her heavy leather bag and her sword off the cargo rack on Jacob’s transporter.
“I am capable of carrying my own things,” she said, smiling up at him.
He gave a slight nod. “And I’m capable of being a gentleman and carrying a lady’s belongings when she’s a guest in my house.”
Ksenia snorted a laugh. “A lady? By the gods, I know we only just met, but you might not say that if you knew me.”
“Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t treat you with respect.”
“Come on in,” Teague called from the front porch. “I’ll give you the tour.”
She tore her eyes away from Gunther’s steady stare, still trying to wrap her head around the warm, now constant rumble of her dragon. This was the first time her animal had wanted something other than blood, so she wasn’t sure what to do with it. It didn’t help that one of the guys was there at every turn. She needed to get things under control before they actually started training or she was going to lose her mind.
This time it was Jacob whose casual touch sent fire through her limbs when she passed through their front door into a spacious foyer. Two wide sets of stairs rose to a landing ahead of her, but Teague bypassed them, instead walking through an arched doorway where the house opened up into a living space big enough that she could’ve shifted fully with room to stretch her wings.
“We hired Gaius Osborn to design and build the place when we moved out here,” Teague said, looking a little smug about the detail.
Ksenia had no idea who that was, but nodded and made sure to look suitably impressed. “It’s gorgeous.”
“Anyway, you can kind of see everything from here. Well, of the house, that is. When the sun’s up, you can see the lake. The Hot Wings house is visible on the opposite shore. Most trainers don’t spring for such prime real estate. Usually it’s just champions who build on the shore, but we had the budget for it, so why not?”
She grinned at the mention of Hot Wings, a name she actually recognized from the broadcast she’d first heard. “Hot Wings live across the lake? Do you ever see them?”
“We’re acquainted and get invited to their parties, but they haven’t thrown one in ages. Not since they became parents. But they’re due for one if they plan to come back to the Arena. Really hoping they show Silver Fangs who’s fucking boss.”
Jacob tsked at Teague’s evident bitterness. Ksenia had no idea who Silver Fangs were, but it was clear they weren’t well-liked.
“Do you know any dragons who’d want to team up? I’ve always wanted a fighting partner. Maybe if I had one, I could kick their asses.”
“Let’s take things one step at a time,” Jacob said. “It’s still early yet, and while you’re clearly a skilled fighter, there are nuances to arena fighting you need to learn. On that note, let’s show you the training gym.”
She followed him to a stairwell leading to a lower level. When they reached the bottom, lights began to switch on in a cascade, revealing a room filled with punching bags, cushioned mats, and other equipment the likes of which Ksenia had never seen. The space was bordered on one entire wall by windows that looked out onto a sandy beach, at the edge of which she could see the dark water of the lake. It reminded her of the vast underground lakes where she and her friends used to swim as kids, and where she and her fellow Sandrekar warriors now trained.
That errant thought made her wince. For the first time since leaving, she realized it might be a very long time before she returned, if she ever did.
“You okay?” Teague asked, slipping up beside her and touching her gently on the arm. Jacob had disappeared and she heard noises from somewhere else in the room. When she looked, she found him rearranging some of the equipment, big muscles bunching under the weight of some contraption. He was the only one without a beard, which made him look more serious when he was deep in concentration.
Gunther was nowhere in sight, but kitchen sounds drifted down from above, along with the aroma of something delicious cooking.
“I don’t know, honestly,” she said, redirecting her attention to Teague’s dark eyes.
“You just sighed like you’re either super bored, or super sad. Either way, I want to fix it.”
“I don’t think there’s anything to fix. This is all honestly a