Page 21

REALITY CONTINUES TO RUIN MY LIFE

SYDNEY

I have no idea what the fuck to do with that admission so I huff and turn my attention back to the morons in charge of us. How in the hell would Elias know he likes me from what little interaction we’ve had since yesterday ? The whole concept is totally foreign to me—I don’t like anyone until I’m as sure as I possibly can be that they aren’t going to try to kill me. And in the time I’ve known Thad, I’ve barely admitted I consider him a friend out loud, much less just spouted it off in public to everyone.

Men are relentlessly bizarre and I do not have the energy for this shit.

“I think she’s ignoring you,” Bas says, his voice filled with sarcastic amusement. “Looks like some of that struck a nerve, demon.”

Whirling around, I hiss, “Do you have a death wish, vampire ?”

He shrugs, looking unconcerned by my venom. “Most days. But that’s none of your business, mystery half-breed.”

Thad steps between us, glaring at Sebastian before he looks into my eyes. “Syd, he’s hoping to provoke you further. I don’t know what nerve you hit, or why everyone is trying to dance on yours, but this has to wait for privacy.”

“Fine,” I say as I move aside so I’m not facing him anymore. “Then leave me alone to recoup my control— all of you .”

I grit my jaw as I pretend to listen to the rest of what’s-his-face’s bullshit speech, breathing in and out mindfully. Who knows if Huck is right, but the last thing I need right now is to get totally riled up when I might have magic or powers I have no idea how to control? It’s dumb as fuck for any of them to bait me—no one’s told us if losing a person from your team disqualifies you, much less if there are conduct rules outside of the assigned areas. We could all end up as lockdown losers, or worse—dead.

When Gary—or whatever the hell his name is—finally shuts the fuck up, I sigh in relief. The propaganda they’re spewing at us is insane, and pretending to pay attention to the canned speeches about our ‘glorious’ leader are as fake as his idiotic spray tan. No one in the sectors is going to suddenly kiss that dictator’s feet for locking us up and calling us terrorists and animals. But we don’t have an option here, so I’m sure that’s why the organizers of this nightmare are trying their damnedest to indoctrinate anyone they can.

Very few supes are that stupid and if they are, they’re already acting in their own self-interest by suckling at the teat of the humans.

“Finally,” I mutter as the crowd starts moving and we’re ushered into yet another hallway I’ve never seen before. Regardless of my irritation at their bullshit, I stick close to Thad, Huck and the other clowns because the devil you know is always better than the one who might be hiding a shiv. Thad arches a brow at me and I shrug—I don’t know if I’m better yet, but I can stomach looking at them, so there’s that.

Huck moves closer, looking at me with an apologetic expression. “Sorry, sweet pea. Sometimes I forget you’re so much younger’n me; I’ve been on this plane for so long it makes me accept things that newer supes haven’t come to grips with yet.”

I wrinkle my nose. I’d like to tell him to get fucked for mentioning my age like it’s a mental disability, but I realize he’s trying to explain a very prominent difference in how we look at things. Hell, likely a difference that may separate me from Elias and the damn vampire as well. Rory, I’m not sure about. Scraping my teeth over my lower lip as I consider my words carefully, I nod. “Okay. You might be right about perspective, though your damn delivery could use some work, cowboy.”

His smile is almost shy for a second before it morphs into one of his normal smirks. “I’ll do my best, sweet pea. Until this week, you’ve mostly told me to shove it where the sun doesn’t shine, so I’m not quite sure where the solid footing is. But I’ll get it; I’m a smart cookie.”

That makes me laugh softly, and Thad bumps my shoulder with his. “There you go, Syddie girl. It’s okay to say shit you feel out loud occasionally so we have a clue what’s going on in your head.”

“Perish the thought,” Sebastian mumbles and I glare at him before smiling at the bear.

“Communication can be one of my areas of opportunity, but I, too, will try to do better,” I promise. That earns me a snort from the dragon and a double thumbs up from the mage, and for some reason, it makes my stomach flutter with happy butterflies.

Damn it, why do I care if they’re pleased? Fuck, this shit is weird.

“Team Whizzbangs, head for the room labeled Alpha-One,” Gary-I-Think says. He points at the door at the very end of the hallway and I groan.

“I really hope these rooms aren’t assigned by?—”

“Krista, your team will go to Alpha-Two.” I bang my closed fists on my forehead lightly as the idiot confirms my suspicion.

The teams are being assigned rooms by power or strength level—we have a Prince.

“Just fucking fabulous,” Huck agrees as he steps forward to lead the way. Krista is waving like a tool up by our door, and a feeling of dread fills me as excitement flickers in the air as we get closer to her.

The blond woman bounces her toes, looking at us with crazy-eyes. “I cannot wait to figure out what your team will be called. Being in Alpha-Two is such an honor, and I am so excited for us to circle up!”

Elias and I groan at the same time, making Rory snicker. I look at the dragon, my expression relaying how much we’re going to hate this shit. He mouths ‘better than jail’, and I have to hold back a laugh. I’m not sure he’s right, but that’s coming from a place of privilege, I know.

Though, I’ll be the first to admit I’d rather be poked with a cattle prod than do some sort of marketing workshop—that’s one hundred percent fact.

“What about the ‘Alpha All-stars’? That sounds very snazzy.”

Putting my fingers on my temples, I close my eyes and rub gently. So far, Krista has branded our colors in a red and blue that feels like a mockery of the flag this dumbass country used to fly and almost got herself throttled about forty times. I’m not the only one irritated with her and this entire exercise, but I’m definitely in the top two of people who are ready to end this in blood.

“Unfortunately, I would have to murder myself if I wore something that idiotic on my person,” Sebastian says drily. “Try again.”

This time, I agree with him—not that I’m going to let him know.

“I mean, if you’re going to be that obvious, we should go with “Big Dick Swingers’, right?” My head turns slowly to look at the cheeky mage and I feel my eye begin to twitch.

Elias snorts, pacing past me again as he grumbles, “You’d have to let the girl tell everyone hers is the biggest, I suspect.”

“You’re damn right about that,” I shoot back, almost smiling for the first time in an hour. “But also, fuck no .”

Thad and Huck are leaning back in their chairs, watching the pingpong match happening between the new guys, Krista, and me with smug grins. I’m sure they’ll intervene if need be, but they’re smart enough to keep their yaps shut otherwise. I think my temper tantrum in the hallway worried them, so they’re not adding to the ribbing the others are doing.

“What about Twilight Marauders?” Krista pipes up as she looks at her tablet. “That sounds dangerous and sexy.”

Sebastian flashes his fangs at her, his eyes red and angry. “Absolutely not. Twilight? Are you mental?”

Covering my mouth as images of the dickish vamp covered in sparkling booty dust fill my mind, I spin around so he can’t see me. I hate the name, too, but I’m tempted to support it just to piss him off. The urge passes when I imagine having to wear that moniker on global television feeds. I should probably not get behind something so stupid to spite someone unless I’m ready to look extremely dumb in public.

Damn. Humans always ruin my fun.

“We have to decide this now so they can continue producing all of the things you’ll need for branding, both in physical and digital form. Having something catchy that people will want to get behind is very important. You have to be appealing from the minute they see you; it’s imperative.”

Something in her voice makes me turn back to study the usually chipper human. Her brows are furrowed and I can see the tension in her frame. I don’t know what she’s been told, but she’s definitely concerned about our success. I’m too jaded to believe that it’s about my team; it’s likely about what will happen to her if she’s one of the failures.

I can’t be responsible for anyone other than the five people I’m already tied to by this competition.

“Look, Krista. We’re not cutesy people. Dante is a furloughed Lockdowner, we have a traitor and a flirty magic user, a bear, and a demon who thinks he’s a cowboy. Topping it off, I’m a powerless supe. We’re more the rag-tag underdog types than the ‘A Team’ with pretty faces.”

The human looks at me in shock. “You don’t see it, do you?”

I arch a brow. “See what?”

“Dear Lord in heaven, how the fuck is she so blind?” I almost respond to her but the bouncy coordinator climbs on a chair and gives me an annoyed look. “The cowboy demon is hot as hell, and has an adorable Southern boy charm. The Lockdown dragon is dark, dangerous, and looks like someone every girl wishes she could take a spin on. Your big cuddly bear is muscled and burly, like the blue collar boys you’d want to meet in a small town movie. The flirty, statuesque magic user and flawlessly dark vampire are also enough to make people drool. Then you have this Lara Croft meets smart girl thing going on… you guys are a goldmine if you’d quit being dim-witted about it.”

Huck slouches more, his lips curving up as he pushes the brim of his hat up. “Why, thank you, little lady. I’m aflutter with your praise.”

“Shut up, Huck,” Thad and I say at the same time. His face turns red when I wink at him, and suddenly, I see the whole ‘cuddly big guy’ thing Krista was talking about.

My eyes skitter around the room as the guys try to avoid looking at the human with her hands on her hips. Woefully, she’s on the nose. Elias is the ultimate bad boy, and his reticence only reinforces it. Rory is the popular rich guy everyone would want in a 90s high school movie, and Sebastian might be an untrustworthy motherfucker, but he looks like every emo girl’s dream. Their looks and personalities being cultivated specifically would definitely help us get more… whatever the hell they want from us… to get special shit.

I don’t agree with them about me, but I’m not arguing that shit in public.

“Fine. Let’s say we understand what you’re saying, and we’re willing to figure out how to use that. What else would we need to do?”

“Pick a goddamn name!”

I wince, surprised at her vehemence. If she wasn’t human, I might start liking this chick. “Okay. So it has to be catchy and simple to remember and make designs for. But it also needs to reflect us, right?”

“Yes.”

The thought hits me and I smirk as I look at them all. “Then I’d like to formally introduce the ‘Bite Club’, Krista.”

Her eyes widen and she claps her hands, looking excited as hell. “That’s… oh, it’s going to be perfect. Does everyone agree?”

The guys all look at each other, then shrug. Elias is the first person to speak and once he does, the damage is done.

“I think it suits us perfectly. Not one of us would allow people to come at us without taking a bite of them.”

No shit, Sherlock.