for the jar and went to work on the other side where he’d left his mark.
“I’m supposed to mark you, I think,” she said, finally realizing what was missing and why her palms itched so ferociously. It was as if her dragon was urging her to shift, but not quite. The magic was there without the sense of its shape pushing from within her skin.
“You don’t have to if you’re not sure about it. This did happen pretty damn fast,” Jacob said, eyeing the glow emanating from beneath her hands.
She was relieved by his offer, even though she didn’t think it was exactly fair of her to hold back. They’d claimed her—shouldn’t she claim them in return?
But if she did, her mark could betray her heritage, and even though she knew without a doubt these men belonged to her, she wasn’t ready to trust them that deeply yet.
“Are you sure? It isn’t that I’ve changed my mind or anything. It’s more that I’d like a chance to get used to the idea of something deeper. To find out how I really feel so I can put all of it into the bond when I seal it.”
“That makes sense,” Teague said. “Our marks opened the circle. It’s up to you to close it. So, let’s consider tonight the start of a formal courtship. Just please don’t hate us if we train you too hard.”
Gunther nodded. “It’s not exactly traditional, but neither are cross-clan matings. I like the idea of making our own rules.”
Jacob sighed. “Speaking of rules, though, there are rules about entering new champions onto the season’s roster. We were supposed to talk about that over food, but someone showed up naked and distracted us.”
“I can’t say I’m sorry about that,” Ksenia said with a wry grin. “But I am absolutely famished. Can we eat?”
“Already on it,” came Gunther’s reply as he headed back in the direction of the kitchen, tossing them their clothes along the way.
6
Gunther
Gunther loved a woman with a healthy appetite; it made it easier to convince her the proper diet was to her advantage. Ksenia had tossed the covered dishes a skeptical look after he’d spent half an hour or so explaining the philosophy and the science behind the Baxter-Maurin diet for champions. She’d said it sounded suspiciously like he was trying to tell her she was fat, when she was really just big-boned.
He and his partners had laughed until they realized she wasn’t joking and then spent the next five minutes apologizing and making sure she understood they absolutely loved how she looked. He was pretty sure Teague was prepared to get on his knees again to prove how much he adored her; his partner’s true feelings were always easy to read.
When he served the meal and revealed the protein-heavy scope of the dishes she’d be getting on a daily basis, her eyes lit up so brightly he was a little worried she’d forget about sex entirely and decide his cooking was a better substitute.
Needless to say, she was more than sufficiently satisfied their first night together, which was a good thing. Jacob was a harsh taskmaster in the gym, and she’d need the energy when they got to training.
Despite having spent the night tangled up with her and his friends—a night during which they slept only about half as much as they fucked—Gunther was surprised to see Ksenia at the breakfast table as alert as she’d been the day before, dressed in her leathers with her sword strapped to her side.
“You should leave that in your room,” Jacob said. “In fact, we should have you in practice armor so you can get used to the feel of it. Weapons aren’t an option in the arena, since the rules require each shifter to bring only his or her own talents—fangs, claws, talons, wings, tails, etcetera. Those are your tools; crafted weapons are against the rules.”
She looked taken aback at that, and not for the first time Gunther sensed her floundering for an excuse. She didn’t know the rules, which was strange considering how hungry she was to prove herself worthy of being a champion.
She finished her breakfast in silence, then cleared her throat and looked around at each of them. “Well, I guess you need to get me some armor then, because this is all I have to wear.”
“We have a new set downstairs for you,” Jacob said. “I’m ready when you are.”
“I’ll just get this cleaned up and meet you in a few,” Gunther