Page 118 of Brutal Reign
The double doors to the squad complex bang open, drawing our attention as Madd and Avery Kessler take the field.
“Why aren’t you recruits warming up?” Madd questions, glowering at us as he strides out. “Stop standing around and get on the track, I want ten laps out of each of you before we begin.”
He waves an arm in command, and everyone around us immediately scrambles to jog for the track, Seb and I exchanging a glance before falling in with our cohorts.
We run side by side for the first lap, then Seb breaks ahead to show up the other recruits by taking the lead. Rather than joining him, I fall back a bit, until I’m jogging right beside Jake Decker.
“I know what you did that night you helped River bring Hayden home from the bar,” I murmur lowly, shooting him a side-eyed glance.
His steps falter and his face pales, confirming my suspicions about what went down that night. He’s lucky I have excellent self-control, or I’d lay him out right here and now.
River will get her pound of flesh from him soon enough, and I can’t wait to watch her take this sleazy asshole down. I wish I could do it on her behalf, but this isherchallenge to fight, not mine. I don’t have to like it, but I have to respect the order of things.
“The next time you lay a hand on her outside of a sanctioned matchup, it’ll be your last,” I growl, leaving him to stew over that threat as I pump my legs faster and jog ahead, satisfied when I glance back and see the petrified look on his face.
Good. Heshouldbe afraid. I may be known as the level-headed one, but I won’t hesitate to protect what’smine.
As if Iwasn’t already feeling like a zombie when I went into this morning’s training session, the Kessler twins pushed us to our limits with a grueling cardio circuit, followed by partner sparring. By the time they released us to go to lunch, food was the furthest thing from my mind.
While the other recruits skipped off to the dining hall, I returned to the barracks and climbed right back into bed for a power nap. I figured I’d be woken up when everyone came back here after lunch, but instead, I’m pleasantly surprised when the tug of the mate bond pulls me from my slumber.
She’s back.
Blinking my eyes open, I push against the mattress to sit up, leaning forward to peer toward the entrance of the barracks. River strolls in looking like a goddamn vision, her eyes meeting mine instantly.
“Hey,” I rasp, my voice still gravelly from sleep.
She beams a smile at me that lights up her whole face. “Hey yourself,” she replies as she struts down the aisle in my direction. “What are you doing in here all alone?”
“Waiting for you,” I drawl smoothly.
She arches a dubious brow, and I shake my head with a low chuckle.
“Catching a quick nap,” I admit, shifting over to make room for her and patting the spot beside me. “How was home?”
“Good,” she sighs, her signature scent flooding my senses and delivering a hit of dopamine as she drops down onto the mattress, her thigh brushing mine. “Slept like a baby. My wolf was really relaxed, almost as if one of her mates was nearby…” she trails off, narrowing her hazel eyes in suspicion.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I mumble, smirking.
She rolls her eyes, knocking her shoulder into mine with a soft laugh. “You need sleep too, ya know.”
“Not as much as you. How are you feeling about everything that went down yesterday?”
“Good, I guess,” she breathes, crossing one long leg over the other as she reclines back on her elbows. “My dad seems to be coming around. Well, kinda. He at least agreed to back off and let me make my own decisions about how to move forward, so I’m taking that as a win.”
I turn at the waist to glance down at her. “He hates us,” I deadpan.
She hisses in a breath through her teeth, wincing. “He’s… not a huge fan of Seb.”
“Probably didn’t help that he basically told your dad we’ve been fucking you,” I snort.
River throws her head back on a groan. “That damn mouth of his…”
“I’m sure he’ll make it up to you by putting it to good use,” I smirk, licking my lips as my gaze drops to rake over her fit body, mind wandering to filthy places.
She rolls her eyes, reaching out to whack me on the arm. “He’s just lucky my dad didn’t kick his ass. Things could’ve gone a lot worse for all of us last night.”
“We’ll win your old man over eventually,” I sigh, dropping back on my elbows beside her.