I scanned the room and saw Dominic sigh in exasperation as he stared at my feet. I glanced down and realized I had forgotten to put socks and tennis shoes on. My black-painted toenails gleamed under the hideous lighting. I groaned, and started to turn around, but was stopped by a loud voice. “Ms. Ruckler! It’s so nice of you to join us!” It was Mr. Bertrand, my teacher for this hour of torture. “Get over here!”
Sighing in resignation, I jogged his way. “I need to get my shoes.”
Mr. Bertrand glanced at my bare feet and chuckled, shaking his head. “You’ll be fine without them. I don’t imagine they would help you much this time.” He gestured to his right. “Mr. Zeller is going to be your partner.”
I gaped, turning my attention to where he pointed.
Ezra Zeller was leaning against the closed bleachers with his huge arms crossed over his equally massive chest. He wore only black-knit pants, cut off below the knee like every student who was male, so I got a close up view of my impending death with all that bare flesh. He was enormous. It would be like taking on Dominic. Ezra shoved off the bleachers, gradually examining me from head to toe.
In unison, we muttered, “You’ve got to be kidding.”
Mr. Bertrand shook his head. “That’s what you get for being late, Ms. Ruckler.” He smiled like the evil teacher he was. “In the future, be on time to my class.”
“I will seriously hurt a Com,” Ezra stated bluntly, striding to stand directly beside me, glaring at Mr. Bertrand. “Pair me with someone who’s not a Mys wannabe.”
I choked, scowling. “I’m not a Com!”
He snorted, looking me over again. “Yes, sweetheart. You are.”
“Actually, she’s not,” King Venclaire countered, breaking away from where he and King Kincaid were talking quietly. Each King stayed with their Prodigy the first day, going to their classes to get an idea of what their Prodigy’s day consisted of. “She’s a Shifter.”
Ezra’s arched eyebrows lowered and he turned from the King to me, again giving me a once over, but this time with the gentlest brush of his power. It was dark and seductive, probing, feeling my Shifter magic in verification before he pulled it back. “Shift.” It was a command.
I snorted this time. Flipped him off. He wasn’t my “to be” King.
Mr. Bertrand’s jaw gaped.
King Venclaire only smiled. “You remind me of someone, Ms. Ruckler.”
I bit my lip. It wasn’t wise to attract the attention of the Kings. Not that I hadn’t already a month ago, when all four had been dressed in their eerie, hooded robes for this year’s Awakenings. Mine had taken over ten minutes. A normal Awakening only takes a few seconds. I rolled my shoulders, shaking my head. “That’s surprising.” Truth.
He nodded absently, his head cocking in his quiet perusal.
“What do you shift into?” Ezra asked suspiciously, closely watching the King’s interaction with me…and his almond eyes weren’t merely green. They were more a spring green, light and piercing, vivid against his mocha coloring. The simpering women here would fall at his feet.
“A wolf,” I grumbled in irritation, then turned back to Mr. Bertrand. “Seriously. I can’t fight him.” I waved a hand up and down Ezra’s frame, even poking his bicep — hurt my freaking finger. “He will murder me.”
Mr. Bertrand actually laughed. “The mat in the corner’s free. Good luck.”
I gawked as he and King Venclaire meandered in King Kincaid’s direction. Slowly, I pivoted, warily regarding Ezra. My assessment of being dead before lunch wasn’t too far off base.
Irritably, Ezra shook his head, stalking toward “our” mat. “What kind of training have you had?”
I gulped, and hurried to catch up. “Uh, none.”
“Perfect,” he muttered, facing me on the mat. “Try not to bleed too much.” A small curve of his wide lips. “Or do. Either way, I won’t mind.”
I ignored the Vampire’s comment while he stretched. My hands shaking only slightly, I quickly put my hair up in a ponytail. I rolled my shoulders and stretched my arms, glancing to Dominic, who had been paired with someone his own size. Being on time had merit.
Once Ezra and I were finished warming up, he gave no warning.
He lunged, using his Vampire speed.
“Ugh!” I grunted as my back hit the mat, my breath damn near knocked out of me.
“Get up,” he rumbled, still on his feet, his back muscles flexing with his rolling steps.
Gritting my teeth, I twisted, careful to not use my own miniscule Vampire speed. With a small portion of my Shifter strength, I dove. I didn’t care if his back was turned. It was probably the only way I could get a hit on him.
He turned at the last second, more than likely hearing me with his senses, but I still plowed into him. I wasn’t as agile as him to stay standing, so we both went down. He grunted this time when he landed on his back, and even though my forehead smacked against his shoulder, lying flat on top of him I still grinned with mischievous delight.
Until I was flipped. My shoulders slammed back on the mat. With a very heavy Ezra on top of me, I kept the grunt at bay, glaring up at him.