Page 97 of Brutal Reign
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“Throw another fifty on, I’ll do one more set,” I say as I curl up to sit on the weight bench, wiping the sweat from my brow with a forearm.
Ace steps closer, fighting a yawn as he reaches out to pull the clamp from the bar. “How do you have so much energy right now?”
“Still riding the high of last night,” I reply, smirking at him over my shoulder. “Who needs sleep when things are finally going right for once?”
He rolls his eyes, chuckling to himself as he moves over to the weight rack and pulls off a couple of twenty-five-pound plates, carrying them back over.
We’re both sleep deprived since we got in late last night and had to wake up early for training this morning, but rather than feeling tired, I’m all jacked up. The weight room seemed like a good place to burn off more of this wild energy. Ace is dragging ass today, so he’s here as my spotter rather than lifting himself, but at least the two of us can speak freely since we’ve got the place to ourselves.
“Well, don’t forget that we still have a lot to figure out and not much time to do it,” he murmurs as he slides a plate onto one side of the bar and replaces the clamp. “Her challenge, our packs, marking… not to mention I still think there’s something going on with her wolf.”
I scrub my hands down my face with a groan. “Can’t you just take a second to enjoy how things are right now rather than worrying about what’s next?”
“I could, but ignoring problems doesn’t make them go away,” he murmurs, shifting over to the other side of the weight bar and removing the clamp.
“Neither does fixating on them,” I point out. “None of that shit is gonna get solved overnight, so maybe you should try getting out of your head for once, enjoy the ride while things are good.”
He meets my eyes, giving me a hard look as he slides the other weight onto the bar.
“You need to get laid, bro,” I remark.
He barks a laugh, shaking his head as he secures the clamp. “You think that’s the answer to everything.”
“Worked for me,” I shrug.
He rolls his eyes again, stepping back. “Shut up and lift.”
I chuckle under my breath and lay back down on the bench, reaching up to wrap my fingers around the grips of the bar. With Ace as my silent spotter, I put in another ten reps with the increased weight, chest heaving with exertion by the time I drop the bar back onto the rack.
“Alright, I’m done,” I pant, my ab muscles burning as I crunch forward to sit up and reach for my water bottle. I take a few seconds to catch my breath, gulping down water and using the hem of my shirt to mop the sweat from my face. “It’s not up to you to figure everything out, you know,” I mumble, glancingtoward Ace and picking up our conversation right where we left off. “All three of us are in this.”
“Trust me, I know,” Ace sighs, rubbing a hand over his buzzed head agitatedly.
I can’t quite read his expression, but it feels like there’s something he’s not saying. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, narrowing my eyes on him suspiciously.
The door to the weight room swings open before he can respond, drawing both of our attention that way as Javi and Cam stride inside with their gym bags slung over their shoulders. As far as interruptions go, it could be worse. They’re cool; I’ve been training under them to hone my tracking skills. Cam lifts his chin in greeting while Javi tosses up a wave, the two of them heading in our direction.
I haven’t forgotten my question still hanging in the air, though. I turn my gaze back on Ace, arching a brow. “Well?”
“Dude,” he warns, giving a little shake of his head.
“What?” I scoff, throwing a thumb over my shoulder. “Cam was there the night of the full moon, he knows what’s up.”
“I know your secret, too,” Javi chimes in with a grin. “I’m mated to River’s other cousin, remember?”
Ace heaves a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “Let’s add that to the list then, shall we? Because you know Alpha Theo is gonna lose his shit once he finds out Riv’s mated to us.”
Cam hisses in a breath through his teeth, grimacing. “Remind me to be somewhere far, far away when that happens.”
“Nah, Ares doesn’t know yet, so the secret’s still safe for now,” Javi remarks, dropping his bag down onto the bench across from mine. “Surprised you two haven’t killed each other yet, though. Isn’t that how these things are usually settled?”
“Yeah, because double mate bonds happen all the time,” I snort.
Honestly, this whole thing would be easier if they did. Then we’d at least have some guidance on how we’re supposed to navigate this rather than just blindly hoping we can make it work. Exchanging a glance with Ace, I can tell he’s thinking the same damn thing.
“So, it’s going well, then?” Cam asks, smirking between the two of us as he shifts his gym bag off his shoulder.