I suppose, technically, Connor was my foster brother. Rawson had been in his early twenties when he and Lyss had convinced Connor it would be safer to live with them than to live in London’s back alleys and doorways. Like me, he had shadows in his past, ones that had shaped who he was now.
We were really close once...or so I’d thought.
It was hard for me to tear my attention away from him, even though he wasn’t really a part of my life anymore, and I promised myself I wouldn't pine after him any longer. Connor was always good looking, but now he was a full grown man with broad shoulders, a slim waist and arms that made the girls in my training programme drool. Yep, he was hot as hell.
As a young girl, my hormones had gone into overdrive every time he was near. He was the first boy I’d ever spent time with, and I’d secretly worshipped the ground he walked on. I’d trained my skinny, undernourished body so hard, not just to keep up with him, but more to try and impress him. I’d even fooled myself into thinking I mattered to him. He used to come into my room when I screamed through my nightmares, my body burning up from the inside. He’d wake me, and even hold me until I stopped shaking.
I snarled at the memory and went back to hitting the pad. One, two. One, one, two. One, one, two—kick…
For years Connor had been my rock. I’d even been his when I’d sat with him when he whimpered in the darkness of the night. Neither of us discussed what demons haunted us, and by unspoken agreement, neither of us asked. We simply took care of each other. That’s why it had hurt so much when I realised I’d become insignificant. The stronger and more gorgeous he became, the more popular he was; and the less time he had for me.
Eventually, I just learned to deal with my own nightmares.
Distancing myself from Connor was necessary for my own sanity. I was still a loner, just as I had always been. Girls at the academy drooled over Connor all of the time, and there was no way I could trust that any of them truly wanted my friendship. Letting Connor back into my heart, even a little bit, would be a mistake.
The whack of the pad upside my head threw me right back into the training room.
“Fuck!” I hissed, shaking my head.
“Well, concentrate then! And don’t swear…”
“Yeah, swearing is very unattractive in girls,” Connor said, his shoulders shaking as he chuckled.
I tried not to notice just how wide and toned those shoulders were under his form fitting black tee shirt.
“You still here, jackass? And I’m not a girl.”
Connor ignored me. Instead, he crossed his large arms over his impressive pecs and clasped his chin between his forefinger and thumb, raising one brow. “Right, well, seems to me, girls, or women, or females, or whatever, have far more important uses for their mouths than swearing.” He smirked and winked.
I rolled my eyes. “You’re disgusting.”
“Oh, I don’t know. They don’t seem to think so.” He waggled his brows even more.
“Oh my gods, you are such an arrogant shit!” I snarled, then spun, smashing a punch into the pad Rawson still held.
Rawson lowered the pad. “Okay, that’s enough for today.” He pulled at the velcro on my gloves, undid them, and yanked them off. The stink of old sweat drifted up from the glove lining. “And I agree, he is an arrogant shit.” He winked at me, and I smirked. “So? You gonna tell me why you’re really here?” Rawson glanced at Connor, his eyes sharp and focused.
I looked back over my shoulder. Connor stared at Rawson, his face dark, his eyes missing the sparkle that had been there a moment ago. This wasn’t a social call then, and he didn’t want an audience.
I smiled sweetly, though it hurt to know he didn’t trust me enough to talk in front of me. “If you ask me nicely, maybe I’ll leave you two to whisper sweet nothings in each other’s ears. Otherwise, I’m staying right here.” And I crossed my arms over my chest and raised my chin. Being defiant to Connor was ingrained in my blood.
Rawson chuckled at the same time as Connor. Connor’s face cleared and his azure eyes glinted, his mouth curling up at the corner.
“Someone’s sure gonna have their hands full when you’re ready to use that mouth for something other than swearing, Firecracker.”
“Yeah? Well, it won’t be you.” For some reason I was really pissed off at his words. Does he really still see me as an innocent little girl? Not that I care. But, still... “And what makes you think I haven’t already?” I smirked and batted my eyelashes, crossing my arms over my chest just under my boobs.
For a moment, there was silence. Connor’s jaw tightened, and darkness seeped into his eyes.
I swallowed, hard. I’d never seen Connor’s wolf, but I’d heard about it. An ebony creature, with the sort of power that could bring even the biggest wolves to their knees. And, damned if that’s not what I could see glaring out from his eyes at me right now.
Thick, powerful waves of...something...washed over me. I feel like I should kneel… My wolf cowered down, trying to pull me with her…
Oh, no you don’t!
I knew Connor was powerful, but I never realised he was a Prime! Though it made perfect sense that he would be an alpha that other alphas bowed to.
He uncrossed his arms from his chest, his biceps rippling with cut muscle. He inhaled deeply, his nostrils flaring. My heart skipped a few beats, and my stomach clenched. He was scent reading me. Shit! The blue from his eyes was swallowed whole by an obsidian gaze that burrowed into me, seeing my lie. “Because, Firecracker, I know you, and I can scent that you haven’t touched another male, with your mouth or any other part of your body.”
