Tainted Blood [3]

Chapter 5

I woke up on the sofa with Archer's arm around me, I slowly moved away and went to the kitchen. Dayton and the girls had let Nadia, Vicky and I borrow clothes yesterday but I needed to grab some more, I grabbed a cup coffee and opened the back door.

"Hey," Max came and stood next to me.

"There's coffee in the pot if you want it."

"Thanks, how you doing ? You know with everything ?" I let out a sigh.

"Honestly I don't know, I'm glad to be home but I know it won't last because sooner or later everything will come crashing down," I kept my head forward, not wanting to see what was most likely pity on his face.

"What happened to the girl who always managed to make the most of everything ? Who always saw the good ?" Max sounded so sad, defeated.

"She grew up and saw that there's no such thing as a happy ever after," I smiled a little. "Could you take me home ? Back to my parents house ? I need some clothes for me and the girls, we can't keep  borrowing Raine, Dayton and Chloe's."

"Sure," Max reached out and grabbed my arm, within the blink of an eye we were standing in my bedroom.

"Thank you Max," I put my coffee down and grabbed out a few backpacks and started shoving clothes in them, I grabbed mostly long sleeve tops for me, basically anything that covered my shoulders fully. I threw in a few pairs of work out shorts, underwear, skinny jeans, few tops and grabbed Pj's.

 "When was this taken ?" I looked up to see Max staring at a photo, when I got closer I saw it was one of my parents and I smiling at a cabin.

"Last year, my Mom wanted us to go away for some family time," I touched the photograph. "We stayed in a cabin for the weekend, I remember there was a lake not far and my Dad thought it was fun to throw Mom in there, I got back at him by pushing him in, it was one of my best memories," I tilted my head, with a sad smile on my face.

"It's okay to be sad you know, you don't have to be strong all the time," Max put the picture back and made me look up at him. "It's okay to cry you know."

"I can't," I walked back to my bags and grabbed some toiletries. "If I let it in, even for a second, everything I have been holding back will come crashing back, everything since Lincoln's death I have kept it in, and I can't feel it yet because then I'll break down, and I don't know if I can pick the pieces back up."

"Listen to me," I kept my head down, not wanting to look at Max. "You are one of the strongest people I have ever known, don't ever doubt that." When I stayed quiet he sighed. "You ready to get back ?"

"Yes," He took ahold of my elbow and blinked us back to the house, we appeared in Nadia and Vicky's room, I unloaded two of the bags and left them on the bed for them. "Max ?"

"Yeah ?"

"Will you train with me ? In the basement ?" He smiled.

"Of course," I took my bag to Archer's room, changed into shorts and a long sleeve navy tee. We ran downstairs to see everyone awake and ready.

"There you are," Archer got up and gave me a kiss on the forehead and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Hey," I put my arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. "We went to get some clothes from my house, oh, Nad, Vic, there is a bag full of clothes for each of you on your bed."

"Thanks Av," Nadia was sipping on a straw attached to a blood bag.

"Max and I are going to train, anyone wish to join us ?"

"I will," Raine tied up her hair into a bun.

"Me too," Dayton gave Tyler a kiss on the cheek before walking towards the basement door with Max and Nadia in tow.

"I'll see you in a bit," I gave Archer another kiss before going downstairs with everyone else. "Okay, so who's up for sparring ?" I smirked looking around at them.

"I'm not sparring you," Nadia moved away and sat at the end of the blue mats.

"I'm going to sit with Nadia, just observe," Raine followed, then Dayton.

"Guess it's just me and you," Max winked at me, we stepped to our sides and got into fighting stance.

"Do your worst Maxy," I rolled my shoulders and smirked at him, he was too predictable. He ran at me which I immediately dodged. "You gotta do better then that."

"Don't taunt me," He came at me again, I ducted and elbowed him in the back which made him fall to the floor. He went to kick my legs from underneath me but I did a back-flip and landed in a crouch a few feat from him.

"Losing to a girl ? Really Max, I thought you were better then that," He growled and jumped back up. I charged him, as I got closer I dropped to the floor and took out his legs, when he dropped I turned and jumped on him and straddled him, placing my hand where his heart would be. "Damn, you're dead."

"How did you get that good ?" I stood up and helped him up.

"Stefan taught me," He raised a brow but I changed the subject quickly. " You were too predictable, I could easliy antisapate your moves and combat them with my own."

"And how do you propose I fight ?" He gave me a challenging look.

"Nadia, you're sparring with me, Max watch how we move," Max and Nadia swap places. "Ready Nad ?"

"Ready," She went to punch my head but I grabbed her arm and flipped her, as she hit the floor she kicked my legs out from under me, I landed on my backside. I rolled over and pushed myself up to look her in the eye. I jumped at her but was kicked off into the wall where I hit the ground, I groaned and got up.

"The wall, really ?" I circled her.

"You want me to go soft on you ?" I laughed and lunged, we rolled until I pinned her by her neck, she reach up and put her hand where my heart was. "Dead."

"Impressive," I helped her up and sat in front of a shell shocked Dayton, Max and Raine. "So, who's up next ?"