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ChapterTwenty-Two
SUNDAY
“Ugh, this is ridiculous.” I slammed shut the dusty old tome in front of me, very aware of the people around me and their disapproving stares. “What?” I shot them dirty looks, annoyed that no one would come near me after the incident with Callie.
It had been this way since I arrived at Ravenscroft. The students—aside from Moira, Alek, and Noah—avoided me and whispered behind my back. But since I nearly killed Callie with my bare hands in Sanderson’s class, it was worse. Now, instead of hushed conversations and stolen glances, it was outright fear and avoidance. I was used to that kind of treatment at home, my grandfather being disgusted by my inability to shift, my father abandoning me in favor of numbing his issues with alcohol, but I’d truly hoped it would be different here. Naively, I’d thought this would be my fresh start. Guess I was wrong. As usual.
A low voice whispered in my ear, nearly sending me skyrocketing out of my chair. “A woman as beautiful as you should never wear such a tragic frown.”
I turned my head to see Alek leaning over me, my braid grasped in between his thick fingers. He booped me on the nose with the end of it, tickling me and making me laugh despite the heaviness of my thoughts.
“Do they send you to some kind of Viking charm school as children? That was smooth.”
“No. My brother and I are special. Our parents and their love story are a bit legendary where I come from. My father ensured we were well equipped to live up to the rumors he and my mother inspired. He’s a notoriously swoony motherfucker. I learned from the best.”
I wondered for a moment what it must’ve been like growing up with a loving family. Parents who cared about what happened to me, about who I became without it being something that served them. In my case, all I was good for was my family legacy. If I couldn’t be who they wanted, they didn’t wantme.
“If I ever meet your parents, I’ll be sure to let them know they did a good job.”
“Oh, they would love that. My mother and aunt have been obsessing over my brother and me settling down since we were ten. Ever since they got their happily ever afters, they’re determined we all need them.” He rolled his eyes like it was a nuisance and then grinned. “Can’t say they don’t make an impression, though. Once you’ve seen the real thing, there’s no way you’ll settle for anything less.”
“So you have a brother? That means there aretwoof you running around breaking hearts. Why isn’t he here?”
Alek’s grin turned mischievous, and he straddled the seat next to me, leaning close. “Can I let you in on a little secret?”
Intrigued, I closed the distance between us until our faces were an inch apart. “Always.”
He narrowed his eyes playfully and then held up his hand, his pinky finger extended. “Swear yourself to secrecy first, Sunny. I have to know you can be trusted.”
Butterflies fluttered in my belly at the thought of sharing something with him. I wrapped my pinky around his and whispered, “I swear.”
As soon as our skin connected, Alek jerked back as if he’d been shocked, his eyes flaring wide. “Allfather above, I haven’t felt that much power raging through someone since I left home. Are you all right? That has to be a lot to keep under control.”
“You can feel that? I thought it was just me.”
He gripped my face between both large palms and stared deep into my eyes as though he was searching for something. “Untamed. That’s what you are.”
“That’s how it feels. I don’t know how to control it. I feel like there are these weird surges through me. You saw what happened with Callie. I nearly killed her and then got punished for it.” I had to fight a shiver at the memory of Caleb’s hand on my ass... and between my legs. Shoving the thought away, I asked, “What if next time I don’t stop?”
His eyes searched mine, considering. “What if I help you learn? Then next time, you won’t have to worry.”
“How could you possibly understand what this feels like? You’re a Viking mage, a demi-god.”
“I have berserker blood running through my veins. They’re not exactly the most level-headed bunch, and while I didn’t inherit their gifts, I did inherit their tempers. I had to learn from an early age how to control my emotions, else they’d play havoc with my power. And, well, not to brag, but when you’re as strong as me... that’s problematic, to say the least.”
I studied him, his rugged, handsome features making my heart beat fast. He was a warrior, even without the berserker bloodline. Stronger than most, built to fight. Maybe he could help me. “I’ve been working with Father Gallagher to find my wolf, center myself, but maybe this is something else. Maybe you could teach me how to rein in this need I have for war all the time?”
“Absolutely. I’m sure the priest has been helpful with the more mental things, but what you need is physical.”
A shiver worked its way through me, and it took everything in me not to make it obvious how his words affected me.
“When you learn to control your body, you can control all parts of yourself. Think of it like a muscle. You have to work it out, build it up, and once you learn how to isolate that part of yourself, you can call on it at will.”
“A muscle. Okay.” I thought back to the gym we had on the Fallon estate, trainers there working with the pack members who were our security. They pushed and trained hard so they’d be able to respond if there was a threat, not so they could fight whenever they were angry. Focus and determination ruled them. Control. That was what I needed. “So... you’ll be like my trainer. You’ll whip me into shape.”
His lips curled up in a sexy grin. “If it’s whips you want, I’m your man.”
I had to tear my gaze from his mouth. I wasn’t sure about whips, but I was sure about him. “Okay, let’s do it. Caleb trains my mind. You train my body.”
