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21
Luka
Raven caughtmy gaze as soon as she walked into the room. I waved and then tapped the desk next to me indicating that she should join me.
She smiled, and headed toward me, dropping her backpack next to the chair before sliding into the seat. “Hey, thanks for saving me a seat.”
“Any time, kitten,” I said.
Coach Miller cleared his throat and the whole room fell silent. I could feel Raven’s tension next to me. I slid my hand under the desk and rested it on her knee, trying to send as much reassuring energy as I could her way.
I’d been here a year longer than her and seen the trials first hand. I was ready to get out of here and move on with my life.
Raven, on the other hand, was one of only a few first year students who were going to complete the trials this spring.
“Listen up,” Coach Miller said. “You are all here because you’re required to take the trials three months from now. Consider this your only disclaimer warning that you could die in the trials.”
“On that sunny note,” Professor Halifax said, “congratulations to all of you for making it this far. If you’re here today, you’re here because you passed the practice trials last semester.”
“Which are nothing like the real trials,” Coach Miller said.
“True, the trials are more difficult and will require more individual skills, but you will be prepared by the time we reach the end of the term,” Professor Halifax added.
“If you listen to us,” Coach Miller said. “And don’t get soft on us now.”
I wanted to roll my eyes at Coach Miller. He was trying so hard to get us to freak out. But this was what we were here for. Part of our training for the trials required us to attend these mandatory meetings in the evenings leading up to the main event.
This was the first of many to come and if this was how they were going to go, I was even more ready for the trials to come so I could get out of this. Thankfully, we only had six total of these meetings. One this month, then they got more frequent as we got closer to the final day.
“We’ll be working with you in small groups for the next few weeks,” Professor Halifax said. “You’ve all been assigned specific times and places to meet based on your strengths. Group training will never be more than six students at a time and will focus on pushing you to improve in your weaker areas.”
“Which means you’re going to hate us for the next few months,” Coach Miller said with a grin.
I really, really hoped I wasn’t in a group with him. Though, I wasn’t sure what they’d consider my weaknesses so it was hard to tell.
Professor Halifax held up a folder. “Each of you has a folder with your unique training schedule. Traditionally, there are six meetings, including this one. This year, we’ve added a few additional meetings for some of you to help you prepare. Pay attention to your individual schedule and don’t worry about what other people are doing. Got it?”
Affirmative murmurs sounded throughout the room as Professor Halifax and Coach Miller started passing out the folders.
I glanced around the room, looking at the familiar faces of the students I’d spent the last year and a half with. Some of them were more prepared than others. And there were one or two I was surprised to see in this room. They must have gotten very lucky during their practice test to be here today.
I caught sight of Ben and he gave me a quick nod before turning back to look at the front of the room. He’d probably been checking in on Raven.
Since our talk a few weeks back, we hadn’t spoken much. We interacted on occasion at lunch or in the halls, but Raven was our buffer. With her around, we never had to have an actual conversation. Which was totally fine by me.
I tightened my grip on Raven’s thigh, suddenly feeling protective of her. It was one thing to share your lover in the bedroom while you got to participate, it was another thing to let her go and enjoy someone without you. Honestly, there were times I was jealous of her and there were times I wanted her all to myself.
Having a mating bond with one person was odd. I’d always been so fluid in my attraction to others and only interested in sex as a form of entertainment and a means to an end to recharge my magic. With Raven, it was something else. It was about connection, intimacy, and love. I never knew sex could be that way.
Professor Halifax dropped a folder in front of me, and handed Raven’s to her. She took it and opened it. I grabbed the folder on the desk and opened mine.
I scoffed, hardly believing the group I’d been assigned to. This wasn’t an accident.
“Well then,” Raven said. “This isn’t going to be awkward. Not at all.”
I understood the sarcasm in her tone as I stared at the names. Raven and I were in the same group. With three others.
Ben, Matt, and Zach.
