Startled, she spun to see Marcus walk into the room. “You were watching?” Tegan felt her face flaming as she looked away from the Lycan.
“I was.” Marcus folded his arms across his impressive torso, his stare unwavering.
“He did not win,” Tegan muttered as she collected the sticks and placing them back on the wall.
“Be careful what game you are playing with him,” Marcus watched her flush with embarrassment. “He is dangerous. His allegiances are… questionable.”
“It was only sparring,” Tegan defended herself quietly.
“Was it?” The Lycans knowing stare unnerved her. “Just be careful of the Castor, Tegan. He is not what he seems.”
“I should sleep.” Tegan inclined her head to the Elder before swiftly walking past him and exiting the room. She half ran up the stairs to her room. When she got there, she closed the door quickly and firmly before leaning against it. Her head was jumbled as she thought of the sparring match. Cord had been a formidable opponent and it had disappointed her a little that he had Cast during it. They had been evenly matched until then, but if she was truthful with herself, she knew she was more disappointed that he had left when he was holding her.What had that been?Her emotions were roiling in confusion.
Leonid had ensured that she had minimal contact with male Sentinels and the experience she just had in the training room had been exhilarating. Some of the things Cord had said to her had confused her, but irrespective of the words, his closeness, hismalenesshad excited her. Shaking her head, Tegan went into the bathroom, peeling off her damp clothes from the exercise, she tossed them into the hamper and after washing her hands and brushing her teeth, she climbed into bed. Thoughts of Cord ran through her head as she settled under the warm blankets. Becoming annoyed with herself for her fanciful thoughts, Tegan pushed all thoughts of the dark-haired male with his sculpted cheekbones and mocking grey eyes from her thoughts and prayed to the Ancients that sleep found her swiftly.
* * *
Cord satin his room moodily as he stared unseeingly at the furs on his bed. The pull towards Tegan had been alluring. He admonished himself as he sat reflecting on her skills, remembering the speed and agility of the Akrhyn female. He found himself focusing more than he was comfortable with on the suppleness of her body as she had arched into his hold.
Standing abruptly, he pulled his clothes off, tossing them carelessly onto the couch behind him. He had left her in the training room and hadn’t even picked up his robes. He had gone back for them, overhearing the Lycans warning to her. Any other time he would have walked brazenly into the room and confronted them both, but no, this time, he had stayed outside, out of sight to avoid seeing her. Marcus had followed her but his sharp look into the darkened corner made Cord question whether he knew that he hid here.
Hid there, his face contorted into an angry scowl. He hadhiddenfrom them both, before slipping inside and grabbing his robes and then he had portalled –portalled– to his room, so he wouldn’t risk seeing either of them again that night. Shaking his head in frustration, Cord glared at the soft furnishings of the room. She had detected he had Cast. Another puzzle; how did she know? It had been subtle, barely even a spell, and she knew?How?Cord lay atop the bedding and closed his eyes, almond shaped indigo eyes staring back at him as he did so.What are you?he thought to himself as he recalled the way she moved, the fearlessness in her eyes and the softness of her skin. Shaking his head again as he tried to clear his head, he thought of the enigma that was Tegan.She could detect he had Cast. Yes, she was more than a Sentinel, he suspected that, but whatmorewas she?
Sloane watched his cousin lazily as she went through her morning exercises. From what he could gather, when she actually replied to him, this was her third workout of today. It was barely past nine in the morning. He hadn’t been awake for more than an hour and Tegan had already run her laps, trained with kali sticks and now was at a punching bag.
“Is it anyone in particular you are thinking of, or are you just super aggressive today?” Sloane drawled as he sipped his coffee.
“Drakhyn,” came the grunted reply.
“Of course,” Sloane replied dryly. “You seem particularly wound tight this morning cousin.” Another grunt was his reply and he rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Do you like coffee?”
Tegan stopped her workout and looked at her cousin in bewilderment. “Who doesn’t like coffee?”
“My brother,” Sloane replied. He noticed the tightening of her shoulders and it was his turn to groan. “What did he do?” Tegan turned back to the bag and resumed her workout. “Tegan, cousin dear, tell me what that Castor did?”
“Nothing,” Tegan sent a particularly vicious punch to the bag.
“Ouch, was that meant for me?” Cord’s mocking voice stopped Sloane from replying and Tegan’s next punch.
“You need to stop portalling,” Tegan watched him as he walked over the floor, picking his way around the matts.
“I could but I just don’t want to,” Cord grinned at her and she turned her back to him and resumed punching.
“You’ve been here one day,” Sloane glared at his brother. “Not even a day, but a night. What did you do in a night?”
“What or who?” Cord winked at his brother as he sat beside him.
Sloane’s look of alarm to Tegan had Cord laughing out loud. It was so rare for Cord to laugh, Sloane stared at him for several moments before realising he had made them both uncomfortable.
“Sorry,” Sloane muttered.
“You find too many things funny,” Tegan snapped at Cord.
Seeing his brother’s incredulous reaction to her words, Cord laughed again. He caught the water bottle Tegan flung at him deftly. “Temper temper, little tiger,” he chided her.
“Did something happen between you two?” Sloane asked as he looked between the two of them. “Actually, don’t tell me, I think I may be okay if you lie when you tell me the answer…” he trailed off.
“He’s a cheat,” Tegan snapped.