Filed to story: Shifter Academy: Taming Her Wild Mates (Ivy) Book PDF Free
And then he’s walking away.
“Ivi, why the hell did you ask him to eat with us?” Rafe growls, leaning across the table to yell at me once Jackson’s out of earshot.
“Because I felt bad for him, Rafe,” I say, gesturing in Jackson’s direction. “Didn’t you hear what he just said – no one, for two whole weeks -“
“And did you ever imagine,” Luca says, his voice dry, “that maybe there’s a reason why no one asked him to eat with them? Because he’s a dangerous jerk?”
I snap my head to glare at Luca, suddenly angry. “Don’t talk to me like I’m an idiot, Luca,” I say, my voice low. He blinks at me in surprise. “Don’t try to pretend I’m silly enough to not have bothered imagining why people might not like Jackson. But I also don’t imagine that most people have your particular reason for disliking him, okay? Just because you don’t like him doesn’t mean that everyone else needs to feel the same way.”
I hold Luca’s gaze while he just stares at me, I think a little shocked to see the funny little Shrimp he’s gotten to know push back like this.
“What on earth are you two talking about?” Jesse asks, leaning forward, fascinated.
“Nothing,” Rafe snaps, standing up with his own tray and nodding up towards the clock. “No one’s talking about anything anymore. It’s time to go.”
I take a deep breath, because I know Rafe is right, and push to my feet, my hands shaking a little as I grab my tray. Rafe waits patiently for Luca, Jesse, and Ben to move ahead, falling in next to me as we walk to bus our trays.
“You’re explaining this,” he says quietly, glaring down at me, “the moment we get into the Academy. All right?”
I sigh and look up at him, words on my lips ready to explain –
But then I grin instead, my eyes crinkling as I look up at my brother. “Does that mean you think I’m going to get in?”
Rafe nods, assured, and then stalks forward to deposit his empty tray, taking my full one from my hands and putting it on the rack below his. “It does,” he says, his voice sure. “I believe in you, Ivi. Even if I’m going to kick your ass for that stunt the moment we get inside,” he sighs, slinging an arm around my shoulders as we head for the gym, “I do think you’re going to pull it out. You’re a Sinclair, after all. We don’t fail at shit like this.”
Happiness wells in me at my brother’s confidence, and honestly?
I think it’s precisely what I needed to hear as I head into the gym, ready to meet my fate.
We enter the obstacles course in groups of ten according to our ranking, which means that Luca, Jesse and Rafe are invited in way before Ben and I. I give Jesse and Rafe both hugs and wish them good luck, knowing that I won’t see them again until the ceremony in which the final rankings are announced. We’ll be allowed back in the barracks after the obstacle course, but just to grab our things. We’ve got to get outside as fast as possible.
Since I’m currently ranked in the middle of the pack – a status which will surely change after this obstacle run – I don’t have too long to wait. As they call my name as part of the next group of 10, I wave to Ben, who gives me a wink and a salute of good luck. I grin as I turn away from him, hoping to hell he makes it too – Ben, he’s become a good friend. It would be heartbreaking to have to say goodbye to him now.
As I walk with the group of ten through the entrance to the course, I’m a little chagrined to see that Graham Wright is part of my pack. But I sigh and just do my best to stand far away from him. As we pass through the door, I’m surprised to see a small group of Academy professors in black waiting there, making us all stand in a straight line. I’m studying them, my eyes catching again on the handsome brown-haired professor who I noticed at the intelligence examination. Today, he holds a shiny black orb in his hands.
But before I can study him further, I do a bit of a double-take, because – Because Jackson is there, at the start line of the obstacle course, kneeling down and messing with the tie of his boot of all the things. What the hell…
“Clark!” Someone barks, and my attention is pulled away from my mate. I shake my head to clear it and step into place at the back of the line. Once I’m there, the professors begin to move slowly down the line, the handsome professor at the center handing the orb to each of us in turn and observing us carefully for a few seconds before taking it back.
Each of the candidates looks as confused as I do after the experience, but…I mean, nobody looks any worse for the wear. So I attempt to pat down my anxiety as my turn comes.
“Candidate Ivi Clark,” a Lieutenant says, making notes on a clip board as the professor comes to stand in front of me. When the Lieutenant nods that he’s ready, the professor looks me seriously in the eye.
“Please take the sphere in your hands, Clark. Nothing else is required of you.”
“What is it?” I murmur, looking down at the glass ball. But no one answers me. As I stare at the orb, I realize that it’s not a solid ball of obsidian glass, but instead…clear glass, in which shadows swirl and pulse. I go still with surprise as I watch the black clouds, and as I stare I even see…little pulses of purple lightening flash through them, as thin as thread and so fast you’d swear your eyes were playing tricks on you.
“Thank you,” the professor says, and I jump a little before handing the sphere back to him.
“You’re welcome,” I reply, and then I blush, because I feel a little ridiculous. I mean, I didn’t actually do him any favors. He smirks at me, looking me up and down before he moves with his colleagues to the back of the room.
I’m still staring after him when someone barks my name again.
I twist and then curse as I realize that all of the other candidates are lined up at the start of the course – waiting for me.
I run over, falling in line, putting my hands on my left knee in a runners stance, ready to make a break for it when the whistle sounds.
To my shock, a tall form takes the spot next to me in line.
But, of course, I know immediately who it is even though I don’t look up. I can tell by sense of smell. “Why are you still here?” I whisper, feeling like it is…not chance, that Jackson is running this route with me and not with my brother. But why would he do that? Does he…does he mean me harm again?
“Problems with my shoe,” Jackson says, his voice light as he too bends over, ready to run.
I exhale, trying to put my anxiety out of my mind – because whatever Jackson’s going to do in the course, I have no control over it now. Better to concentrate on what I can handle.
