Page 99 of The Lost Ones

Easy to defend and hard to remember or it would be in any othercircumstances.

“Please god have indoor plumbing!” Jax groans.

And it honestly doesn’t seem like it would be too big of a stretch of the imagination for there not to be. I glance down at my now slightly crusty blood soaked clothes and grimace. My clothes are a complete write off and I’m going to chuck them as soon as humanly possible but I do not want to try to wash blood out of my hair using some sort of well and bucket situation. I imagine it would take a hell of a lot more effort and a considerable amount of time too.

I silently send up a quick plea that this place does have indoor plumbing. Levi slowly eases the car through a ginormous arch way that leads into a small tunnel, no frills just functionality. As soon as the backend of the car is fully in the short tunnel that leads into what I’m assuming to be a courtyard or parking of some kind, a cross hatched metal gate falls from the top of the arch and slams shut with a thud of finality.

“Well that’s not ominous in the slightest.” Mav comments and I chuckle.

We pause still in the entrance of the tunnel. Each of us studying what’s ahead of us. A truly giant courtyard stretches from wall to wall. It’s split into four sections, each section at least four acres. At the very back in the left hand quadrant there’s a giant obstacle course set up with a number of people using it whilst what I’m guessing is an instructor yells at them from the side-lines. As I watch the course changes shape and moves all by itself. I watch a guy that was about to step onto a platform that was less than a foot away but is now twenty foot in the air with no discernible way to get on it that I can see. The ground around the base of the now elevated platform ripples and splits revealing rapidly spinning metal spikes.

Well he can’t just walk under it then. The guy doesn’t seem fazed in the slightest though and grins as he bends his knees slightly and launches himself up onto the platform as if he really was just stepping out onto the platform directly in front of him.

“Holy fuck!” I exclaim and the guys make sounds of agreements. Clearly having watched what I did.

Another quadrant seems to have several large schools that would usually be used for horses, although they’re empty now. Why would the academy need to have horses? It doesn’t strike me as the kind of place to have them for recreational purposes. The quadrant closest to us and on the left has several targets set up at varying distances that are surely impossible to actually hit. Several people are lined up in front of them using a variety of weapons from knives to bows and arrows as well as energy blasts, streams of different coloured light in varying strengths that either destroy or barely make it to the intended targets. There’s also several sparring matches going on in that quadrant. Some people using weapons like swords, spears and battle axes and others using the energy blasts or something similar.

What really fascinates me though is the various different kinds of animals that are sparring too. Anything from huge snakes to wolves, bears and big cats as well as many others. They are either shifters like Joey, my dad, who is a bear shifter or impossibly well trained animals.

I know which one I’d bet on.

The last quadrant is near a huge set of doors that appear to be the main entrance. This one is more recreational than anything else with students milling around in groups, eating and reading. The usual thing you’d see on break at high school. Mixed in though is people playing with fire in their hands or throwing a ball of water between each other, which is not typical of a normal break at high school. As I watch, two guys start squaring up to one another just as one of the guys bares his fangs, the other practically explodes and lands on all four paws charging straight for him. The transformation looks a lot more violent and less romantic than TV and books would have you believe. I look away from the scene unable to see as a crowd surrounds them anyway. It’s fairly reassuring that some things aren’t different. It seems that no matter the species everyone loves to watch a fight and a bit of drama.

Right next to the recreational quadrant is a large parking lot directly to the right of us and Levi starts to move the SUV out of the tunnel. As soon as he does, all movement stops and everyone turns to stare as the students realise we’re here.

“Here we go,” Hunter sighs, but amusement dances in his eyes too.

“I sort of figured something like this would happen.” Mav agrees, his eyes assessing the now converging students all starting to gather on the recreational quadrant. Even the instructors make their way over.

“What exactly do they think is about to happen?” Kai asks.

“Fuck knows, but guards up guys and weapons easily accessible just in case.” Levi orders us and we nod.

There’s a couple of surprised looks in the sea of faces but most look amused like they’re expecting something specific from us. The only other expression visible are the reluctant impressed looks on several of the instructor’s faces. The students are all smirking and laughing as they watch the car.

A zing of excitement runs through me as Levi pulls into a spot and stops the engine, making me grin.

“Leave the vamps in the trunk for now we’ll mention them to whoever the fuck we’re supposed to be meeting.” Levi says just before he opens his door and steps out.

We all get out of the SUV and instantly the crowd falls silent as they get a good look at us. Several instructors push through the crowd and come charging towards me. Quicker than should have been possible my swords are drawn and my guys are spread out either side of me, their weapons drawn too as an terrifying warning growl erupts from Levi whose appearance takes on more of his demon side as he stands at my back toweringover me.

There’s a harsh inhale as the once amused students now share a wary look.

I study the burly, war worn, man in front of me as he studies me in return a look of respect crossing his features. He slowly raises his hands pausing and glancing at Levi worriedly when another growl rumbles from him and his teeth snap together.

“Whoa. You aren’t under attack. We were just concerned about the amount of blood on you.” He explains, keeping his voice calm and talking to me.

Which is wise because it’s not just Levi growling anymore as Kai’s growl joins him when one of the instructors takes a step in our direction. I can also feel the others unease and restlessness through the Soulmate Bonds, their supernatural sides are so close to the surface that I’m surprised they haven’t broken the barrier themselves. I know they need me to do it but enough of my gifts must be sneaking through to affect them this much.

I’m about to reply when he interrupts again.

“You need to move away from the demon. He clearly hasn’t got any control yet, which is normal but we need to contain him in the cells until he does or you and the rest of us will get hurt.” He says clearly sounding concerned as Levi lets out an ear puncturing growl and snaps a giant claw tipped arm around my waist pulling me closer against him.

His growl may have been terrifying and he really would tear someone apart if they laid a hand on me but he’s finding this whole situation highly amusing. The instructors start to move towards me, fear and maybe a bit of panic in their eyes as the rest of the students back up clearly expecting the worse.

“Quit that!” I say firmly and smack Levi’s arm several people gasp in shock but Levi just chuckles and I watch as his claws retract assuming that the rest of him is back to his normal now too.

“There’s no need to be dramatic he’s in control and now back to normal since that seems to make you feel more comfortable.” I sass and the guys chuckle quietly, still with their attention on the possible threat in front of us.