I SPRINTED UPSTAIRS and changed into workout gear.  It wasn’t past curfew yet so I shouldn’t have any problems running through campus.  I quickly stretched and took off.

Thoughts continued to roll through my mind as I ran.  Sweat slid down my back, dampening my shirt despite the cool night.  My feet pounded the ground hard, but it did nothing to drown out my worries. 

Rex was avoiding me.  I hadn’t seen or heard from Kye either.  I only hoped telling him he was my original caetera hadn’t thrown him into the deep end of darkness.  What if he started collecting pureblooded ferrums again? 

Lorne was out there somewhere, plotting his evil plan to suck my life out to restore his light.  He could already have the second part of the trifecta.  Hell, he could even have the third for all we knew.

In the middle of my run, I changed directions and headed for the faculty gym.  I needed a little something more than cardio.  Hitting a sturdy punching bag for a few hours would hopefully do the trick.

I took out the key Bennie lent me and stalked into the gym.  It was already in use by three sparring hunters.  My heart skipped several beats as I watched my caetera in action.

Rex had just tossed one of The Council hunters on his ass like he was nothing.  Another one came up behind.  He sidestepped the guy’s attack and ducked under his arm.  A jab to the guy’s chest had him stumbling, and an elbow to his side released a hard smack.  Rex kicked his shin and then swept his legs out from under him.

All three were hot and sweaty.  And sexy as hell. 

Were there no ugly council hunters?  It was a bad idea sending such young, hot guards to a high school.  They were drooled over daily by the students. 

Rex’s head snapped up, his eyes burning into mine.  “Koralein.”  He stood straight and crossed his arms over his chest.  “How did you get in here?”

A lie was on the tip of my tongue, but I decided against it at the last second.  “I borrowed Bennie’s key.”

His brows dipped.  “When were you hanging around Bennie?”

Before I could answer, one of the hunters nudged Rex.  “Aren’t you going to introduce us to your infamous student?”  The guy shot me a wink as he brushed dark blonde locks from his face.

“Yeah.”  The other one stood, shaking out his hands.  He was the leaner of the three.  “I’ve been dying to meet the lovely student who has managed to cause so much trouble.”  His boyish smile was riddled with mischief. 

Rex cleared his throat.  “Kory, this is Mike.”  He pointed to the leaner one who was jogging my way.

“I’m Torrin.”  The other guy sprinted forward and grabbed my hand without waiting for permission.  “Pleasure.”

A few months ago, I would have taken that hand off.  “Yeah, whatever.”

Mike made it to us and shot me a grin.  “Graduation is coming in a few months.  Are you ready?”

I shrugged.  “I guess.”

“Not that you really need more training.”  He motioned toward the marks peeking out from my sleeve.  “You’ve got plenty of experience.”

“Do you have a boyfriend?” Torrin asked.

Rex elbowed him.  Hard.  “Knock it off.”

He rubbed his arm.  “It was just a question.  It wasn’t like I was asking her out.  She’s not even eighteen.”  Torrin winked again.  “Yet.”

“I’m sure she’s got a boyfriend.”  Mike’s deep brown eyes traced my features.  “I doubt a beautiful girl like her would be available for long.”

What in the hell? 

“Out,” Rex growled, pointing to the door.  “Both of you.”

“Awe, Rex, we were just joking,” Mike said.

Torrin chuckled and threw an arm over the other guy’s shoulders.  “Can you blame us?”

Smoke was going to start coming out of Rex’s ears any moment.  “Get out now.”  The words were low and threatening.

The other guys finally stopped laughing and turned around, marching toward the door.  They knew Rex could hand their asses to them within seconds.  The loud slam of the metal door echoed through the quiet gym.  We were alone.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice a few decimals less threatening. 

I tried not to pull out my annoyed snarl.  “I wanted to work out.”

“And one of the student gyms wouldn’t suffice?”

My eyes narrowed.  “I wanted some privacy, and it’s after curfew.  I would have been kicked out.”

Rex dragged his hand over the sexy five o’clock shadow covering his chin.  “Well, since it’s past curfew, you should be in your dorm.”

My lip curled.  “What the hell is your problem?” 

“Nothing.”  He whipped around and marched to a table holding a couple of water bottles.  He snatched one.  “You just shouldn’t be in the teacher’s gym with a bunch of teachers.”

I threw my hands up.  “No one is here but you.”

“Now.”  He took a chug of water.

I stomped toward him.  “Is this because those two were joking with me?”

Rex spun around, his face hard and eyes blazing.  “They weren’t joking, Kory.  They were hitting on you!”

I scoffed.  “Who cares?  It was harmless.”

“Who cares?”  He blinked, the fury in his gaze deepening.  “Who cares?”  He motioned toward his chest.  “I care!  All those hunters are just waiting for you to turn eighteen and graduate.  They want to date you.”

I shot him an incredulous expression.  “I’m with you.”

His nostrils flared, and he slammed the water bottle down.  “They don’t know that.  And I don’t want to share you.”

“Who said anything about sharing me?”  I shook my head.  “I only…”  My words trailed off as the pieces started coming together.  This had nothing to do with The Council hunters hitting on me and everything to do with what I told him the other night.  “Is this about Kye?”

Rex’s jaw clenched at the name.  “You mean your other caetera?”

I crossed my arms against my chest.  “He isn’t my caetera.  You are.”

“It’s easy for you to say, but…”  He dragged his fingers through his hair, pulling on the roots.  “I know you feel something for him.”

My cheeks heated.  “The goddess broke our caetera connection before I was ever born.  She put us together.  You’re my match.  Not him.”

“He was still a match.  You two were paired for a reason.” 

Anger bubbled in my chest.  “I don’t love Kye.  I love you!”  I didn’t care if everyone in the entire damn school heard me as long as Rex did.  “You’re my soulmate.  I’m only yours.  No one else’s.”

He yanked the wraps from his hands, tossing them on the table.  “He has this claim over you, Kory.  I can’t deny that.”

Rex wasn’t getting it.  He was a thick-headed idiot.  He was a better match for me than Kye would ever be.  We balanced each other out.  Where I was dark, he was light.  Where I was unsteady, he was strong and vice versa. 

If he didn’t get it in words, I’d just have to show him.

I stepped forward and curled my hand around his neck, my fingers tangling in his hair.  “I’m all yours, Rex.” I yanked his head down, our lips crashing together.

The effect was explosive and instantaneous.  His body molded to mine as his mouth took control of the kiss.  He was warm and tasted like cinnamon.  He was all the things I loved and everything I’d ever wanted.  Rex made me stronger, and no one could compete with him. 

Since the moment I met him, I compared every guy to him, and they all failed miserably even Kye.  No one could live up to Rex in my eyes.  He had to know that.

“Koralein,” he breathed, his lips running over my jaw.  “I hate the thought of anyone else touching you.”  His hands slid down my sides and curled around my lower back. 

“No one is touching me but you,” I whispered, trembling in his arms. 

“But you’ve kissed him.”  He nibbled on my ear.  “And enjoyed it.”

Oh damn.  “I…”  It was really hard forming coherent thoughts with Rex unraveling me.  Soon I was going to be a puddle on the floor.  “I like kissing you more.”  A gasp slipped out as Rex lifted me in his arms, my legs wrapping around his waist. 

“Is that so?” he murmured against my neck as he set me on the table.

“Rex, what are you… we can’t…”  My breath caught when he tugged his shirt over his head.  My eyes ate up his ripped torso, my fingers instantly reaching out to touch him.  “What if someone comes in?”

A dark look entered his eyes.  “Let them,” he growled.

My eyes widened.  “You don’t mean that.”

The edges of his lips curled up in a wicked smile.  “Maybe I do.”  And then he was kissing me again, undoing me with each flick of his tongue.

Rex was a god in every way.  Every freaking way.

His fingers curled in my shirt, lifting it away.  Cool air traveled over my stomach before his hands did, caressing my exposed skin.  “I can’t make you promise not to kiss him.”

“I won’t kiss him again.”  I wasn’t even sure that was what I’d said.  It came out in one garbled, breathy mess.

It didn’t matter because Rex was focused on what he was doing.  “But I want you to remember I’m the only one who can make you melt.”  Just to prove it, he gently laid me back and began trailing kisses down my body.

I shivered under his touch and—just like he said—I was melting into the table.  “Rex,” I moaned, his hands and mouth stealing every bit of sanity I had.  No one ever had this much power over me, and I’d never let anyone else.  No one else deserved it, and no one else would be as careful as Rex with it.

He’d almost let me fall into darkness, but now I was anchored to him.  He would always drag me back from the edge.

And if I fell, he fell.

I arched into him, wishing these moments could last forever.  But evil was on the horizon.  It was coming like an approaching storm threatening to wipe me out in one fell swoop.  We’d thought Kye was the biggest problem, but me turning demon was the least of our worries.  Lorne wanted my soul, and he was going to stop at nothing to get it.