Taste of Torment (20 page)

“Yes, I’m sure the squad are drooling at the sight of my arms and shoulders. Maybe you should be a little more concerned with how very little your colleague is wearing, Mr Collins.”

Turning away from him in a sure sign of dismissal, I switched my attention to the squad. Max and Stuart turned amusingly giddy, clearly having missed working with everyone.

Having been fully debriefed on our ‘plan’, Max and Stuart were sure to fake weaknesses that they didn’t have during the session, and they didn’t question the longer breaks that they were now getting. They also took advantage of their recent encounter with death by faking tiredness and claiming to need a rest here and there. Although I knew it was for the best, it was still pissing me off because not only did it interfere with their training, but it meant that I couldn’t push them harder. And I
needed
to push them harder. Paige’s presence could cause a battle of some kind, and I needed the squad fully prepared. Of course they were more than capable of protecting themselves and each other during battle without additional training, but I wanted to be sure that they were at their best.

Expectedly, Collins spent the entire time asking questions and criticising my every move to the point of nit-picking. In addition, he complained for the millionth time that I swore too much (so?) and made a sound of disapproval each time that I did. He also complained that bringing Dexter from his tattoo form was distracting the squad – that was the whole point: to teach them to perform while distracted, because that was what they would need to do in a battle. Furthermore, he complained that when I divided the squad for sparring, I pitted them against members who they were quite vulnerable to gift-wise – well, duh, how else were they going to learn to rely on more than just their gifts to survive in a battle? The bloke was utterly clueless.

Eloise also gave her penny’s worth: I was condescending, I was too impatient, and I lacked room for error – all of which was simply to piss me off. But I didn’t rise to her bait because I knew it greatly annoyed her. Maybe that was why at the end of the session, when the squad had left and I’d just returned Dexter to his tattoo form while Collins babbled at me about something or other, she reached out to touch Jared. In a split second, a dark combination of rage, jealousy, possessiveness, and a need to
hurt
whipped through me so fast and hard that I almost swayed. I wanted nothing more than to grab the bitch and throw her across the arena. But I didn’t.

However, something else happened.

Just as her fingers went to touch Jared, a cold draft sliced through the air, raising the hairs on my arms. We all stiffened as the icy breeze built and built until, suddenly, a silvery-blue wind of pure energy formed around Eloise. What happened next was even more shocking. Like it was a vacuum, the whirlwind literally spat her across the wide space, causing her to collide into the far wall. What the fuck? The silvery-blue energy wind then instantly disintegrated like mist.

Jared’s head whipped around to face me.
How did you do that?

I blinked.
I didn’t.
Or, at least, I hadn’t
meant
to do it. That counted, right? I kept my face carefully blank, not letting Collins or Eloise see my confusion.

Coughing and dusting herself off, Eloise rose to her feet. “You bitch!” She marched toward me, and I half-expected the wind of energy to appear again. It didn’t. Not even as she closed in on me. So I did the smart thing. Rather than attack her, and thus give her what she wanted, I called, “Novo.” Like that, a jet black Dexter was draped over my shoulders again. He hissed at Eloise, his scales turning red, and she stopped dead in her tracks. She was perfectly aware that he would attack her without hesitation if she attempted to harm me in any way.

Eyes wide, she pointed at me, shaking. “You jus
t
”

“What had you expected would happen?” Jared’s voice was calm, bored even. “Sam and I are Bound. You tried to touch me – and we all know that it was a flirtatious move on your part. Bound couples have gone to war over each other. You’re lucky that all Sam did was send you on a little trip across the arena.”

Eloise swerved to face a gaping Collins. “Do something! She attacked me!”

Outraged, Collins went to speak, but Jared beat him to it.

“No, she didn’t. She defended our bond.” Folding his arms across his chest, Jared glanced at Collins. “You know how it works. Your colleague’s behaviour is considered a threat to the bond. She wanted a reaction. She got one.”

Collins clenched his fists. “It was a most violent reaction that could have left Eloise seriously hurt! My repor
t
”

“Note it all down if you must,” I told Collins, somehow still masking my shock at what had just occurred. “But you’ll need to also note her provocative behaviour.”

Eloise curled her upper lip. “
All I did was try to touch him!
” Dexter hissed at her again, making her flinch.

“Ah, but it wouldn’t have been an innocent touch,” I pointed out. “Flirting with a Bound male is as good as signing your death warrant.”

“That is no excuse for your actions, Commander Parker!” maintained Collins. “And I believe it is quite clear that you do not deserve that title!” His raised voice earned him a hiss from Dexter.

“The session is over,” rumbled Jared, scowling, “so there are no more notes for you to take. I suggest you both go.”

“The session may be over,” allowed Collins as he marched toward the door, “but
this
is not.” He strode out of the building with an outraged, complaining Eloise in tow.

Once they were gone, Jared turned to me. “How did that happen?”

“I honestly have no idea.”

He inhaled deeply. “Then I think we need to have a chat with Antonio.”

So we did. Well,
Jared
did. I just sat next to him on the sofa in the parlour room opposite Antonio and Luther, who hadn’t said a word. I was still in shock, and I was also shitting myself. My gift had gone haywire once before, and I didn’t like the idea that it could be happening again.

Sensing my unease, Jared shackled my wrist with his hand and massaged my pulse point comfortingly with his thumb. I hadn’t returned Dexter to his tattoo form, wanting to calm his overprotective state first. Plus, he strangely had a way of relaxing me. Curled up beside me, he was currently a brilliant blue, indicating that he had calmed and was pretty content. Well, at least one of us was.

Antonio looked at me. “I cannot say I’m surprised this has happened.”

I blinked rapidly. “Say again?”

“You are an expressive person, Sam. But you have spent the past few weeks bottling up your emotions, despite how hard Collins and Eloise have tested your patience. Anybody who strangles their emotions will eventually get to a stage where they ‘explode’. A vampire’s gift is tied to their emotions. As such, it was truly only a matter of time before your gift…had an outburst, shall we say.”

One of Jared’s brows slid up. “You’re saying that happened because she’s stressed? Her gift had a tantrum?”

“Taking into account recent events, I would imagine that Sam is a bubbling cauldron of various emotions, for want of a better phrase. Her gift of absorbing and harnessing energy is strongly linked to her emotions. As such, the energy inside her will be bubbling just the same. Pent up emotions will manifest themselves some way or another. They eventually find an outlet.”

“All right, I can accept that my gift ran riot because I’ve been keeping a lid on my feelings. But I’ve never formed a whirlwind of energy before. It was huge, and it was bloody powerful.” I’d always been able to call on the natural element of air, but that was totally different from actually forming a whirlwind of energy.

Jared shook his head in wonder. “I swear it was almost like it was alive.”

“Just as every human produces energy, every vampire produces preternatural energy,” said Luther. “Preternatural energy is the fuel that fires vampiric gifts. The preternatural energy that Sam now produces is hybrid energy. It is powerful, and it calls to the surrounding energy like a magnet. The two energies mingle together inside of her, creating one hell of a cocktail, and strengthening her gift. Have you ever seen a mixture of chemical substances bubbling inside a corked bottle?”

Jared nodded in understanding. “The cork came off.”

“I would say so, yes.”

I massaged my temples. “I blame the brothers.”

Jared gave my wrist a squeeze. “I should have made their deaths more painful.”

I went to assure him that their deaths had been satisfyingly painful enough, but then the doors were barged open and in marched Eloise and Collins. Oh bloody great.

(Jared)

They truly couldn’t have picked a worse time to piss around. Now that I fully understood the toll these assholes had taken on Sam, I didn’t have the patience to deal with their shit. And of course Collins and Eloise had shit to dish out. What was new?

Eloise stomped towards where each of us had risen to our feet. She snarled at Sam before addressing Antonio, her head held high. “Your
commander
attacked me! I expect her to be reprimanded!”

“Oh you do, do you?” drawled Antonio. His tone was menacing enough to make Eloise take a cautious step backwards. It wasn’t often that Antonio was anything other than cool and collected, but right now he was clearly on the verge of snapping.

Dexter hissed from his place on the sofa, his scales now red once more. Clearly only just noticing him, Collins jerked away and involuntarily bumped into Eloise.

She went to snap at him but then gripped his arm instead and urged him toward Antonio.

“Fredrick witnessed the whole thing. Go on, tell him, Fredrick.”

Clearing his throat, Collins nodded. “I did indeed witness Commander Parker attack my colleague, and I will be reporting this incident to the Prelature. I will also be reporting that she has hindered my investigation several times. It is quite clear that she does not deserve her position, and I will be making that clear in my report.”

Sam gave a humorous laugh. “Mr Collins, I’ve cooperated with you even though your investigation is way too intrusive for my liking.” Her tone was business-like and brisk. “I’ve answered your questions, I’ve let you watch my training sessions, and I’ve let you shadow me. But I will not allow you to bully me, and that is exactly what you have repeatedly attempted to do. You have thrown your authority around, expecting me to hop, skip, and jump at your say-so.” She took a step toward him, wearing that haughty, all-knowing, school teacher look that always made me want to fuck her within an inch of her life. “As such, you should know that I’ll be making an official complaint about both of you.”

Collins gaped. “Excuse me?”

And this was where he would learn that Sam wasn’t to be fucked with. And I had a front seat. Smiling, I folded my arms over my chest and watched my mate at work.

“I have witnesses to attest to the fact that Miss Montana dresses inappropriately, spends much of her working hours at the pool – oh and I have photographic evidence to support this, should you wish to see it – and persistently makes inappropriate comments to Jared. Had she been a male and Jared been a woman in that situation, it would most likely be classed as sexual harassment. Worse, Jared is Bound to another. That bond is considered very sacred, is it not? She shows no respect for it, which is a very serious thing, as you are both fully aware.”

Pausing, she shot Eloise a withering look that actually made her cower. Turning her attention back to Collins, Sam continued. “As Jared pointed out earlier, vampires have gone to war in the past in order to protect such a bond. It is instinctive for us to vigorously defend it, even if violent measures are needed. Even knowing this, she behaves inappropriately, which puts both of you in danger – it can certainly be counted as
reckless
among many other things. We all know how you feel about recklessness, Mr Collins. She also invaded my home on one occasion, which is not at all tolerable. And let’s not forget that she’s been sleeping with some of the guards when she is here to
work
. All of that, I think you will agree, is totally unprofessional behaviour.”

Collins just stood, dumbfounded, and looking at Sam as if seeing her for the first time. I noticed that Antonio and Luther were as equally amused as I was. Eloise, on the other hand, was staring at Sam; her eyes glimmered with a mixture of horror, shock, and fury.

Eventually Collins gathered himself. “W-well your complaints are indeed s-serious,” he allowed. Eloise gasped, glowering at him. “But I must point out that these only apply to Eloise.” It was typical that the slimy piece of shit would only be interested in saving his own skin, happy to hand his colleague out to dry.

Sam smiled. “Oh I’ve got a number of complaints that I can make against you.”

His expression turned wary. It definitely should. “I know that you have felt shadowed, Commander Parker, but protocol states that I stay here as an observer.”

“But bothering my squad during their free time isn’t protocol, is it? Asking them personal questions and requesting to see their personal files isn’t protocol either. You also publically revealed the identity of the complainant when, according to you, they wished to remain anonymous. That not only went against protocol, it placed them in danger – after all, the rest of the squad would not have reacted well to such betrayal, had they believed any betrayal had taken place. As it turned out, you purposely accused the wrong person; that, in and of itself, is
appalling. And let’s not also forget that you interrupted a training session by participating.”