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From her touch, the fear of voicing my true emotions aloud melted away, and my tense shoulders dropped in time with thesigh that allowed my feelings to flee. “I wanted him to choose me. The letters he sends tell me how much he misses me, but he’s still there.”
I wanted Endre to show me I was all that mattered to him in the world, and no matter what I did, he would always love me.
A warm feeling ghosted over my skin, and love flowed from my best friend and into me. “It makes sense that you want him to put you first and that you’re angry he isn’t. You deserve someone who worships the ground you walk on.”
“Fucking right I do,” I choked out as Izidora dissolved the barrier around my emotions, allowing me to feel them without fear of them overwhelming me.
“What about Drazen?” she asked, not releasing me.
Goddess, she was fucking perceptive.
“Drazen knows my feelings are complicated. He says that he’ll take what parts of me he can get.” Swiping at my eyes, I lifted my head from her shoulder and faced my friend.
A wide, mischievous grin stretched across her face as she took my hands in hers. “Remember how you said that you thought you needed two males to keep you in line?”
A mirror grin spread across my face as I recalled our conversation from the night of the masquerade ball. “I do.”
“I think you need three,” she laughed, her tone light and teasing, and it was everything I needed to shift out of my self-pity.
“Why stop at three? I could have four,” I joked, linking my arm with hers and strolling in the direction of the training ring where sweaty males of all mixes sparred. “Do you feel up to some hand to hand combat?”
Two full red cocktails rested against the fence, and she bent to grab one before popping off the lid and sipping from it. “If we go slow.”
“Don’t worry, you set the pace and I’ll follow,” I reassured her, not wanting Izidora to push herself too hard, and at the same time knowing she needed – wanted – to test her limits.
We leaped over the fence, and Drazen caught my attention from across the ring. His ocean blue eyes raked across my sweaty form, sending heat between my thighs. The hunger in his gaze was undeniable. As was how good he was in bed.
Zuriel stood beside him, along with Xorrek and Gozzak, two of the Demons who had evidently been captured alongside him and offered their blood willingly to Izidora. The whole situation was a bit odd, but every time I asked Zuriel about it, he dodged my question in his typical mysterious fashion.
Izidora and I squared up, raising our fists to shoulder level in preparation to strike. My friend was a few inches shorter than me, so I had the reach advantage, but she was fast and I knew better than to leave my sides open too long. I struck first, throwing out a quick jab to gauge her reaction. It was slower than it used to be, but she slipped her head to the side, rolling her shoulder to defend it. She returned with a flurry of fast strikes, all landing lightly as we began the dance. I sidestepped, and Izidora tossed a quick kick toward my ribs. I caught her foot, causing her to grin and hop.
“Pull it out!” Ruslan called from somewhere off to the side.
“That’s what she said!” I hollered back, and Izidora laughed before extracting her foot from my grasp.
Her breathing was already labored, so I slowed down and waited for her next move. She feinted like she was going to throw a combination of strikes at my head, and I raised my hands instinctively, falling for her trap. Without hesitation, she dove for my middle, locking her hands around my waist and sticking a foot behind mine, sending us tumbling toward the dirt. I tucked my chin and slapped the ground to ease my fall, lifting my legs and encircling her waist so she couldn’t pass around me.
“Nice trip,” I laughed.
“I’ve still got it,” she panted with a smile.
We turned serious moments later when she began her slippery assault, wiggling out of my grasp and popping to her feet while she trapped one of my legs between hers. Pinning my hip to the ground with one hand, she walked my legs to the side in an attempt to smash them into the ground and hop around them. I twisted onto my side, bracing my hands on her shoulder and knee, trying to prevent her from coming forward. She switched tactics, hopping to my other side, bracing her hand on my hip and bracing her shoulder against my knee. The other was smashed against the ground, and I allowed her to slide through until she was perpendicular on top of me.
Sweat poured from us both as she locked her hands around my head and shoulder, panting to catch her breath. “We can stop at any time,” I reminded her.
“Nope, I want to keep going,” she said through gritted teeth.
“Slide your knee across,” Ruslan instructed from wherever he watched.
“Hey! No one is coaching me over here,” I protested.
“Prevent her from sliding her knee across!” Drazen yelled, his voice drawing nearer.
I rolled my eyes. Males.
As Izidora went to slide her knee, I pushed off her, spinning in the dirt on my back until my feet pushed against her hips and flung her backward. Scrambling to my feet, I dusted myself off as she laughed and did the same. Izidora’s face was a violent shade of red from her exertion, and she swayed slightly upon straightening. “Okay, I think that's enough for me,” she admitted, though the tightness in her jaw spoke to her frustration.
Ruslan appeared beside her faster than anyone should be allowed to move and clutched his mate to him. “You’re doing so well, sprite. I’m so proud of you.”
