Page 15 of Frost and Fate
“Darren is working closely with Gideon,” Leah explained. Apparently Gideon had canceled his trip to Paris the second he heard about the incident. Nova felt a stab of disappointment knowing Darren might not be around today. She followed Leah in silence as they made their way through the complex. When Nova entered the training room, she was surprised to see Laurie and Aria already there.
Aria grinned. “Girls’ training date!”
“What are you doing here?” Nova wondered. “Aren’t we supposed to be training?”
Aria scoffed. “Listen, honey, I’m the daughter of an Alpha and the sister of an Alpha. I have been well-trained.”
Leah rolled her eyes. “Today we will be focusing on hand-to-hand combat techniques. In the event you are attacked and unable to use your powers, you need to be able to defend yourself.”
Nova was a little nervous, training under Leah. The woman was intense. Thankfully, Aria and Laurie lightened the mood. No one brought up the girl from last night, and Nova was glad. Leah ran them through various drills and exercises. Nova was shocked to see that Aria was, indeed, well-trained. She never even broke a sweat. Gorgeous, badass, and super likable… Nova definitely wanted to be like Aria. Laurie did her part to keep up as well. She didn’t have the endurance or stamina of a lycan, but she was clearly in great shape.
They continued on for several hours, working on kicks, punches, elbows, and various maneuvers for escaping an attacker’s grip. Leah was surprisingly patient with Nova. It’s not like Nova wasn’t athletic, but this Krav Maga-style training she was learning would be tough for anyone. The current set of moves she was using involved breaking away from an attacker that grabs you from behind. Leah walked her through the motions.
“Scrape the shin with your heel. Now stomp his foot. Good, Nova. Throw an elbow to the face, follow through with a second elbow, and run!” Nova was breathing heavily and covered in sweat. Her silver hair clung to her face and neck.
“I’ll show you my favorite move.” Aria smiled as she stood in front of one of the training dummies. “Pretend he’s got his arms around me.” She feigned struggling. “I’m going to pick my foot up, pretend I’m trapped, and then…” She thrust her foot backward, breaking the dummy’s leg clean off. “…I smash his kneecap in!” She smiled, victorious.
Leah sighed. “I know your training is more sophisticated than a knee smash. You’re a lycan, for Christ’s sake.” She shook her head.
Aria shrugged. “Sure I can rip his face off, but crushing his kneecap is a lot less messy, and a lot more fun.” She grinned. Nova laughed. Aria was a piece of work.
“I think that’s enough for today,” Leah announced. Nova slumped down on the padded mats, relieved the training was over. She was cooling herself down with a flurry of snow above her face and neck when Leah approached. She handed her a bottle of water, which Nova graciously began to chug down. “I can take you back to your room now. You have free time until six.”
Nova looked up from her water. “What’s happening at six?”
Leah gave her a measured look. “You’ll be having dinner, with Gideon.”
“Oh. I didn’t think they would let me out again after what happened last night.” A lump formed in her throat as she remembered the girl on the steps.
“Gideon has called in extra security forces. They’ll be joining us in a few days. But you’re right. It’s not safe to leave the complex. The dinner will be held in Gideon’s penthouse.”
Nova choked on her water. She began hacking and coughing, trying to clear the water from her windpipe. Finally she managed to croak out, “His penthouse?”
Leah nodded.
“Ooh la la!” Aria chimed in. “A private dinner with Gideon.” She raised her eyebrows and winked at Nova.
Nova flushed. “Why does he want to have dinner with me?”
“Because you are a hot Celestial babe with super winter powers, duh! He’s probably got a crush on you,” Aria squealed with delight. “Oh my gosh! If you guys end up together, we would be sisters!” Nova felt the blood drain from her face.
Laurie quickly stepped in. “Don’t mind Aria,” she soothed, placing a hand on Nova’s arm. “I’m sure Gideon is just being a good host. Plus, his penthouse is probably the safest place here.” She looked up to Leah for reassurance, but the stoic woman said nothing. Nova swallowed hard. She had a bad feeling about this. Leah led her back to the apartment. Aria showed up around five with more outfits and a barrage of makeup and hair products. They had settled on a long, off-the-shoulder, lavender dress that dipped down low in the back and had one slit up the left side. Silky fabric pooled near Nova’s ankles. Though she had felt like the dress was too much, Aria insisted Gideon would be dressed up for their “date”. The word made Nova want to vomit, but she put on a brave face.
With one final squeal and a wink, Aria headed out, leaving Nova alone in the apartment. She checked her reflection in the mirror. The shimmering pale dress complemented Nova’s new hair. Aria had curled the long silver locks and laid them gracefully around her bare shoulders. The makeup Aria had done consisted of a soft smoky eye with a deep-plum lip to finish it off. Even Nova could admit she looked beautiful. She only wished all this work had been for Darren, not Gideon.
He’s not interested.
What had changed? The initial sparks she had felt between the two of them seemed to have been snuffed out. What went wrong? She thought of the heat between them as Darren’s hands had explored her. Warmth spread to her thighs as she replayed the memory in her mind. She sighed in frustration. She had wanted to do more. She still wanted more. There had been such fire between them that day. Now, Darren was as cold as the ice that bloomed from her fingertips.
Despite his recent frosty demeanor, Nova couldn’t help but fantasize about the things his warm hands and mouth could do. She was desperate to know what he was like under those perfectly fitted jeans. Nova slid a slow hand up her thigh and under the dress. She imagined it was Darren touching her, his warm fingers pressing deep in her.
A knock at the door pulled her from the arousing daydream and signaled that Leah had arrived. She quickly smoothed out her dress, feeling suddenly embarrassed. Nova pulled the door open to reveal Darren. She froze, her pulse instantly picking up speed. Darren’s eyes raked over her, his gaze devouring every inch of the sleek fitted dress. He met her stare with a burning intensity. His nostrils flared and those mesmerizing honey-fire eyes began to glow. He took two quick steps forward, pinning Nova to the wall behind her. He moved so quickly she barely had time to recognize what was happening. He towered over her. She moaned as his warm, hard body pressed up against the thin fabric of her dress. Darren let out a deep, low growl. Wetness flooded Nova’s core and heat burned through her body. She felt as if the dress was going to melt right off of her. A strong hand began to trace its way up the slit above Nova’s thigh. His warm fingers grazed the skin beneath. Blood surged through every inch of her body. She pushed her hips up to meet his. Another growl released itself from his chest. She stared into his glowing eyes, standing up on her toes, inching closer to his lips.
Before she could reach them, he stepped backward, away from her. He turned his back to her and ran a hand through his jet-black hair. Darren released a deep sigh. When he turned around again, the glow in his eyes had faded. A cold detachment took its place. Nova’s heart sank.
“We need to get going. Clean yourself up and meet me in the hallway,” was all he said before he left Nova with only a pang of disappointment.
She refreshed herself in the bathroom and dabbed some jasmine oil Laurie had given her onto her wrists, neck, and thighs, hoping to cover any lingering scents of arousal, or of Darren. She peered at herself once more in the mirror, a determined gleam in her eyes. That was the last time she would let herself fall, face first, under the seductive spell of Darren Ridgewell. Without a word to Darren, she stepped out of the apartment and headed to her dinner with the Alpha.
