Driver was a skilled fighter. His jabs were sharp and quick. He had a mean left hook. That was where the power was. But that was nothing compared to his kicks. She flinched, slapping her hands to her open mouth as he crushed the man's stomach in and watched as the winded man folded over Driver's leg like a towel on a rail.
She didn't realize she'd gasped aloud until someone made it known to her. The last person in the world she'd ever want to see.
“Gasping for Driver's hot, sweaty body, are we?”
The cold voice was so close Jaz jumped back, her hand still clamped on her mouth as her gaze met Fraya's hard, beautiful, charcoal eyes.
Jaz slowly lowered her hand, feeling it clench into a fist. Every instinct in her body was telling her to get away. She knew being alone with Fraya was a very stupid and dangerous place to be. To hide her trepidation, she flung back her sarcasm. “Not as much as you must be, knowing what you're missing out on.”
Fraya's eyes widened momentarily in bewilderment. Then she scowled and smiled at the same time. It wasn't a pleasant sight. “Jealous?”
“No,” Jaz said matter-of-factly.
Fraya's brows shot up in surprise, then she sneered at her. They glowered at each other for a long agonizing minute.
Jaz was so proud of herself for keeping her cool.
“I hear you got attacked a few weeks ago. Shame I missed it,” Fraya remarked with a smirk.
Jaz was relieved it hadn't been her. Though she had always been sure the Beast was male anyway. “Nik saved me in time,” she said.
“It's funny, I heard you grew claws and slashed Rufus's face up.”
She tried not to show how much Fraya’s knowing this got to her. Fraya was the last person on the planet she wanted to know about her hand-claw fright. So she lied. “Really? Guess he must have been mistaken. Nik messed him up pretty good.”
Fraya's laser eyes sized her up. “Rufus said your hand changed into a claw.”
Jaz stared, saying nothing.
“Do you know why that's so interesting?”
“I take it you're going to tell me anyway.”
“Because no one can do that,” Fraya snarled.
Jaz frowned.
“We cannot turn parts of our bodies into Beast form. We have to Change completely.”
“So he's mistaken then.”
“We can't Change. But I've heard that unpure bloods can. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?”
Jaz's body steeled. “Not a lot.”
“Convenient.”
“Sorry I couldn't be of more help,” she said curtly.
Fraya scowled. And then the most evil and spine-chilling smile stretched across her face.
Jaz's bladder turned to acid.
“I guess I could always talk to the Cur Hunters.” Fraya's top lip curved upwards.
Jaz hated her ignorance but she had to ask. “Who?”
“A little organization that exterminates unpure scum like you.”
Jaz arched a brow. “I think you need to take a serious chill pill and maybe get some counselling to deal with the bitter, twisted bitch in you. You think because Nik rejected you, you can drive away any woman he takes even a little interest in? Even if you might be wrong, like right now? That's like Glenn Close bunny-boiling bitch crazy.”
“I'll prove what you are,” Fraya growled.
Jaz glowered at her. “You don't know what you're talking about. And if you don't want to find out whether I can rip the skin off your face, I suggest you stay the fuck away from me.”
Fraya grinned. “I guess I could always tell the Curs to pay your folks a visit. And I'm not just talking about your real parents. They'll find out what all of them know. They have very powerful, painful ways of persuasion.”
Jaz felt something inside of her snap and before she could rationalize or prevent what her raw instincts were telling her to do, she slapped Fraya so hard in the face her hand throbbed.
Fraya's head snapped to the right, almost cracking against the wall. She glared at Jaz like a tiger that had been bitch-slapped.
Jaz swallowed a squeak just before Fraya's fist knocked against her face like a boulder. Jaz's head flopped back, hitting against the heavy wooden door. She clutched her throbbing nose with one hand whilst shielding her face with the other.
Fraya lunged at her with both arms; Jaz kicked out, making contact with Fraya's stomach. Fraya wheezed, breathing in sharply and with a growl she grabbed Jaz's shoulders and threw her through the double doors.
Jaz's back smacked against the wood so hard she was sure something had broken. She didn't realize she was still flying through the air until she met the polished floor and slid along it for a good few metres before squeaking to a stop. Using her elbows, she craned herself up and glanced disorientated around the gym. There were at least twenty people standing there, though to her it felt like the whole village.
All eyes on her: the 'human' cannonball.
She could feel her back beginning to bruise and blood trickled from her nose onto the floor. She clutched it, gazing around to see Driver swiftly stop his fight. She looked away before she saw his face.
The bang of the double doors being thrust open made everyone's attention snap towards the entrance. Jaz turned and saw a livid Fraya storm into the room.