Phoenix Contract: Part Three (Fallen Angel Watchers) by Melissa Thomas Page B
Authors: Melissa Thomas
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she needed it the most.
The scholarly frenzy culminated in a hairy climax of tests and papers, during which Aiden subsisted on four hours of sleep per night when she was lucky, and infusions of caffeine and Doritos. She barely saw Father Matthew, Katsue, or Troy. And then, finally, it ended and the fall break arrived. She dropped off her last completed paper at her Latin professor’s office at 5 PM on Thursday afternoon.
Caught between weary exhaustion and the overwhelming relief of being finished, she crossed the campus in a heady daze. She’d made it through the academic ordeal and had another two weeks before school resumed. During the break, she planned to do absolutely nothing but rest and relax.
Aiden reached the Archeology building and smiled, her mood vastly improved with the prospect of seeing her friends for the first time in weeks. She descended the stairs to the basement where the Alastors maintained a gym—their private, safe place to train away from prying eyes. It also housed a locking cabinet filled with weapons for both training and practical purposes.
Katsue was bench-pressing a barbell, and Troy was spotting her. The beautiful Japanese woman wore a form-fitting black spandex workout outfit, and wet wisps of hair clung to her flushed cheeks. Her face was set in a mask of intense concentration, and Aiden guessed the amount of weight on the bar was probably too much. Katsue’s relentless competitive nature drove her to constantly push her limits.
Troy had his back to Aiden, so she ogled his ass unnoticed. Unlike his partner, Troy dressed for utility rather than glam. He wore a white tee shirt and a pair of blue nylon Nike shorts that showed off his muscular legs and backside. He had the kind of ass she longed to dig her fingers—or teeth—into, and Aiden couldn’t help herself. If he ever caught her staring, she’d die of embarrassment, but that wasn’t a good enough incentive to stop.
“Hey, guys, what’s up?” Aiden greeted them.
Katsue grunted a greeting and Troy turned round, capturing Aiden with his eyes. Her breath caught in her throat, because he’d never looked at her before with such concentration.
“Hey there, stranger. Long time no see,” Troy drawled, stalking toward her with unsettling intensity. His blue gaze held raw hunger, not sexual, but rather the feral, ravenous look of a starving animal.
“Yeah, well, I’ve been busy,” Aiden replied, confusion causing her to babble. “Midterms, you know.”
“Troy!” Katsue snapped, tone sharp and demanding while his head snapped around. “Take this! It’s too heavy. I’m going to drop it.”
Troy’s mouth compressed. He looked at Aiden, and for a moment, she thought he was going to ignore his partner’s request for help. Then he swung back and seized the barbell. Annoyance visible in every tight movement, he lifted it away from Katsue.
“Anyway,” Aiden said, watching with uncertainty as Katsue sat up and mopped her forehead and neck with a nearby towel. “I came to see if you guys wanted to get something to eat...” She trailed off awkwardly, trying to hide her confusion, and grasp the weird dynamic going on with the Alastors. Something was off about their behavior, and it was totally creeping her out.
“Count me in,” Troy said, looking at Aiden again with that hungry, menacing expression. “I’m starving. Feel like I haven’t eaten in weeks.” His lips curled into a sneer that doubled as a smirk, lauding some private joke that she wasn’t privy to.
“Actually, count you out. One of us has to present the weekly summary to Demon, and I did it last week. It’s your turn,” Katsue said, glaring at her partner with surprising severity.
“Take care not to push me,” Troy said, soft and deadly.
Aiden’s bewilderment increased as Katsue and Troy glared at one another, exchanging nasty looks.
“And you don’t push me,” Katsue hissed. She gave the impression of being terrified of Troy, but Aiden
The scholarly frenzy culminated in a hairy climax of tests and papers, during which Aiden subsisted on four hours of sleep per night when she was lucky, and infusions of caffeine and Doritos. She barely saw Father Matthew, Katsue, or Troy. And then, finally, it ended and the fall break arrived. She dropped off her last completed paper at her Latin professor’s office at 5 PM on Thursday afternoon.
Caught between weary exhaustion and the overwhelming relief of being finished, she crossed the campus in a heady daze. She’d made it through the academic ordeal and had another two weeks before school resumed. During the break, she planned to do absolutely nothing but rest and relax.
Aiden reached the Archeology building and smiled, her mood vastly improved with the prospect of seeing her friends for the first time in weeks. She descended the stairs to the basement where the Alastors maintained a gym—their private, safe place to train away from prying eyes. It also housed a locking cabinet filled with weapons for both training and practical purposes.
Katsue was bench-pressing a barbell, and Troy was spotting her. The beautiful Japanese woman wore a form-fitting black spandex workout outfit, and wet wisps of hair clung to her flushed cheeks. Her face was set in a mask of intense concentration, and Aiden guessed the amount of weight on the bar was probably too much. Katsue’s relentless competitive nature drove her to constantly push her limits.
Troy had his back to Aiden, so she ogled his ass unnoticed. Unlike his partner, Troy dressed for utility rather than glam. He wore a white tee shirt and a pair of blue nylon Nike shorts that showed off his muscular legs and backside. He had the kind of ass she longed to dig her fingers—or teeth—into, and Aiden couldn’t help herself. If he ever caught her staring, she’d die of embarrassment, but that wasn’t a good enough incentive to stop.
“Hey, guys, what’s up?” Aiden greeted them.
Katsue grunted a greeting and Troy turned round, capturing Aiden with his eyes. Her breath caught in her throat, because he’d never looked at her before with such concentration.
“Hey there, stranger. Long time no see,” Troy drawled, stalking toward her with unsettling intensity. His blue gaze held raw hunger, not sexual, but rather the feral, ravenous look of a starving animal.
“Yeah, well, I’ve been busy,” Aiden replied, confusion causing her to babble. “Midterms, you know.”
“Troy!” Katsue snapped, tone sharp and demanding while his head snapped around. “Take this! It’s too heavy. I’m going to drop it.”
Troy’s mouth compressed. He looked at Aiden, and for a moment, she thought he was going to ignore his partner’s request for help. Then he swung back and seized the barbell. Annoyance visible in every tight movement, he lifted it away from Katsue.
“Anyway,” Aiden said, watching with uncertainty as Katsue sat up and mopped her forehead and neck with a nearby towel. “I came to see if you guys wanted to get something to eat...” She trailed off awkwardly, trying to hide her confusion, and grasp the weird dynamic going on with the Alastors. Something was off about their behavior, and it was totally creeping her out.
“Count me in,” Troy said, looking at Aiden again with that hungry, menacing expression. “I’m starving. Feel like I haven’t eaten in weeks.” His lips curled into a sneer that doubled as a smirk, lauding some private joke that she wasn’t privy to.
“Actually, count you out. One of us has to present the weekly summary to Demon, and I did it last week. It’s your turn,” Katsue said, glaring at her partner with surprising severity.
“Take care not to push me,” Troy said, soft and deadly.
Aiden’s bewilderment increased as Katsue and Troy glared at one another, exchanging nasty looks.
“And you don’t push me,” Katsue hissed. She gave the impression of being terrified of Troy, but Aiden
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