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.
Spring green eyes glowered. “Good. You can’t beat me in a proper fight, so get dirty.” His nostrils flared, and he added, “You’re not scared anymore. You’re angry. That’s good, too, but don’t let it cloud your judgment.”
My glare didn’t disappear. “Shut up, and get off me.” He was like a freaking boulder.
Suddenly, his fangs lengthened. His voice was a mere whisper. “Get out of my hold.”
I freaked. This guy could seriously bite me. There was no way to get out of this. Panting hard from instant fear, I shoved anyway. The action got me nowhere. Trying to twist out from under him, heart pounding, I shouted, “Get off!”
He shook his head. “Calm down. Think.” Nice words, but his fangs were still out.
A deep wolf’s growl erupted next to us. “Get off my mate.”
Ezra blinked and tilted his face toward Dominic, who stood next to us, meeting my mate’s deadly gaze. Another blink. His eyes slid to Dominic’s neck, where my mate mark was, then to my neck, where Dominic’s mate mark was. Instantly, he was on his side of the mat and wearing a cool, blank expression. Like, one second he was a massive weight on top of me, and the next beat he instantly stood five feet away.
Dominic quickly lifted me to my feet, glaring, a definite growl in his tone. “When she tells you to get off her, then f**king do it.”
The two Kings had edged closer, but weren’t interrupting.
Ezra’s jaw seesawed back and forth, probably remembering all the rude comments he had already said to me, unknowingly offending the Prodigy Shifter’s mate. He surprised me, though; instead of apologizing, he stated bluntly, “She needs to learn to defend herself. That wasn’t a difficult position to escape from.” No fangs showed.
Dominic’s grip on me tightened, fairly vibrating.
All eyes inside the gym were now on the three of us, and I knew Dominic was on the verge of going after the Prodigy Vampire, so I held Ezra’s spring green eyes steadily, stating quickly and quietly, “Just keep your fangs away, and you can teach me, or whatever it was you were doing.”
Calm down, I told Dominic silently, I just wigged out.
Dominic’s gaze met mine, his dark eyes glowing, his hair falling around his cheeks. You told him to get off. He didn’t. The prick hasn’t even apologized.
I don’t think he’s going to, I replied calmly, I don’t think that’s his style.
Dominic snorted, his hands skimming down my back softly. You sure you’re okay?
Yeah. I’m good.
He lifted a finger and brushed it over my lips. Stared, as I gazed at his lips, but I remembered Ezra was still standing there. I peered away from Dominic’s perfect mouth to Ezra’s hooded gaze. “No fangs. We clear?”
Slowly, Ezra nodded, watching.
I nodded in return, agreement made, then smiled at my mate. You can go back to your partner and I’ll continue getting my butt kicked. My lips twitched. Maybe you can give me a massage during lunch?
Dominic grinned leisurely, making me feel all warm inside as a tiny, rumbling growl resonated from deep inside his chest. I can do more than that.
I laughed, pushing him back. “Get going.”
“Yes, my sweet and innocent love.” He bowed, but when he straightened, walking backward to his mat, his gaze slammed into Ezra’s, glowing harshly. “Don’t hurt her.”
Ezra cracked his neck. “No more than necessary.”
Dominic took a deep breath. Nodded once.
I tried not to gawk.
Dominic’s brows rose. “You have to learn. It won’t be easy.”
I gulped, staring wide-eyed. Alright, I got that. Slowly, I peeked at the Vampire who was going to bring the hurt on. This so wasn’t my favorite class.
As everyone’s attention quickly went back to their own business, Mr. Bertrand stated loudly and cheerfully, “Get used to your partner, everyone. The person across from you will be your sparring buddy for the next month.”
Closing my eyes in resignation, I sighed heavily…right before my back hit the mat, taken unaware and unprepared by a tormenting Vampire.
Where are you? Dominic growled inside my head, bringing on a round of déjà vu. Everyone’s already seated.
I’m almost there, I hissed, running inside the administration building. I wasn’t about to tell him I had been ganged up on in the locker room. I had known it would come sometime today. The Shifter women weren’t at all pleased I had mated with Dominic. I had barely made it out of there without bleeding all over the place. There had been five of them. My face stung from the few bruises on my face, which were hopefully disappearing as I dashed down the hallway to Mrs. Jonas’s office where we were supposed to have lunch with her, the Kings, and the Prodigies.
Plowing into her office a few seconds later, I stopped dead, catching my breath. All eyes turned toward me. I quickly flipped my hair over my own right eye — the bruised one — and hurried to the empty seat next to Dominic. “I’m sorry I’m late. I got lost in the halls.” Truth. I had run down the wrong hall twice and went to an entirely incorrect building afterward, not used to the new section of King Hall I was now in.
Dominic stood, kissing my cheek before pulling out my chair for me.
I dropped my book bag under the table and sat, keeping my gaze down.
King Venclaire asked calmly, “Did you also run into a fist while getting here?”
Dominic stilled on his chair.
I closed my eyes, thinking very unkind thoughts about the King Vampire. “No, definitely didn’t run into any fists.” I had dodged most of them.
“Your right eye,” Ezra, directly across from me, stated bluntly. “It’s bruised and I didn’t put it there during sparring.” Their damn Vampire sight was annoying.
Dominic jerked my chin up, leaving me blinking. I could see him just fine now from both eyes, which meant…he objected, “There’s nothing wrong with her eye.”
I kept the sigh of relief at bay, smiling at King Venclaire and Ezra. “See? Nothing’s wrong.” Truth.