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“Welcome to my life,” I laugh, stepping to the end of my desk and pausing to wait for her while she secures the elastic in her hair.
As soon as she does, the two of us head out of the IT hub, making our way through the complex and out to the practice field. Since we’re a few minutes late, I’m expecting the workout to already be underway when we get there, but instead everyone is just standing around, watching a couple of fighters spar in the center of the field.
I spot Javi hanging off to the side with Madd and the other squad leaders, stroking a hand over his chin as he observes the two fighters grappling with one another. I come up beside him, following his line of sight and cringing as one guy takes the other down to the dirt with a thud.
“What’d I miss?” I ask, glancing up at my mate.
He slips an arm around my waist, pulling me in closer to his side. I swear, now that our relationship is out in the open, Javi always has a hand on some part of my body. I’m not sure whether he’s trying to make up for lost time or if he does it just because hecannow, but either way, I kinda love it. I snuggle in closer, looping my arms around his middle as I lean against him, breathing his scent into my lungs.
“Some of my guys are trying out for the squad,” Javi murmurs, still keeping a keen eye on the fighters on the field. The one that got taken down is now back on his feet, a look of determination on his face that says he’s not giving up easily.
Madd’s standing on the other side of Javi, and he leans forward to peer around him, meeting my eyes. “Sorry, Lo, we would’ve filled you in, but you were busy in the hub when we discussed it,” he grumbles apologetically.
I wave him off, completely unbothered. My time is better spent in IT right now.
“They’re gonna train here with us this week to showcase their skills, and then we’ll all get together to decide who makes the cut.” Madd continues, his brows lifting as he glances back toward the field. “Though if they’re all this good, we may not have to make any cuts at all.”
I follow his gaze, watching as the two fighters grapple with one another on the ground. One finally gets the other guy sufficiently pinned and he reaches out to tap a hand against the dirt beside him, signaling the end of the match. All the squad fighters looking on clap as the two of them help each other to their feet.
Javi turns to Madd, grinning proudly. “Not so bad for a dirty band of savages, huh?”
“We’ll see, Cruz,” Madd chuckles. He lifts his chin, smirking. “Go on, send your next guys in.”
Javi cups his hands around his mouth, calling out to his pack. “Next up!”
As I look around for who’s about to come forward, he elbows me in the ribs, leaning down. “You don’t wanna miss this one,” hemumbles under his breath, the corner of his mouth kicking up in a smug half-smile.
I tilt my head in question, then look back to the field to see Cheyenne and Seth walking out to take their places in the center.
“Chey fights?!” I whisper excitedly, whipping my head back around toward my mate.
He grins, nodding, and I turn my gaze her way again, eager to see what she can do.
Iver comes up on the other side of me, crossing his arms over his chest as he gazes out at Seth and Chey beginning to circle one another.
“Hey, that’s the girl from the motel, right?” he asks quietly. “The one you were with?”
“Yeah,” I reply, grinning from ear to ear as I watch Cheyenne get her first hit in. I don’t hold a grudge against Seth for his role in my captivity- like a good Luna, I’ve let that shit go- but watching him take a punch is still pretty damn satisfying.
Chey’s movements are so graceful that it’s almost like a dance, while Seth’s bulk is working against him. He’s not quick enough to react to her advances in time, and the frustration is evident on his face when he takes a hard punch to the ribs, doubling over.
As he takes a second to recover, Cheyenne steps away and flips her long ponytail over her shoulder, glancing our way with a wink like the badass she is.
Apparently, that hair flip also drew my brother’s attention to somethingelse, because he leans in again, nudging me. “She’s mated?”
“No, she’s…” I trail off, not sure how much I should divulge. Javi hesitated to tell me about it until Cheyenne gave him the okay, so I’m guessing she doesn’t want everyone knowing about her trauma. “She’s not,” I say simply.
Iver clearly isn’t satisfied with that response. “But she’s marked,” he grumbles.
I sigh, peeling my arms from around Javi’s waist and turning to face him. “Yeah, but she’s not mated. It’s… complicated.”
Iver doesn’t turn to meet my eyes, and as I watch the expression on his face while he observes the matchup on the field, it finally dawns on me why he’s so curious about Cheyenne’s relationship status. He can’t take his eyes off her.
“Does somebody have a little crush?” I tease, elbowing his side. “I’m pretty sure she’s single…”
He hisses a breath in through his teeth, and I follow his line of sight just as Chey’s back hits the dirt, Seth serving up a brutal takedown. It looks like it knocks the wind out of her for a second, but right as I think Seth’s finally got the upper hand in this matchup, she kicks a leg out, sweeping his feet out from underneath him and sending Seth crashing down beside her. She quickly rolls on top of him, pinning her forearm against his windpipe and restricting his air until he begrudgingly taps out.
“Damn,” Iver breathes, finally tearing his gaze from the blonde bombshell on the field to peer over at me. “What were you saying?” he asks, running a hand over his hair.
