Chapter 5 Julian
Chapter five
Julian
The scent of sweat and leather filled the air. Dozens of hunters paired off with each other in the large training room, a dark blue cushioned mat spread out across the floor.
Two teens faced off in front of me. The boy had the obvious advantage with his size and muscle strength, but he was slow and clumsy on his feet. His opponent, a wisp of a girl, had been dancing circles around him for the last twenty minutes.
“No, keep your elbows in.” I clapped my hands and shook my head. “You’re giving her an opening. Don’t grunt before you lunge. You might as well broadcast your next move when you do that.”
The girl dodged as he grabbed for her, dropping into a squat before kicking him in the balls, sending the boy back onto the mat, clutching his family jewels.
“No fair,” he grunted out, facing turning red.
His opponent shrugged and leaned over him grinning. “Don’t leave yourself open next time.”
I held back a laugh and shook my head. “Don’t gloat, Melissa.”
“Fawley!”
My head turned toward my name. President Fleming stood at the edge of the training room, gesturing for me to come over.
I glanced down at the boy. “Take five minutes, Derek. Then try again.” To Melissa I added, “Have some mercy on the poor boy.”
Melissa snorted, pounding her knuckles together. “Mercy is for the weak.”
I sighed. “I’ll be right back.”
Trotting along the training room, I looked over the other young hunters training.
They had come a long way, but still had a way to go before they’d be trusted on a mission.
Usually, I didn’t help with training while already on a mission, but I was asked to fill in for someone who had gotten hurt in the field.
I paused beside the large man that was one part of the leadership of the Hunter’s Guild.
“What can I do for you, President Fleming?”
“How are they doing?” He tilted his greying head toward the trainees. “Anyone have potential?”
A shout and then a whoop called out before I could answer. Melissa had taken Derek to the ground again and was taunting him to give in while she had him in a choke hold, squeezing her thighs around his head, his arm pulled tight to her chest.
Some of the other boys had taken notice and were egging them on. Some of them even made salacious remarks about Derek and the position he was in. Basic juvenile stuff.
Derek, of course, had too much pride and was going to end up with a broken arm because he couldn’t be seen letting a little girl beat him. While Melissa…
I turned my attention back to the president. “Melissa would be best in the class if she would just learn not to preen every time she won a match.”
Fleming chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched them. “Remind you of someone?”
I sighed, knowing exactly who he was referring to.
Melissa and Derek reminded me of Jack and me at that age. Back then, I was a junior hunter, already gone on several missions with a squadron. Jack was a handful now, but as a teenager?
If I told her she couldn’t jump off the roof and fly, she’d be up there before I even finished talking trying to do that precise thing. She had been the source of many of my headaches and drinking sessions.
It hadn’t been until last year when were forced to work closely together on hunts that I finally started seeing her as something other than the bane of my existence — a mature capable woman.
Of course, sometimes I still saw that rambunctious teenager come out whenever I tried to make her to follow orders and not go off on her own.
“How is our girl?” Fleming’s eyes slid over to me, a suspicious look on his face. “Staying out of trouble since her big announcement?”
“As far as I’ve seen,” I commented, not giving anything more away.
Everyone had seen the little melodrama between Jack and them after her identity reveal.
No doubt one or more of her parents had mentioned it to the president.
After the shadow vampire had disappeared, Jack had turned to her mother for comfort, leaving me standing with the wolf, who had looked like he’d been kicked in the face.
I almost felt sorry for the big fellow.
“And the boyfriends?” Fleming prodded further, clearly not going to let this go.
“I haven’t seen them together since… well… not by choice,” I added on. “The vampire hasn’t come back at all, and the wolf, well, he doesn’t seem to be able to take the hint.”
“Is she in any danger?”
“From him?” I snort-laughed. “No. He’s a big puppy that makes moon eyes after her everywhere she goes. If anything, he’s the one in danger.”
Fleming chuckled. “That’s to be expected of Jack.” He paused for a long moment. “I know this mission hasn’t been easy for you. I don’t know what happened between the two of you.”
I opened my mouth to deny it like always, but he held up a hand.
“And I don’t want to know, though I had hoped it would help you get over your differences. Maybe now that you’re working together on this mission, you can make peace.”
I nodded, noncommittal.
Fleming let me go after that, and I continued training the young hunters, but my mind was elsewhere the whole time.
Fleming didn’t know what happened between Jack and me. No one but us did. However, it didn’t keep them from noticing the tension between us. It was clear to everyone that something happened because we went from close teammate to her glaring daggers into my back overnight.
Some would chalk it up to my promotion to team leader. We wouldn’t be the first friends to not know how to ease into our new dynamic. But, for both of us, we knew it was so much more.
My drive back to the academy was a solemn one. My mind shifted to the woman who occupied my mind most days and nights if I was being honest. A part of me was happy that she was no longer with those two. She deserved better. She deserved everything.
And yet the other part hated to see her in so much pain from their loss.
Jack hadn’t come to me since the big reveal. I think she still blames me for telling her about the vampire’s sire. I still struggled with knowing if what I did had been the right thing to do or if I had done it for my own selfish reasons. Because I wanted her for myself.
I blew out a long breath as I walked up to the door of my apartment in the teacher’s building.
I guess I’d never know for sure. I definitely couldn’t make my move now that she wasn’t with them.
The same reasons I couldn’t be with her before were the same reasons I couldn’t be with her now.
We were partners on this mission and that meant we couldn’t get distracted.
No matter how we felt.
Pulling the key out of my pocket, I went to slip it into the door. I paused, hearing something moving inside. My fingers curled around the handle and twisted it.
The front door wasn’t locked. I knew I had locked it before I left campus.
Slowly, so as not to alert whoever was inside, I turned the handle and pushed the door open. Thankfully, even though the school had been renovated from an old castle, they had gotten new doors and hinges, making the door open seamlessly and silent.
My steps moved quietly across the carpet spread over the stone floors. I stopped by the entry table, slowly opening the drawer, and pulling out a .22 from inside. It wouldn’t kill most of the supernaturals here, but it would slow them down.
Humming came from the kitchen as I made my way down the hallway. The scent of garlic and tomato sauce filled my nose. No one should be cooking in my place. Had Abigail somehow gotten the wrong impression and thought to surprise me with a meal?
If it were the case, then I needed to set her straight. I couldn’t have a civilian showing up at my place. There’s no telling what she could see or hear. It could jeopardize the whole mission.
Holding the gun down at my side, I rounded the corner and froze. Standing in front of my stover, hips swaying back and forth in a pair of oversized grey sweatpants and a blue tank top stood the very bane existence and reason for living.
“What are you doing here?”
Jack jumped, spinning around a wooden spoon in her mouth. “Oh. Hey. You’re back early.”
Eyes surveying her form, I sat the gun down on the island.
Jack grinned. “Were you going to shoot me?”
“Maybe. I still might.” Stroking my jaw, I cocked my head to the side. “You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?”
“Hiding.” Jack looked embarrassed, but underneath, I could see her exhaustion.
“The rest of the student body keeping you busy?”
Jack swallowed, staring at the simmering sauce. “It’s just a little much. I thought moving rooms would help, but Xinyi found me within a day.”
“And you thought she wouldn’t find you here?” I leaned a hand on the counter next to the stove.
She lifted and dropped a shoulder. “No one knows about our past, even with my identity revealed. They have no reason to think to look for me here.” She turned back to the stove, stirring the sauce in the pan.
“I hope you don’t mind. I haven’t had something that wasn’t made by the cafeteria in weeks. ”
I shrugged, stepping up next to her. “Someone might as well use it.”
Jack giggled. “Oh, yeah. I forgot. The great Julian Fawley isn’t good at everything.”
“I wouldn’t say that.” I smirked, letting the scent of her hair fill my nose for a brief moment before stepping back, restraining myself.
Jack scoffed. “Tell that to the four people you gave food poisoning to. Here, taste this.” She held up the wooden spoon filled with sauce to my lips.
I took the spoon into my mouth. An explosion of flavor danced across my tongue. I’d never tasted any pasta sauce like it. The only kind of pasta sauce I’d ever eaten was the kind that came out of a can. This… wasn’t that.
I moaned, eyes closing briefly before locking with hers. “Which one of your dads taught you to make that?”
Jack arched a brow, smirking. “Darren.”
Licking my lips, I watched her move around my kitchen like she belonged there. Longing filled my chest. “Does your mom not cook?”
Jack laughed so hard I feared she’d hurt herself. Swiping a hand under her eyes, she cleared her throat.
“You clearly do not know my mother.”
“Not a cook, huh?”
Shaking her head, Jack sat the spoon down and turned the stove off before leaning against the counter. “Not in the slightest. There are many things my mom excels at, but cooking is not one of them.” She stared at me for a long moment and then grinned. “You two have that in common.”
Rolling my eyes, I pulled down plates from the cabinet.
My eyes slid back over to her, sliding over the way the tank top clung to her body, all soft curves mixed with toned muscle just ready to show someone what she could do with them.
My gaze moved to the grey sweatpants she had rolled up around her hips, the brand logo on the pocket making my brows pinch.
“Are those my pants?”
Jack glanced down at herself and then back up at me, shrugging. “Well, you keep insisting we’ll never happen. I figured this is the closest I’ll ever get to being in yours.”
I pursed my lips. “Very funny.”
Just then the washer buzzed down the hallway. Jack eyeballed me and pushed off the counter. “I spilled wine on myself earlier. I didn’t figure you’d mind.”
“It’s fine.”
My eyes dropped to her hips as they swayed from side to side. I had to admit a part of me puffed up at seeing her in my clothing. Even if we weren’t together, for a moment, she was mine. Having her in my space only made it worse.
Jack came back a moment later, grabbing the bottle of red I had in my fridge. “So… wine?”
I was in so much trouble.