Page 84 of Remnants
I’m expecting everyone to steer clear of me after Kellan’s threat, but Evie instantly joins my side. “Care to be my partner?”
I offer her a smile, reminding myself that there are good people here. “Sure.”
She smiles. “Those were Pits fighters, by the way. No one at the Guild would have ever acted like that.”
Kellan yells out the next set of instructions, so I nod to her and then get into position for our mock fight. “It’s alright. I actually thought the whole thing was funny up until Kellan threatened everyone in the room with a gutting. I’m not sure if that’s going to help or make things worse.”
She chuckles and crouches into her own ready position. “Well, we’ll quickly see who’s fine and who needs to go then, won’t we?”
Guess so.
Chapter twenty-three
Raegan
Kellan’smooddoesn’timproveby the end of his training. Within seconds of him calling it to an end, he grabs and throws me over his shoulder like a fucking brute, then slams the door open to the mini cafeteria that has the snack and shake bar.
“What the hell, Kellan?” I demand, punching and slapping his back. “I’m not a sack of po—Oh!” He flips me back on my feet, his hands slamming on the counter behind me.
“What else did Rafe say to you? I need to know if I’m killing him or ruining his goddamn life.”
Rafe, huh? I realize now that I never did get their names. Cowards.
I release an annoyed huff, pushing against his chest for more room, then frowning when he refuses to budge. “It was just stupid words. I’m fine.”
“Hethreatenedyou.” There’s a ripple ofsomethingalong his arms, but it’s so quick that I can’t tell if I’d just imagined seeing it. The muscles in his arms jump, his damned shirt seeming to stretch tighteras he works his jaw like he’s grinding words between his teeth. His blue-green eyes darken behind dilated pupils that nearly consume his eyes.
“Kell? What’s gotten into you? What’s going on?” I grab one of his arms, and it feels solid and smooth beneath my fingertips. Further inspection reveals golden scales, and my breath catches. Did he get injured during training? No, he didn’t have any when we came in here.
“You’re supposed to be safe here. I should have gutted him right there. Snapped a knee at least,” he continues, his deep timbre darkening with more heat. More scales appear on his left arm, then the sides of his neck. I peek beneath his shirt and see them already there as well.
I hum distractedly, my mind marveling at his gift activatingwithoutan injury for once, while I also try to figure out what to say to calm him down without him losing it, either. “Mm…well, I’m not too worried about some fighters. They can say whatever they want, so long as they’re still useful in fighting GE.”
He growls, but it’s even more animalistic than his usual sound. Wilder. Rougher. It reverberates in his chest and then settles in his throat. “We’re not having people like that watch our backs.”
“Then don’t give themthatparticular job. But we can’t be picky. We need fighters.”
Kellan grabs my wrist when he realizes I’m touching his belt and was trying to sneak a peek down his pants…to check for his gift, of course. “What. Did. He. Say.”
“Enough!” I shout, twisting my wrist to get it back from him, butit’s like being in iron shackles. There’s no breaking free from him when his gift is active. Well, fine then.
I fill my body with my gift, spreading it through every inch of me like a warm buzz of electricity coating my skin. I can feel it dance along Kellan’s grip, pushing and testing the impenetrable skin there to find an opening it can crack apart.
He releases me, holding his hand in front of him while he rubs his thumb and fingers together.
Pressing my hand to his chest may not hurt him, but it grabs his attention, nonetheless. “Does it look like I can’t handle some cage fighter with a bad attitude?”
His dark eyes flare, then heat with a feral-ness that sets my heart racing into overdrive. “No.” He collars my nape and yanks me against him, gift be damned, then rumbles in my ear, “But that’s my job, beautiful. To take out the trash for you.”
He slams his mouth against mine, the prickle of our gifts interacting like tiny fireworks against our lips.
I moan into the kiss, the way his tongue ravishes mine and makes my core turn molten. Everywhere we touch erupts in tingles that are part-sting, part-pleasure, and have my toes curling with desire. Lust addles my brain in those first few seconds as I give in to the kiss, my body melting against his.
Then I remember what he said. Kellan would be one of the first to shove me behind him if we’re in danger, but I’m not about that. I want to be right up front, protecting them or standing beside them at the very least.
I’m not some princess to be locked away or hidden from sight.
I shove away from him, putting a bit of my gift into it, and duck under his arm to step away. “I can handle myself, Kellan,” I reiterate, a hand fisted at my chest as I catch my breath.
