Chapter 23 #3
“Not all the way. Just… stuff.”
“Got it. So, what’s the problem? You sound… not so thrilled about it.”
“I don’t know. He said he was going to stay with me on my couch, but I don’t think he did. And I woke up feeling… not any better. And then I found out that he only came to check on me because my father asked him to. Because he was too busy.”
“Is that what he said?”
“No, he said he was going to come anyway, but I don’t know…”
“I mean, he definitely likes you, if that’s what you’re worried about. I see the way he looks at you.”
I shake my head. I’m not squatting anymore either. We move to sit on the benches as we continue talking. “It’s not that…”
“Then what?”
“I don’t know…”
“You’re conflicted because you have an uncontrollable attraction to another person. A meaner, more dangerous one.” She laughs at herself.
“No. I do not.”
“Okay, but—”
“Hey!” Adrian strides over to us. “Did I say to sit down?”
“No,” Meela replies. “We got bored.”
“My legs were tired,” I add. They really were. My thighs were already shaking from some pathetic little half squats. I’m hopeless.
He puts his hands on his hips and looks between us. “Okay. Why don’t we call it for today and tomorrow come back ready to work hard. Now that you know what to expect.”
“Okay,” I say.
“We’ll see,” Meela says.
He gives her a hopeless glance.
Behind Adrian, I see Daegan approaching. By himself.
“Done already?” he asks, his gaze locked on me.
“Yes,” I reply with impatience.
Adrian looks annoyed.
“I thought you wanted to practice your elemental magic?” Daegan asks me. Why is he doing this? Is he pushing me to practice because we’re allies now? Is that what this is?
“She’s not ready for that,” Adrian says dismissively.
“Why not?” Daegan asks in a cold, challenging voice. “You don’t need to be a trained fighter to practice your magic.”
“Why so interested?” Adrian asks, not hiding his annoyance. “What do you know about magic, you’re just a dragon who can’t even shift.”
My jaw drops. I’ve never seen Adrian act like this. Daegan barely reacts, though. Of course he doesn’t. If anything, he turns his body toward Adrian with even more confidence than before. “I don’t need to shift to win my battles.”
“No?” Adrian looks over toward the weapons area where the other dragons fight. “Haven’t seen anything to back that up. You’re not even practicing with your friends.”
“I have my reasons.”
“Well, you guys wanted to be up here so bad, why don’t you prove yourselves. I’ll even spar with you.”
“What?” I spit out.
Daegan stands tall, having just a sliver of height over Adrian. “No thanks.”
“Elves don’t back down from a challenge.” Adrian says calmly.
“I’m not a fucking elf,” Daegan responds simply. If he’s affected by this at all, he’s not showing it.
“Obviously,” Adrian replies, looking him up and down. “Come on. Show us some of that dragon training. Maybe we could learn a thing or two from you guys too.”
Daegan sighs. “Fine. No weapons.”
Adrian’s smile grows, his emerald eyes glinting. “Perfect.”
He turns and walks toward the elevated platform we passed on the way in. It’s not far. Daegan follows behind him, unhurried, keeping a large distance. Meela and I glance at each other—me confused, her delighted.
“I don’t know what the hell that was about, but this is exciting.” She smiles bigger than I’ve seen in a long time.
“Really? Adrian just challenged him to a fight for no damn reason, and you’re loving it?”
“Oh, they’ll be fine,” she says, waving me off as we follow after them. “They’re clearly just having a dick measuring contest over you.”
“No way. They just hate each other because one is a stubborn dragon and one is a hot-headed captain of the elven guard.”
“Yeah, sure. Maybe it started that way. But this is more than that.”
I shake my head, watching as they reach the platform ahead of us. I honestly don’t know what got into Adrian back there. Is he threatened by Daegan? Or… jealous?
My eyes are glued to Daegan as he lifts his sleeveless shirt over his head, revealing a muscular torso rippled with even more defined ab muscles than I expected.
My eyes follow the few scattered scars and markings that coat his body, and as he turns, I study his back that’s corded with more muscles.
“You’re drooling,” Meela says next to me.
I finally tear my gaze away and scowl at her.
While I was locked in I failed to notice there’s a whole crowd approaching now, with Raef and the other shifters in the lead. I’m not sure when they noticed the exchange between the two, but they look tense now as they approach.
“What the fuck happened?” Raef asks us as he stops by my side, looking up at the platform. He doesn’t look the slightest bit concerned. If anything, he looks amused.
“I really don’t know…”
“Pissing contest. Male egos… that kind of thing,” Meela explains.
Raef lifts his brow as he looks at her.
“Adrian said… something pretty awful. Daegan wasn’t taking the bait, but Adrian kept pushing.”
Raef narrows his eyes at me. “What did he say?”
“Something about him being a dragon who can’t even shift.”
Raef lets out a humorless, dry chuckle, then fixes his eyes forward. It almost… gives me the chills. I could almost swear steam escapes his flared nostrils, but a distraction in the form of Adrian’s booming voice causes me to whip my head forward.
“I see we have an audience now,” Adrian begins speaking to the crowd, sounding uncharacteristically cocky.
He’s shirtless now too, sporting an almost equally muscular torso.
“One of our visitors from the south has agreed to a sparring match with me, hands only, in the hopes that we can all perhaps learn a thing or two from each other. Pay attention.”
That’s really not what happened, but okay. Who is this Adrian?
They face each other, and neither makes a move. Daegan may have a little height on Adrian, but they’re close enough in muscle mass. This might come down to skill and experience. But what do I know.
Adrian begins to move slowly, and Daegan mirrors his movements.