Page 57 of Gift from the Stone

As the next pair walks up, I can tell one of them is a wolf—there’s going to be at least one in almost all the pairs—but the other scent is throwing me off. It’s very woodsy, earthy.

“That one’s a wolf, but I can’t figure out the other,” I whisper to Draken.

“Good nose. There are a shit ton of pups in this class. The other is Ethan. He’s a massive-ass Kodiak bear. He can stand around ten feet tall on his hind legs.”

I know there are all kinds of shifters, but reading about and meeting someone who can turn into these huge beasts are two completely different things. I also tend to forget that I can turn into a dragon that can shift its size.

“Why did you call them pups?”

“That’s what the wolves refer to their young, untrained kids as. The older ones take a lot of offense to it. Not all wolves are assholes. There are some really good ones out there, like Lyker, but the ones in this class are little shits who think they’re better than everyone, so I take pleasure in degrading them.” His devilish smirk makes the pang in my chest ease from his mention of Lyker. I remind myself I’m working on a way to change the trajectory of that vision.

“Who do you think we’ll be up against?” I ask, still watching as neither the bear nor the wolf backs down.

“Well, technically, me and you are closer to the same power scale, so we’d make a good match, but I’d refuse and I’m pretty sure Corentin told Vince without telling him, that you’re our Primary, so he wouldn’t be dumb enough to pair us. So I’ll probably face Walker and you’ll likely face Gage.”

I follow his finger as he points the two out.

Focusing on Walker and taking a deep breath, I’ve got no clue what he is, but he smells like stagnant water, swampish. Gage is one hundred percent a wolf.

“Gosh, this is so terrible of me, but Walker smells bad. Like rotten eggs, or maybe fish. I don’t know, I can’t tell, but it’s unpleasant,” I whisper, mortified at my description of someone’s smell.

“That’s because he’s an Immanigator.” At my confused look, he adds, “He’s a giant alligator.”

I whip my head to Walker in utter shock, watching as he keeps his eyes trained on the match in front of us. His body doesn’t say alligator. He’s tall and slender. His muscles are cut and defined, but not bulky like you’d think when his animal is pure muscle.

“Draken and Walker,” Vince calls right after Ethan finally manages to force the wolf to yield and my bond panics the moment I hear his name.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay. No one will be fighting, and I already know I can make him yield. I’m the only one in the class who can. I usually just drag it out so Walker can get some practice. He’s a good dude. You’ve got nothing to worry about,” he says confidently. I can feel his assuredness in our bond, so I nod to him slightly as he walks up to Walker, greeting him like a friend.

Walker’s first growl doesn’t call Draken’s dragon out and he responds with a gentle grunt, holding back, but the noise is enough for my dragon to perk her head up and take an interest in him. She’s pushing excitement and arousal through my senses, making me squirm in place.

“What’s a pretty little thing like you doing in a class like this?” The slimy, nasally voice grates on every nerve of mine. Looking over my shoulder, Gage, the rugged wolf, stands so close to me, I feel his breath on my face.

“Firstly, back off, you’re far too close to me. Secondly, I’m a shifter, so I’m in a shifter class,” I smart off, crossing my arms, turning my back to him. I can’t help the twitching in my nostrils as his pungent scent invades my senses, pissing my dragon all the way off.

“Sassy, I like it. So what kind of shifter are you?” The creep hums, taking a step closer, ignoring my warning and the one Vince gave everyone at the start of class.

“It’s none of your business. And I’m not gonna tell you to back the fuck off again,” I warn. Nothing inside of me likes the way he’s pushing right now. My dragon’s ready to put him in his place. My bond can’t stand another male this close to me, and I’m on the verge of snapping if he doesn’t respect the boundary I clearly laid out.

“We’ll see about that when you’re whimpering on your knees,” he whispers in my ear, a small growl leaving his lips that brushes across my senses. My dragon lets out a chuff, unimpressed at the lack of force behind it as he walks away.

I miss the majority of Draken and Walker’s standoff, but I focus back in time to see things pick up as their growls grow more forceful. There’s a slight tremor in Walker’s legs from fighting off the command to yield. He gets in one more vicious growl before Draken ends it. He’s still holding back, but it’s forceful enough, some of the shifters on the sidelines shiver.

I cling to his arm as we watch the next four matches. Obviously, Vince is saving me for last, and after watching everyone else he called up, I know that Gage is definitely the asshole I’ll be facing. I stroll up confidently as soon as my name is called, a blush dusting my cheeks from Draken’s cheering behind me.

“I waited for you to go last so you could see how it works. Gage is ranked three in the class. This is a good point to see where your dominance measures and he won’t hold back like I did, but I’ll step in if I think he’s going too far,” Vince says quietly. From the sincere look on his face, he was told about my first day of class.

“Thanks, I appreciate that.” I don’t think that’d be the case now. A lot has changed in me since then, but I’m still thankful he isn’t going to allow anything to happen.

Turning to face Gage, he’s a mask of masculine surety, already counting me out completely.

“Ready to get on your knees for me, pretty thing?”

“Gross. Just start.” I sneer, my nostrils lifting at his disgusting innuendo. Unlike how all the others started, Gage skips over the buildup and goes straight to a loud, menacing growl.

“Gage,” Vince warns.

I toss my head back and let out a spiteful little laugh just to piss him off. My dragon’s sitting in the background, paying more attention to him, but she still isn’t concerned. She’s more annoyed with his arrogance and disrespect toward us.

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