One girl approached us with a small entourage behind her. She was tall and willowy, her blonde hair pulled back in a sleek high bun. Her clear brown-gold eyes were the only hint of her true nature. A shifter, though what kind, I wasn’t sure. Perhaps a bird of prey, like a hawk of some sort—there wassomething predatory in the way she moved. Her gaze was locked on Leo, sharp and calculating.
She stepped up behind him and draped her arms around his neck with a casual ease that made my stomach churn. "Hey, baby," she purred, her voice dripping with sweetness. "I was hoping you’d stop by my room last night."
Leo’s smile faltered ever so slightly at her approach, but he quickly masked it with his usual charm, a flash of white teeth and a wink. As she leaned in closer, he smoothly extricated himself from her grip, shifting away with practiced ease.
"Hey, Kyra," he greeted, his voice warm but with just a hint of forced coolness. "Sorry, got a little busy." He gestured toward me, waggling his eyebrows in a mockery of innocence. "Had some... important company."
I narrowed my eyes at him, irritation bubbling up in my chest. His nonchalant attitude was infuriating, but I said nothing. Instead, I just shot him a glare that could’ve melted steel.
Kyra, however, didn’t seem bothered by Leo’s slight withdrawal. Her lips curled into a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, and she stepped closer to him, her fingers brushing against his arm as she turned her gaze to me. "Oh, I see," she said, her voice sharp with something like amusement. It didn’t meet her eyes. "A new plaything, Leo?"
Leo chuckled, though there was an edge to it that didn’t entirely match the light-heartedness he was attempting. "Not exactly," he replied, his tone a little too smooth for comfort. "Just... someone I’m getting to know. You don’t mind giving us some space, do you, Kyra?"
Her eyes flashed with something dangerous, a flicker of possessiveness, before she smiled again—this time with even less warmth. "Of course not, darling," she said, her gazelingering on me with a strange intensity. "Just don’t forget who’s been here longer."
She leaned in, brushing past Leo to take a seat at the table nearby with a quiet confidence that left no room for argument. Her entourage followed her like loyal shadows, a silent reminder of the subtle power dynamics at play in this place.
I sat there, feeling the tension in the air, wondering how many others like Kyra were now watching me like I was a threat.
“Don’t do that.” I hissed, my voice low and sharp.
Leo feigned confusion, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. “Do what?”
“Use me as an excuse to escape your harem of bimbos.” I shot him a glare, unimpressed by his casual attitude.
Leo laughed aloud, the sound rich and amused. “Why not? It’s fun.” His eyes sparkled with mischief, like I was just a game to him.
“Yeah, until your little friend skewers me in my sleep,” I shot back, gesturing to Kyra, whose face was now stormy with jealousy. Her eyes narrowed in that dangerous, dark way that made my skin prickle.
“You can take her,” Leo insisted with a shrug, the confidence in his voice borderline infuriating.
“Ha!” I laughed aloud, a sharp bark of disbelief. “You are fricken hilarious.”
“Fricken? Who says fricken?” Leo chuckled, his gaze warming with amusement. He leaned in close—too close—his breath brushing my ear, and I instinctively recoiled, my heart pounding in my chest.
“Careful, angel. Keep talking like that and you might just learn what ‘fuck’ really means,” he whispered, his tone playful but laced with something darker.
I flushed bright red. “No thanks, Leo. I’m good,” I muttered, forcing my eyes to look away. This was a game to him, and I wasn’t about to let him win.
“Too bad. Under all that hair of yours, there’s a pretty little minx just waiting for her chance to play,” he whispered, his voice low and teasing. My face burned, an immediate rush of embarrassment and frustration flooding me. I clenched my jaw, refusing to acknowledge his words, but inside, I felt a spark of something I couldn't quite suppress.
I quickly tried to change the subject, desperate to move past the unsettling tension between us. “So, what happens next?” I asked, the words coming out sharper than I intended.
Leo leaned back in his seat, flashing a wicked smile that only made my nerves tangle further. “Next?” he echoed, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “Well, now that you’ve survived your first breakfast with me, I suppose we’ll see if you’re ready to join the rest of us in training.”
I glared at him, but there was nothing playful about the way he said it. “And what if I don’t?” I shot back, a challenge laced in my tone.
“You won’t have a choice.” His voice was quiet, certain. “Slade doesn’t take no for an answer when it comes to fighting. It’s what he breathes, angel. You push back, and he’ll just push harder. You try to fight him… he’ll work you longer.”
My stomach dropped. The certainty in his voice wasn’t a threat—it was a warning. One I assumed came from experience.
When Slade appeared at our side a few minutes later, I wasn’t surprised. He moved like a shadow—silent, sharp, always watching. His presence seemed to suck the warmth out of the air, and even Leo, for all his bravado, straightened a little when Slade stepped into view.
“Time’s up,” Slade said, his voice flat and cold as steel. His eyes flicked to me, unreadable. “You’ve got a schedule to keep.”
I pushed back from the table, ignoring the last bite of food I hadn’t touched. Leo gave me a lazy grin, stretching like a cat who hadn’t been threatened at all. “Try not to miss me too much, angel.”
I didn’t answer him. Slade turned without another word, already striding away. I followed, the murmur of the cafeteria fading behind me.
