Page 108 of Sergi
I took her hand, and she pumped it vigorously.
“This is so exciting.” She winked at Sergi, and though we weren’t touching, and I didn’t dare glance his way, I sensed he was uncomfortable.
Now I understood him sneaking me through the manor. He was a male who protected his privacy. Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t someone who could be hidden.
“I’m Alex.”
She nodded. “A wolf. That’s so exciting. I’ve never trained with a shifter before.” She paused and glanced between Sergi and Devon. “Is she going to be allowed to train in wolf form? I mean, isn’t the training meant to develop our own personal skills?”
Her question caught me off guard. Did she actually want to fight a wolf? I glanced at Cressa, who was grinning and bouncing on her toes, eager to get started.
“I think for our purpose here,” Devon answered, “we need to ensure we have the skills to fight without the use of our fangs—shifter or vampire. Just like we don’t let Cressa use her dreamwalker skills.”
My gaze shot to Cressa. A dreamwalker? I just landed squarely in the middle of the Twilight Zone. My uncle had been busy while I was away.
“My wolf can handle herself, but my martial arts skills are a bit rusty. If you find yourself fighting against a wolf and you aren’t vampire, my best suggestion would be a gun unless you excel with daggers.”
The group glanced at each other, and the vampire called Lucas was the first to laugh out loud. “Well, I’d say Alex just set the tone for our training.”
Sergi’s grin was almost maniacal. “Agreed. Let’s begin.”
After an hour on the climbing wall and then martial arts bouts pitting two against each other, I was sweating like a leaky faucet, but my endorphins had me flying high. I was holding my own, but Cressa and Ginger had both taken me down several times. Sergi had been right. Their skills were impressive, and I had to admit, were better than mine.
On the last takedown, Cressa stood over me and held out her hand, which I took. Once I was back on my feet, she grinned. “You’ve got some good moves. After a couple weeks with Sergi, and you get your muscles and strength back, you’ll be unstoppable.”
“Thanks. I guess you surprised me.”
“For being a human?” She never lost her grin, and she put an arm around me. “It fools the vamps when they first meet us. Most never get a second chance.”
I laughed. “The human part would definitely surprise them, but seeing a female always makes them foolish.”
Ginger rushed over. “This has been so fun. I think we should hit the hot tub and then the patio for some margaritas.” She looked at me. “You are staying, right? You don’t want to drive back and forth from Remus’s estate to train every day.” She tilted her head. “I don’t actually know where his estate is, but still, if you’re going to be on the counter-strike team, you should stay here. Oh, and I should see if Lyra can join us. That’s Devon’s sister. She doesn’t train with us, but she’s always up for margaritas.”
“Enough, Ginger.” Sergi joined us. “We’re still working out the logistics.” He turned and gave me an evil grin I’d only seen him use when readying for battle. “I’m sure Alex will enjoy the benefits of a hot tub and margaritas once she survives her last session of training.”
Ginger and Cressa grinned at each other as they quietly backed up to join Devon and Lucas.
Sergi circled me, and I instinctively turned to keep him in my sights. His expression was downright menacing, but there was a twinkle in his eyes. This was so unfair. After watching his skills at taking down Gheata, I doubted there were many that could best him. On top of that, we’d been training for two hours, and he’d only joined a couple of bouts. Otherwise, he stood around and shouted orders.
While he was as fresh as a peach, I felt like an old mule after a hundred-mile hike through the desert. Every muscle in my body was waving for attention, and the thought of soaking them in the hot tub was nirvana. My legs were wobbly, and my arms felt like dead weights.
But the wolf paced—eager for mock battle. And while I had no chance of winning, I’d be damned if he’d take me down easy. I grinned, and I think he hesitated for a split second.
I crouched in my offensive stance, stuck out my arm, and wiggled my fingers in a come-hither gesture. Cressa and Ginger screeched and shouted out their support for me, and then Devon and Lucas joined in, leaving Sergi the odd male out. My grin grew wider.
His eyes glowed red with excitement at the coming bout. My thoughts moved beyond hot tubs and margaritas to an entire evening in Sergi’s immense bed. Other than the heated conversation I was sure to have with my uncle, this was turning out to be the best day I’d had in a long time.
I gave Sergi a wink. “Come on, vampire. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Thank You For Reading!
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This is a temporary cover.
The dreamwalker medallion.
Embossed on both sides are three objects that link both the vampire and dreamwalker species together: the Blood Poppy—The Ibis—The Dagger of Omar.
