Page 172 of Caelum

“Because she obviously likes cooking, dumbass,” Nestor retorted with a huff, making my lips twitch with satisfaction.

I knew her well, better than the others, and though thatwaspetty, it didn’t matter. Not really. We were Pack, and whatever I did strengthened our bonds and that was all that counted.

A few hours later, while I watched her struggle in the gym, Dre hustled over to my side. “Jerk. You could have let me out of there sooner.”

I smirked. “You were being an ass.” A few hours of corner time usually did most brats good, and if there was a walking, talking dictionary definition of the word ‘brat,’ it was Dre.

He grunted. “You get Nestor’s message?”

“Yeah. I’m glad she’s agreed to start up classes with us again. Stefan’s turn tonight.”

“Let’s be thankful he can’t shift into anything,” was his snarky retort, and though his tone made me want to smack him, I had to admit I was relieved too. But though Dre’s disdain was evident, I felt his tension grow as, attention averted for the moment, he watched Eve’s training with kids that were four years younger than her. He even hissed when one of the girls managed an uppercut that connected with Eve’s chin.

“Why isn’t she defending herself?”

“Because it’s ridiculous to put her with children younger than her and expect her not to hold back.”

I didn’t stiffen at the sound of Samuel’s voice, but I turned back to look at him. He wore a scowl too, and as was the way with Dre and me, we both looked on with unease as Eve had her ass handed to her.

“They’re not going to push her through the classes unless she shows more aptitude than that, and let’s face it, I know from experience she packs a mean punch,” Samuel noted with some disgust as Eve failed to cut off another uppercut to the chin.

It was like she was asking to be beaten on her birthday.

As far as I was aware, she wasn’t a masochist.

Before any of us could say another word, Samuel stalked off and headedover to Coach. A few bitten off retorts and Coach grunted but nodded, and Dre and I watched as Samuel walked over to Eve. They, too, spoke and the kid who’d been whipping our girl’s ass made herself scarce when Samuel glowered at her.

Eve tilted her head to the side in confusion when he raised his hands in a fighting stance, and her mouth worked before she shot me a look. It warmed me that she looked to me for confirmation when her Chosen was at my side.

Nodding at her, I tried to load my smile with some encouragement but wasn’t sure if it hit the mark because her taped hand immediately went to the necklace I’d gifted her that morning, and she began to fiddle with it as she turned back to Samuel.

“I’m surprised you gave that to her.”

Dre’s comment had me shrugging. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“It was your mother’s.”

“So?”

“So, I know you carried it with you all the time. If it wasn’t so girly, you’d have worn it.”

“It is girly though, and Eve can wear it for me.”

“You think she’ll Choose you?”

“Samuel and I think it’s likely, yes.” If I sounded formal, it was because I didn’t need Dre needling my ass over this.

If I didn’t hope that Eve would Choose me at some point, then I’d just be depressed, and I’d spent far too long being depressed over the circumstances life had a habit of throwing my way.

He hummed but didn’t say anything else, just watched as Samuel taunted Eve. There was no other way to describe it, and I shook my head. “What is it with you two? Why do you find it so easy to antagonize her?”

“We don’t all think she sweats perfection,” Dre grumbled, but I knew he was watching Samuel’s mouth move, and the words that tumbled from him edged up Eve’s temper until she was bouncing on her heels.

The boxing rings were filled with kids a year or two younger than us, and technically, we had other places to be, but shit wasn’t as strict for us now. Mostly, we had to train and study, learn as much as we could about strategy, research nests so we could handle whatever might come our way. There was a lot of theory to recall too. Past battles that we studied so we could understand how Ghouls worked.

But since it was so shortly after Aboh, there was a brief respite until the games began again—and games seemed like a childish word, but it was true nonetheless. Before the faculty began pitting Packs in our year against oneanother to ascertain who’d be going out on a mission, we had a chance to wind down and recuperate from any injuries we’d incurred on said mission.

That meant watching Eve and Samuel bicker wasn’t eating into our schedule any.

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