Page 29 of Destined to Fight

“I’m sure I’ll be able to sleep, thanks.”

“Fabian is across the hall, and my room is around the corner. If ye need us, yell. We’ll hear ye.”

“Okay.” She wasn’t really sure what else to say.

Kade seemed at a loss too, his eyes gazing into hers. When he finally spoke, he seemed uncomfortable. “Thank ye for coming. I’ll keep ye safe, I promise.”

“Sure.” She managed a slight smile, trying not to be entranced by him. His gray eyes contrasted so perfectly with his red hair and beard, adding to his nearly perfect looks.

The muscles in his chiseled jaw clenched, betraying his perfectly stoic posture. The tension between them had her hair standing on end.

Just as she started to step closer to him, Kade spoke. “Right then, sleep well. Please dinnae hesitate to ask or yell if ye need anything.”

Her hopes deflated, Kelly wished him goodnight and shut the door as he walked away.

Kelly walked to the bed and dove onto it, burying her head in a pillow. What the fuck was she getting herself into? As if everything else wasn’t enough, now she was drooling over a damn vampire. Fuck drooling… she was falling for him.

11

Agentle knock woke Kelly in the morning.

Fabian’s voice came from outside the door. “Kade says the mentors will be here in an hour.”

She stretched, trying to wake up. “’Kay, I’ll be out soon,” she said, wishing she could hide in her beautiful room all day.

She’d pampered herself last night, running a bath and trying to relax a little. It’d been glorious for the thirty minutes the water had stayed hot. Reality had come crashing back the moment she stepped out of the tepid water.

She guessed sleep took her around 2:00 a.m., after she spent hours inside her head overthinking everything that’d happened over the past couple of days.

A quick shower didn’t quite wake her up, but it helped. She found leggings and a tank top in the armoire and dressed quickly, throwing her hair up in a bun again.

When she opened the door, Fabian was waiting against the opposite wall. “Good morning, Warrior.”

“It’s too early for that, Fabian. Can you rein it in for a couple hours, please?”

He chuckled. “If you think I am too much, just wait until you meet your potential mentors.”

“Fucking great. Just what I need.”

Fabian began to walk down the hall and Kelly followed, assuming he knew where he was going.

Turned out they were headed back to the dining hall for breakfast. There was enough food on the table to feed at least ten people.

Kade was seated at the table, but he stood as they entered. “G’morning, lass. Did ye sleep well?”

“All things considered, yes, thank you.”

He raised an eyebrow at her to question the truth of her response, but he didn’t say anything.

She walked to the far side of the table, and Kade pulled out the chair for her. “Thank you.”

“Please eat.” He gestured toward the table and the abundance of food on it.

“Isn’t this a bit much for just Fabian and me?”

“Nae, the mentor candidates are joining us.”

“Oh, great.” She tried to hide her lack of excitement.

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