005. Kiss in the Thunder

Blake’s POV:

The afternoon sun should have been bright, but clouds covered the sky like a thick blanket. The entire academy looked gray and tired. It matched my mood perfectly.

Coach Vega stood on the training ground with his arms crossed. His expression made it clear he was done with life, done with us, done with everything.

Alex was already there, stretching his neck like he was preparing to fight a dragon instead of doing training drills with me. Maya stood a few meters away, whispering something to another trainee. Liam came to stand beside me, his face tight with worry.

Vega clapped once. “Silver. Thorne. Front.”

We stepped forward at the same time. Alex shot me a sideways glare. I gave him one back. It was a beautiful moment of shared hatred.

Vega didn’t blink. “Today’s practice is teamwork.”

Alex scoffed. “You must be joking.”

I nodded. “He must be.”

Vega’s stare could kill. “Do I look like I am joking?”

We both shut up.

He continued, “You will spar as partners. Not opponents. You will learn to trust each other’s moves.”

Alex muttered, “Trust? Him?”

I muttered, “Please trust your own brain first.”

Vega ignored us. “Begin.”

We stepped onto the training mat, facing the target posts. The wind blew harder. Clouds rumbled above us.

Alex grabbed a staff from the weapon stand. “Try to keep up.”

“I’ll try not to fall asleep,” I answered.

We attacked the target dummies together. Or… we were supposed to. Alex swung too early. I swung too late. He blocked the wrong side. I dodged the wrong direction. We moved like two drunk goats trying to dance.

“Move right!” he shouted.

“I AM moving right!”

“That is left, idiot!”

“Your face is left!”

I didn’t know what that meant either, but it felt satisfying.

We both lunged at the same target and smacked our staffs into each other instead of the dummy. The vibration shot up my arms. Alex hissed and shook out his wrists.

Vega groaned loudly. “Are you two allergic to cooperation?”

Alex glared at me. “This is your fault. You distracted me.”

I blinked. “How? By existing?”

“Yes!”

“Well, sorry for breathing, Your Highness!”

We swung again. This time he blocked me on purpose just to make me stumble. I returned the favor by stepping on his foot. He yelped like a kicked puppy.

“Stop it!” Vega barked.

We ignored him. We were too far into our mutual stupidity.

Alex knocked my staff aside. “You are messing up on purpose.”

“You started it!”

“You touch the wrong side!”

“You touch the wrong everything!”

We collided again, tripped over each other’s feet, and almost fell face-first into the dirt.

Vega threw his staff across the ground so hard it bounced. “Enough!”

We froze like guilty schoolboys.

He rubbed his forehead. “I cannot deal with this. I trained wolves for twenty years. Alphas, betas, deltas—no one has ever given me a headache like you two.”

Alex raised a brow. “Then stop pairing me with him.”

“We agree on something,” I muttered.

Vega pointed a finger at both of us. “You want to avoid fights? Fine. Here is how you will learn to tolerate each other.”

I had a very bad feeling. Very bad.

“You two will share a dorm.”

Alex choked. I choked louder.

“What?” Alex demanded.

“No way!” I said at the exact same time.

Vega continued like he was reading a grocery list. “Three days in Alex’s dorm. Three days in Blake’s. One day break. You will live together until you stop acting like rabid pups.”

Alex pointed at me like I carried a deadly infection. “I am not sharing a room with HIM.”

I pointed back. “I would rather sleep with a wild boar.”

“Careful,” Alex snapped. “Boars bite less than Silvers.”

Vega took a deep breath. “Oppose me again and I will take you straight to the Dean when he returns. Or better, the Council.”

We both shut up so fast that the wind itself paused.

Vega nodded. “Good. It is settled. Pack your things. Blake goes to Alex’s dorm tonight. Dismissed.”

Maya looked stunned. Liam looked like someone kicked his soul.

Alex walked away with stiff shoulders. I yelled after him, “I will bring my things and reach!”

He waved one hand without turning. “Whatever!”

I glared at his back. “Arrogant—”

Liam cut in softly. “Blake.”

I sighed. “Fine. I’m shutting up.”

We walked toward my dorm. The sky didn’t lighten. Instead, it darkened more, like night was arriving early.

Inside my dorm, I grabbed my small travel bag and threw clothes into it with more force than necessary. Liam leaned on the door frame, watching me with sad eyes.

“You hate this,” he said.

“Obviously,” I muttered, stuffing shirts into the bag.

“I mean… I really hate it too.”

I looked up. Liam had his arms crossed and his jaw tight. He wasn’t jealous, just worried. Painfully worried. The kind that squeezed his face.

He stepped forward and helped fold a few things neatly. “You only need enough for three days.”

“Right.”

He packed a small towel. “Be careful, okay?”

I scoffed. “I’m not weak, Liam. I’m a Silver. I can fight. I am strong.”

He didn’t smile. “Being strong doesn’t mean you can’t get hurt.”

I zipped my bag. He suddenly pulled me into a hug, tight and warm. His hand pressed on my back like he didn’t want me to go.

“Just be careful,” he whispered.

I rested my chin on his shoulder for a second. “I will.”

When we let go, the room felt empty.

I slung my bag over my back and stepped out into the evening drizzle. The tiny drops hit my skin, cold and soft. I didn’t bother covering my head. Let the rain soak me. Let the storm swallow me. I had worse problems than getting wet.

Thunder cracked across the sky like the heavens were breaking apart.

“Perfect,” I muttered. “Just what I needed.”

The walk to Alex’s dorm felt longer than the entire academy again. Lightning flashed. The wind pushed against me. Every step reminded me I was walking straight into enemy territory.

Alex Thorne’s territory.

When I reached the dorm, the door was half-open. I frowned.

“Did he forget to close it? Or is he expecting...”

Another thunderstrike boomed. The dorm lights flickered.

I stepped inside.

“Alex?” I called.

A scream tore through the room.

I sprinted toward the sound.

Alex sat curled on a rocking chair in the corner, hugging his knees. The chair rocked wildly under him. His eyes were wide; not with anger, but with fear. His chest heaved. His knuckles were white around his legs.

For the first time since I knew him, Alex Thorne looked small.

Another loud thunder cracked outside. He flinched so hard the rocking chair jerked. He tried to get down, but one foot slipped. He leaned too far forward.

“Alex!” I rushed forward.

He lost balance. I grabbed him just as he fell.

And he crashed straight into me. His hands clutched my shoulders. My arms wrapped around his waist on instinct. Our weight pushed us off balance. We stumbled. The floor rushed up.

And then. His lips hit mine. Soft. Warm.

A shock ran through my entire body, louder than any thunder outside.

For a moment, I couldn’t tell if the storm roared. Or if it was my heart.