Jayden handed me a bottleof blood and I drank while he talked.
“We’re hybrids, so we canregenerate like full-fledged vampires, but we are also still living, likehumans.” He was slowly drawling this out and I needed the information faster.
“Hit me with it.” Ihurried him on.
He shook a finger at me. “Ihope you aren’t this impatient in the bedroom.” I flipped him off but we bothsmiled. We had officially reached BAFF status.
“We heal really quickly,so you need to inflict a lot of damage, masses of blood loss or major organfailure. Blow us up, light us on fire, put a bullet in the brain, rip out theheart, or decapitation.”
My mouth hung open.“Jesus.”
He winked. “You asked,sweet cheeks.”
I shivered. “So theculling?”
He frowned. “Is a bloodbath. No one really survives, ya know?”
That hit me. What he saidwas really deep for my normally lighthearted BAFF. You could survive some thingsin body but not in mind or spirit. I had never forgotten about the night I wasattacked, and if those asshole ash hadn’t been scared off, I knew things wouldhave been much worse – death of soul worse.
I raised my blood bottleto clink with his. “Here’s to hoping they pay for therapy after we get throughit.”
He gave a deep genuinelaugh and clinked my bottle before saying: “You should slurp that blood down,girl. Something tells me Ryder doesn’t like tardiness.”
Shit! He was so right. Idowned my bottle and leapt for the shower.
I entered the training gym slowly, part ofme expecting Ryder to jump out of nowhere and start whooping my ass withoutwarning. It was empty. I peered up into the rafters and was pleased to see themempty as well. Now that I had a chance to have a proper look, I noticed rows ofweapons lining the walls. At least four large walls’ worth.
I was surprised to seethat there looked to be something from a range of different cultures andmartial art disciplines, including but not limited to samurai swords, whipswith barbed ends, throwing knives, curved blades, crossbows, throwing axes –Jesus, my stomach rolled.
“Nervous?” a low voicesaid from behind me.
I jumped and grabbed mychest.
“Fucking A, Ryder!” Ineeded to get him a bell or something.
He smiled, showing thosegoddamn dimples, but then quickly replaced it with his signature clenched-jawstare. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
I took a shaky breath. “Iwasn’t scared,” I lied. “I just don’t like being snuck up on.” That part wasthe truth at least.
His smile was back.“Right, well, in the culling there will be sneaking, so get used to it.”
I eyed the weapons again.“Are there rules, or do I get to run over to the wall and grab an axe and tryto cut someone’s heads off?”
He tilted his headslightly, as if trying to gauge whether I was serious or not. “There are a fewrules – but not many. The weapons are out of your control. The opponent’ssponsor chooses your weapon, and Lucas will choose your opponent’s weapon.”
Great. I hadn’t hadweapon training in my defense class. And there were no guns up there.
“Let’s start,” he said,crossing over to the thickest of blue mats. I followed, taking note of the casualclothing Ryder was wearing. I didn’t often see him out of black camo enforcergear. He had on loose judo pants and a tight-back muscle shirt. He pulled a gunout from behind his back waist belt and laid it on a bench. The flash of thatweapon reminded me of how he had saved my life, and Jayden’s.
“Hey, about yesterday … thanks.”
Suddenly his eyes werelocked on mine. “It’s my job,” he said.
I sighed. Okay.
“Get into your fightingstance.” His voice was clipped now. He was in training mode.
I did, holding my fistsin front of my face, right foot planted in front of me.
