Page 10 of Mariposa (Queens Command #1)

VIOLET

THREE MONTHS UNTIL GRADUATION

Elastic Heart by SIA

A s someone who grew up in mixed martial arts since she could walk, combative training excites me.

Willis stands before me with a chip on his shoulder and an overconfident grin reaching his brown eyes.

“Come on, hit me right here.” He taps his jaw with his gloved hand, prompting me to take the bait.

“Antagonizing her isn’t a good idea,” Preston warns him from behind the cage. I look over Willis’s shoulder and meet Preston’s death glare. He’s still upset about what transpired five minutes ago. I barely put any pressure on his elbow before he tapped incredibly fast.

No one has beaten me yet, and I’m having too much fun to stop.

“Come on, I bet those little arms don’t have reach. That’s why you haven’t thrown a punch yet. I bet you?—”

Before he can get another word out, I strike fast. My fist connects with the end of his chin, sending him to the ground with only the whites of his eyes showing. His limp body lands with a loud thud on his back, the rest of him facing the dim ceiling. My arm retracts, and I scoff, satisfied.

Everyone outside of the cage shouts excitedly and rattles the metal with their hands, like we’re at a Sunday football game and someone scored a touchdown.

I can feel Beast’s eyes on me. He stands beside the other instructors, arms crossed over his chest. His tatted arms are perfectly contoured with muscles. He flexes them each time another man goes down. It’s eating away at Beast to see every man go down.

Willis comes to consciousness seconds later.

He walks out with Sergeant Slater, who asks him question after question to clear him of needing medical attention.

With my hand on my hip, I’m sucking in breath after breath, pacing up and down as I wait for the next one.

My sore knuckles brush my upper lip, clearing the built-up perspiration.

“Roberts!” Sergeant Booker calls out another soldier. Roberts runs inside, but then his pace morphs into a walk when he heads straight for me. He nudges my arm with his elbow softly and leans into my ear.

“Don’t go easy on me,” he declares with a giddy smirk.

“Wasn’t planning on it.” I wink at him as he grips my ponytail’s ends and pulls my hair from behind jokingly. A short tug to rouse my emotions. I push him off me, and he chuckles lightly.

Roberts is one of the good ones in this class. He is always kind and respectful and treats me like any other classmate. He rounds me, throwing everything he’s got, but it’s not enough.

With blood dripping down my lips and my forearms tucked underneath his neck, choking him, his heavy body goes limp in my hold. As soon as he does, I let go and stand.

“Fuck this,” Willis comments from behind the cage.

I’m going to graduate. I will become one of the first female special operators to join the short list of strong, accomplished women, and it’s killing them all.

Someone’s footsteps thud loudly behind me.

I peer over my shoulder and see a familiar head of black hair.

Preston beelines for me, ready to attack.

He’s taking advantage of my back being turned.

Every single cadre in the vicinity barks at Preston to stop, but it’s too late.

He clocks me in the jaw with his bare hand.

His big knuckles dig into my chin until my head flings to the side.

Red sprays out of my mouth and onto the mat.

Adrenaline disguises the amount of pain I’m in, and the only thing I feel is the need to give him a taste of his own medicine until he’s begging for mercy.

I jerk my head to face him and find him already cocking his fist, ready to give me another bitter strike to my face.

He swings and only receives air as his victim.

Sliding backward on my feet, I punch him three times in the stomach and then pull his arm back until he bellows in pain.

He’s sucking in the air I forced out of him, coughing and twitching in an attempt to escape, but he fails.

His already reddened face turns into a pale reflection as my eyes burn the side of his face with a warning vengeance.

He casts his regret-filled look over his shoulder with a bulging forehead vein, redness invading the whites in his eyes.

I spit out iron crimson, and it lands by his feet.

“Fuck you, Isla!” Preston squeals.

Smirking, I lean in until my mouth is mere inches from his ear.

“No, fuck you, motherfucker,” I screech loudly, hoping Willis and all his hazing friends can hear and read between the lines.

“I am the Lion’s daughter.”

My patience has thinned into madness—a sinister grin reaches my eyes as I enjoy making Preston squirm.

“I want you to take one good look at me because it’s the last face you’ll see until you wake up.

” I spit condescendingly into his ear as he grits his teeth, but it doesn’t do enough to hide his frustrated whimpers. I knock him out cold with my fist.

“Everyone out!” Beast snarls. His voice booms and bounces off the walls. I grin, satisfied.

Roberts gets up, dazed out of his mind. I go to help him walk, passing Preston’s sleeping body.

“Lean on me,” I murmur, guilt gnawing at me.

He nods like he’s embarrassed to give in to my kind gesture.

I go to give him my shoulder with my arm around his, but a large, calloused hand grabs my wrist until his fingers dig into my skin.

I hiss, and Beast gets into my face. I can smell that same intoxicating cedar cologne scent, with a hint of his cigarettes.

He grabs Roberts by the collar and yanks him forward, forcing Roberts to stumble over his feet.

“Go see the medic.” His voice is strangely cool, calm, and collected despite his murderous expression. Whenever he resorts to this tone instead of yelling, frankly, it’s more terrifying. I turn over to Preston’s sleeping body as he gets carried out by four cadres.

Serves him right.

“You heard Beast! Everyone get the fuck out!” Booker shouts.

“Not you.” He pushes me back. I’m so thrown off by his sudden burst of anger that I stumble, unprepared.

“Okay?”

“You could have killed him, Isla.” Another push.

“He told me not to go easy on him.” He keeps stalking forward until my back hits the cage. “And Preston deserved it.”

The vein in his neck is protruding through his tanned skin. He places both hands on either side of my head, caging me in.

I’m not letting him get to me.

I control my emotions and tilt my chin as he towers over me.

“Beast!” Booker warns him—almost protectively. Booker has always looked at me with compassion—Beast… not so much .

Beast slowly turns to him over his shoulder, with narrowed brows.

I can’t see his eyes. They’re hidden beneath his aviators, but I’m sure they’re sending daggers his way.

Booker clears his throat like he can’t hold his gaze and walks away, leaving us alone while cursing under his breath.

He knows what Beast is doing is more than just a teacher-student moment.

It’s hazing. He wants me to quit so bad, but it’s not in my fucking blood to.

Fuck. I’d be lying if I weren’t trembling from how much I fear him. At the same time, that little voice in my head tells me I like it when he’s mean to me because I have the power to get under his cruel skin.

We’re alone again. My heart hammers in my ears. The way he closes the distance with that entrapping masculine body of his always has me in a chokehold. Still, he’s an asshole.

And…he’s Adam’s dad. And my instructor.

Snap out of it, Violet .

Beast turns back to me. His beautiful lips lift into a haunting, sinful smirk.

“Am I dismissed, sir?” I ask nonchalantly.

There’s another pause of tense silence. You could hear a pin drop. I dart my vision to the exit of the building, wondering what the hell is going through his head now.

He leans forward, and my breath hitches.

Fire travels into my blood, infecting every cell, until I feel like I’m getting burned alive.

His mouth is right by the shell of my ear, making me want to punch him in the face for being so hard on me.

I know I can take him, but my hatred for him grows by the day.

What is he going to make me do now? What over-the-top punishment does he have up his sleeve? One thousand push-ups?

“Watch yourself, Isla. Because if it were me, you were sparring, you’d tap out. I don’t show mercy like you showed every one of them.”

He pulls back.

“Is that a threat?” I say loosely.

“It’s a fact. You don’t like me very much, do you?” he coos wickedly.

I grind my teeth, fighting the urge to walk away from him. He leans in again, and this time, he gets really close to my face. The tips of our noses almost brush together.

“Good.” His voice is deep and his words slow. “I’m doing my fucking job right, then, Isla. I want you to hate me. I bet you’d like to hit me right now, huh?” he taunts.

I keep my eyes on the exit and focus on what I came here to do. To prove everyone wrong. If I punch his lights out right now, I’ll be kicked out of here faster than I can blink.

“No, sir.”

He scoffs.

“Highly doubtful, but if you’re going to punch me, make sure to do it like this.” He grabs my hand, tucking in my thumb. I glare at him, even though he smiles from ear to ear like he’s enjoying ticking me off.

“You’re dismissed.” He pivots to the side, not looking at me anymore. I don’t bother to pay him any more attention and practically bolt forward.

“And Isla? One more thing.”

I reach the door and grip the doorknob.

“Careful…” His tone is stern, warning me again in his drill sergeant voice. He takes his sunglasses off, and I’m met with those entrapping, sinister eyes. So vibrant and texturized, like a wolf. “There will be consequences if another man holds you like that again.”

The way the words rolled off his tongue so effortlessly, I could have sworn there was a possessive fire intertwined between each word.

His voice deepened, sending an eruption of butterflies in the pit of my stomach.

There’s an uncomfortable pause full of tension between us. Or is this all in my head?

His jaw flexes. He can order me around and put an emotionless, alpha-hole facade on display, but his eyes give more away than he thinks.

My cheeks warm, and I stare at him, waiting for him to continue.

What does he want me to say to that?

He clears his throat and places his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose. “You know, it can be seen as inappropriate.”

I quirk an eyebrow.

For letting him grab my waist for support ? Really ?

He clears his throat when his phone chimes, and he breaks his gaze from mine.

I roll my eyes and exit the building without another glance.

As soon as the door closes behind me, someone’s hot breath clouds my ear.

“You better watch your fucking back. Most of the guys don’t want you here. You don’t belong in our space! The instructors won’t always be there to protect you.” Willis and Preston shove me with their shoulders before they march forward with a menacing edge to their cruel stares.

I spit out more blood and laugh.

I don’t need protection .

“You’re going to regret entering the course, Isla. I have plans for you.” Willis sneers from a few feet away.

Great.

In addition to trying to survive Beast, I have to watch out for Willis and his insecure crew of followers.