Elemental Shadowed by Helen Scott

6

Tessa

As soon as I had changed, I was out of the room and heading down to the training area. So far, the guys hadn't caught up with me. Each of them was no doubt upset with me because of my behavior, but I'd had enough of being treated like an inanimate object or worse, a delicate flower. Just because I'd been bound by magic and almost died didn't mean that the slightest breeze was going to kill me.

Now, I was hitting some of the pouches they used as punching bags and sending a quiet thank you to whoever had made it so the training room was empty when I got there. I'd never been a huge believer in god or gods or any of that, but now the small amount of faith I'd had was gone, and I didn't know who to curse or praise anymore.

It wasn't that I'd been raised in a religious household, at least not once I was taken away from my parents, more just that's what had bled into me from society over the years. I was moral, and I'd even go so far as to say spiritual, but that didn't mean I was religious. My mother had killed that for me by trying to burn the demon out of me, claiming I had an unholy birthmark.

Thinking about my mother always made me feel a little violent, so I wasn't surprised that each hit landed with more force than I'd ever used before, my fists and feet almost sinking into the sand in the bag. My rage and frustration were leaking out of me slowly but surely.

When Griff appeared in my peripheral vision, I ignored him. If he interrupted me, then I'd be punching and kicking him instead of the bag, or at least trying to. The man was harder to land a hit on than a greased pig was to catch.

"Stop." He spoke in the same tone he used when we were training.

All the flirtatious energy was gone from his normal voice, leaving it almost monotone and hard. It was only the fact that his voice had changed that made me obey his command. If he'd come swaggering in here trying to scold me or make me feel better then I would have continued to ignore him.

I felt his presence behind me as I held my position. Heat flowed off him in waves that almost made me feel like I was standing on the beach in summer. Not a single word passed my lips as he corrected my form. He knew I would appreciate it. The last thing I wanted was to hurt myself or pull a muscle because I was working out angry.

The last few months had been hell enough without reinjuring myself, thank you very much. I had no idea someone could lose muscle mass so quickly, although in my case magic was somewhat involved, it didn't change the fact that when I woke up I wasn't able to lift myself out of the healing pool and could barely hold my head out of the water.

"Go," he said as I felt his warmth slip away.

I started hitting the bag again and this time I felt the extra power that the form correction gave me and used it to my advantage. Soon enough the bag was swinging back and forth and beads of sweat were rolling down my back and my neck.

The feeling of empowerment was growing with each training session. I wasn't as good as the guys, never would be, but it felt good to know that I at least stood a chance at defending myself now that I'd been training so intensively the last few months. The intensity hadn't been intentional in the beginning but thanks to my wasted muscles it had felt like I was trying to run a marathon after not getting off the couch for a month.

"Stop. Spar with me."

It was like his voice was working some kind of magic on me and making me obey since I was feeling especially defiant after that scene in the Room of Prophecy. I didn't think that was actually true, since I was fairly sure that wasn't a power Griff possessed. Now, Dresden on the other hand? That was different.

I turned and marched onto the sparring mats, noticing, even though I didn't intend to, that he had stripped down to just his leather pants while I wasn't looking. I justified it by telling myself that if I got all the gawking out of the way now, then I'd be able to fight without him getting the upper-hand because he was so damn beautiful when he moved. My inner voice laughed at that, the bitch.

Griffin moved like liquid fire, smooth but unpredictable. As his fist connected with my side, I barely felt it, and I knew he was holding back, not wanting to take advantage of my aggravated state or lack of padding that I usually trained in. I threw punches and kicks right back at him, only I wasn't holding back.

He danced away from them each time letting me almost get him before he moved just out of reach. I could feel my frustration mounting once more. It almost seemed as though he was in league with the queen's advisers to torment me that evening.

I knew my emotions were getting the better of me when he began to just bat away my hits and kicks without even feigning that I could have reached him. It was a sure sign that he was getting bored. Asshole.

"Clear your head, Tessa. I can see all the turbulence in there from here, and it's impacting how you are moving and fighting. Fight like that against a real enemy and you'll get your ass handed to you."

The fact that he called me Tessa and not dove, his preferred nickname for me, let me know that he was in full training mode. A plan hatched in my mind and I tried to blank any hint of it from showing on my face.

The next few times Griff struck I parried, barely protecting myself, then after I had pushed myself to the limit of my patience, I let one of his hits land without flinching out of the way. Even though he was holding back, his fist still smacked into my stomach with enough force to leave me doubled over, gasping for breath.

"Shit, dove, are you okay?" Griff gasped as soon as I went down. He knelt beside me and before he could see my plan I lunged at him, tackling him to the mat. We both landed with an oomph as I tried to pin him. Before I could claim my victory though, he had me flipped over and on my back as though I was nothing more than a feather.

Hunger blazed in his eyes before he blinked it away, and I realized that my legs had parted of their own free will and I was now cradling him between them. A blush flew up my cheeks. I could sense his hesitation.

He wanted me, but he also wanted to win the sparring match but didn't want to hurt me or take advantage of the situation. Just as he was about to pull away, I looped my arms around his neck and drew him down into a kiss that I'd been craving ever since he first started teasing me.

He froze for a moment while I ghosted my lips over his, as though he'd never expected me to make the first move. The delicious scent of him filled my nose and warmed me to my toes.

It reminded me of a warm night in a cabin with a mix of citrus, wood, and wine. I could smell only him for the rest of my life and be perfectly happy. When I nipped at his bottom lip it seemed to break him out of whatever had frozen him and then the kiss became something so much more. It was a devouring of each other.

Griff rolled so that I was on top of him, straddling him and pressing my core against his quickly growing length, while his tongue twined around my own and his hands held me in place. His grip was firm but careful, as though he didn't trust what was happening and was already preparing for me to pull away.

Part of me felt horrible, I'd had sex with his teammate, but I couldn't deny the attraction I had to Griff. Finn and I hadn't even kissed since that day in the healing pools, not really. He'd given me a peck once when he knew I was awake and safe from the magic that had trapped me and was slowly killing me, but other than that? Nothing.

Spending the last few months slowly getting closer to Griff and spending more time with him had done nothing but increase my appreciation for the man, er, demon. Finn trained me occasionally, but we hardly ever spent any time together and I had no idea why. Had I been bad in bed, or pool as it were? I didn't think so given his reaction, but I wasn't sure what else could have driven him away.

Griff's eyes captivated me every time he looked at me. Those pale orbs with the dark pupil and an iris that was the palest cream color were going to be the death of me, I just knew it. As though his eyes weren't enough, the man had beautifully pouty lips and a body that just wouldn't quit. Whenever I thought I'd seen it all, or enough to finally get my head on straight, he'd move a different way or do something that would send me spinning all over again.

Something sounded in the hallway outside the training room and the two of us sprang apart like teenagers being caught by their parents. We both sat there panting and staring at each other. Anyone could have walked in and assumed that we had been sparring if it wasn't for the tent in Griff's pants or my swollen lips and the hard peaks of my nipples poking through my tank top.

When the sound didn't happen again, I felt a nervous energy descend in my stomach. There was nothing I wanted more than to pursue Griff and Finn at the same time. It was greedy of me, I know, but I couldn't help it. And don't even get me started on the idea of the two of them taking me to bed, that image was guaranteed to make me wet.

"What was that?" Griff asked quietly.

"A kiss," I said, not wanting to risk giving the situation meaning if he was uncomfortable with that. I didn't think he would be, but then I hadn't thought that Finn would practically ghost me either, but that's what he'd done.

"Just couldn't resist me anymore, huh?"

"Or it was just a distraction tactic, a moment to catch my breath while I planned my next move," I replied with a raised eyebrow.

"I thought you were rather more breathless after the kiss than before. We can try again if you want to, you know, practice the technique." Griff waggled his eyebrows at me and began to crawl toward me on the mat.

"Uh-uh. I think it got you entirely too excited," I said, crossing my arms over my chest so my nipples couldn't betray me and show him how turned on I was.

He didn't stop prowling toward me and I couldn't help but feel a little like his prey. Problem was I kind of liked it. The way his gaze devoured me, the way his hands had felt around my hips, it was all filling my mind until there was no room for anything else. As he approached I wanted him to catch me.

"I saw your reaction, I'm not the only one who was excited," he said with a growl.

I grinned and swatted him on the arm before moving away. The temptation he represented would be too much to deny myself in my current state of mind if I kept this up. I tried to focus on training again, but all that made me think about was Griff and the way he'd kissed me. When I turned my mind from training though it raced down the corridor wondering who had been spying on us.