Indulge by Megan Duncan Page B

brow in frustration. I could fight, I knew I could. Plus I didn’t want to be left waiting for who knew what to come after me.
    “Let the girl fight if she wants to, Cathair,” the old man chimed in, smiling at me. “She has the heart of a warrior, and with a little training I’m sure she could be an asset. Besides, you don’t want to leave her defenseless, do you? A young vampire would be an easy target.”
    I was glad to hear the old man had my back, although I didn’t much like being referred to as an easy target. He did have a point though. A little training would do me good. If it would make me stronger, I was all for it. Finally, something myself and the killer instincts inside me had in common. Neither of us wanted to be left out like a lamb for the wolves to prey on.
    My father sighed. “Very well. You will train, but only for your protection.” I tried not to smile too widely in fear that he would change his mind, but I couldn’t help myself. It felt good to know I would be doing something helpful instead of just hanging around.
    My father waved over a man from within the crowd. “Eli!” he called.
    My stomach flip-flopped at the sight of him. He was nearly six feet tall and had muscles that threatened to burst through his clothes. His hair was black as night, as were his eyes, and he had a perfectly deep tan that only accentuated his muscles. Side burns covered his jaw, giving him a rugged look.
    He simply grunted at my father and I couldn’t help but think he was a meat head. Did I really have to train with this guy? His neck was as thick as my thigh. But he certainly looked intimidating, and if I was to train with the best, then he was definitely it.
    After my father discussed my training with the man he turned to give me a look over. If any other guy had looked at me like that I would have probably flipped him off, but this guy, he was dissecting me. “I can train her,” he said. His voice was deep but raspy. A thick scent of cigar smoke traveled with him as he approached me to offer his meaty hand.
    “I am Eli. I will train you. It will not be easy, but you must do as I say and you will be a powerful fighter.”
    What did I say to that? Thank you? Without saying anything, I took his offered hand. As expected he crushed it with his fierce grip, and I smiled, returning it with as much strength as I could manage.
    “Ah!” Eli smiled evilly at me, wagging his finger. “You are stronger than I thought. She will do well,” he added as he turned to my father, who nodded proudly.
    I left the room with orders to be ready for training four hours before dawn. I was hoping I could rest before we started, but Eli didn’t have the face of someone who would allow whining, especially not in a time like this.
    I knew I didn’t have much time so I took off to Arrick’s room. I needed to know for myself if he had really gone. Deep down I knew he had. If he were here he would have been in the strategy room with everyone else.
    I took a deep breath, steadying my nerves, and stepped into Arrick’s room. It was empty, looking very much like he had never been there at all. I was surprised by how disappointed I was. It’s not like I didn’t know he would be leaving.
    Ever since becoming a vampire, my love life had become so complicated, but I wanted to change that. I thought we had made progress at the temple. Arrick and I were going to be bonded for all eternity. It just made sense that we should be together. Not just because we were bonded, but because of how we felt.
    But he was right; no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t bury my feelings for Dmitry. I was what was stopping the two of us from being together.
    I headed for the dining hall on the way back to my room and grabbed some blood before the inevitable training was to begin. I definitely didn’t want to fight on an empty stomach. I finished the glass quickly and handed it to a maid who had passed me by. She smiled merrily, completely oblivious of