The Struggle: Hollow Crest Wolf Pack Book 2 Read online

  Grayson cleared his throat. "You're right, Lori. I don't want them throwing

  anything at you."

  "Soo...." I prompted him, not letting this go.

  "Corey and Kannon allowed them to siphon magic, but Wyatt and I participated in some of their spells." Gray's face was turning pink, so I was guessing there was more to this story.

  "What kind of spells?"

  Gray rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Wyatt for help.

  "For fuck's sake," Corey mumbled. "It was sex magic, Lori. These two don't

  want to admit that they were fucking the witches."

  Hot claws of jealousy ran down my insides. "But not anymore?"

  Gray shook his head. "Not for a while."

  "Hmmmm." I didn't say anything after that and we continued to eat in silence. I knew that I didn't have any claim to these guys other than as a pack mate, but I couldn't help but feel jealous at the thought of them with other women. I hated the images that I was getting in my mind right now. Every female that I had come across at the college was absolutely gorgeous, compared with my average looks. I gritted my teeth when I thought about how skilled and practiced the witches must be at bedroom activities if sex magic was something that they practiced often. How could I compete with any of that?

  I eyed Grayson and Wyatt as we ate. Were they embarrassed to admit they were

  having sex with other women because they thought I was too young to hear about that? Or was it because they liked me? I was at the point now where I could admit to myself that I hoped it was because they were starting to see me as a desirable female on their level. But I wasn’t quite ready to confess that to them just yet. I was still trying to figure out what it meant to be a woman and what it was that I wanted from them.

  When I first came to Hollow Crest, I had demanded that there would be no mating between myself and any of the other guys. In my last pack, the males had used the females whenever they pleased, no consent necessary. I had escaped that fate by running away from the pack before I turned eighteen.

  I had realized that these guys were different the first day I had met them. They were the exact opposite of every male wolf that I had ever met before. They listened to me when I spoke, valued my opinion, and respected my personal space.

  I valued what I had now and I wasn’t sure how it would change if I confessed I might have deeper feelings for the guys. How would they react if I admitted I had feelings for all of them? Would it cause tension between them? Would they start treating me differently? I couldn’t imagine any of the guys being cruel towards me. But what expectations would they have for me if they claimed me as their female? Could I meet those expectations? What if I ruined everything between us? What would I do without them?

  I tried to bring that train of thought to a screeching halt. I already had enough things to worry about right now. Baracus might be in town and after my blood. He could be watching us and waiting for an opportunity to attack. I couldn’t risk getting distracted or distracting the guys from our goals.

  I forced myself to finish the food on my plate. I never knew what was going to be in store for me and Gray when we went up to the college, but I doubted that going there hungry was a good idea.

  Kannon was first to stand and he grabbed my empty plate before I could beat him to it. “You cooked, Kannon. You should let us clean up after.”

  Kannon shrugged and flashed a smile at me. “I don’t mind. The sooner you and Grayson leave, the sooner you can come back to us.” He scooped up Grayson’s plate on his way to the sink.

  Grayson drained the glass of water in front of him before standing. “He’s right, Lori. I’m ready to get this over with if you are?”

  I heaved myself to my feet with a sigh. “Yup. Ready when you are.” The twins both stood to help Kannon clear the table and I was surprised when Corey reached for me as I passed him.

  “Be careful,” Corey murmured to me as he squeezed my hand. He let go quickly, but not quickly enough that his brother didn’t notice it. I saw Wyatt narrow his eyes at our linked hands before he smoothed the expression off his face and turned as if he hadn’t seen anything at all.

  Grayson jingled the keys as he grabbed them off the hook near the door and held out his hand for me. I was comforted by the weight of his hand on my lower back as we walked to the car. I don’t know if I could have done this without him. Even though we walked into the den of a potential enemy every week, I always felt safe with Grayson at my side.

  I yawned as we drove through the town and Grayson shot me a look. “You haven’t been sleeping well?”

  I shook my head. “I’ve just been having weird dreams.”

  “Nightmares,” Grayson corrected me.

  “Yeah,” I reluctantly agreed. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. I could handle a few bad dreams, everyone had them. Right?

  “If you need to talk…” Grayson suggested.

  I shrugged. “I don’t need to talk as much as I just need to forget.”

  “The trials that we go through are the fires that forge us into steel,” Grayson told me seriously.

  I let out a breath and leaned back. “What if I don’t want to be steel? Steel is for weapons.”

  Grayson chuckled. “You aren’t the type of female who wants to be a pretty decoration. You’re tough, resourceful, and resilient.”

  I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. “But not pretty?”

  Gray flashed me a heart-stopping grin. “You’re beyond just pretty.”

  I blushed at the compliment. Was Grayson actually flirting with me?

  He stopped the car at the gate and turned to me while we waited for the security guard. “Lori, we’re lucky to have you in our pack.”

  My face went from pink to bright red. “I’m lucky to have met you guys - and I’m really grateful to be here with you,” I said in almost a whisper.

  The security guard leaned over to look in Grayson’s window and our moment was over. He walked around our vehicle to verify it was just the two of us before he waved us forward. I had gotten used to the opulence that seemed out of place in a college that was situated near a small town in the middle of nowhere. I no longer stared at the gleaming marble or the over-the-top chandeliers as we made our way to Dr. Green’s office to find out what we would be doing today.

  “My two favorite wolves!” Dr. Green greeted us with a bright smile, but I wasn’t fooled by his charm or supermodel good looks. “Lori, I have an easy day planned for you, you’re going to wear a heart monitor and some electrodes while you observe Grayson today.”

  My stomach sank and I looked over at Gray. “Observe Grayson doing what?”

  Dr. Green reached over to pat me on the shoulder but a low growl from Grayson made him pull his hand back prematurely. He didn’t look perturbed at Gray’s warning, just amused. “Grayson helps train our new recruits sometimes. Has he ever mentioned to you how skilled of a warrior he is?”

  “Kind of,” I said nervously. The guys had told me that Grayson would be expected to fight sometimes so I guess I should have predicted this would occur at some point.

  “Mary!” Dr. Green called to his assistant. “Let’s head down to the observation deck over the pit with Lori so we can get her set up.”

  Mary nodded in agreement but her unpleasant scowl didn’t shift. I wasn’t too thrilled about ‘the pit’ either, that didn’t sound pleasant.

  “I’ll stay with Lori until I’m needed below,” Grayson told Dr. Green in a tone that left no doubt that it wasn’t a suggestion.

  “Of course,” Dr. Green said with a smile. “I wouldn’t dream of separating you before absolutely necessary. We’ll definitely keep her in range of your pack bond.” He said it in a kind tone of voice, but I caught the glint of something in his eyes that I didn’t like. I had the sneaking suspicion that Dr. Green was not nearly as kind or benevolent as he liked to appear to us.

  Grayson took my arm as we followed Dr. Green and Mary. I tried to keep my though
ts blank because I had learned on my first visit here that Mary could overhear our thoughts and communication between us using the pack bond. During my first visit, the questions that Dr. Green would ask Grayson and myself seemed random and I didn’t understand how that type of information could help them. But with each visit, it became more clear that Dr. Green was interested in our magical abilities. He wanted to know how our pack bond functioned, at what range we could use it, and he tried all types of equipment to see if he could pick up on the flow of magic we used.

  Dr. Green had been gentle with his prodding so far, but I also got the impression that he was interested in the mating bonds that some wolves formed. Grayson was very clear that any sexual questions that Dr. Green had for me were completely off limits. That didn’t mean the Dr. Green didn’t try to push the boundary to try and figure out what type of relationship Gray and I had.

  Dr. Green opened a door at the end of the hallway with a flourish and waved for us to precede him. I probably clung to Grayson a little more than was needed, but I was nervous about what the lamia had planned for us today. Gray didn’t seem to mind as much as he patted my arm reassuringly.

  “Lori, have a seat.” Dr. Green gestured to a comfortable looking chair that reclined. “Mary is going to place electrodes to measure electrical impulses in your heart and brain.”

  I hopped up on the chair and nodded. I knew from previous experience that this wouldn’t hurt at all. From my vantage point on the chair, I could see that the balcony oversaw the practice area that Dr. Green had called ‘the pit.’ It didn’t look nearly as bad as I thought it would. It was more like a boxing gym than a pit of hell. Mary was quick and efficient with placing all of the electrodes where they needed to go, but my hair was going to be disgusting after this with the odd-smelling jelly she was using to place the electrodes.

  I looked up at Grayson and gave him a tentative smile as Mary worked on my and Dr. Green set up more equipment. Grayson squeezed my hand. “Don’t worry, I’ve done this a bunch of times. Have you ever watched an MMA match before?”

  I shook my head no.

  “It’s kind of like a boxing match,” Grayson explained. “But kicking and grappling are allowed. It’s more similar to the way a wolf would fight naturally.”

  I could see Dr. Green listening to Gray speak with his head cocked to one side.

  “There’s a referee,” Gray continued. “And the match is stopped if either opponent is seriously injured.” He stroked my wrist with his thumb. “You look so worried, Lori,” he murmured to me. “But I’m actually looking forward to the fights.” He gave me a feral grin.

  “Just be safe,” I warned him. “The pack needs you.” Grayson leaned forward and gave me a kiss on a small space of my head that wasn’t covered in electrodes or jelly. “And I need you,” I said almost under my breath.

  I knew Grayson heard me because he froze for a second before pulling away and searching my eyes. “They’re ready for you down below,” Dr. Green interrupted cheerfully.

  Grayson stood and gave me a wink before hopping over the balcony railing and dropping ten feet to the mats below. I rolled my eyes at his bravado as he swaggered over to the group of males who were filing into the area below us. They looked so young that they could have easily blended into Hollow Crest High, but I guess that because the university was attached to a prep school there were bound to be younger students. I had always pictured lamia to be these ancient, powerful creatures. It was throwing me off that they looked like kids just like us.

  “They look so young,” I murmured.

  Dr. Green glanced down at the group, “They’re mostly third and fourth-years, Grayson is expected to instruct them more than anything else.” I had learned enough about the school to know that students started here at ten or eleven years old so the third and fourth-year students would be like high school freshmen. He patted me on the arm. “The violent matches are the ones with the students about to graduate.” My eyebrows rose. I would prefer that Grayson not participate in any of those matches. I don’t think I could handle just standing by and watching if there was a chance he could be seriously hurt.

  Grayson clasped hands with a dark-haired male lamia and they pounded each other on the back. Some of my worries eased when I saw how sociable he was with the guys. This wasn’t going to be enemies fighting a battle, it was going to be more of a friendly match. Or as friendly as it could be when two guys were punching and kicking each other, I guess.

  Mary repositioned some of the electrodes as Dr. Green examined the readings he was getting on his laptop. “This is very exciting,” Dr. Green told me with a grin. “I’m interested to see if I can measure the transference of power between the two of you.”

  I frowned at him in question.

  He smiled at me, that scary glint reappearing in his eyes. “I’ve heard that females can transfer magic to make the males stronger in battle.”

  I squirmed a little. “But Grayson and I aren’t mated.” I knew that alphas could call on the power of the pack to help them win in battle, so technically Gray could probably pull magic from me. But I think what Dr. Green was referring to was those mythical stories about true mates that the females in my old pack would whisper about sometimes. I always thought that those stories were the equivalent of human females watching The Notebook over and over again. Females of any species seemed to crave a love that could transcend everything. While that seemed nice in theory, I doubted something like that could exist in real life.

  The females in my old pack would sometimes fantasize that everyone had a mate somewhere out there. They used to dreamily wonder what it would be like to have their mate show up and rescue them from the horror of daily life in our pack. No one’s mate ever came, and most of those females had died before I was even fifteen years old.

  I learned at a very early age that no one was ever going to come to save you, you had to save yourself. Looking down at Grayson now, I wondered if he would come after me if I were taken by a terrible pack. Would he charge in along with Kannon, Corey, and Wyatt? Together would they crush the males who had dared to harm me? I snorted when I realized just how ridiculous my thoughts had become. When had I turned into one of those lovesick females?

  Down below, I could see that Grayson and the other males were done greeting each other. I was surprised to see that two of the lamia males were the first to step into the fighting ring. They took a few shots at one another, but none of the hits really connected. Grayson stepped into the ring to pause the fight and I could see him correcting their stances and giving advice as to get more power behind their swings. I was even more surprised when the two lamia were respectfully thankful toward him before continuing to spar. From the glares and uncomfortable reception that Grayson and I had received when walking through the hallways of the school, I had expected these guys to be antagonistic towards Grayson.

  After Grayson had coached several cycles of lamia, it was his turn to step in the ring. I could feel his excitement as he bounced on his toes and swung his arms to warm up before his fight. His muscles flexed and I couldn’t help but admire his powerful body. He stripped off his shirt and I licked my lips at the sight of all his muscles on display. Gray touched fists with his opponent in a show of friendliness before they squared off against each other.

  I gasped when the lamia opened with a spinning kick that only missed Grayson by a hair. He followed quickly with a punch that Grayson ducked and used to close the distance between them. He pinned the lamia against the fence and got in some body shots but the lamia broke into free space.

  I knew my heart was beating faster as they exchanged a few more hits until Grayson moved for a takedown. He got the lamia on his back, who quickly scrambled to his feet. I let out a gasp when the lamia scooped Grayson down to the mat. Dr. Green scribbled down notes as he kept his eyes between the fight and the laptop measuring my responses.

  Grayson brought the lamia down with him and was still landing punches and elbows as they fell. They bro
ke apart after a moment and got to their feet. Grayson continued to be aggressive with landing body and leg kicks but the lamia was trying to put some distance between them. The lamia dove in for a takedown and I gasped again. But Grayson was ready for him with a hip toss and tried for a chokehold. They grappled on the ground and I was gnawing on my bottom lip and trying not to cry out every time the lamia landed a hit on Gray. I can see blood start to flow from a cut on his head and I’m worried about how that was going to affect the lamia. Would the scent of blood send him into a killing frenzy? I looked around, but no one else seemed worried.

  Dr. Green’s attention was fully on me while the guys down below were cheering on the fight. Grayson finally got the lamia pinned but he wasn’t ready to give up. The lamia kept trying to connect hits from where Grayson had him pinned and he scooted toward the fence in an attempt to stand up, but Grayson was too heavy and kept him pinned down. I was relieved when one of the other guys blew a whistle and called time.

  Gray gave the lamia a hand up and it didn’t seem like there were any hard feelings. I just wanted to rush down and take care of the cut that was now bleeding into Grayson’s eyes. He smeared the blood across his face with a swipe of his hand and reached for a bottle of water that one of the lamia handed him.

  None of the lamia seem overly affected by the blood on Grayson’s face, so maybe the rumors of just how blood-thirsty they are have been exaggerated? I relaxed back in the chair now that Grayson’s fight was over and I could watch Dr. Green. He met my curious eyes with a friendly smile. “You’re doing great, Lori.”

  I tried not to roll my eyes or sigh too loud. All I was doing was laying here while Grayson was down there fighting. My heart rate sped up when I saw Grayson getting ready to spar with another lamia. I had thought he would have been done or at least got a break after his last fight. I touched his mind with our bond so that he could feel my concern, but he looked up at where I was on the balcony and sent me a wave of reassurance. I could sense his excitement for the next fight as a red-headed lamia stepped into the arena.