Page 24 of A Shadow of Betrayal

I groan. How does he look even more handsome than he did last night? Gone is the odd dark suit, replaced by leathers similar to those worn by the other men in the room. His dark hair has more braids in it and is done up in a sturdy knot on the back of his head, allowing for a better view of the sharp planes of his face.

A sharp crack pulls my eyes away from Lennox, and I spin on my heel, spotting something new in every direction, and my attention falls to what looks like a weird obstacle course with different levels of wooden platforms, a rock wall, and several balance beam-looking things, one of them being loudly put into place.

Shit, that doesn't look good. I hope we don't have to bother with that today.

My eyes move to the walls where the big floor-to-ceiling windows reside. They are narrow but do their job, letting the soft glow of the sun that is just peaking over the mountain into the big room. Above us are not one, but five enormous chandeliers, each lit with hundreds of candles, and I blink up at them in shock, following the ropes that they are held by to the pulley system that allows them to move up and down in order to be lit and extinguished as needed.

“That would be time-consuming,” I muse out loud, making Jordan chuckle when he follows my line of sight and nods. “What's that?” I ask, nodding to a big blackboard that sits several feet in the air next to the doors we just came through. Six names are listed on the board, with a number next to it.

“Our Bloodline scoreboard. After our training, the team with the highest number gets to go down to the small town at the foot of the mountain and have a free day before the trials begin. Trust me when I say we want to win. Otherwise, you are stuck here, cleaning the Castle and readying it for a new crop of Rangers.”

The two names at the top with the highest scores catch my eye, and I smile when I see that the Regalis and Drakos names are tied for first place.

“Sorry, Sir,” Billy says when we finally reach Lennox. The Ranger dips his head in greeting, the group behind him following his movement like well-trained robots.

My eyes widen in surprise when Monroe looks down the line at me, and I dip my head the slightest amount, not wanting to get in trouble. My expression must amuse the man because he chuckles, running a hand through his red hair and pulling Lennox’s stern glare away from Billy as he looks at Monroe and then follows his gaze to me.

The moment our eyes connect, I can feel my body tense, the hair on my arms prickling as the impossible man glares at me, my shoulders tense, and my heart rate elevates like I'm getting ready for another fight. Monroe moves a hand in front of his mouth to stifle another laugh. Lennox’s hand flexes at his side, and then he snaps, making Monroe jump and wince like he is in pain. Then he turns to Lennox with a scowl as the third man turns in my direction. His entire face is covered with the shadow of the cloak he has on. My curiosity piques as the air stills, my heart skipping in my chest as the feeling of being watched settles over me.

The familiar feeling makes unease bloom in my belly, and I take a step back, wanting to put distance between the man in the cloak and me. I startle when Jordan elbows me in the side, scaring me enough that a small squeak escapes my mouth as I whip in his direction, glaring up at my new friend, ready to give him a verbal lashing.

Jordan winces and then shoots me an apologetic look when all the eyes in the room fall on me. “Ranger Smith,” Lennox’s deep voice cuts across the room, making me snap my mouth shut. I slowly turn to face the big Umbra Hunter who has somehow found his way over here and now stands next to me.

What the hell? How did he get over here that fast?

“Yes?” I whisper, moving my hands behind my back as a sliver of fear crawls to the surface. My hands, wrists, and shoulders are incredibly sore from the bloodline bullshit and Lennox’s rough treatment last night, so I don’t want to risk him grabbing them again. Lennox scowls, catching the movement before he looks back down at me, his eyes hardening with anger.

Oh, shit. He said no weakness last night, and by the look he’s currently sending my way, he’s unimpressed with my meek answer.

Clearing my throat, I turn and stare up at Lennox, not letting him bully me into submission with his icy glare. “Yes, Umbra Regalis?” I ask, my voice steady as I crane my neck back to stare back at him, trying to ignore the small amount of fear that has crawled into my mind and the weird impulse to run from this man.

“Do you have something to share with us all? Or are you simply enjoying being a disturbance on your first day?” he grinds out, crossing his thick arms over his broad chest, the rings on his fingers gleaming as the silence of the room continues.

“Sir, it was my fault,” Jordan is quick to jump to my defense when I don’t answer right away. I intentionally kick out at him, my toe connecting with his ankle in a silent plea to ‘shut the hell up,’ which makes Lennox’s scowl deepen, his eyes flicking from Jordan to me, then back to Jordan.

“You’re Theodore Drakos’ friend? The one who helped take down the Alpha Class Demon in Idaho?” Lennox asks, his green eyes holding Jordan’s, who nods in response, a small amount of pride brightening his expression at the mention of his recent take-down.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Hmm,” Lennox grunts, looking back at me again and scowling. “Monroe, bring me Ranger Jenning's academic report,” Lennox barks, making the red-haired man grumble under his breath before he stalks over to where a pile of papers sits by four chairs.

I keep my eyes on Lennox, trying not to shift uncomfortably under his gaze as he watches me with an intensity that should be illegal. Jordan shifts from foot to foot, obviously a little stressed at Lennox requesting his reports, and I can’t help but wonder what is on them.

Is it like a report card but for Hunters?

I swear if Lennox picks on Jordan for trying to help me out, I will lose my mind. The poor kid has done nothing wrong, and Lennox is being an overbearing alpha asshole. Putting on a show to make sure I know my place. I feel a burst of satisfaction when Lennox's eyes flare with anger, and I hope he heard every damn word I was thinking. I’m still unsure how much Lennox can pick up since he didn't elaborate on whether he can read minds, but I'm fairly sure he can figure out at least a little of what I’m thinking or feeling. And honestly, it serves him right for snooping in other people's minds.

“Here you are,” Monroe grumbles, tossing the file at Lennox, and he snatches it out of the air without taking his eyes off me. He opens the tan-colored folder, and only then do his eyes fall to the papers in his hand, moving back and forth at an insane speed as he reads the report. Lennox grunts again before he snaps the file shut and turns toward Jordan.

“Ranger Jennings, I’m assigning you to help Ranger Smith learn our ways here and help her catch up in all physical training and games. You will be marked according to her success and failures, so try to keep her in line. You will also be monitored and tested on leadership skills during this task,” Lennox snaps, making Jordan's eyes widen, and my jaw drop in shock.

“Wait, you can’t do that. It’s not fair; I have no idea what I’m doing, and that’s not Jordan’s fault!” I complain, taking a step toward Lennox, ready for another showdown. What the hell is he thinking? And as my Senior, isn’t it Lennox’s job to ensure I’m not failing? I’m pretty sure that’s what that Axford guy said. Before I can say or do anything more, Jordan’s big hand slaps over my mouth, and he dips his head in agreement.

“Of course, sir,” Jordan grinds out, shooting me a warning look when I glare up at him, his fingers tightening when I try to shake his hand loose.

“Ha! Best idea you’ve had since the start of this group's courses, Regalis,” Monroe says with a laugh, patting Lennox on the shoulder before he turns and moves over to where the hooded man is still watching us. Lennox nods, his eyes staying on me, a smug look crossing his face as he takes in Jordan's hand clasped over my mouth.

“Fifteen laps on the track, then move over to the obstacle course,” Lennox shouts, making the Rangers dip their heads in a nod before taking off in a sprint toward the black track nearby.

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