Once the meeting finishes, everybody goes their separate ways. Garrett disappears into the bedroom with Emma, and I track down Bryce. He and Ava are in the kitchen. I drop into the seat at the small kitchen table. “So, talk to me about Raechel.”
Ava turns and faces me. “She’s unhinged.”
“Okay. Thanks for that. Not exactly what I was looking for.”
“You mean for the fight Friday night?’ Bryce asks.
“Yeah. That.”
He nods. “She’s a good fighter. Really good. I’ve seen her fight.”
“She used to fight in an underground fight club in Chicago,” Ava adds.
That piques my interest. “Really?”
“Yeah. She was like their top fighter. That’s how she met Max.”
“Was that before he was an enforcer for the Northwoods Pack?” I ask.
“No, it was while he was an enforcer. He went into the ring to find her,” Ava says as she butters a piece of bread.
“Did he know she was his mate?”
“Nope. He figured it out once he met her. If you want to hear it in detail, Raechel will tell you. She’s told me a hundred times.” Ava’s voice is deadpan, but I hear the affection beneath her words.
“All that to say she’s a good fighter. I’m not even a fighter, and I know she’s good.” Ava’s lips tug down. “She always made Rose and me train; we were both terrible.”
“Hunter says you’re pretty good,” Bryce says, glancing over at me.
“I can hold my own normally, but I'm not sure about against a trained professional.”
“We’ll go a few rounds, and Bryce can critique you. He’s seen Raechel fight,” Hunter says, coming into the kitchen. I’m not surprised he’s there. I felt him before he stepped into the kitchen. I’m not sure how I feel about that. I already have a vampire radar; I’m not sure I want a Hunter radar too. “That work for you, Bryce?” he asks as he slides into the seat across from me.
“Sure,” the alpha says easily.
“There’s a workout room downstairs,” Ava adds. “I’ll come too. I don’t know how to critique you, but I’d love to see you take Hunter down a peg or two.”
I glance at Hunter, but he doesn’t seem to be bothered by her words. “I don’t know,” Bryce says as he leans against the counter with a mug in his hands. “Hunter’s a pretty good fighter. He’s the best in our pack.”
“Better than you?” Ava asks.
Bryce eyes Hunter. “Depends.”
I look between the two of them, trying to figure out that cryptic response. “On what?” Ava, who doesn’t let things go, asks.
Bryce looks away from Hunter to eye his mate, the affection obvious in his eyes. “He wouldn’t disrespect me by beating me.”
I feel like there’s something they’re not saying, but when I look at Hunter, his face is blank. “When does it work to spar?” I ask.
Hunter stands. “How about now?”
“Does that work for you?” I ask. He nods, and I glance over to Bryce.
He takes another drink. “Works for me.”
“Me too,” Ava adds. She grabs a bag of candy from the counter. “What? I need snacks for the fight.”
“I need to change really quickly; I’ll be right there.” In my room, I quickly pull on leggings and a sports bra and then throw a cropped athletic tee over it. I slip on my sneakers and head downstairs. True to her word, Ava sits in a chair with her feet pulled up and a bag of candy in her lap. “Comfy?”
