“You two, get the fuck out of our party. We’ll see you again in the arena, if you manage to advance far enough to face us.”
The two wolf shifters bared their teeth, then sauntered out without a backward glance.
“I’m sorry about that,” Ignazio said, turning to Ksenia. “If I’d known what they were like in person, I’d have never invited them.”
“Someone needs to teach them a fucking lesson,” Simon said, pacing across the floor, his face still red.
“Amen,” Astra said. “Too bad solos and duos only fight each other in the exhibition matches. I’d give them a run for their money.”
Jacob continued watching his former trainees walk away, his teeth clenched. Just as they were about to disappear around the corner and up the steps, they both turned to look at him, their movements as eerily synchronous as always. Then they were gone, but his blood pressure didn’t settle back to normal right away.
He redirected his attention to Ksenia, whose expression was still strained from the insult. Fucking hell, those assholes deserved to be punched for putting that look on her face. Teague got to her first, pulling her into his arms and cracking some joke that made her laugh and relax.
Once she was in better spirits, Jacob relaxed too, moving to settle on a weight bench. “If we could train a duo to beat those fuckers, I’d do it for free.”
Astra perked up. “Why don’t you? Train a duo, I mean. Ksenia’s not out of the League yet. Once the League Board clears her—which they will, if I have anything to say about it—get her a partner. There’s still another full week to get her ready for the duo tourney, and it’s not as if she needs a lot more training. Just enough to sync up with whoever she’s paired with.”
“It’s a bit short notice,” Jacob said. “Anyone who was looking for a partner has found one by now. We don’t have the time it would take to get a duo synchronized—not to the degree those assholes already are with each other. They have the advantage of being twins. They’ve been synced since birth.”
“What’s the worry?” Ignazio asked. “They make it to the finals, Bry and I will destroy them.”
Astra studied Jacob for a moment, then turned to Ignazio and voiced the very thing Jacob was too polite to say out loud. “He’ll only have the satisfaction if they’re the ones training whoever beats Silver Fangs.”
Ignazio grunted, then smirked at Astra. “You should do it, Astra. You and Ksenia were on fire in the arena the other night. I’ve never seen a fight so well-balanced. I bet you two could get in sync fast enough after already facing each other.”
Jacob chuckled. As if the reigning solo champion would take time out of her schedule to train for a second tournament.
“What a fucking amazing idea. I’ll do it. That is, if Ksenia’s down to partner up with me. It’s up to her.”
Jacob’s laugh caught in his throat. “Did I just hear you right?”
“Hell yes. Let’s show those mutts who’s boss!”
16
Ksenia
“Hang on, I’m going to need you to repeat that,” Ksenia said, holding a hand up and staring at Astra.
“What do you say, Desert Flame? Want to form a duo?”
Ksenia glanced at Jacob, who was blinking in bewilderment at Astra. Teague was staring wide-eyed at her, as if to say, “What are you waiting for?” but she was still having trouble believing her ears.
When she narrowed her eyes at Astra, the other woman laughed. “I promise it isn’t a joke. No catch. I’d love a chance to demolish those two before they have a chance to get to the finals. And I’ve actually always wanted to have a partner. I think you and I would make a kick-ass duo.”
“Who’s to say they won’t get knocked out by Hot Wings in an earlier match?” Ksenia asked.
Ignazio shook his head. “Since they won last year’s tourney, we’re first and second seeds. They won’t have a chance to meet us until the finals, if they make it that far. You girls want a shot at them, you should go for it.”
Ksenia opened her mouth, but couldn’t figure out exactly what to say. Beside her Gunther whispered, “The answer’s ‘hell yes,’ honey.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “Um, hell yes! I just have one condition.”
Astra whooped and bounded toward her. “Anything! You name it, baby!”
“My guys train us.”
Astra’s eyebrows shot up and she looked toward Jacob with a twist of her lips, then toward Simon. “You