Aeress

There was a knock. One of the guards walked up to the door and opened it for Aeress before she could get up from her seat. Some guards were now positioned directly in her room since the seats of the arena were officially open to the public.

Her eyes may have fallen out of her head from shock. "Nina!? Are you seriously here?"

Aeress was stopped by the facial expression from Nina right before she could pounce on her. Her eyes travelled from head to toe, widening with shock. "Aeress Lupyn," she breathed in her soft German accent, bowing her head.

"I must be a sight." Aeress gestured to her own body. Practically built for battle. Beautiful only to distract from the fact that she had become one of the world's deadliest predators.

Nina shook her head. "You are magnificent."

Aeress smiled and assessed the woman who was there at the very beginning of this journey. She was as regal as ever, sporting a royal blue pantsuit and a tight french braid. Her light brown eyes warmed Aeress with familiarity. "I missed you, Nina." She couldn't help herself and hugged her. "Come in."

"I shouldn't stay for too long," Nina commented as they sat by the couches. She always gave off that businesswoman vibe that Aeress loved.

"Of course, I'm sure you didn't come here for vacation!" Aeress agreed. She watched as Nina crossed her legs and folded her hands on her lap. "How are you here? I thought you were back in Alaska!"

She smiled warmly. "Ah, yes. I was for a while. My position is usually alongside Premier, but clearly as we both know he is... occupied. I was eventually ordered to join you instead at the temple. I have just learned recently about the trials. I am very honored-"

"You are formal enough, knowing who my mate is. I'm the same person as before." Aeress watched as Nina's expression tightened before relaxing again. "Say what's on your mind," she encouraged her.

She bowed her head. "It's not my place-"

"Go on, Nina."

"It's just that..." her posture straightened. "You're not the same are you? You have a godly power within you."

Aeress laughed. "You got me there. The question is whether I have a godly figure too. Am I really the mother of werewolves, right?"

Nina nodded. "I heard Beta Klein-"

"I'm sorry, what? Klein is Premier's Beta?" In other words, his personal right hand man, a position held by only one worthy werewolf. They were never seen in one room yet were always corresponding. Almost like the mediator between Premier and the Viceroy.

Her brows dipped at the question. "Of course. Who else is better fit to train our potential Godhead?"

Aeress masked her own perplexity. Neither Warrick or Klein indicated his stature and maybe they did so purposely. She should have known by his level of skill and capability to completely whoop ass but as always, she missed a detail. "Right. A pain in the ass, but he's taught me just as much as Godhead has. He's a good man." It was true. She owed him.

Nina gave a curt nod. Her eyes lit with a secret.

Aeress narrowed her eyes on the fidgeting woman. She knew she was picking up more than a normal person would. "Do you know Klein personally?"

Nina swallowed and seemed caught off guard by the question. "Personally?" she repeated. Aeress could tell that the question had thrown her off her game. "Well... We met each other professionally, of course, if that's what you mean?"

Aeress really analyzed her and knew better. "Yeah, sure, I meant professionally." Of course, she meant whether they were romantically involved, but did not want to push a subject that put crimson in Nina's pale cheeks.

She sighed. "Well then, yes, I do know him." Oh yeah, they definitely had sex. "But forget about me. How are you, Ms. Lupyn? A lot has happened since we've last seen each other."

Aeress sighed. "I thought being Warrick's mate was the worst of my troubles, but it turns out that the world has a sick sense of humor."

"You've transformed not only physically but mentally, I can tell."

Aeress shrugged. "Having a goddess in your head can change you and the morals you think you have. So, yeah, you're right. I'm not the same Aeress, but not in the way many may think. I'm stronger now, more adjusted to a supernatural world."

Her gaze had a tint of reverence in it and Aeress appreciated it. "It's true. I can feel the power in you. It's unlike anything I have ever encountered."

"It's her. This is all her."

Nina waited a beat. "Have you established contact with Godhead?"

"I'm surprised you asked. Most people are too terrified to, maybe because they fear tampering with the trials or simply because they fear Godhead."

She cleared her throat. "While I cannot state whether I fall within the latter, I can assure you that my position is not nearly high enough to tamper with the trials."

She liked her boldness and that she wasn't afraid in a way which hindered her interactions with Aeress. "I have. I talk to her everyday. I believe she is the mother of werewolves."

"Perhaps when all of this is over," she came to a stand, "I can meet her."

She stood with Nina. Unlike before, Aeress was taller. "I'd like that. Will you be at the trials?"

"Of course. I will be there every step of the way, offering all the support I can."

Aeress didn't want to overstep her boundaries and decided not to give a farewell embrace. "Thanks, Nina. It's really nice to see a familiar face."

Nina responded with a small smile. "See you at the trials." Her heels made soft clicking noises as she exited. The guard opened the door for her and shut it after she left.

The guard looked down at his watch before he met her gaze.

Aeress clapped her hands in more excitement than it warranted. "Dinnertime!"

____________________________________________

Aeress sat in the middle of the mat with her legs crossed. She took in long-held breaths before releasing with equal leisure. Finally-after a few quiet minutes-she came to a stand.

Twirling around in time, she met Klein's attack. She knew this time was different, because this time he held nothing back. This was Premier's Beta and it didn't take Aeress long to believe it.

They landed on the floor with him on top. "Come on. Tap on the shoulder and you win."

With pure strength, she gritted her teeth and lifted him off her with enough aggression that he actually flew back a couple feet. She gave a little grin. "Oh, trust me, I've been waiting too long for this!" She charged him, stopping him right before he could evade her.

"I won't make it that easy," he breathed, dodging just in time before she could make contact. He was a tricky opponent, utilizing agility to just miss her attempts. But he was wrong to assume that she would not provide an attack talored to his own.

They made contact anywhere but his shoulder and Aeress was getting frustrated.

His knee, aim for it.

Unquestioning, she distracted him with a sloppy punch, followed by another while also slamming her foot into his knee. The combination swept him off his feet. Before he could even rise, she kicked that same knee.

He was unfazed though and kept defending himself. He didn't grimace in pain but there was a swelling in his knee. Old injury?

But she was unrelenting in the attack against his weak knee and kept doing so until he almost completely forgot about his shoulder. That was when she finally attacked her intended target.

When her fist made contact, his shoulder made a popping noise. Aeress stood there in shock as he laid there, looking torn between whether to hold his knee or his shoulder. "Finally!" he shouted at her. "I thought you'd never do it. Had me worried that my trianing was all for nothing."

"And the student surpasses the teacher."

"Yeah, yeah. Now help me pop my shoulder back in place!"

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Aeress heard the vibration in her bedside table. She took out the phone and saw a text.

UNKNOWN: See you tomorrow :)