feet. “Maybe I’m not sure just who the monsters are,” I said. “I’m here to find out. If that doesn’t work for you, then I’ll be on my way.”
My hand was halfway to the doorknob before he spoke again. “Fine. I agree to your terms.”
I let the smile wash over my face entirely before tamping it down and swiveling so I could look him in the face over my shoulder. “I’ll meet you at the Academy tomorrow afternoon to start my training.”
October
Eight
If the first month of training at the Academy was any indication, the theme from the Rocky movies should have been playing in the background any time I was in the room.
Professor Blake had either wisely (or stupidly) opted to keep me out of a classroom setting. He said he didn’t want me to focus on academics, which he didn’t think would be my strong suit. Yeah, he seemed to think that wasn’t a putdown either. He’s not bright when it comes to the human condition.
Instead, he had me learning fighting techniques with his “warriors.” He called them warriors, but they were more akin to testosterone-filled morons if you asked me (which he hadn’t bothered to do). They couldn’t have passed a class – even if it involved coloring books and crayons. Which made me wonder: What exactly does Blake think of my mental prowess?
My first days of training weren’t exactly inspiring. I’m not big on working out, and my time spent at the Academy was all about working out. Those first few nights, when I returned to the house on Franklin Street, I could barely lift my arms.
Mornings were worse, the night giving refuge to fatigue and aches. I spent the whole first week walking around in a pain-filled haze.
Things got easier after that.
The fighting techniques they were trying to impart on me were easy. I watched the instructor go through the motions once – sometimes twice – and then I could mimic them to perfection. While they looked fancy and fun, I wasn’t sure how practical they would be in an actual fight. I kept my reservations to myself – which was getting harder and harder to do. Much like Kelsey, I’m bossy when I want to be. And, it seems, I always want to be.
By late September, I realized my pants were loose, and my body was more lean muscle than soft curves. I kind of liked it – even if the work associated with maintaining my new physique was often irksome and tiring.
I’d thought Blake would try and send me out on missions right away. Either he was biding his time, or he really was trying to give me an edge before feeding me to the wolves (so to speak). I wasn’t sure which one had more basis in truth. The more time I spent around Blake, the more conflicted I was concerning his attention. He acted earnest, like he was a good guy caught in a bad situation. There was something else there. I just couldn’t figure out what. Until I did, I kept my mouth shut and pretended to be following the program to the letter. I wasn’t sure what else I could do.
It was early October when Blake approached me with my first mission.
“You want me to be a peeping tom?” I wasn’t thrilled with the mission, to say the least.
“You have such a charming way of looking at things,” Blake said. “I can’t tell you how much joy I take from our conversations.”
“Right back at you,” I shot back, not bothering to keep the snotty tone from my voice. Hey, I was still me.
“The Alpha Chis are having a meeting of their pack this evening,” Blake said. “While they don’t appear to be an immediate threat, they’ve had their paws in a number of unsavory scenarios on this campus over the past few years. I just want to be kept abreast of their plans and situations.”
“I don’t want to go to the Alpha Chi house,” I said.
“Would you like to elaborate on the reason why?”
“Not really.”
“I think it’s because she used to date two of them,” Mark supplied. I had no idea when he’d entered the training room, but his sudden
My hand was halfway to the doorknob before he spoke again. “Fine. I agree to your terms.”
I let the smile wash over my face entirely before tamping it down and swiveling so I could look him in the face over my shoulder. “I’ll meet you at the Academy tomorrow afternoon to start my training.”
October
Eight
If the first month of training at the Academy was any indication, the theme from the Rocky movies should have been playing in the background any time I was in the room.
Professor Blake had either wisely (or stupidly) opted to keep me out of a classroom setting. He said he didn’t want me to focus on academics, which he didn’t think would be my strong suit. Yeah, he seemed to think that wasn’t a putdown either. He’s not bright when it comes to the human condition.
Instead, he had me learning fighting techniques with his “warriors.” He called them warriors, but they were more akin to testosterone-filled morons if you asked me (which he hadn’t bothered to do). They couldn’t have passed a class – even if it involved coloring books and crayons. Which made me wonder: What exactly does Blake think of my mental prowess?
My first days of training weren’t exactly inspiring. I’m not big on working out, and my time spent at the Academy was all about working out. Those first few nights, when I returned to the house on Franklin Street, I could barely lift my arms.
Mornings were worse, the night giving refuge to fatigue and aches. I spent the whole first week walking around in a pain-filled haze.
Things got easier after that.
The fighting techniques they were trying to impart on me were easy. I watched the instructor go through the motions once – sometimes twice – and then I could mimic them to perfection. While they looked fancy and fun, I wasn’t sure how practical they would be in an actual fight. I kept my reservations to myself – which was getting harder and harder to do. Much like Kelsey, I’m bossy when I want to be. And, it seems, I always want to be.
By late September, I realized my pants were loose, and my body was more lean muscle than soft curves. I kind of liked it – even if the work associated with maintaining my new physique was often irksome and tiring.
I’d thought Blake would try and send me out on missions right away. Either he was biding his time, or he really was trying to give me an edge before feeding me to the wolves (so to speak). I wasn’t sure which one had more basis in truth. The more time I spent around Blake, the more conflicted I was concerning his attention. He acted earnest, like he was a good guy caught in a bad situation. There was something else there. I just couldn’t figure out what. Until I did, I kept my mouth shut and pretended to be following the program to the letter. I wasn’t sure what else I could do.
It was early October when Blake approached me with my first mission.
“You want me to be a peeping tom?” I wasn’t thrilled with the mission, to say the least.
“You have such a charming way of looking at things,” Blake said. “I can’t tell you how much joy I take from our conversations.”
“Right back at you,” I shot back, not bothering to keep the snotty tone from my voice. Hey, I was still me.
“The Alpha Chis are having a meeting of their pack this evening,” Blake said. “While they don’t appear to be an immediate threat, they’ve had their paws in a number of unsavory scenarios on this campus over the past few years. I just want to be kept abreast of their plans and situations.”
“I don’t want to go to the Alpha Chi house,” I said.
“Would you like to elaborate on the reason why?”
“Not really.”
“I think it’s because she used to date two of them,” Mark supplied. I had no idea when he’d entered the training room, but his sudden
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