King of Corium (Corium University Trilogy 1)

“Killing her is the last thing I want to do. That would give her an easy way out. What I have planned will make her afraid to step foot out of her dorm room.”

“I like the way you think.” He grins and saunters away.

I do my best to shake off the lingering rage and head to PE. The building that houses the main recreation center is closer to the surface. I take the elevator up with a few other students and make my way to the large gym. The inside is the size of a football field, the ceiling high and slightly bowed, making it look more like a hangar than an actual gym. The only thing giving away what this place is meant for is the field markings on the ground and the various sports equipment scattered around.

I walk up to the small crowd of congregating students, trying to figure out what everyone’s doing. It’s then that I notice the floor mats, and I catch sight of the teacher handing out hand wraps. He’s about my height but bulkier with black buzzed hair and olive skin. He’s of Asian descent, but when he talks, it’s without an accent.

“Welcome to class. I’ll be your instructor for today. First thing you need to know about me: I hate repeating myself. So pay attention the first time because I won’t show you twice. You can call me Quan. We’re gonna start with basic hand-to-hand combat. Most of you are probably well versed in it, but I need to see where everyone is at, so we’re going to start out slow.”

All I can do is roll my eyes. I don’t need this class. There’s nothing he can teach me that I don’t already know. I’m about to turn on my heels and walk out, but then as fate would have it, I spot her sitting on the ground with her back against the wall.

Aspen.

Sparks of excitement form in my chest as I take in her small frame just as she’s pushing herself to stand. She tucks a loose strand of blond hair behind her ear, her gaze trained on the instructor. She hasn’t noticed me yet, so I slowly move closer to her, making sure to stay hidden behind a few other students.

Quan continues talking, but I drown the sound of his voice out and give Aspen my full attention. I study her delicate face, map each curve of her body, twitch of her muscles, and hair on her head. The more I know about my enemy, the better.

“All right, everyone, find a partner.” Quan’s voice booms through the space, and students start to pair up immediately.

None of the guys even glance my way. Everyone is keeping their distance from me. One petite but brave girl actually gathers up the courage to walk up to me. Her blond hair is knotted into a tight bun at the top of her head. Her icy-blue gaze sizes me up.

“Want to partner up, big guy?” she asks with a heavy Russian accent.

“Any other time, I’d love to, but today, I have someone else who needs an ass-kicking.” I look past the nameless girl and over to where Aspen is standing. She still hasn’t noticed me, even though she is actively looking for a partner.

Russian girl walks away without another word while I stalk closer to my prey. Much like me, people don’t want to partner up with her, though for entirely different reasons. They all know what her father did, and if criminals hate one thing, it’s a fucking rat.

“Need a partner?” I ask casually, walking up to her side.

At my voice, she spins around so fast that I think she might give herself whiplash. Her already large eyes go even wider as she gapes at me. She’s a good foot shorter than me and has to crane her neck back to look up at me.

She blinks slowly like she’s digesting what I’ve said.

“That would hardly be fair. You are twice my size.”

“Did you just call me fat?” I can’t help but smirk.

“Funny.” She rolls her eyes at me like she has no idea the amount of danger she is in. Earlier, she put on a show, and now she has to face the consequences.

Folding her arms over her chest, she scans the room, realizing that everyone has found a partner, and we are the only two left.

“I guess you’re stuck with me.” I can practically hear her swallow.

Her sass evaporates as she frantically looks for a way out. Her eyebrows pinch together, and fear overtakes her features. I’m not sure if she wasn’t scared until this moment or if she’s simply good at hiding it. Either way, her mask has slipped, and I can see the panic starting to set in.

“Let’s go, you two,” Quan calls over to us. Everyone else is already practicing the moves he demonstrated, and we are the only two people standing around doing nothing. “Start fighting.”