Page 19 of Shadow Bonds

“If I waseverdoing my nails, it would be to sharpen my claws to tear you apart,” I warn him, but instead of getting annoyed or angry with me, a slow sliding smile curves his lips that has something inside me stirring awake.

“How do you know I’m not into that kind of thing?” he says.

“Why would I care?” I reply, but his smirk only grows.

“I’ll talk to him,” Cyrus says, cutting off the little back and forth between me and Knox.

I shake my head. “Don’t bother.” It would only bring more trouble than it’s worth.

“Fine. But you still need to train with us,” he says, and the others nod agreeing.

I glance around trying to think of something that will get me out of this but then I remember I have to spend time with them to help push back the madness.

At least that’s what Robin said. And even though they’re assholes, I don’t want any of them to have to end up in that Void place she described.

“I’m hungry,” I admit to them, feeling weak for even having to say it. But I didn’t get to go to the canteen this morning with surprise training starting at the crack of dawn, and I’m not allowed to touch anything that belongs to them.

Cyrus takes out something from his pocket and throws it to me.

I catch it and glance down at the green apple in my hand. “Is it poisoned?”

He smiles, and it’s fucking devastating that he’s so handsome. “No. But maybe next time.”

I roll my eyes and take a bite, moaning when the first juicy bite hits my taste buds.

Knox clears his throat. “Let’s get moving.”

I nod and follow them, but my focus is on the apple and trying to make it last as long as possible. But it’s gone far too quickly.

After a few minutes, I realize we’re not heading to their obstacle course as we would’ve been there by now.

“Where are we going?” I ask, and Knox glances over his shoulder to answer.

“Malakai wants to shift, and Cyrus wants to let loose, so we go out a bit beyond the forest to a large clearing to train. It’s just up a bit farther.”

A bit farther ends up being another half an hour walk before we come to the large clearing.

I glare at them while they spread out around me.

Malakai immediately shifts into a huge black wolf made from shadows while Cyrusbecomesthe shadows. They grow and grow around him, turning the afternoon light instantly into night.

“Cyrus, I didn’t say fucking blind us,” Knox groans.

I hear Cyrus chuckle from somewhere around me, but it’s so dark I can’t see where he or any of the others are.

“I thought this was supposed to be training. How am I supposed to do anything if I can’t see?” I ask them.

Cyrus reels back his shadows, containing them to just him, Malakai and Knox.

I take a step back, wondering if they’ll notice if I slip away while they do their thing, but another step back has me hitting a brick wall. Or what feels like one.

I turn around to find Theon staring down at me with a scowl.

“Start running to warm up,” he says.

“The walk here made me warm enough,” I tell him, and he clenches his jaw.

“Fine.” He takes something from his side and hands it to me. I glance down to see he’s placed a small silver dagger in my hand.

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