a bit of drool on the side of your mouth there,”
Lucas chuckled as Celeste smacked him on the chest.
“What? She’s practically salivating at the sight in front of her.
I know I’m not the only one who can feel her excitement.”
“I am not drooling! I just, I mean… wow.”
Turning to look at Declan who stood beside me I asked, “Why do you have such an intense training area? We have a gym back at Jericho’s pack but nothing to this caliber.”
“You never know when you might be attacked, I have just learned to keep my pack prepared should the need to fight another war arise.”
Choosing not to think too hard on that I might be fighting a war of my own soon, I walked over to the wall of weapons and grabbed a pair of daggers, they had a wide handle with a diamond shaped blade attached.
Flipping them through my fingers, I got a feel for the weapons.
I was always more comfortable with daggers and knives than swords, my second weapon of choice would be a bow.
I had deadly and precise aim, and I could not wait to sink the blade into the dummy.
Someone tapped me on the shoulder, “Are you okay? You’ve been staring at these daggers for several minutes, and your eyes were glowing solid purple… which is new.”
Celeste looked concerned, which was a look I hated seeing on her face.
I wanted to be the one to keep her safe like she had done for me for so many years now.
“Yeah, I just need to let off some steam.
All that has happened over the past week, and what Jericho just dropped on me… I just need to stab something.”
I told her.
Celeste stepped closer, “Then let’s show them what you are made of shall we?”
A sinister smile touched her lips as she stepped back.
“I can’t wait for him to see you with the bow.”
Brushing the hair out of her face she looked over her shoulder then back at me and whispered, “So who do you think is more my type, Jaxon or Trystan?”
Laughing , I looked at them both and contemplated.
Where Jaxon had that flirty, goofy, jock thing going for him, Trystan was all tattoos and muscles.
He was broody, but I’d seen a little bit of a goofy side as well.
Plus, he had been a part of the royal guard which meant he was a good protector.
“From what I’ve seen so far, I’d say Trystan, but I still need to see more of them both before I can make an honest recommendation.”
I smiled at her.
“Are you two done whispering over there?”
Jaxson shouted at the same time I overheard Trystan muttering to Declan, “Are you sure we shouldn’t just start with some hand to hand and assess her skills?”
“Nah, you should see the way this girl kicks ass,”
Lucas told them.
Declan shot daggers his way and said, “What do you mean by that?”
Rolling my eyes I walked back toward the men who were watching me with curious eyes.
I stepped in front of Declan, while turning around to face him I unsheathed my dagger.
“What are you doing little wolf?”
he asked.
Declan was underestimating me, and I was tired of it.
I smirked as I shut my eyes and inhaled deeply.
I focused on my wolf senses until I could hear every heartbeat in the room, every breath, the warmth of Declan’s body in front of me.
Not giving him a response I just smiled, shut my eyes and inhaled deeply. “Talia-"
Before he could finish his sentence, I turned my upper body reaching my arm out behind my back, aimed my dagger at the wooden target twenty feet in front of me and threw it.
The sound of wood splintering echoed in the silence around me, letting me know that I hit my mark.
Sure enough, when I opened my eyes, the blade was hilt deep, dead center in the wood target.
I smiled, turning to lock eyes with Declan, his pupils were blown.
His nostrils were flaring as he took a step towards me.
My body heated as I could smell his arousal and feel it through our bond, I shouldn’t be able to feel that yet…“Well fuck me sideways, I think I’m in love,”
Jaxon whispered.
Declan tensed and turned to look at his friend, “She’s mine, back the fuck off Jax.”
“I was just saying, that was fucking hot.”
Smiling at me he winked, which made me chuckle.
I could tell he was trying to rile his friend and alpha, and it was working.
“You want to prove who is the better man for my mate? Let’s give her a little demonstration on whose more worthy of her , ”
Declan challenged, ripping his shirt off and tossing it to the ground.
Jaxon tore his shirt off in record speed and headed to the weapons wall.
“I’m always down for a good sparring session.”
Grabbing two long swords from the wall Jaxon tossed one to Declan who caught it midair, the muscles of his arms tightening with his grip.
My gaze traveled down his body, and fuck his body was a work of art.