They both froze. Sal could feel Zep's heart pounding against her back. She could smell the sugar in his sweat, so close to her, but no other emotions. Silence hung in the air for a few seconds before Zep spoke up.
"I yield," he said, calmly.
The onlookers gasped and Sal dared to look at his face. Gone was the smoldering anger, replaced with genuine respect. Pulling herself from the confines of his strong arms, all too aware of his hot body against her back, she wasn't sure what to do. Clumsily, she offered the wooden weapons to him. He took the swords and turned away, completely at ease.
The eyes of the recruits smothered her when she crossed the ring to ease her tired body against the fence post once more. The respect felt good but the surprise in their eyes brought a whole new resentment. Before she could dwell on the faults of her human competition, the Lieutenant addressed them again.
"Now that you've seen my Blades in action, you know what is, and will be, expected of each of you. Few of you could match them in combat," he said with a nod to Sal and the veteran, "but you will have to be as good as any of them to pass these trials. If you cannot improve – and quickly – there is no shame in resigning your application. It will not be looked on poorly if you do and choose to apply again at a later date. Razor is bunked in cabin ten. He will arrange transportation for anyone who chooses to rethink his preparedness.
"You have the rest of the night off. The pub is behind the barns, next to the arena. We will meet again tomorrow at 1300, this time at the arena. Enjoy yourselves, and really think about why you are here." He strode out of the courtyard in the direction of their cabins.
To continue reading
Click HERE for BLOODLUST
Books by Auryn Hadley:
Adding Ink (Romance):
One More Day
Two of a Kind (Planned)
When We Were Kings
When We Were Dancing
When We Were Crowned (In Progress)
Gamer Girls (Contemporary Romance):
Flawed
Challenge Accepted
Virtual Reality (In Progress)
Rise of the Iliri (Science Fantasy):
BloodLust
Instinctual
Defiance
Tenacity
Resilience
Dissent
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About The Author
Auryn Hadley is happily married with three canine children and a herd of feral cats that her husband keeps feeding. Between her love for animals, video games, and a good book, she has enough ideas to spend the rest of her life trying to get them out. They all live in Texas, land of the blistering sun, where she spends her days feeding her addictions – including drinking way too much coffee.
For a complete list of books by Auryn Hadley, visit my Amazon Author Page, or check out my website: aurynhadley.com
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