third opponent, a falcon shifter, attacked from behind, and again she managed to best him within moments, and with more ease and grace than any of the contestants they’d seen all night. But the panther darted in at the last second, taunting her before sprinting away, urging her on a chase. He slipped into the shadows and even Jacob lost sight of him, but when he tried to find Ksenia again, she was nowhere to be found.
“No way,” Teague murmured, and Jacob followed his partner’s gaze to a shadowed section of the crumbled pillars on the opposite end of the arena from where he’d seen her last. The panther shifter was crouched there, peeking out to find Ksenia.
Ksenia, however, was climbing over the top of the broken stone, her muscles flexing as she soundlessly lifted herself and crept along the peak to look down at her unsuspecting opponent.
It took considerable strength and physical control to do what she’d just done. Jacob found himself holding his breath, and when she pounced and tackled the other shifter, he jumped out of his seat with a hoot.
“Hot damn!”
The two fighters rolled in the sand for a moment until the panther shifter cried mercy with a laugh, and Ksenia politely stepped back and nodded to him. The other two stepped in and shook hands with her, murmuring their thanks for a good fight. Jacob could tell they were as impressed as he was, yet he still had reservations.
“Why the hell does she need a trainer? She could compete against the best right now,” Teague said.
Jacob shook his head. “There’s one thing she hasn’t done yet. She could have beaten all of them more quickly with a little more wing-work, yet she didn’t once manifest wings or talons.”
“But you are interested, aren’t you?” Gerri asked.
“Not if she’s unable to selectively shift. That ability is the cornerstone of champion training because it demonstrates how well-synchronized the champion is with their animal. Every aspiring trainee learns to do it at least a little before they aim for the pros. I’m sorry, Gerri. I appreciate that you thought of us, but I don’t think she’s the one. Maybe in a few years after she gains some skill in controlling her animal.”
Gerri nodded and sighed. “It was worth a shot. But I would appreciate it if you’d do her the courtesy of explaining that to her face to face. She deserves that much.”
Ksenia was busy brushing sand off her armor and chatting with the three veteran champions. It was a nice gesture that not enough of the other contestants bothered to observe.
“Fair enough,” Jacob said. “Bring her over.”
Rather than call for Ksenia, Gerri put two fingers into her mouth and blew a shrill whistle. Ksenia’s head whipped around and she waved, then broke into a jog, her cheeks flushed and a bright smile on her face.
When she came close enough for Jacob to meet her gaze, something inside him shifted like the tumblers of a lock falling into place. On either side of him, he was sure both Gunther and Teague let out little huffs as if they’d both been punched.
The closer she came, the more his world seemed to tilt, a low buzz building at the base of his spine and moving up until all he heard was the rumbling growl of his bear deep inside his skull. It wasn’t an angry growl, either; it was possessive, and he understood it all too clearly.
Ksenia was breathless when she reached the edge of the arena, which was several feet below the lowest tier of the stands.
Jacob stood and stepped down to the bottom tier, his gaze fixed on Ksenia’s upturned face. She was giving him a quizzical look through golden eyes with the most beautiful flecks of fiery, opalescent green.
“Miss San Velka, that was an amazing performance,” Gerri said. “Sadly, I think these three have some unfortunate news for you.” She gave Jacob a pointed look. “Go ahead and tell her.”
“Tell me what?” Ksenia asked, her expression growing uncertain.
Inside his head, Jacob’s bear growled, “Mine,” and it was all Jacob could do not to repeat the word out loud.
Instead he cleared his throat and took a breath. “Tell you—” He glanced at each of his partners, whose wild-eyed expressions only confirmed what he believed. “—that I’m sorry, but I think you’re stuck with us as trainers, since everyone else seems to have gone home.”
3
Ksenia
Ksenia couldn’t believe her good fortune. Thanks to Gerri Wilder, she now officially had trainers. Not