“Enough,” Liam cut through the haze, jolting me back to reality. “You’ve won. Let him go.”
I blinked, suddenly aware of my actions. “Shit,” I said, retracting my claws and releasing my power on him. My breathing was ragged as I stared at the petrified man on the ground, the bloodlust slowly dissipating from my veins. A thin stream of blood oozed from a small cut on his neck, and I gasped, stumbling back with my hands shaking.
“Shit,” I said, my breath hitching. “I didn’t mean to... “
The man’s aura had been menacing, but that was his role for today, to make me believe I was in real danger. He’d done his job well. Perhaps too well. My heart hammered as I thought about how close I’d come to seriously hurting him, even killing him.
“Listen, Liza.” Liam stepped closer and gripped my upper arms, refusing to let me run. “You’re safe. He was never a real threat, and you handled yourself brilliantly. You need to learn tocontrol that bloodlust. It’s powerful, and it can be dangerous if you let it take over.”
Ty burst into the training area, and his eyes were wild. He took in the scene before him—the man on the ground, the blood, and me standing there, shaking.
“Are you okay?” he asked urgently, checking me over for injuries.
“I-I’m fine.” The words felt like lead on my tongue. “It was just... it got out of control for a second.”
“Out of control? I felt your distress through our bond. Now, does someone want to tell me what is going on?” Ty’s attention flicked between Liam and me. “What the fuck happened?”
Liam sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “We were practicing her abilities, and she let the power get to her head a bit. She pulled back in time.”
“Are you seriously telling me you thought this was a good idea?” Ty’s words were now a low, menacing growl as he glared at Liam. His handsome face contorted into something terrifying. With the heat emanating from him, I was surprised his clothes didn’t combust.
Liam crossed his arms defensively. “Not only did I think it was a good idea, but it was also necessary. She needs to learn how to protect herself in a real-life situation. We can’t always be around to save her.”
“By putting her in danger? By making her think she might actually kill someone?” Ty shot back, taking a step toward Liam. Their faces were inches apart now, their bodies tensed for a fight.
“Look, it worked, didn’t it?” Liam was not backing down. “She managed to get the upper hand, even when she was scared. She can do this, Ty. With more practice, she’ll only get better.”
Ty’s jaw clenched, and the muscles in his neck corded as he tried to rein in his anger. There was something incrediblyenticing about the way his raw emotions played across his face, sending a pulse of desire right to my core. My clit throbbed, and I did my best to control it. This was so not the time or place to start feeling horny.
“Yuck,” Liam muttered, casting a sideways glance at me. He must have sensed the shift in my emotions, instantly killing my mood.
I flushed with embarrassment, looking away from both of them.
“Fine.” Ty forced the word out through gritted teeth. “Next time you pull something like this, I’m here, too. We both make sure Liza is ready for it. Understood?”
“Understood,” Liam grumbled, stepping back from Ty, and the tension between them slowly faded.
“Let’s clean up this mess and get our heads back in the game,” Ty said, gesturing to the training area littered with broken branches and the injured sparring partner. “We have bigger things to worry about than our own in-fighting.”
I replayed the scene in my mind, the fear coursing through me as I fought for my life, and the strange thrill of power that had overtaken me when I’d gained the upper hand. I still had a long way to go before I had all the skills and could protect myself without a cheerleader on the sidelines, but today’s events had proven that I wasn’t entirely helpless.
“Hey,” Liam said when he came to stand next to me. “I’m sorry if I pushed you too hard today. I just wanted you to know that you’re stronger than you think.”
“Thanks.” I gave him a small smile. “I get it. You were just trying to help, and in a way you did. I have more confidence in my abilities. Maybe next time, a little less bloodshed?”
“Deal.” He grinned, rubbing my shoulder gently. “Now, let’s get back to it. We’ve got a lot to do.”
The rest of the day,I couldn’t shake the image of my claws at that man’s throat. Every time I blinked, it flashed before me: his eyes wide with fear, the blood welling up beneath my claw, and that raging fire inside me, urging me to finish what I’d started. It terrified the fuck out of me.
I paced around the kitchen, my heart hammering as I tried to shake the thought that I’d been inches away from becoming a killer. Liam had told me stories about our father’s grandmother, whose bloodlust had consumed her. Her handler had murdered her when they couldn’t control her anymore. Was that what I’d felt today? That same darkness lurking just beneath the surface, waiting for the perfect moment to strike?
“Hey,” Sabrina’s voice echoed through the hallway, cutting through my racing thoughts like a lifeline.
I took a ragged breath, trying to shove my fears aside as I went down the stairs to see her. “Hey, Sabrina.” I smiled, but it felt fake even to me. “What brings you here?”
“I wanted to check in with you and make sure you’re doing okay.” She pulled me into her arms for a hug. When we sat at the table in the kitchen, she frowned. “I’ve been looking for Rosalie everywhere. Didn’t she come in today?”
A pit formed in my stomach. With everything that had happened, I’d forgotten to tell Sabrina about Rosalie’s betrayal. She deserved to hear the truth, but how could I tell her without hurting her?
