Page 132 of Halfblood Deceived

She was closer to the sounds now—

“You are rusty,” said a male voice.

“You are an asshole.”

Aella froze in her tracks as her brain registered the scene unfolding a few yards away in a clearing.

Diana, dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie, was holding a blunt sword, her eyes shining with red power.

Her opponent, dressed similarly, launched an almost invisible strike with his also blunt blade that Diana parried at once.

Sebastian.

Diana was fighting Sebastian.

No, not fighting—sparring with him.

Across from the improvised practice ring stood Aylana, one hand propped on the handle of her practice sword, the tip of which was half-buried on the damp ground. Aylana’s hazel eyes were trained on the fight, a small smile tilting her full lips. She was wearing ripped black jeans, boots, a white tee, and a black jacket, her long hair up in a braided ponytail.

Aella’s attention returned to Diana and Sebastian.

The vampire was wickedly fast. So much so that Aella had the feeling he was holding back.

“If you shifted, we’d be better matched,” Sebastian said, confirming Aella’s suspicions. He dodged Diana’s next strike and hit her hip with the flat of his blade.

Diana hissed, turning and casting an orb of crackling red energy that she launched at Sebastian.

He blocked it with his sword, grinning. But Diana kept the blasts coming one after the other, forcing Sebastian a few steps back despite his runic shield.

“You were saying?” Diana asked.

Sebastian cast a spell under his breath, creating a wave of energy that flew at Diana with uncanny speed. It hit Diana so hard that her feet left the ground and she landed on her back, winded.

“I was saying you should shift,” Sebastian drawled, looking impossibly smug as he flipped his blond hair off his face.

Diana growled low, recovering her breath.

“Please shift and wipe that cocky smile off his pretty face, Diana,” Aylana said with a groan.

Sebastian gave a saucy wink at his mate. “Come wipe it with your mouth, my beautiful warrior.”

Something heated flashed in Aylana’s eyes. “Later.”

“Can’t wait,” Sebastian answered.

Aella bit her lip. They were so shamelessly in love with each other. Aella had seen her fair share of shameless lust demonstrations during the last few weeks working at Hecate. But there was so much more than lust in Aylana and Sebastian’s gazes. Adoration, affection, desire, and something fierce, even possessive, but not in a bad way.

Diana kicked up into a standing position. “I don’t need to shift.” There was stubbornness, even reluctance, in her still-red eyes.

Sebastian hummed. “Previous evidence would suggest otherwise.” He shrugged. “But if you are enjoying getting your arse handed to you, who am I to argue, Diana darling?”

Diana shifted.

Aella’s jaw dropped.

Huge bat-like wings protruded from Diana’s back, ripping her hoodie to shreds and leaving her in a tight tank top. Her skin went from white to chalk gray, features shifting into something bestial but still recognizable. Sharp horns sprouted from her head. Her poor tennis shoes ended up in ribbons as her clawed feet grew too large to be contained.

All of that was expected.

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