CHAPTER FIVE #3
I swung left, my fist cracking against his cheek. I didn't hesitate; I drove my knee into his stomach and shoved.
He hit the ground flat on his back, and before thought could catch up to instinct, I was on him.
I pinned his hips with my knees, my hands braced against the heat of his throat. My breath came in ragged gasps, my pulse roaring. His eyes snapped open—molten, gleaming. For one suspended second, the world held its breath.
Then, he tapped the mat.
The arena exploded in a deafening roar of cheers, but I didn't move. My palms were still pressed to his skin, his chest rising and falling beneath my hands.
Solid. Alive. His breath hitched—just once.
"Don't move, darling," he murmured, his voice a low, suggestive scrape down my spine.
The words struck like flame to oil. Heat coiled low in my stomach, sudden and unforgiving.
My body reacted before my mind could stop it—a traitorous, involuntary twitch that made my eyes widen in horror.
The bastard was enjoying it, grinning as if he were the one who had won.
My gaze snapped up.
Across the ring, Jeremy's face was thunderous, his jaw locked tight enough to fracture stone. And there I was, still straddling the male he hated most in the world.
"Class dismissed!" Pyro's voice thundered over the final chime of the academy bell. "Clean the mats. I expect that same aggression on Wednesday."
The arena's tension splintered into a hum of conversation.
He didn't rush to leave; instead, Asher fell into step beside me as we walked toward our friends. Shirtless and gleaming with salt-streaks of dried sweat, every accidental brush of his arm against mine sent a jolt of static through my blood.
"You're a menace, Pyreson," he said, low enough that only I could hear.
"You're the one who tapped out," I shot back, though my heart was anything but steady.
We reached the group, and Ember immediately slung an arm around my neck. "Holy hell, V! I thought you were going to throttle him. Best match of the day."
"Seriously," Maddy added, eyes wide. "I've never seen anyone move that fast against an Umbra wielder."
Ryven clapped Asher on the shoulder, grinning. "Getting taken down by a princess? That's going to haunt your reputation, Maddox."
Asher offered a lazy shrug, his silver gaze flicking to me for a fraction of a second. "She's faster than she looks."
Ezra, dabbing at his split lip, leaned forward. "Forget reputations. Are we seeing that fire at the Tideris party tonight? I heard they're breaking out the aged moon-wine."
"We'll be there," Ember answered for us, her eyes flashing mischief. "We all earned a drink today."
A few paces away, Asher stood wiping his mouth. I watched, transfixed, as the cut on his lip sealed with deliberate slowness.
A dark, wet line of blood remained, tracing his chin. A pulse of heat shot through me—primal and reckless.
I wanted to drag my thumb along that red stain. I wanted to taste it.
Asher's gaze snapped to mine. Aware. Knowing.
His tongue flicked out, catching the corner of his lip and cleaning the spot I'd been staring at. My stomach dropped. He knew exactly what I was thinking.
"Young one," Aether's voice slid through the bond, deep and unimpressed. "Explain why you are staring at another male's blood like a starving creature."
Heat scorched my neck. "I wasn't."
"You were. If you take one step toward him, I will tackle you myself."
"Sweetheart."
Jeremy's voice was low, close.
My head snapped toward him, and the look in his eyes made my pulse stumble.
He'd noticed enough. His gaze flicked briefly to Asher before returning to me, jealousy simmering behind his controlled expression.
"Well done out there," Jeremy said, pulling me into his space. His hand settled firmly on my waist. Claiming.
"Do not encourage that one," Aether grumbled. "He puffs up like a territorial wolf every time the dark one breathes near you."
Asher moved past us. "See you later, Pyreson," he murmured with a wink that sent me scarlet.
Jeremy's fingers tightened. "Does he always look at you like that?"
"He got hit," I said quickly.
"Mm. Funny how he heals just slow enough for you to notice."
"The house party," I blurted, desperate to shift the air. "At Tideris. I'll see you there?"
Jeremy started to nod, but the suspicion in his eyes remained sharp. I didn't think—I just acted.
I grabbed his shirt and kissed him. It wasn't soft; it was fierce, a distraction meant to ground him before the jealousy turned ugly. Jeremy stiffened, then melted, his hands anchoring me.
When I pulled back, I whispered, "See you later," making it sound like a promise.
Then, I looked over his shoulder.
Asher stood there. The smirk was gone. His jaw was locked, his eyes dark with something unreadable. The blood was gone, his lip fully healed, but his gaze burned like I'd struck flint. One brow lifted. His mouth curved—not into a smile, but a warning.
My pulse faltered.
"You are deliberately provoking predators," Aether rumbled.
"I know," I thought, watching Asher melt into the crowd. He was gone, but the look he left behind stayed.
And gods—so did the heat.