Fractured (Deep In Your Veins, #5)(30)
“Is this like a rebound thing?” Harvey asked me. “You’re feeling lonely and vulnerable and just looking for something to fill the void?”
My eyes widened. “No. It’s so far from a rebound, it isn’t even funny—not that I need to justify myself to you. And I’d just like to point out that some people worried that Salem wouldn’t be good for Ava, but no one said shit about it.” Though that may have been because Sam threatened that any interference would be met with bodily harm.
Damien, Stuart, and Denny shifted uncomfortably as they glanced guiltily at Salem.
Reuben jabbed a finger in Butch’s direction. “If you have any decency in you, you’ll end this before you have the chance to hurt her.”
Looking bored, Butch ran his gaze along everyone. “You all done now?”
Reuben cursed. “Don’t you have any—” He cut off as Sam and Jared entered the arena. “Have you heard about Imani and Butch’s special news?” he asked, his tone mocking.
“I don’t think that’s the business of anyone here other than Imani and Butch,” said Sam.
I blinked, surprised.
Chico gaped at her. “You can’t tell me you’re okay with this, Coach.”
David cleared his throat. “Let’s just forget about this and start the session. Coach is right; this is their business.” Salem grunted in agreement.
After a moment, Reuben inclined his head. “Fine.” His annoyed gaze moved to me and Butch. “I think it would be best if you two go. Emotions are running too high in here right now, and we need to have our heads straight while we’re training.”
My mouth fell open. Had he really just said that?
Face blank, Butch said to him, “I don’t recall asking what you think is best. If Coach and Jared want us to leave, we’ll do just that.” Butch looked at the couple. “But I’ll never enter this arena again. I remember Max once making an offhand comment about you two out of jealousy.”
The image of awkwardness, Max averted his gaze.
“You told him personal shit has no place in this arena,” Butch said to Sam. “Is that true? Or does that only apply to some people?”
She didn’t reply, but her next words made her stance perfectly clear. “Take your usual places.”
Chico’s face hardened. “Coach, seriously—”
“I am bloody serious,” she fairly snarled. “You can be pissed at Butch and Imani in your own time. Though why you’re all taking this personally as if they’re together to spite you, I don’t know. It’s bloody ridiculous. Stop f*cking whining and get your shit together.”
Jared nodded his agreement. “You get to feel how you feel, but you don’t get to use this arena as a place to vent.”
Glancing around, Sam frowned. “Where are the girls?” When no one spoke, she hissed, “Jared, call them here now.”
Looking a little worried on Jude’s behalf, Chico again spoke, “Coach—”
“Not another bloody word.”
Everyone fell silent as we waited for the rest of my squad to arrive. Paige fairly marched inside. Other than Ava, who cast me a weak smile, the girls pointedly ignored me. Nice.
Flicking her brown hair over her shoulder, Jude sighed. “Look, Sam—”
“If what’s about to come out of your mouth has anything to do with Imani and Butch, I don’t want to hear it,” Sam snapped, the mercury tint to her irises flaring slightly. It clearly took the girls aback. I couldn’t blame them for looking wary; I wouldn’t like to be on the receiving end of Sam’s anger either.
“Considering we might soon find ourselves in a battle with dragon shifters, we need to be at the top of our game,” said Jared, face hard. “We don’t have time for this shit.”
“You’re here to train, nothing else,” said Sam, slashing her hand through the air. “Now all of you stand over there and listen to what Jared and I have to say.”
(Butch)
Abashed, everyone did as they were told. I led Imani to the front and centre of the group—it was a message that we wouldn’t be pushed out. If the scowls directed at me were anything to go by, the message was received and it wasn’t much liked.
Slowly pacing in front of us, Sam began, “Most of you have been in battle before; you know what to expect, you know how bad it can get, you know the best attack and defence formations, and you know who to partner with if splitting up is necessary.” She halted. “But all of that is going to mean jack shit in the upcoming war.
“We won’t be up against our own kind. We’ll be up against creatures bigger and stronger than us. Worse, they can bloody fly—I don’t need to tell you that’s gonna be a big problem. It means they can fight from above, dodge our gifts with minimal effort, and it would be difficult to stop them from passing us.”
“The latter will be the biggest problem,” said Jared, feet wide apart. “In a battle against charging vampires, we could hold them off. But these creatures could just fly right over our heads.”
Sam resumed pacing. “Jared and I did a lot of thinking, and we’ve come up with some ideas that might help. You know I can extend my energy shield outwards to protect others. But what if I used it to contain the dragons in one place? It would mean we were inside the shield with them, so we wouldn’t be protected from them. But it would also mean they were trapped with us and unable to go any further. It would mean that any damage they did would be unable to spread.”