Dynasty [Eric Coulter]

1.3

Tris halted suddenly. "I forgot I was going to go look around for a bit. Do you want to come?"

"I actually have to do something. I'll catch up with you later, okay?" Ana bit her lip, hoping that Tris wouldn't ask questions.

"Sure." Tris nodded, and Ana turned to walk away.

Her heart began to race the closer she got to the training room. No one was around, probably resting up for tomorrow or shopping around the Pit. Eric was standing by a table when she arrived and she smiled when she saw him.

"I didn't think you'd actually show up." She teased him as she joined him at the table.

He glanced at her, his gray eyes serious and hard. Ana felt her smile fade, concerned to why he looked so worried. "What's wrong?"

"Jeanine Matthews will be here for your simulations tomorrow." Eric said, glancing around the empty room. He acted as if someone might pop out at any moment. "I- She believes Dauntless is harboring Divergents while we're unaware."

Ana's breath caught in her throat. She had no reason to worry for herself, but Tris entered her mind in a moment. The girl was suspiciously good during this stage of initiation and her behavior whenever anyone mentions Divergents was strange. "What happens if she finds one?"

"She hasn't said." Eric ran a hand through his hair, looking more stressed than Ana had ever seen him. "She's planning something big. She hasn't told us what it is yet, but I'm sure we'll be finding out soon."

Ana chewed on her bottom lip, contemplating what Jeanine Matthews could possibly be planning. People were afraid of Divergents only because they didn't fit into one faction. Why should that have mattered? If they chose to be in one faction and lived by their values, why did they have to be considered dangerous?

Eric peered down at Ana. "You can't tell anyone I told you this. I don't want her to find out and target you for knowing."

She felt her cheeks burn as she nodded. "I won't. Thank you for telling me, Eric."

He sighed, placing a hand on her cheek gently. His gray eyes studied her expression and Ana wanted to shy away from his gaze. "Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"Yes." She breathed. She had been waiting so long. Not just for initiation to be over, but to officially be a part of Dauntless. "I've managed to find ways out of every fear landscape."

"How many did you have?"

"Eleven." She answered. "How many did you have?"

Eric smirked at her. "Ten."

Ana rolled her eyes at his cocky grin, shoving him away with a smile. Eric laughed as she did, reaching out his arms to trap her in his grasp. The two quieted their giggles after a few more moments and Ana's butterflies resumed their wandering. She was comfortable in his arms, like she was supposed to be there. He felt safe.

"Do you know what you want to be when you're done?" He asked, his lips brushing against her ear as he spoke.

"I haven't really thought about it. Maybe a guard on the fence or-" Ana suppressed a shiver, trying her best to ignore Eric's lips. "Or, maybe a trainer for the future initiates."

"You'll be picking tomorrow once you're formally Dauntless. They'll give you a set of options based on your final position."

Ana hummed, thinking of her possibilities. She wasn't too picky about what her job would be, she would be happy as long as she wasn't a shop owner. Excitement grew in her at the thought of tomorrow - she'd be an official member of Dauntless with a job and her own living quarters.

Eric moved away from her body but kept a hand in hers. "You should probably get back to your quarters. Tomorrow will come early."

She pouted, intertwining her fingers with his. "Walk me back?"

The two walked together closely, hand in hand, shoulders bumping together. It was later than Ana realized, making the compound quiet and still for once. Eric was silent throughout their walk, which was fine with Ana.

Her mind was busy thinking over the events that would unfold tomorrow and what Eric had told her about Jeanine. While she couldn't be completely sure, Ana had a feeling that Tris was a divergent and, if she wasn't, she was suspicious enough that Jeanine might look at her more. It worried Ana that her friend could be hiding a secret like that.

Ana hadn't spoke to Jeanine much before, but she had heard that she wasn't the nicest woman on the planet. Jeanine was often described as arrogant and cold, and Ana could tell that just by looking at her. She hoped Tris wouldn't draw too much attention to herself tomorrow.

Suddenly, Eric was jerking Ana behind him and away from her thoughts. She looked to him with wide eyes, about to ask what he was doing when she heard the noises. They had just reached the edge of the pit and were smashed against a wall as they listened to the fight happening around the corner.

Ana peeked out from under Eric's arm, gasping at the sight in front of her.

Tris was trying her best to beat off her three attackers, but it was obvious she was falling behind. She was desperately close to the chasm and Ana held her breath, hoping that her foot wouldn't slip off the edge.

"Dammit." She hissed and began to move away from Eric when he pulled her back again. She shot him a glare. "She's going to fall and get hurt, or worse. I'm not going to stand here and watch that happen."

"You'll get hurt if you go out there." He whispered back to her and Ana scoffed.

"I'll be fine."

"No, Ana." His voice was harsher. "Look."

She looked back towards the fight and felt her knees give out under her. Tris had managed to pull off one of the attacker's masks and when Ana saw his face, she felt as if she'd been hit in the gut.

It was Al.

"Oh my, God." She breathed, gripping Eric's arm as she watched him. He wasn't fighting her nearly as much as the other two boys, but he was still there. He was still part of her friend's attack.

"Four's helping her." Eric nodded towards the leader who had appeared. "Come on."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and turned her away from the chasm as he began to head in a completely different direction. Ana, who was still in shock from what she had seen, was barely able to process that they weren't headed towards the initiates' quarters.

"Where are we going?"

"My room." Eric told her. "You're not going back to that compound. I don't trust anyone else in there."

She felt herself nodding, instantly agreeing with his statement. Because, as she thought back to Al and his actions, she found that she didn't trust anyone else either.

***

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