I watched as Kitani released Team Manticore after Sebastian.
The Dires on that team howled as they headed off after him. Their lone humanoid male looked tiny compared to the hulking shifters. Firelizard had two non-shifters—one being a species I’d never seen before. Then we were up.
Aaron gestured to Mari. “Glad we don’t have to wait for you. You likely run as fast as grass grows. Slow the whole fucking team down.”
I fought for patience. “We each have our own strengths, Aaron.”
Matt did his best team-building effort through gritted teeth. “When you can lift a bloody school bus, you can make boneheaded comments. Until then, close your bleedin’ trap.”
Aaron took a step toward Matt, but Darius moved between them. Aaron immediately bowed his head to his alpha.
Darius ignored his hovering beta as he leaned close to me. “You ready to watch me, Babydoll?” He purred, his eyes gleaming. “I’m going to run that Bellati down.”
Matt shook his head, but his lips were still pulled back from his teeth in a human version of a snarl. “Not on two legs, you won’t, mate. That bloke can run.”
Before Darius could reply, Kitani shouted, “GO!”
We all bolted.
Darius forged ahead, determined to catch Sebastian, and Aaron went with him. I was more than happy to let them go and settled into my usual rhythm. But I knew I’d have to up the ante with the pace the Bellati was setting.
I glanced behind us. As expected, Mari was already way at the back of the group, stumping along steadily. It felt wrong, leaving her. But this wasn’t about the team.
The path curved into the forest, the lake glinting through branches to our right.
Matt fell in beside me, his long legs providing one stride to my two. Talakai loomed close as well.
“Run much?” I asked him, the words dropping with the rhythm of my breathing.
His dark eyes glinted at me. “I do more chasing…than running.”
Okay, responses like that were not conducive to me continuing to breathe in a relaxed state. I judged the proximity of Team Firelizard and concentrated on upping my pace. Darius and Aaron had already shot by them and were closing in on Team Manticore.
Matt snorted. “Nothing to gain by being aggro…He’ll be stonkered in fifteen.”
My brain struggled with the interpretation. “Speak English,” I insisted.
“He’ll be tired…in no time,” Matt translated.
I agreed, but I also had something to prove. I knew my body and what it was capable of, so I pushed it up a notch.
Matt and Talakai moved up with me. The blond Dire shifter ran easily, but the bigger surprise was the Dragon shifter. He strode along like he’d been doing this all his life.
He also, apparently, wanted to talk. “What made you…want to become a Shade recruit?” he asked.
Surprised, I glanced at him. “Why…areyouhere?”
The metallic eyes gleamed at me. “It isn’t polite to answer a question…with a question.” He ran silently for a few strides. “I needed a career change.”
As I pondered the use of the word “needed,” his mouth snapped shut as though the answer hadn’t come out quite as he’d hoped. When he arched a brow at me, I panted, “I want to help people.”
He exhaled rather noisily. “The council has a history of serving itself…above others.”
I shot him a look.
From his spot on my other side, Matt huffed. “Mate…the council is the only organization that stands a chance of regulating the realms.”
“The Dragon Empire hasn’t done…a bad job,” Talakai stated, but his voice lacked emphasis.
