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I bit my tongue to keep the stream of curses out of my mouth as I stomped over to the target. I picked up Venom and sheathed her at my thigh before I stood facing my classmates.

Most of them had trained for this. They could throw a simple dagger without gutting me.

I hoped.

I looked at Ashlani and gave her a small nod before scanning the other faces, waiting for Commander Macanthos.

“What about you?” the commander asked a student. It wasn’t until I looked at him that I saw who he approached.

Wolf.

Wolf still stood uninterested at the edge of the courtyard. And his eyes were glued onme, even as the commander walked toward him.

“What about me?” Wolf responded.

“Care to show the class how to hit a target, angel?” Commander Macanthos was downright antagonizing.

But Wolf’s jaw tightening was the only sign that he heard the commander at all. “I’d rather not.”

Commander Macanthos halted a few feet away. “That wasn’t a suggestion. Start throwing.”

Espek choked on a laugh to the right.

I ignored him. I ignored crying Ashlani; I ignored Lanson who was now beginning to argue. I ignored everyone, actually.

I focused on Wolf.

He lazily sauntered over to the front of the crowd, standing about fifteen paces from me. He could have stepped closer, but he was making a point.

I glared at him from my place in front of the target. If he drew my blood while throwing the damn knife, it would be the last thing he ever did.

“Any day now,” Commander Macanthos chirped.

Wolf’s features flickered with distaste before he slid his own dagger from his waist. His eyes locked on mine. His black feathered angel wings glistened in the sunlight, making him look annoyingly gorgeous. His black training pants fit his long legs, matching the shirt that exposed the bulky muscles of his arms.

Throw the damn dagger, Wolf.

As if reading my mind, he smirked. And then—before I even realized what had happened—a dagger impaled the target just inches from my neck.

My eyes slammed shut. I blew out a shaky breath before opening them again, only to find Wolf’s sharp eyes still piercing through mine.

“That is how you hit a target,” Commander Macanthos praised. “Show them one more time.”

Wolf rolled his eyes, finally looking away from me but still acting as if this was all a huge inconvenience to him. “Is that necessary?”

Commander Macanthos’s eyes widened. “Yes,” he spat. “Unless you’d rather have one of your other classmates take a—”

“No,” Wolf interrupted. “I’ll do it.”

Fucking angels. Why did I feelrelievedthat Wolf wasn’t letting anyone else throw?

When Wolf refocused on me, I could have sworn I saw light simmering beneath his eyes. I froze as Wolf stomped forward, his chin lifted and his fists clenched, to withdrawal his dagger from the target beside me.

He stepped close—closer than he needed to—as he yanked it free. His bare arm brushed against mine.

“Try not to kill me,” I whispered, loud enough so only he could hear.

Wolf froze and looked away, shaking his head. “Careful, Huntress. There are many things I could do to you with this dagger, but making you bleed is not one of them.”