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Usually, I loved a good fight. But this? No, I was not going to enjoy this.
The monkey howled and, Jesus, the sound was horrendous. Then it charged at Ava. It was fucking fast as it launched itself in the air. But Ava’s gift of muscle memory meant she could replicate any combat move she’d ever observed, so she easily knocked the primate aside. She and I then pounced, hoping to bring it down quickly rather than drag this out.
Unaffected by pain and not giving a flying fuck that it was outnumbered and outmatched, the monkey fought us hard. Not hard enough, though. We swiftly subdued it, and then Jude was there. She snapped its neck in one clean move.
Exhaling a shaky breath, Jude squeezed her eyes shut, pained. I rubbed up against her, wanting to comfort her, and she wrapped her arms around me.
“Let’s take it back to The Hollow,” said Keeley.
So that was what we did.
Since I had no clothes and didn’t fancy strolling into the Grand High Pair’s office naked, I ventured there in my jaguar form. Ryder watched me carefully, but I paid him little attention as we all crowded around the dead monkey.
“It behaved exactly like the leopard,” said Imani.
“There were a lot of bodies.” Alora rubbed at her upper arm. “So much wildlife just … gone.”
Paige’s nostrils flared. “Whoever infected those animals with bloodlust needs to fucking suffer.”
“They will,” Sam swore.
“Any luck finding out who they are?” asked Ava.
Jared shook his head. “Not so far, but Ryder’s working on it.”
Sam swept her gaze over each of us. “All your minds will have to be scanned. It’s not a sign of distrust on my part—”
“You can’t be seen to play favourites, we get it,” Cassie assured her. “It’s fine.”
Keeley nodded. “Yeah, we totally understand.”
“Good.” Sam looked back down at the monkey and sighed. “As you can imagine, there’ll be no training sessions for a while. We’ll need people in the rainforest checking for more infected animals. I want you all out there again tomorrow evening.”
“Then that’s where we’ll be,” said Paige.
I made a point of not looking at Ryder as my squad and I left the office.
As we walked down the hallway, Paige sidled up to my shoulder. “So, Maya, I noticed you disappeared from the ballroom last night for a short while. I also noticed that Ryder was nowhere in sight at the time.”
I didn’t even glance her way, too busy shoving aside the many delicious memories that began flickering through my mind.
“You looked freshly fucked when you got back, so I’m thinking that the rumours are true—you two got down and dirty in the gardens.”
I’d known this was coming. The girls had given me pointed looks when I returned from the gardens, but none had questioned me because I’d shot them a ‘not fucking now’ stare. They probably would have raised the subject before we went hunting tonight if I hadn’t arrived at the main gate in my jaguar form.
“Coop didn’t fail to notice either.”
No, he hadn’t. He’d asked about it when he walked me home after the party. I’d told him the truth, and he’d flashed me a smirk. He hadn’t been surprised by what happened; said that he’d caught Ryder staring at me several times. Coop wasn’t upset. In fact, he’d been more eager to talk about how hard Arlo was finding it to see Coop dating me.
“Know what I think, Maya?” Paige went on. “I think you’re dating Coop because you’re trying to convince yourself that you’re not hung up on Ryder.”
Well give the girl a cookie.
“Am I right or not?” Paige pushed.
I wouldn’t say I was ‘hung up’ on Ryder. But there was no denying that I was supremely bad at holding out against him. Still, I had no wish to discuss it with Paige or anyone else, so I let out a chuff.
Paige turned to Alora. “What did she say?”
“She said to mind your own business,” Alora replied.
Imani snorted. “Like that would ever happen.”
“None of us mind our own business,” said Paige.
Truer words had never been spoken.
CHAPTER FIVE
(Maya)
Browsing through my collection of dresses later that evening, I frowned on hearing knuckles rapping on my front door. Coop wasn’t supposed to be picking me up for our date for another twenty minutes. It wasn’t a big deal, though. I only really needed to strip off my sweats and slip on a dress and some heels, so it wouldn’t take me long to be ready.
I padded out of my bedroom and through my apartment. I opened the door only to find that it wasn’t Coop at all. It was Derek. And just why the fuck would he turn up here?
He cleared his throat. “Hello, Maya. Can we talk? It won’t take long.”
While I doubted he’d have anything to say that I could possibly want to hear, I was far too curious to send him away. I gestured for him to enter and then closed the door. I didn’t invite him into the living area, though. I stayed right there and folded my arms.
