Zuko dropped his weight, hips slamming back into Koa’s stomach. Koa’s grip broke, and Zuko spun around, arm hooking around Koa’s throat. He drove them both into the mat with controlled brutality and held them there for five seconds.
Pops blew the whistle again. “Zuko, good job.”
Zuko released him, panting, a smug curl to his lips. “Good try. Almost had me.”
Koa lay there for a second, chest rising fast, before he laughed, low and grudging. “You got lucky.”
“You wished me luck.” Zuko winked.
Dimitri and I stepped onto the mat next. “Ready to lose, lethal darling?”
“You’re the only one dumb enough to fight me,” I said, settling into stance. “What makes you think I’ll lose?”
“Not dumb,” he replied, eyes glittering like cut garnet. “Just not scared of you.”
“Surprising, honestly,” Pops muttered under his breath before blowing the whistle.
For a moment, the world seemed to narrow to just the two of us.
Dimitri’s academy-issued suit clung to him like it had been tailored for the sole purpose of distracting me. The fabric was tight over his shoulders, his lean muscles shifting with the smallest move. His black hair was a dark sweep of coils, broken only by that striking white spot at the top.
His deep red eyes locked on me like I was his prey again. “Try not to drool. Fight me instead.”
It was finally time for me to show him that I was the predator here, not him.
“Not my type,” I lied smoothly, even though my gaze had absolutely been tracing the line of his jaw. “Too…fangy.”
He gave a low, dangerous laugh. “You have fangs too. Seems like you like fangs if last night was any testament.” His gaze flicked to Zuko and back to me with a knowing glint.
I gasped. He fought dirty.
He lunged, forcing me back in a scramble of blocked strikes.
His hits were precise andunrelenting. The force of each parry I managed reverberated through my arms.
Dropping down, I kicked out for a sweep at his legs, but he caught my ankle mid-move.
“Cute,” he commented, spinning us.
The mat slammed up against my back before I realized what had happened.
Dimitri loomed over me, his weight pressing down on me, the cage of his body heat and strength actually driving me crazy. His cinnamon and nutmeg scent flooded around me.
His hands pinned mine above my head. “Got you,” he breathed, the words brushing warm against my ear. His fangs were just inches from my throat.
“Not yet, overachiever.” I craned my neck, letting my lips ghost along the curve of his cheekbone until they reached the sharp edge of his jaw.
My venom seeped from my lips, barely there, but enough to make his grip falter for a heartbeat.
“Dirty move,” he growled, but I was already twisting free, rolling to my feet.
I stood over him, grinning. “Thirty minutes minimum.”
Five seconds later, Pops blew the whistle announcing me the winner, but Dimitri was on his feet like nothing had happened with his vampire speed.
I froze. “What the hell? You should be flat on your back right now, drooling onto the mat!”
With one eyebrow lifted, his smirk deepened. “Seriously? I am so hurt that you would do that to your squadmate.”
