Page 11 of Brutal Reign (Shadowed Heirs #5)

11

“ A re you serious?” Avery gasps, clutching a hand to her chest as her mouth falls agape.

I’ve just finished giving her the play-by-play of what Seb pulled in the barracks before dinner last night, and my gossip-loving cousin is eating up every scandalous detail like candy, as I knew she would.

“Yeah,” I deadpan, mentally exhausted by the game of mental jump rope I’ve been playing since, yet still at a loss for why Seb has suddenly gone from ignoring my existence for years to these stupid bullying tactics. “He went totally aggro on me for no reason,” I grumble. “Like, what the hell is he even trying to prove by getting all up in my space like that? That he’s top dog? If he thinks he can intimidate me, then he’s got another thing coming.”

Avery clucks her tongue, shaking her head in disapproval. “He clearly doesn’t know who he’s messing with.”

“Think he might’ve gotten the idea when I threatened to squash his balls,” I declare triumphantly, cracking a smile.

Her eyes light up with twisted delight. “You didn’t…”

“Damn right I did!”

A proud grin stretches her lips as she extends a fist in my direction. “That’s my girl.”

I lean forward to bump my knuckles against hers, laughing as I fall back against the sofa cushions.

Avery and Cam recently started a new division of the security squad aimed to clean up loose ends with the shifter hunters, and their headquarters at the complex has easily become my favorite place to hang out during afternoon breaks between training sessions. Specifically, this comfy couch in the back of the room where Avery posts up with me for much-needed girl talk.

“He’s ballsy, I’ll give him that,” she muses, leaning an elbow against the armrest and twirling a strand of blonde hair around her finger.

“Right?!” I agree, scoffing.

She darts a glance toward her mate seated at his nearby desk, wetting her lips with her tongue as her mischievous eyes flicker back to mine. “Okay, don’t hate me for saying this,” she murmurs, leaning in and dropping her voice low, “but the whole thing actually sounds kinda hot.”

I jerk back in disbelief, lips twisting in a scowl.

“What, it is!” she laughs, a faint blush forming on the apples of her cheeks as she fans herself. “I mean, when Cam and I first started… ya know … there was all this pent-up tension between us that just kept ramping up until it exploded.”

“Facts,” Cam chimes in, swiveling his desk chair around and aiming a heated look in her direction.

I frown at him. “This isn’t like that.”

“You sure?” Avery teases, a knowing smirk playing at the corners of her lips.

“Positive,” I insist. “I can’t stand Seb. He’s an entitled prick who thinks he’s above everyone and everything.”

She snorts a laugh, tossing Cam another pointed look that tells me she probably used to feel the same way about him. And hey, I’m glad it worked out for them– Cam is amazing, and I’ve never seen my cousin happier– but my situation with Seb is completely different. We were friends once. A long time ago, I thought there might be something else between us, but he made it abundantly clear he didn’t feel the same way.

That kind of rejection sticks with you.

No, this has to be about his superiority complex and the fact that I refuse to cower to him like everyone else. Seb can’t stand not having the upper hand.

Avery’s brown eyes narrow as she regards me for a moment, swiping a hand over her chin before jerking a nod. “Okay,” she clucks, seemingly having made up her mind. “So, we hate Seb Walker. How are we gonna make him suffer?”

My lips curl into a grin. This is why I love Avery– she’s fucking diabolical. My pulse kicks up a notch as I consider the possibilities, but before we can start in on our scheming, Sloane breezes into the room from the IT hub across the hall.

“You know, if you keep hiding out in here, people are gonna start to talk,” she teases, pointing a finger at me as she struts toward us.

I roll my eyes in response, even though she sorta has a point. Most of the other recruits go hang out in the barracks or the lounge for the duration of our two-hour break after eating lunch. That’s what my friends do, and Hayden gives me shit every time I sneak away to come up here instead. She thinks that in avoiding them, I’m letting Seb and Ace win whatever game they’re playing at, but really, I just like hanging with Avery. And yeah, it’s big fat silver lining that those boys have no reason to step foot in here. This is the one place at the squad complex where I’m not constantly having to look over my shoulder.

“Let ‘em talk,” I grumble, waving a hand dismissively as Sloane claims the empty spot between me and Avery on the couch, flopping down onto the soft cushions. “They all assume I’m getting preferential treatment anyways since I’m related to half the squad leaders.”

“That doesn’t bug you?” she asks, arching a skeptical brow.

“Of course it does, why do you think I’m out there working my ass off every day?” I grumble as I pivot sideways to face her, pulling a knee into my chest. “I’ve got more to prove than anyone else here. My dad might’ve thought he was protecting me by trying to keep me away from all this, but instead, he’s just made everyone think I’m weak and can’t hold my own. The day he announced me as our next Alpha, he put a fucking target on my back.”

“Then let them try to challenge you,” Avery huffs, peeking around Sloane with a lift of her chin. “Underestimating you will be their downfall.”

“If only it were that simple,” I mutter, gaze fluttering to my lap. I haven’t told anyone about Jake’s threat, but it’s been weighing heavily on my mind since Saturday night, the fear of him following through on it festering like a wound.

“Well, if you wanna escape your pack drama, you can always stay here for the full moon this weekend and run with ours instead,” she suggests, sharing a glance with Sloane. “A lot of the regular squad fighters do.”

“Yeah right,” I snort. “You know how my dad is, he’d have a damn heart attack if I stayed. He’s been blowing up my phone all week asking what time I’ll be home on Friday.”

“Aw, he just misses you,” Sloane reasons, resting her hand gently atop mine.

“I know, but he needs to back off,” I groan. “You know he actually showed up here last week to check up on me?”

“Of course he did,” Avery chuckles, shaking her head in amusement. “Honestly, I’m surprised he’s not camped out in the parking lot.”

“I’m sure he would be if it weren’t for my mom,” I reply wryly.

“Well, if you change your mind, you’re always welcome in Goldenleaf for the run,” Sloane offers, giving my hand a little squeeze before letting go. “We’re here for you if you need us.”

I narrow my eyes on her suspiciously, wondering if she knows something I don’t. Sloane’s a little bit psychic, so I can’t help but try to read between the lines of everything she says for some deeper meaning. The smile on her face doesn’t give anything away, though, so I just heave a sigh, nodding in affirmation as I lean forward to grab my chapstick out of my duffel bag.

“Honestly, it’ll be nice to get away for a couple days,” I say as I uncap the tube and swipe it over my lips, rubbing them together.

A loud crash from the front of the room has all of us snapping our heads in that direction, my eyes widening in shock as I watch Blair storm out of the command center in a fury, leaving her computer chair lying sideways on the floor. Honestly, I kinda forgot that anyone else was even in here with us. Blair and Matty work IT for the hunter division, but they’ve always got their heads down, quietly focused on their computers.

“Blair, wait!” Matty calls out, jumping up from his own chair and racing after her.

Avery barks a laugh, slapping a hand over her mouth as she shoots Cam a look. He smirks back at her and I furrow my brow in confusion, eyes pinging between the two of them. “What was that all about?” I ask, wrinkling my nose.

“Who knows,” Cam sighs, swiveling his chair back toward his computer. “They’d get a lot more done if they could actually get along.”

“Aw c’mon, they’re just flirting,” Avery snickers.

I turn my gaze on her, raising a brow. “You’ve got a warped definition of flirting,” I mutter.

“I just call it like it is,” she shrugs, tossing her hair over a shoulder.

I heave a sigh, not wanting to get into another debate with her about how she and Cam are the exception, not the rule. Sometimes people are just plain incompatible.

“What time is it?” I ask casually as I bend forward to toss my chapstick back in my duffel. “I wish you guys were leading the afternoon session today, Archer and Ares are brutal.”

“Then you’d better get out there, you’re already two minutes late,” Cam murmurs.

I shoot to my feet in alarm, snatching my bag off the floor. “Crap, why didn’t you tell me?!”

“Hey, it’s not my job to watch the clock for you, recruit,” he scoffs, the corner of his mouth tipping up in a little smirk as he glances back at me.

Damn him.

I cut Cam a glare as I sling the strap of my duffel over my shoulder and stomp toward the door, my heart beating a riot in my chest. I can only hope that everyone’s still warming up and they won’t notice I’m not there. Or that Archer and Ares are late themselves. Anything to get out of running laps.

I jog through the halls of the squad complex as quickly as I can, pushing through the big double doors to find the other recruits out on the field stretching. A few of them glance my way as I toss my bag aside, but I just keep my head down as I dart into the fray, hoping I can slip by unnoticed. As long as one of the Raines brothers doesn’t see me, I’ll be in the clear.

I sweep my panicked gaze around as I make my way toward my friends, heart stuttering in my chest when I spot Ares. He’s got his back turned, so odds are, he didn’t clock my late arrival. Except he’s standing across from Seb and Ace, and both their gazes hook on mine instantly. I quickly look away, but not before Ares turns over his shoulder to glance in my direction.

Crap.

My stomach sinks like a stone as I stumble up to Hayden, flustered and out of breath as I drop down onto the ground beside her.

“Cutting it a little close, aren’t you girl?” she whispers, violet strands of hair fluttering in front of her face as she turns her wide-eyed stare on me.

“Lost track of time,” I murmur.

“If you just stuck with us, you wouldn’t have that problem,” Gus teases, bumping his foot into mine as I extend my legs in front of me to stretch my hamstrings.

“I know, I know,” I sigh, folding at the waist to hold my stretch.

“Just admit it, you’re too cool for us,” Kendrick remarks.

I roll my eyes as he tosses me a playful wink. “Nah, just avoiding certain people. You three are the coolest ones here.”

“About time someone noticed,” Gus comments, puffing out his chest.

I laugh softly as I shift positions, skin prickling beneath the weight of the stares I still feel burning into my back from the other end of the practice field. I don’t have to look to know it’s Seb and Ace, and Kendrick confirms it when he flickers a glance past me, shaking his head as his eyes return to mine.

“I can put Seb in his place if you want,” he drawls, smirking conspiratorially. “Might as well get some benefit outta being sparring partners with him this week, right?”

“Sure, give him hell,” I snort. “Feel free to break a few bones while you’re at it.”

“You’re a savage,” Gus laughs.

I shrug a shoulder innocently, lips curling into a grin.

“Dude, you don’t know the half of it,” Hayden chuckles, pulling an arm across her chest. “This one time, some asshole tried to grab her ass at a party, and she straight up knocked him out.”

Kendrick and Gus both look to me for confirmation and I laugh softly, shaking my head. “Hey, he deserved it. I’d already told him I wasn’t interested.”

I glance up at the sound of someone loudly clearing their throat behind me, blanching when I find Ares standing there.

“Hey Riv,” he greets, tipping his head.

“Ares,” I breathe, smoothing my hair back and plastering on my best fake smile. “What’s up?”

He presses his own lips together in a tight line. “You were late today, you know what that means,” he says, lifting a finger and twirling it in the air.

Laps.

Fuck my life.

“C’mon, Ares, it was only a couple of minutes,” I purr, batting my lashes and trying my best to appeal to his flirtatious nature.

For a second, it almost seems like I’ll get away with it. His eyes flicker over my form, his tongue darting out to lick his lips.

Please take the bait…

“I know, but rules are rules,” Ares sighs, stabbing his fingers through his thick red hair. “Sorry, Riv, but if I make exceptions for you, I’ll have to make ‘em for everyone.”

My heart plummets. It’s my own damn fault for not watching the clock, but this still feels colossally unfair. Running is hardly even a punishment for most of my fellow recruits. For me, it’s akin to torture.

Seb and Ace know that. They used to tease me mercilessly about how much I hate running, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they were the ones who put Ares up to this. In fact, I can almost bet on it.

“Fine,” I grit out, accepting my fate and fighting to keep my expression neutral while I push up from the ground and brush the dirt off my leggings. “How many?”

“Six. One for every minute you were late,” Ares responds.

I nod, holding my head high as I pivot to head for the track, even though I feel like fucking crying right now.

I won’t let anyone here see my weaknesses.

I won’t let them win.