Four hours later, Eliana was literally dead. It felt like she couldn't even lift a finger as she lay sprawled across the gym floor. In the past hours, Damon had made her run, lift weights, and stretch—all while screaming and laughing in her face. She had thrown up three times and passed out ten. She felt dizzy and lightheaded and as if she might faint again any second when Damon's face appeared above her.
"You were shit, but better compared to when you first arrived here. We'll do this every day, so get something from Dane to help your muscles recover faster so you won't have aches and can continue tomorrow. You can leave now," he said with a cruel, crazy smirk.
Every day? She was sure she wouldn't survive it. But before she could even think about protesting, Damon grabbed her under the arms and hoisted her up.
"Now fuck off before I make you run another few miles on the treadmill," he whispered in her ear.
That was all the motivation she needed. Her trembling legs moved her out of the gym with the last bit of energy she had. The worst part? She had combat training next. But first, she made a quick stop at the infirmary.
Dane was sitting at a desk, reading through a thick book when she entered.
"Ehm, hey… Damon said I could get something here for my muscles? After the training," she asked, unsure.
Her past interactions with Dane had always been a little confusing and intense. He was clearly the most normal person at the academy, which made her feel slightly more at ease around him. But the fact that he was even here meant there had to be something darker behind his calm appearance—no sane person could survive in this place.
Dane looked up from his book, and their eyes met. Maybe it was how handsome he was, the way his dark lashes framed those caramel-brown eyes. Everyone here was attractive, but he had something else—something magnetic she couldn't shake.
His voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "Yeah, wait a second. Sit down. I'll give you an injection. It'll still take until tomorrow for your muscles to feel better."
He stood up and began preparing a syringe. Eliana sat on the examination table and watched him. Something about Dane seemed different today—more tense but she brushed it off and didn't put more thought into it.
"What do you think about the tournament? I heard you're training with Cobra," he asked as he walked toward her, syringe in hand. His voice sounded harsher than normally.
"Yeah… I hope I'll survive it with his help," she replied with a frown.
Suddenly, Dane stepped between her legs and spread them slightly—catching her completely off guard If it had been any of the other men in this place, she would've already tried to shove them away. So why wasn't she doing it now? She should slap or kick him for forcing himself into her space, but Dane's closeness didn't make her feel creeped out or scared like the others did.
"Why didn't you ask me to train you?" he asked, sounding almost angry.
The position made her face flush bright red. What was going on with him and from where does this question come from?
"I… I didn't know how good you were in combat. Cobra is the combat trainer so I thought it is my best option. Why do you ask?" she asked, confused and thrown off by his behavior.
She had never seen Dane like this—so intense. He put his hand on her thighs, his face just inches from hers, his teeth gritted.
"I'm just as good in combat as Cobra. You should've asked me. If Cobra hadn't been in the mood, he could've just killed you because you annoyed him. Stop doing such stupid shit," he hissed, eyes burning into hers.
Her heart thudded. She didn't understand what was happening, but his closeness made her pulse spike.
"The next time you need something, come to me. Understood?" he asked, grabbing her jaw, his lips brushing hers as he spoke.
She was speechless and his lips against hers messed with her mind. Is he going to kiss her? His caramel brown eyes were boring into her dark eyes and she could not look away.
"I asked if you understand it, Eliana. Answer me." He repeated again, his grip on her jaw tightened.
"Ehm… y-yes…" she whispered. For a few seconds longer he held onto her and looked troubled.
But just like that, he pulled back, gave her the injection, and returned to his desk without baring her another glance.
"Leave now." His voice sounded more monotone and cold again as if he closed off. She had no idea what had just happened, but she felt something between them had changed.
She didn't wait and quickly scurried out of the infirmary, not daring to look back. What happened just now made her feel confused. On her way to combat training, Dane's hands on her thighs and the heat of his breath stayed burned into her mind.
---
Dane's leg bounced restlessly as he lit a cigarette. When he'd heard that Cobra was training Eliana, it had made him irrationally furious. Lately, he'd been unreasonably sensitive about anything involving her.
He couldn't explain it. His heart pounded around her, his breathing got heavy, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. At first, he assumed that he only want to fuck her. But no woman had ever made him feel like this before.
He'd even gotten into a fight with Cobra earlier about training her which was so uncommon for him but he easily held his ground. The fact that Eliana thought he couldn't fight? That stung.
He gritted his teeth and crushed the lit cigarette in his palm. The burn grounded him. He was losing his grip and he knew it. He needed to stay rational.
Eliana was just a random girl. She'd probably die soon anyway. But if that was the case… why did the thought of her dying make his chest feel like it was being crushed?