Chapter 4:

I looked the man over once more as he watched the pair of dragons fly off before turning back towards me. "You pulled me up here just to let them bond?" I asked, but something seemed a little different now as he looked me over once more, leaning back against what I could only assume was his desk. This time, those deep emerald eyes seemed to soften slightly as he took me in.

"Yes, while they like to pride themselves on being easy-going to all the new recruits, this place is anything but. I'm assuming, considering you're currently dressed in clothing more suited to farm work than any type of city attire, that you don't know the first thing about combat in any scenario. Which means I would much rather give them the chance to do what they need to do while you're under my direct supervision. If she leaves you at any other point over the next week, there's a very good chance that you'll both end up dead, and that would be incredibly inconvenient for me." I just gawked at him for a moment, crossing my arms over my chest as it turned to a glare in the asshole's direction. Just when I thought that maybe I could give him the benefit of the doubt, and maybe we might be getting somewhere, he just had to open his damn mouth.

"I can protect myself just fine, thank you very much," before the last word was even fully out of my mouth, he had moved. By the time I had taken a single breath, he had me turned to where my face was pressed up against the wall as he pinned both arms behind my back and pressed into me, holding me there. He didn't grip me hard enough to hurt me, but it had definitely put a huge hole in my ego. "You proved your point," I whispered, but my voice shook, and, honestly, at this point, it would have been far less demeaning if he had just thrown me out of that window rather than being completely humiliated like this. At least it was just the two of us, but still.

He leaned into me, pressing me further against the wall as he bent his head close to mine, looking me directly in the eye as he spoke. "I don't think I have." He whispered in a low, cold tone that damn well almost sliced into me just as much as his hard gaze did. "You need to get it through your thick skull that between now and the end of this week, if anyone else catches you like this, there's a damn good chance that you won't be walking away from it." I took a shaky breath. I couldn't play this game anymore, not with him. I was terrified, to say the least, and I couldn't help the fact that my whole body trembled in his grasp, but he didn't tighten it or push any further; he just simply held me there. My mind was screaming at me that this man was not just dangerous, but downright deadly. That he could snap me like a twig without a second thought, but the way he was holding me here said something wholly different. For such a large, imposing man, he held me surprisingly gently, only applying enough pressure that I knew I was stuck there, but not enough to actually hurt me. Hell, it probably wouldn't even leave a single mark on my skin. "The first day is always easy. Tomorrow, they're going to rip off the blindfold and show you the real academy. Don't be fooled, this may seem like a cozy little school, but trust me when I tell you that you don't produce top-ranked warriors by going easy on them. Warriors are forged by ripping away their humanity until there's nothing left but a blade." With that, he let me go, backing away from me as he went back over to his desk, allowing me a moment to slowly collect myself.

He leaned back against the edge of the desk once more as I turned back to watch him, far more wary now than before. He fully relaxed this time, crossing his ankles as he ran a hand through his hair and over his face like he was the one trying to clear their mind. "Look, all I'm trying to say is that you just walked in here with one of the strongest familiars on your shoulders. They're going to come after you, and once everyone figures out that they're mated," he gave a low, cruel-sounding chuckle. "They're going to come after you twice as hard, because not only do you have the second strongest familiar on the grounds, but you just gave them the key to hurt Bane and ultimately me." I didn't know what to say to that, so I just nodded to him. He was right. I could see it now. See why he was so irritated about this, because ultimately, I just dragged him right into a whole pile of shit that he probably didn't have time for.

"What should I do then?" I asked, finally meeting his gaze once more and seeing the slight tip of his lips for just a moment before it was gone once more.

"Train, start tonight in your free time. Strengthen your muscles, but don't overdo it. You'll have combat class daily starting tomorrow, take those lessons and work them further on your own time. Other than that, just be smart and don't pick fights. If someone wants to fight for a position, just let them have it. Better to be the lowest ranking student alive than buried at the bottom of this mountain."

"Okay... thank you." I practically whispered as I leaned back against the wall, but he just looked at me, seemingly stunned for a moment before I blinked, and his expression turned right back into that stony mask of a neutral face. I took a moment to really think over everything he had said before looking back up at him. "Shouldn't the higher-ups know that our dragons are mated? I mean, it kinda affects everything we do around here now."

"They've already been informed, and don't think that's going to make things any easier for you here. While they may not come at you directly, they're still going to find a way to get to you."

"They're going to try to make me fail? But wouldn't that work against them with you here?"

"You'll learn that power means everything here, and let's just say that there are several people here that don't like how much of it I have." I just stared at him for a long moment, trying to process everything.

"What happens if I don't make it past this week?"

"That's not an option anymore."

"Well, there's a very real chance that I won't make it. You said it yourself, hell, you did one better and proved it within a matter of seconds."

"You will make it because I'm going to train you. I'm free most nights after dinner, thanks to my schedule, and you're going to meet me in the gym every single night starting tonight, so I can guarantee that you will make it past this first week at least. I can't guarantee much after that, considering that once the other students start catching on that you're getting special treatment, they're not going to take kindly to it. Therefore, I hope for both our sakes that you're a quick learner." That made me pause once more. He was going to train me? Well, at least I wouldn't feel bad if I accidentally punched him in his perfect face, but honestly, if those sessions are as up and down as this, then there's a good chance that I might just throw myself out that damn window.

That's when the two dragons decided to fly back in through the window, and I happily welcomed Nova's comforting weight across my shoulders as she settled in. I didn't know what it was about this gorgeous man that had my mouth moving before my mind could actually stop me from making more stupid decisions, but apparently, I just couldn't help myself. "I'm Ari, by the way. Since formalities apparently got thrown out the window somewhere between you calling out every single one of my faults, and somehow turning it around to actually being helpful." The urge to flip him off was almost too much to resist, but as I glared at him, he actually smiled, and as much as I wanted to stay pissed off at the man, that single little soft curve of those damn perfect lips had my breath catching in my lungs before it was gone once more.

"Xavier, and you're welcome. Now get going. I'm going to assume that you're capable enough to find your way back to the main hall to get your room assignment." He gave a slight nod towards the door, and I huffed in pure frustration. I get that he's pissed off at the moment, but it's not like it's totally my fault. I didn't know I was walking into this today either. Hefting my bag onto my shoulders once more, I stomped out the door, all but slamming it behind me.