Page 61 of Anomalies

“That was fucking rude," she growls in greeting, her dark hair braided back and her sharp nails piercing the wooden door frame.

I don’t acknowledge her attitude. “Tell Lucina it’s time for her training.”

“Training?” Selene turns, and I catch a glimpse of the room behind her. Gemma and Kimber are draped across the couch cushions, and Lucina is cross-legged on the floor. Her cheeks are slightly flushed, and that’s when I notice the almost empty bottle of wine on the coffee table between them.

Gods help me, is she drunk?

“Lucina. Training. Now,” I reiterate.

She groans as she stands, then Selene turns to face her. “Lucina, why the hell is he training you?” Guess she didn’t tell them what happened last night.

Lucina’s eyes meet mine, and they stay there as she snatches her glass off the table and downs what’s left in it. Then cuts her gaze to Selene. “I asked him to.”

The Lakelet whips around to face me, dark eyes narrowed into slits.

“You’ll need shoes you can run in,” I tell Lucina when she reaches for a pair of boots. She freezes, a flash of fear passing over her face. “You asked for this, remember?”

She doesn’t reply.

“Cal.” Gemma stands, making her way over to me. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

I gesture to the porch, and she steps out in front of me, the door clicking shut behind us. “What is it?” I ask, and Gemma takes a generous sip of her wine.

“What’s your plan?”

“Be more specific.”

She rolls her eyes so hard I swear they almost fall out of her head. “I know you, Cal, and I know that look.”

“What look?”

Gemma jabs a finger into my chest, then repeats her question. “What. Do you have planned. For Lucina?”

“I’m training her, G. She asked me to,” I grind out, and her blue eyes narrow. “Is this you being protective?”

“Is this you playing dumb?” she fires back, then takes a deep breath and lets her shoulders fall. “Look, I’m worried for her, okay? Lucina told me everything that happened last night, and it’s been a lot for her to digest. Just promise me you’ll be patient. Help her, train her, but don’t be a dick about it.”

I snort, folding my arms across my chest. “I won’t go easy on her, Gemma.”

“Go easy on her?” she laughs incredulously. “Callan, that girl can take whatever you throw her way; I’d bet my life on it.”

“You’ve known her all of three weeks.”

“Yes, but I pay attention.” Gemma grins knowingly. “And I know where you sleep, so don’t be a dick,” she mouths her last words to me as the door opens and Lucina steps out onto the porch.

“What’s this about?” she asks, a hand propped on each hip as she stares between the two of us, ultimately settling on Gemma. “G?”

“Nothing, baby,” Gemma says sweetly. She’s drunk. “Give him hell, Cin.” Gemma winks at her, then stumbles back inside.

“Ready?” I ask, checking her shoes. She found a pair of white sneakers and has changed into a grey tank top and black shorts.

“Probably not.”

“Great.” I take off down the porch steps without warning, setting a fast pace to see where she’s at with endurance. It only takes a few muffled curses, and about fifteen seconds for her to catch up to me. Not bad. She has a good stride for someone of her height, and even her core is engaged—the bare skin between the hem of her tank top and the waistband of her shorts flexed, just as it should be.

“What’s with the cardio?” she huffs, the wine flush on her cheeks burning brighter now that her blood is pumping. “Not what I signed up for.”

“Do you even know what you signed up for?” I reply, and she glares at me, a flash of fire kindling in her eyes. The kind of fire I’ve only ever heard stories about. “That’s what I thought.”