18. Thorne
Chapter 18
Thorne
"You guys are a fucking joke."
I glare at each of the guys standing before me. We're in the training hall at the gym doing our combat class.
We had to take things back to basics, so Caspian, Lucian and I joined the training sessions. Combat training is part of the curriculum here at Raventhorn, but the Reckoning training is separate and more intense.
Some of these guys are so unsuitable it makes me wonder how in the hell they passed previous trials and got this far.
It’s my job to prepare them but I shouldn’t have to do this much work.
At least Kade, Dimitri, Logan and Alek are still my favorites. The others are total shit.
"I’m going to split you up and you'll work in your teams for the next four weeks. It's important you make use of this time. The end will be the real ritual for the Reckoning where only four of you will be chosen. Understood?"
They nod.
"Kade, Dimitri and Logan, you're with me. Alec and James, go to Lucian. The rest of you, go with Caspian."
We split up and I take my group to the far corner of the training room.
"Let's do some jujitsu." That's one of our basic trainings. Watching them will give me the opportunity to see exactly what areas we need to work on.
I pair up Dimitri and Kade first to spar while I watch with Logan from the sidelines.
Kade and Dimitri begin sparring. Now that I have them away from the group I can see how good they are.
Outside of computers, combat training places me in my element. I’ve had one hell of a week so this is a distraction I need. Especially when the worst is yet to come.
My uncle has been more of an asshole than ever, and since Aiden has been in my workspace he's gotten on my last nerve.
I see him nearly every day, either at Raventhorn or Ivanov Tech. I can't stand him and his snide remarks. I fear I might snap and I won't be able to hold back.
The only thing that's managed to keep the inner beast inside me from ripping him apart is training the guys. And Ivy . Even though it feels like we're trapped in a game of emotional tug-of-war.
Kade beats Dimitri, and Logan takes his place. The two are just as good as each other, but Logan isn't as confident with his strikes.
“Logan, watch your footing and keep your chin up,” I order.
Logan tries his best but he's still making the same mistakes. I watch them for ten minutes more until Kade wins again, giving Logan a shit-eating grin.
“Fight me now.” My command wipes the smile off Kade’s face.
Of course, he's not going to want to fight me because people know I'm unbeatable.
I move forward, taking my stance. Kade does the same.
I've been the best in my class for years. I've done boxing, sword fighting, jujitsu, ninjutsu and kung fu. If I were him I wouldn’t want to fight me either.
“If you can hit me, all of you can go.” I smirk.
“That sounds like I won't be able to hit you.” Kade shrugs and glances at the others.
“It's in your best interest that you try.”
“All right, boss. Let's go.”
Kade lunges forward with a jab. I dodge it. He's fast but not fast enough. He comes at me again with a left hook, then an uppercut. I dodge both and throw a cross punch right in his face. He staggers backwards but catches his footing. Then he tries it all over again.
"Come on, Kade. Stop fucking around. Give me all you got. Convince me you want me to pick you for the unit."
That order seems to wake him up. It's like someone switched on a light in his head and his moves become sharper, stronger, swifter.
We take things up a notch and really fight. Suddenly everyone stops to watch us, because as good as Kade is, he can't touch me.
Minutes pass with us dancing around. Admittedly, the exercise helps me blow off the steam I'm desperate to release. Finally Kade's fist connects with my jaw but I hit him at the same time.
We freeze mid-stride with our fists striking the other's jaw and I smile at him. I take pride that I'm the best but I feel in this instance I'm only the best if I can teach my students to be as good as me. If not better.
"Well done. You got me." I grin back at him, impressed.
Kade smiles and steps back to release me. I release him, too.
"I've never fought anyone as good as you," he says.
"Don't let that get to his head," Caspian calls out.
"Get out of here. Practice, and don't come back tomorrow throwing punches like pussies." I point to the door.
They head out and I move toward Caspian and Lucian to help with the others. We finish half an hour later and discuss the plans for the week.
When it's over I decide I need some air and a break. I have an hour to kill before my last class for the day, where I'll see Aiden.
Things are getting to the point now where I feel like I'm at a crossroads and I don't know which way to go. It's not a good place to be because it means that I’m living my life in uncertainty.
I head to the balcony of the gym and light up a cigarette. Taking a long drag, I hope that some much-needed nicotine will help me collect myself before I have to go.
I rest my hands on the metal rail and look around me. There aren’t many people on campus below. It’s Tuesday, the busiest day of the week for classes.
At Raventhorn everything is scheduled earlier in the week to allow more free time toward the weekend. I’ve always liked that about this place.
I’m about to take another drag when I look to my left and spot Ivy sitting outside the café. She’s talking to a curly-haired guy and laughing.
A closer fucking look reveals the curly-haired guy isn’t any ordinary guy. It’s Aiden. My fucking nemesis.
My blood instantly rises to volcanic temperatures and I see red. I keep seeing that color a lot these days. A fuck of a lot more than I want to.
What’s he doing talking to her?
I mull over how this coincidence could have come about and two answers slam into my mind.
The first is that Aiden's minor is English literature. But he’s a junior; she is a freshman. They don’t usually mix in classes unless they’re tutoring.
The other glaring answer is my uncle. My dear, dickwad uncle.
It was only the other day that he cautioned me about Ivy. Since he’ll do anything to screw with me, despite telling me to get Ivy out of my system this has his name written all over it.
I don’t give a flying fuck what the reasoning is. She’s mine and Aiden is not getting her in any kind of way.
I put out my cigarette and practically fly down there.
It makes me sick to my stomach to see her laughing at his jokes. I’ve never seen her laugh before or look so carefree and relaxed.
The only time she’s ever looked relaxed was when I snuck up on her in the library weeks ago. She looked content staring at the river as she was lost in her inspiration.
I think I might have seen her smile once. It was when she was with her friends. Never with me.
She and Aiden look like a couple.
A couple flirting with each other who need to get a room.
“In Italy my family owns one of the biggest vineyards,” Aiden is telling her. “We make one of the best loved wines in Europe.”
“That is amazing. I’ve always wanted to go to Italy.” Ivy laughs again, and this time she flicks her hair over her shoulder. I note the way that asshole’s eyes move straight to her breasts.
“You should go. There are some fantastic places to see.”
“The Vatican and the Colosseum are top of my mental bucket list.”
“Along with my family’s vineyard.”
Motherfucker , he’s inviting her to Italy.
“Yes, that sounds great.”
We will see about that.
“I’m taking some wine with me on the trip Friday. Come to my room once we’re done sightseeing. We can have our own wine-tasting party.”
My lungs burn with fire that I want to unleash on this asshole. Before Ivy can give him an answer I walk up to them as if I’ve carried the winds of a raging storm on the soles of my feet.
The two stop talking and look at me. The smirk on Aiden’s face tells me I’m right about my uncle’s influence in this shit.
“Get the fuck away from her.” My voice is colder than the grave and of course my obnoxious words make Ivy’s mouth drop.
“Thorne. You don’t have to be so rude.” She stares back at me, red-faced. “Aiden just transferred from?—”
“I know who Aiden Sabioni is.” The look I flash her way shoots her down.
“Sorry, old friend. Didn’t realize she was anything to do with you.”
“Yes, you did.” I give him a mirthless grin, letting him know that I know how far he lives up my uncle’s ass.
“Well, I was told she was single.”
I cut Ivy a hard stare. “ Well, you were mistaken. Now get the fuck away from her.”
“We’re actually working. I am Ivy’s tutor.”
Just fucking great. Well played, Aleksander. Well played.
My uncle has delivered so many blows at this point that I’ve lost count.
The shitty thing is that I’m still on square one. I may have been a badass back there in the training hall with Kade and the others but in reality I can’t even block my uncle’s punches.
“The lesson is over. Ivy, come.” I look at her again, finding her seething. I’ve never seen her angry. I’m getting a lot of firsts today.
“You don’t have to listen to him if you don’t want to.” Aiden stares at Ivy and does that thing therapists do when they’re trying to connect with you by reaching out a hand to touch hers. “We were having such a great session.”
“Ivy, come with me. Now.” The way I look at her this time with that sternness in my face should remind her that I own her and she isn’t to defy me.
She gets the message. I see the moment her eyes dull and her spirits fall in defeat.
Like a retreating general who knows he has to tell his men to fall back, she stands and gathers her things.
“Ivy. Don’t let this bully tell you what to do.” Aiden has the audacity to touch her again. This time latching on to her arm.
It takes very little for me to lose my shit, especially when it comes to him. So when I find myself grabbing my pocket knife from my back pocket and holding it out to his hand, I’m not surprised.
He is, though, and so is she.
“Get your hands off her or I'll slice you up and gut you like a fish. Rest assured this won’t be like last time. Ya ub'yu tebya, zasranets .” Calling him an asshole in Russian and telling him that I’ll kill him should show him how serious I am.
He removes his hand from Ivy and stares me down.
He got lucky when he managed to cut me during our last fight, but I wasn’t a Knight back then. I was being careful.
Things have changed drastically since, and this is Raventhorn. My territory. His family is part of the Italian mafia, so as an ally he’s considered a guest here. Any further disrespect to me means death, and not even he is foolish enough to test me in such a way.
Even without us being here at Raventhorn, he knows I’ll make good on my threat.
I put my knife away and look back at Ivy who is so shaken she looks like the breeze might blow her away.
We just had another first. The first time she’s seen me angry. And what she saw was just a taste.
She moves toward me and I slip an arm around her, guiding her away.
She’s shaking. Instinct makes me want to pull her closer but I don’t. I know she hates me right now.
I wait until we’re well out of earshot before I slow down and cut her a hard stare. “You told him you were single.”
“I am single.” Her eyes blaze and I swear I see fire burning in the depths of the smoky hues.
“What part of being mine makes you single?”
“You asshole. You are such an asshole. I wish I’d never met you.”
I grab her shoulders and stare her down. “Meeting me was the best fucking thing that could have ever happened to you. Don’t let me remind you of all the ways I’ve saved you.”
She doesn’t have a good comeback for that one because I’m right.
“I don’t want you hanging out with that guy in any shape or form.” I release her.
“He’s my tutor.”
“He wants to fuck you.”
Her entire face colors fiercely. “You don’t know that.”
“Of course I do. He’s a guy. I’m a guy, and I want to fuck you.”
“So why haven’t you?”
As soon as those words leave her lips, I know she regrets every single one. She probably meant to say it in defense of Aiden but the embarrassment in her eyes tells me more. It tells me she’s been thinking about it. About me fucking her.
She’s mortified, but that desire I crave from her is getting stronger. It’s winning and knocking down her walls, brick by brick.
Despite my rage I find myself giving her my usual menacing grin. “Well, look at this. Bambi wants the dragon to fuck her.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Yes, it is.” I reach out to touch her face but she backs away.
“I don’t want you to touch me.”
“And yet, if I chose to fuck you right here in front of everyone, you’d let me.”
She balls her hands at her sides and glares at me. “You’re sick.”
“Maybe. But at least I get to be who I am…” I lean close to her ear. “Annika .”
She flinches at the name, which brings the reminder of my power over her.
“I never told you I like that name.” I lick the shell of her ear. “Maybe more than Ivy, but Ivy seems more fitting for us. All ivies have thorns, don’t they?”
“Why are you so mean?”
“I’m different. That doesn't mean I’m mean. Your new friend there, on the other hand, is mean.” I motion back to the café as if we can still see Aiden, and I hold up my hand so she can see the scar the asshole left me. “I haven’t cut him yet but look what he did to me.”
She takes in the scar then looks back at me. “Maybe you deserved it.”
I smile back at her. She’s really growing some balls. “Maybe. But guess what?”
“What?”
“You’re not going on that trip on Friday.”
Her eyes snap wide and her lips part. “You can’t tell me not to go. It’s just a trip.”
“Didn’t I just hear Aiden invite you back to his room for wine? Do you really think that’s all he has planned for you? You’re not going.”
“You are unbelievable. This is so unfair. I’ve been looking forward to that trip for weeks.
“I don’t care. You’re not going.”
“Fuck you, Thorne. Fuck you.”
I allow her to walk away. She needs to blow off steam. I do, too.
Ivy was my distraction, but now she hates me more than ever.