Unpredictable Sirens (Supernatural Shifter Academy #4) - G. Bailey Page 0,28

overnight, but I surprise even myself with my own dedication. Shade, too, seems to approve of the job I’m doing, and I manage to get the upper hand once. Although it’s up in the air whether he was just going easy on me .

“Keep your hands up,” the wolf shifter warns, bouncing on his feet as he stares me down from the opposite side of the mat. “Protect your face.”

“Right,” I mutter, raising my fists.

“Remember what I told you,” he says, lunging forward. “Look for an opening.”

I try to remember the blocks he taught me, but they go out of my mind. Instead, I sidestep his incoming punch, grabbing hold of his wrist and pulling him off balance in a clumsy parody of a throw.

The wolf shifter seems surprised, stumbling, and I take full advantage, wedging my hip against his to help him fall onto the mat.

“Not bad, Boots,” he says, grinning up at me from the floor. “Not bad at all.”

“Yeah?” I lower myself onto him, pressing my chest against his with a coquettish smile. “You think I’m ready to take on Hawthorne?”

Shade grunts, his hands going to my hips, and I realise where my pelvis is. Flushing, I try to roll off of him, but he pulls me back down for a kiss. “You’re not going anywhere,” he murmurs against my mouth.

I break away to press my forehead against his. “We’re in public, Shade.”

“Good,” Shade replies, grinning. “I like having an audience.”

I snort, rolling my eyes and standing up before offering him a hand. He accepts and gets to his feet. “What time is it, anyway?”

Frowning, Shade checks his phone. “Almost six.”

“Shit,” I mutter, stretching my arms out behind me. I’m only just noticing how stiff my muscles have become. “We’ve been here a while.”

“I think now’s a good stopping point,” my wolf shifter says. “We keep this up much longer and I’m going to get my ass handed to me.”

The image is so absurd that I can’t help but laugh. “I won’t tell if you won’t,” I reply. “Come on, let’s go find some food. I’m starving, and by the sounds of it, it’s Landon’s turn in the driver’s seat tomorrow.”

Chapter 12

For the first time in what feels like ages, I actually sleep well. And not because I’m half-dead or drugged out of my mind on vampire blood, but because I actually feel safe for once. What is this world coming to?

It’s a wonder what being amongst friends will do to your morale. It hardly even matters that “friends” is a relative term here; the mere fact that we’re no longer surrounded by people who are actively trying to kill us makes for a restful night. As much as Theo seems to promote the idea of a co-living situation, we’re still left to fend for ourselves food-wise, so Hunter wanders out to pick up a pizza after my day of training with Shade.

We all gather in my designated apartment, and although it’s a tight squeeze, it hardly matters; sitting and laughing over food makes me feel almost all right again, if only for the evening. The loss of my powers still hangs heavily over my head like a black thundercloud, but knowing I’m not alone makes a huge difference. The fact that I actually survived a day’s worth of combat training with Shade has given me a much-needed boost as well. Although I doubt I could take on a shifter right now, the prospect of one day being able to hold my own without magic no longer seems so absurd.

Maybe things are going to be okay.

It’s not until later that the others start turning in—Shade makes a quip about me having worn him out today and excuses himself, while Hunter leaves to continue practising his vampire form. Silas slinks quietly off to his room, and I make a mental note to check in with him at some point. Being surrounded by reminders of his childhood likely isn’t doing his mental state any good, and I have to remember that I’m not the only one struggling right now.

I’m on the verge of following him out the door to ask what’s wrong when someone slips his hand into mine, and I find myself being twirled in a dance maneuver that would look ridiculous if someone other than Landon had instigated it. Laughing, I spin into him, allowing him to pull me close to his chest and sway me back and forth to a tune that only he can hear.

“You’re