“Christ,” I muttered under my breath and sighed heavily before lifting my hair up into a tiny ponytail when my King didn’t relent, trudging toward two individuals I sure as hell didn’t want to be near. Elder Zeller…was just scary. And Elder Merrick…I had managed to avoid yesterday. One frightened me; the other pissed me the hell off. Even if I wanted to kick Elder Merrick’s ass, I wasn’t quite ready for it yet mentally.
I stood in front of them while they ignored me, still speaking quietly to one another. I crossed my arms over the freaking black sports bra I was wearing, and waited. Waited longer. Then, waited even more as calculating dark orbs and frigid navy blue eyes turned toward me. Not to look me in the eyes, but both scanning my person slowly, professional assessments before they started circling me slowly. One went one way, the other in the opposite direction, making me feel even more self-conscious as they continued to peruse every inch of me with trained eyes.
Elder Zeller still studying me, poked, and then pinched my bicep. “She needs to be eating more.”
Elder Merrick grunted from behind me, and I barely kept from jumping when his hands landed on my flesh on my sides, slowly running his hands down the flare of my hips. “She’s got a good structure, though, for as small as she is.”
“Mothering hips, I believe is what they call that.” Elder Zeller cocked his head, staring at where Elder Merrick was gripping steadily, but firmly, and he nodded once. “Have you had children before, Ms. Jules?”
My face instantly flushed, staring down at my hips that were apparently so big, they were “motherly”. “No.”
Elder Zeller grunted also running his hands over my sides, down over my hips as Elder Merrick’s lowered to run down my left leg slowly, squatting behind me, each one’s fingers kneading into my flesh, probing, in my mind both looking for flaws, and staring at where he wiggled my hips a little, testing something-or-other, Elder Zeller murmured, “She could build on this. Build strength here.”
Goosebumps popped over my flesh as Elder Merrick shifted behind me, switching to run his hands down my right leg. “You can tell she’s right handed. It’s subtle, but we need to work on balancing out her muscular strength between her legs.”
Elder Zeller hummed quietly, grabbing my arms, holding them out straight, then he ran his hands up my sides gradually. If I wasn’t completely still before, I became damn near statue like when his hands grazed the sides of my breasts, my eyes flying wide, but he merely continued his progress, watching his hands as they skimmed along the underside of my arms. “Same problem up top. It’s subtle like you said, but you can tell she’s right handed.”
A tiny squeak escaped me on a puff of shocked air…when Elder Merrick’s hands slid up the back of my thighs, landing on my ass.
He squeezed gently from his crouched position, altering his fingers, spreading them to encompass the entirety of my derriere, voice cold and ruthless, emotionless. “Her ass is tone.”
“Well, that’s something, at least,” Elder Zeller remarked, shaking my hands, therefore my arms, watching them move. “Not only does she need to eat more, she needs two hours in the gym a day to bulk up.”
Elder Merrick’s hands—thank God—began to move over my curves to my lower back, his enormous, warm palms sliding up my back muscles as he began to slowly rise, both of them continuing their inspection of me, some good, some not so nice comments, so I opened my mouth wide, irked—and maybe a little hurt, and asked, “Would you like to inspect my teeth too?”
Elder Zeller waved an absent hand. “Not necessary.”
Both stepped away, talking quietly amongst themselves again as if I didn’t exist, Elder Merrick even pulling a thin computer pad from his bag, typing on it while they spoke. I instantly crossed my arms over my chest, peering across the room to where my King and Elder Farrar were speaking with Aria. I really wished I was over there. Considering I was apparently malnutrition, lopsided, and was tiny except for my fat hips, I really didn’t want to be standing in front of someone I hated, but was attracted to.
Really…could a woman feel any less beautiful after a cold examination like that?
Elder Zeller snapped his fingers in front of my face. “Ms. Jules?” One eyebrow quirked.
“What?” I waited, not caring if I hadn’t been listening once they deigned to speak to me. “Wait. Let me guess. My tits are so small they won’t be a hindrance during a battle, which is something you can both work with, but shit,” I held my leg out, pointing, “my feet are too narrow, and might create a balance issue during a fight, so we’ll have to work on foot work.”
Elder Zeller inched his nose, not glancing to the areas I had mentioned. “Ms. Jules, our assessment may seem callous, but we’re both very good at what we do. Once we’re done with you, you’ll be able to handle yourself much better than the,” his nose crinkled, “in-your-face approach you seem to favor.” A flicked finger to my chest, even as he held my gaze evenly. “Besides, you’re built more like a Com, so therefore, your chest is average, not small by those standards. And your feet are small, but not narrow, and we already know your balance is fine from previous encounters you’ve had. You’re very well proportioned for your smaller stature.”
I started to place my hands on my hips, sighing heavily at his patient answer to my churlish one, but I remembered their assessment of my “motherly” hips, so I quickly re-crossed my arms again, not wanting to draw attention to them. “Thanks. I guess.”
“Don’t thank us yet,” Elder Merrick murmured, tone gravelly, still staring down at the thin screen and typing. “We’ve got a lot of work to do before you do that.”
“Right,” I muttered, glaring. “I understand.” And I fucking hate you.
Chapter Fourteen
“I fucking hate you,” I muttered breathlessly, not able to contain it any longer, staring up at Elder Merrick from where I lay flat on my back on the mat, chest heaving, sweat drenching my body, all while he and Elder Zeller appeared completely unfazed, not even being gracious enough to appear a bit tired while they took turns teaching—beating the shit out of me—and the other took notes on the computer pad I wanted to bash over both their heads. “You’re cheating. I know you are.”
Elder Merrick bent from his standing position, his tone still void, the chill he had been gifting me for the last forty-five minutes as frigid as the artic. “No. I’m not. You just react first with your fists, instead of your brain. You may be tiny and think the only way you can win is to get the first punch in, but your brain will always be your best asset.” He rose, and moved to Elder Zeller, not even bothering to help me from the floor.
Even with the fury boiling my insides, keeping me nice and toasty warm, my damn chin trembled the barest bit. His fury was a force all unto itself. His pompous nature irritated the shit out of me. His cruel, merciless side I hated with a vengeance, but would probably have respected if it hadn’t been aimed at me, hurt me. But this…nothing…he was giving me struck a different chord altogether. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I knew I didn’t fucking like it, the elusive emotion churning in my gut.
I rolled slowly, hiding my face, and cleared my throat quietly as I stood on exhausted legs, chancing a glance to the clock, praying I was close to being done here, needing the small reprieve of breakfast to pull myself together.
And that was when I felt it.
Through everything inside me, my Core thumped.
My breath caught.
It thumped again, and I quickly rubbed against my breastbone.
Buh-bum. Buh-bum. Buh-bum.
Harder…and harder it started to pound with magic, until it felt like another heartbeat inside my chest. My feet were moving instantly toward the pull. I felt as if I was in a daze of magical drunkenness, moving toward my destiny. “I have to go.” My voice was a mere toneless whisper, eyes on my destination, the door. “Have to go.” Elder Zeller was instantly in front of me, bringing a breeze, and I pivoted automatically, moving around him. “Gotta…go.”