Chapter 456

“You’re late,” Asher said, his voice clipped, the moment she entered the room.
“Sorry about that,” Violet replied, not
even pretending to be apologetic
“Alaric was just getting me primed
for the fight.” She smirked, her words dripping with innuendo.
Asher’s glare shifted immediately to
Alaric, who only chuckled and
stepped back with his hands raised.
“Sorry, but I’m weak.”
Asher gave up at that point. Was there anyone in this group who could get the damn job done without letting their dick get in the way?
But then again, Asher always forgot that they were alphas, yes, but also hormonal teenagers with a libido stronger than their brain cells. Not everyone was like him who was raised with ironclad will and discipline drilled into him from birth.
Violet did a double take the moment her eyes swept the room. She had expected to see a sparring ring or maybe a rack of weapons so Alaric could teach her those sexy ninja moves. But instead, Violet was met with metals, mirrors and machines. She wrinkled her nose, this was the lodge’s gym.
Admittedly, it was a luxurious one featuring dark-stained wooden floors that gleamed beneath the harsh overhead lights. State-of-the-art equipment lined the walls: squat racks, dumbbells, punching bags suspended from chains, a full-length track circling a center turf field and a few machines she couldn’t even name. The air smelled like sweat, pine, and testosterone. Lots of it.
Violet blinked slowly. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope.” Griffin walked in behind her, dressed in loose black joggers and a sleeveless shirt that hugged his torso, highlighting those sexy ridges of his stomach. His arms were already glistening from whatever pre-workout hell he’d put himself through. Dear lord, this mate of hers was bred to ruin her.
“Get your head out of the clouds and listen to his instructions, Violet.” Asher told her firmly.
Violet scowled at Asher. If he wasn’t so obsessed with her safety, she’d swear he just didn’t want her to have a sex life.
Roman and Alaric chuckled from the corner, both relishing her embarrassment.
Griffin pointed to the treadmill. “We’d work on your stamina. First.”
Violet turned to him, one perfectly arched brow lifting. “That thing won’t help me against Baron.”
“That ’thing’,” he said patiently, “is about to humble you.”
“Well, I have stamina, thank you very much.”
Griffin made a noise that sat somewhere between a laugh and a scoff. “You mean the same stamina in bed, or the one you’ve been using to laze around for the past week? That stamina?”
Violet’s cheek flushed and she shot back, affronted. “That is a personal attack, Griffin. Moreover, I was having a short break. Not to mention, I’ve been fit my whole life. Do you want to test that?”
“Sure,” he said, voice saturated with sarcasm.
Violet narrowed her eyes.
He smiled, and it was the dangerous kind. “Alright then. Let’s test it.”
She straightened, her chin lifting. “Test it how?”
“If you can outrun me for one minute Griffin stepped toward her, his eyes gleaming with challenge. “We skip this and go straight to combat training. No treadmill. No laps. Just me and you, fists to fists. You win.”
A slow, mischievous grin tugged on Violet’s lips. “You’re on.”
“Good.” He took one step back. “Now.” Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn
“What?”
“Now!” Griffin said again and lunged at her.
Violet yelped like the girl she was, bolting forward as adrenaline shot down her spine like lightning. She zipped around the gym, weaving between equipment, ducking beneath the monkey bars, and hopping over a rogue yoga mat like her life depended on it. Which, given the mad gleam in Griffin’s eyes, it might as well have.
For someone his size, he was faster than she had given him credit for. Griffin Hale was not just strong, he was predator fast, the kind of fast that made her legs burn and her breathing turn ragged within just thirty seconds. He wasn’t chasing her like a man. No, he was chasing her like an Alpha on the hunt, and every instinct she had screamed that she run faster.
Violet lungs burned while sweat gathered at her temples. She decided to play dirty by
shoving a rolling weight bench in his path. But not surprisingly, Griffin vaulted it with a laugh.
“Getting tired yet, Purple?” he taunted, close. Too close.
“Eat. My. Ass,” she hissed, dodging behind a punching bag. Well that didn’t sound like an insult now she thought about it considering he had done that already so many times. Well whatever.
Suddenly, Griffin slid around the other side and closed in before she could double back. Violet squealed when his arms wrapped around her waist mid-turn, and then she was airborne briefly before the world tilted and she hit the turf floor with a muffled thud, Griffin’s full weight pressing her down.
She was pinned.
The air whooshed out of her lungs. His hands caged either side of her head, his body flush against hers, hot and heavy and solid.
“Time’s up.” Griffin announced with glee.
While she was panting, he was smirking and didn’t look as if he had broken a sweat at all.
But things wasn’t so bad.
“This,” Violet managed between breaths, her voice husky, “is nice.”
His scent wrapped around her, a rich blend of sun-soaked woods and warm amber, infused with hints of fresh summer citrus. Her core pulsed, a rush of heat flooding her so fast her cheeks flamed. Violet loved how good he felt on top of her and her hips arched up.
Griffin noticed and his pupils darkened.
“You’re a bad student.”,he murmured.
“Can’t blame me when I have a sexy hulk above me.”
Griffin dipped closer so his breath ghosted over her mouth. “You’re lucky I’m not in the mood to claim my reward right now.”
“Who said I wouldn’t give it willingly?”
At that statement, the air turned molten.
Griffin leaned in and Violet tilted her chin up, the bond between them aching, humming and begging to be satisfied.
“Ahem.”
The moment shattered.
Griffin’s head jerked up, and Violet craned her neck just enough to see Asher standing over them with his arms folded, and his expression carved from stone. He looked homicidal.
“I’ll be taking over her training from here.” Asher announced.
Noooooo