Chapter 21 - Eric's POV
Eight minutes to go until the last day of the fighting portion of training and I walk in almost looking forward to it. Only because then I can just stop fucking worrying about Raven and her fight today. Speaking of, where the fuck is she?
I pull out my tablet phone and try to occupy myself by looking over our proposed survival classes we will be doing and lean into a post as Lauren and Tris are talking worriedly about something. Four isn't around and I know Raven is close with him, because of course he is. I am not for sure but I think they knew each other in some damn way before she came here.
"Speak of the fucking devil." I mutter as I see him come from around an out of sight area in the training room. Then I remember that Raven does go over there to warm up now. Whatever they were talking about he is frowning so I put my tablet up and go stand a bit close to Tris. Because I am sure they are about to talk about it.
"What did she say?" Tris asks before he even gets close to her.
He sighs shaking his head. "What do you think she fucking said. She still wants to go first."
Lauren frowns ."We should just move it anyways. We set the order we can just say…"
Tris shakes her head and interrupts "No. She would know we were lying because Four just said we COULD move it not that we had to. Look guys if she says she wants to do it first thing, fucking let her. I mean it Four you need to stop fucking smothering her."
For the first time I have ever fucking seen he gets almost livid with Tris. "Don't tell me how to fucking take care of my family, Tris. That girl is my sister and I will protect her."
He and Tris stare each other down and she scowls at him. "I love her too Four. But I have more faith in her and her abilities. You keep treating her like you do and it will push her away, and you will lose her."
He sighs angrily. "You don't know her Tris. She is stubborn to a fucking fault and it blinds her sometimes."
Lauren enters the conversation. "Put aside your personal feelings and look at this as an instructor. And before you come at me Four with any shit you aren't the only fucking person here that cares for her. And you sure as hell aren't the only one here that has a sibling fighting. Or do you think that should only fucking apply to you?"
He throws his hands up and growls. "Fine! You are right. But if he goes after her like he did previously you might as well fucking take me out right then because I will kill the fucker. He is fucking lucky I didn't when that happened."
Tris sighs with a scowl. "You won't need to worry about that. I think you might have to get in line."
Well at least I am not the only fucking one worried here. I almost agree with Four but at the same time she will be fresh and nerves won't get in her way if we don't wait as long.
We all watch as she makes it out of her warm up area and her friend calls her over to get her set up. Lauren and Tris talk a little bit more and Lauren moves off to talk to her brother Scott.
"God even just seeing the fucker makes me want to kill him." Tris says drawing my eyes to where she is looking and I see Shane finally strolling in. "Are you serious?" She growls "Fucking look at him. He looks like he was out all night. He fucking thinks he has this in the bag."
Whatever Four had started to say is cut off as Raven turns away from Shane before he can get near her to give her a kiss. As soon as she faces our way the hairs on my arms stand up. Something is fucking off here. She looks way too pissed and she never lets go of that control.
She walks straight for Four and Tris. Her nostrils flared and breathing hard. She is full of rage now. Tris frowns and glares in Shane's direction all at the same time. She puts a hand on Raven's shoulder "Don't tense up, stay loose until time. Are you ok? We can still move it to the end or the middle."
Raven shakes her head and she is trying to breathe and get herself under control. God I want to rip his head off so bad right now for whatever he has done to make her this way. But also could she be any fucking sexier when she is pissed?
"How fucked up is it that I am more pissed that he was out fucking drinking all night and treating our training like a joke, than I am that he has been fucking someone else? I pretty much don't even care about that! That should have been a fucking clue to me I should have ended this from the start when I saw his damn attitude, or maybe even well before we transferred but whatever I can't change that now. It's all just one big fucking party to him Tris, how long have I spent preparing for this? From day one it has been nothing but fun times and parties and he says I am too cold to really appreciate the 'finer'" she uses air quotes for that and I feel myself boil. "aspects of being Dauntless. I can't even see straight right now Four. I can't calm down I will fucking kill him" She looks at Four pleading and he frowns.
Goddamn I want to rip his throat out! I can barely think. So the fucker thinks he is too good for her and has been cheating? Ok, I need to keep it cool. She can't lose control because I could see her doing just that, killing him. But if she loses her cool it could backfire on her. I want to be happy to hear she is over him and that she takes this all so seriously but I am feeling murderous right now.
"Take a beat and stay over here and calm down then you can go into your void. We aren't even due to start for a few minutes." Four says after he pats her shoulder then trying to calm himself crosses his arms over his chest and glares at something, most likely Shane I just can't keep my eyes off of her.
"And you have more spirit of Dauntless in your fucking pinky than he will ever have." He growls. Another fucking thing we can agree. This must be a cold day in hell.
Raven looks to me as if she just really sees for the first time but doesn't look too concerned about talking with me around. She looks back to Tris who is smiling at her proudly. "You being more upset about his disrespect of our faction and the training just means you are ranked number one for a reason. We all see how dedicated you are to this so of course you are going to be upset at anyone that lessens that for all of us. Have you been able to talk to him at all?"
Her face takes on this small feral smile and fuck do I love it. "Nope, but we are about to have one hell of a conversation though."
I can't help it I give out a bark of laughter at that and shake my head. Why has she been hiding this part of her from me and how can I make her not hide it again? "Then I guess you better loosen up and get ready Raven, because you go first. No changing it to later, you face him now. Keep to your words and show him this isn't a joke and neither are you." I know my eyes have to show a tangle of shit but I don't care. I am full of rage at Shane, pride and awe of her then there is me just fucking wanting her. She locks eyes again with me. She smiles softly at me so I return it.
Of course then Four just has to be a dick and clear his throat and glare at me. Raven blinks as if being snapped out of something and nods at me "Yes Sir."
I return the glare of Four's but then just shake my head and roll my eyes. Tris had moved around to help Raven start stretching and I really had to work to control myself here. It shouldn't look indecent but gods damn was she hot.
Tris gives a small smirk at Raven "So tonight we finish your ink?" Raven breaks out in a smile. Why does she hide this side of herself? Wait what? She has fucking tattoos?
"How can I say no to get getting double teamed by two gorgeous ass women all while sipping on whiskey and getting ink injected into my skin. Sounds like a hell of a way to start off my off days." She replied saucily. Good fucking gods if I could I would push her up against the wall and take her right there. I settle for letting my eyes look her up and down just imagining what she would look like beneath me. When I get to her face I see her blushing as she looks at me and I can't help but smirk and then turn away.
Four coughed like he was punched in the stomach and started turning red while Tris clutched her stomach laughing her ass off. Interesting, Tris sure has changed then. Four and her both would have been turning red about now.
"I have to tell Bud that, or better yet have Tori tell him that. He is such a perv but she loves fucking with and teasing him. They are such a strange couple. Are you going to go ahead with your piercings tonight too?" Tris laughs and Raven smiles and winks at her nodding her head. I start doing a running count in my head. I have an option here. I can walk away and get control or I can stay here and listen and soak all of this and her like this up. Fat chance I am walking away.
"Hell yeah, I have waited long enough for all of it. The tongue piercing was just the start but I am not going to go crazy. I will keep to the dermals on my spine for right now." Counting is not fucking working, she is killing me. Tongue ring and getting dermals. Loves getting ink while drinking whiskey and just her humor alone is sexy. Four frowns and she laughs at him and she shakes her head before continuing.
"Oh yeah I am sure that will fuel Bud's dirty little fantasies for about the next century. You know Tori asked me if I had ever experimented before, you know with girls because most Erudite have their whole experimentation periods. It was at Zeke's party, well the one before Dee happened and I stopped going to any parties. You should have seen his face as he waited for me to answer. Also remind me since we will be doing a party tomorrow, tequila equals truth serum for me." What number was I at? I could get to a million and it would not be fucking enough at this point. I see Tris quirk an eyebrow wanting the answer and I don't know if I could fucking handle it. Please gods don't let anyone notice my hardon dammit. Raven blushes and sighs.
"Seriously, what's so interesting about that? Fine it was a kiss or two and maybe some mutual exploration of the upper body. I realized I am just not made to be sexually attracted to women. Not that I don't appreciate them and can admire if they have a nice ass or whatever. The girl was upset but understood and I pointed her to Astrid who was all too fucking happy to oblige that. Amity parties are pretty wild you know that? Much less a combined Dauntless and Amity party." Yeah infinity ain't going to be fucking high enough, especially with that little wicked grin she is giving Four and Tris at her answer.
Four lets out a breath. "Sometimes I fucking forget you aren't the little brat I knew from before. I can't keep seeing you as the nine year old little girl that is my sister anymore. I mean you will always be my sister Raven, but when did you fucking grow up on me?"
They have known each other that long? How the fuck?
Tris snaps me out of my colliding thoughts by doing this sarcastic as fuck slow clap while smirking at Four and my lips are already twitching. "Fucking finally he realizes he can't be the fun police for you. Wow that epiphany must have burst a few blood vessels there Four."
I join them in laughing and just shaking my head. Not how I saw my fucking morning going.
Four turns serious and catches her eye. "You better win and don't get too hurt. Preferably not at all. Control the anger like you have done for all the others. Remember you don't have to be brutal to win, no matter what that dickhead of a father and half-brother" he snarled that last part "of yours said and did to you."
My blood runs cold at that. Yeah Silas can be a vindictive evil dude but who the fuck is her brother? Because that didn't come up in her background check. And what the fuck did they do to her?
Raven grimaces "It's hard to re condition yourself but I am trying. I only knew the way they forced me to know." I need to know who this fucker is. But it explains why she always feels the need to control herself in fights. It explains needing to hold back. I had to start doing that same shit myself.
Tris stiffens at the mention of the brother and I glare at them. What the fuck is going on here? Raven shares a sad look and they hug before Tris pulls back sighing. "Speaking of him, we need to talk after. Depending on the outcome I may let you go early and have that conversation."
Raven closes her eyes and I can see the rage building up again but her voice goes deadly soft. "I am always going to have to live in the shadow of what he did and what he is aren't I? It doesn't even matter that I don't share the same last name Fuck! What has he done now?"
Four shakes his head and pointedly looks at me and that shit is not going to fly. If it is bad and a security risk I fucking need to know. I know Raven sees I am not going to let it go and she is right because I am not. Not only just because of the security thing but also because I will keep him from her if it is that bad.
"Interesting, I think I will be in on that conversation. Considering I am in charge of the security of Dauntless much less the well being in all areas of the initiate's lives during training." I let my eyes go hard and my voice cold while I look at all of them.
Tris frowns and tosses her a look of apology and she just shrugs and sighs. "It was going to be found out sooner or later. I mean I used my mother's maiden name but they will pull our files and history from our former factions soon if it hasn't been done already. It's not common knowledge anyways since he is only my half-brother but I am sure it is there somewhere. Go ahead and tell him."
Smart girl, but I will make sure to protect you Raven. She looks at her watch and then moves off to the mats to warm up again. This warm up is new. Almost looks like a martial arts one. I watch her as I address Tris. "Someone better start talking now."
Tris sighs "Max already knows so it isn't like we were trying to hide it. Peter Hayes is Raven's half-brother. Her dad had an affair with his mom. She didn't find out until she was 12 or so. We don't know if he always knew but when Raven was 14 he started 'teaching'…"she snarls that last word, "her how to fight. He wasn't very fucking nice about it Eric. We think Silas sent Peter here because he wanted someone to control Raven when she came here. He might have even used the same methods on Peter to make him the way he is but we aren't sure."
My nostrils flare in anger "Fuck! I knew that fucker wanted in on training for some damn reason. He was all too fucking eager to get that and to start right away. We need to let Max know and just use the blood factor and keep him from her. Fuck if he lays a hand on her." I growl. Four tilts his head looking at me and frowning.
Tris sighs looking at me and then we turn to the mats. Raven looks to be doing some meditation and then I see her take on that look I had come to know so fucking well. It is like a veil goes over every bit of life in her. Shane steps into the ring and Raven tilts her head to look at him like she doesn't know who he is.
Shane turns white and whispers her name in a strangled whisper. She dropped into her ready stance and he just stood looking at her.
Perfect! Let's get this shit done.
"Fight" I yell out my command.
Shane's eyes go wide and all he does is step forward as he sees her take off running towards him. Even I am amazed at what happens next.
Using his leg that had stepped forward she jumps up with one foot and uses his leg to launch herself up and turns her body into an aerial roundhouse that connect the foot that follows the first into Shane's jaw and throat. His jaw snaps up and I hear the wonderful sound of the crunch and his gagging.
He is dazed and not even ready to defend on her next rapid movement. She lands right back in front of him but as soon as her feet touch the mat she drops down into a crouch and sweeps his leg. She doesn't even let him fall as she then lifts her leg in a three combo kick to his groin, stomach and head. It happens so fast it is almost a fucking blur and gods damn if it isn't fucking hot and scary as fuck.
Shane is out and drops hard but she isn't done. I start moving forward fast as I see her leap on him and pin firmly then drop two punches to his jaw before I pull her off. Not that I fucking want to but I have to. Because whatever control she normally has isn't enough. Her rage is bleeding through that iron fucking grip she normally has.
Her eyes snap to mine as I had already started pulling her into my chest and out of the ring into that area she normally goes to as I talk to her.
"He's out Raven. He was out before he hit the floor." I can't keep the pride from my voice.