"I hate you," I panted, spread out on the cool floor.
We had spent an hour doing mindless drills. Squats and lunges and stretches to improve mobility. Small corrections here and there, adjusting my body so I was performing to his standards.
He rolled his eyes, "It will take some time before your body can handle the easy things. You have spent much too long stagnant."
"And you have spent too much time commenting on it." I attempted to snap back, but all of my energy had been spent earlier.
"Get up," He turned towards the stairs, "You stink."
"And whose fault is that?" I groaned, rolling onto my stomach before pushing up and off the floor with my shaky limbs.
"I'll get you some water," Knox wrinkled his nose, "Though I doubt it will help much."
I growled, but he didn't flinch. Assured with the fact that he had reduced my limbs and energy levels to mere ruins. His large body disappeared up the stairs, leaving me alone in the dim lighting. It was stuffy down here, but private, and I got the feeling he chose this spot for that reason alone.
I wobbled over to the stairs on shaky legs, staring up at my next challenge. With a final sigh I gripped the railing and began the slow process of hauling myself up the stairs.
Five minutes.
It took me five minutes to get back to my room. Where a steaming bucket of water and a washcloth greeted me. Another three minutes spent slowly peeling off my sticky clothing. Then finally being able to start scrubbing at my skin in a futile attempt to get clean.
By the time I was satisfied I could barely keep my eyes open. The big bed was calling to me, attempting to seduce me into its soft embrace. I gave into its siren song. Collapsing onto the rumpled covers and quickly burrowing beneath them, my skin still slightly damp.
Hands.
Calloused hands brushed against the delicate skin of my waist. Red eyes peered up at me from beneath thick, black lashes. He pulled back slightly, a serious frown taking over his full lips.
"Is this alright?" His gentle touch became almost non existent, a growl of disapproval slipped from my throat. "Tell me what you want."
"I want you." My voice belonged to someone else, husky with my desire.
"Be specific." Knox ground out.
"I want you to touch me," Heat sparked between my thighs, "I want you inside me."
"Take it then," He ground out, pulling back and letting me enjoy the full expanse of his broad chest.
His eyes brightened, the heat from them flickering over my body as he stared at my exposed breasts. Pink tongue swiping over his full lips, a cocky smile stretching them when my eyes tracked the movement.
"Go on," He huffed, "You want me so bad then prove it. Maeve."
"Maeve!"
"Maeve!"
"Maeve!"
I groaned, rolling onto my back and staring up at the ceiling. A few more loud thwacks and Entha was calling for me again. More clothes had appeared at the foot of the bed and an uneasy feeling rolled over me. Knox must have come in here, while I was naked and asleep...
"Get up!" Entha snapped through the door, a strong wind suddenly whipping through the room.
I grumbled out a response, my muscles twinging painfully when I managed to roll out of bed. It only took a few seconds to pull on the clean clothing, but another wind was sent into the room, this one colder than the last. I gritted my teeth, pulling on my boots before stomping towards the door and tugging it open.
"What?" I snapped, glaring at the shorter female smirking smugly up at me.
"I need your assistance." She spun around striding away from me towards the upper deck.
"With what?" I groaned but followed her.
There was no time to play a spoiled princess if I was going to be adapting to my new role. Not that I knew what my role was going to be. For now it seemed like all I would be is Knox's mate. Nothing to do but sit somewhere and look pretty and be silent. Just like with my father. Nothing more than a decoration.
My anger flared, gums itching with the urge to shift. Entha still trotted ahead of me, skipping up the old steps cheerfully. Completely unaware of the rage boiling through me. Not their fault you're useless, that dark voice whispered to me. Like a bucket of water dousing a flame the anger building inside me was snuffed out. I shook out my hands, attempting to expel the sudden adrenaline spiking my blood.
"Over here," She pointed towards where Zeni was busy polishing his dagger. "I want every weapon on this ship inspected and polished. We are going to be crossing the Zra soon and I don't want to be caught with rusted blades. Zeni will show you how to polish and I'll have Culn start collecting them for you. He's started looking bored again and that never ends well."
"Last time Culn got bored he disappeared for a few hours and we ended up finding half eaten raw fish everywhere." Zeni grimaced, "He was very creative with where he hid them."
"Only redeeming quality about that male is his abs," Entha muttered, her lips curling up in disgust before she turned away, heading towards Rem who was bundled up in more furs than Entha. Surprising considering I counted at least three cloaks wrapped around her.
"Come," Zeni pointed towards another crate near the one he was sitting on.
Placing his dagger gently on the table that had been dragged over. A large cloth draped over it that was being held down by stones. Zeni twisted, grabbing another short blade and tossing it on the table near me.
"Ever done this before?" He asked, pulling and handing me a pair of gloves, "It's pretty easy, but can get tiring."
"Never," I admitted, tugging on the gloves, "My brothers used to sharpen and polish their blades and tried to show me, but I never thought it would be useful."
"Didn't think you would end up here?" Zeni chuckled, beginning to demonstrate the motions to me slowly.
"Didn't think I'd ever get the chance to leave." I paused, an uncontrollable smile taking over my face.
"But you did," Zeni grinned with me, "Most of us get that feeling too. That sudden realization that you are no longer in that horrible place."
"Where are you from?" I asked carefully, keeping my focus on the gleaming blade in my hands.
I could feel him tense beside me. His light energy immediately darkened. I risked a glance at him and found him gazing into his reflection in the blade. That swirling eye of his had become sluggish. The beastly side of me tensed in response readying itself to take over.
"I'm from Dradan," He finally responded, exhaling a long breath before continuing, "One of the only parts of it that she left untouched. It's been nicknamed the Under, only the filth that even the rest of the continent can't stand get put there. Demons and shifters and other creatures the rest of the world deems unworthy."
He stopped, the silence beginning to drag between us. His gaze rose towards the horizon where the sun was valiantly fighting against the gloomy clouds. The breeze gusted into the sails, filling them while people called out orders to each other. Zeni pursed his lips together, shuddering from the cold.
"What creature are you?" I looked back down at the blade, "If you also lived there."
"I am a mix of many." I peaked at him, watching his hands flex as he released his pent up tension. "There are no pure breeds in the Under. Though the predominant race is the Donrac. They thrive on chaos and have risen to the top of the food chain in the Under. It's been said that they originally escaped from the death god's prison and settled in Dradan to hide from his wrath.
"That had been thousands of years ago, now he is only a myth and the people that have settled in the Under are well established. The first of them are long dead by now."
"Entha was saying she wanted to go to the island the death god is supposed to inhabit." I met his eyes, "What do you think you will find there?"
"Nothing but the remnants of a dead society." Zeni replied firmly, "I believe the Danrac immigrated to Dradan because their land was dying. News had spread of Dradan being a land of plenty, so many traveled to stake a claim on the riches and resources."
"And yet only the dragons succeeded?"
"Their leaders were relentless in the search for power-" Zeni was cut off by a gruff voice.
"Shift." The order clanged through me like a bell, my lycan surging to the surface before I could comprehend what was being demanded of me.