Page 89 of Reluctant Rebel

Brax shifted uncomfortably, his usually confident demeanour faltering. “It's not that simple. It’s unpredictable. And dangerous.I’mdangerous when I’m like that.”

Jinx walked over to Brax and took his hand in hers. “I understand why you feel so cautious. Last time, you accidentally hurt someone you love. That’s scary.”

Mikhail felt like a dick. From what he’d heard, Brax’s powers had come at a bad time and with bad consequences the first time. Jinx, once again, had seen beyond the surface. Her empathy and compassion would make her a fine queen, he acknowledged. But he quickly ejected the thought from his mind. He didn’t want to focus on their future together if it was impossible. Broken dreams, he could probably survive. But a broken heart? That would be unlikely.

He walked over to Brax and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “It's going to be okay, Brax. We'll figure it out together.”

“See?” Jinx said, cuddling Brax’s hand to her chest. "You're not alone in this.”

Brax took a deep breath and visibly relaxed under their comforting touch. He looked at each of them with gratitude in his eyes before finally nodding. “Okay,” he said, determination creeping into his voice. “Let's do this.”

Brax moved into the centre of the space before smirking at Sabre. “Hit me, babe.”

Sabre tossed the entire handful of marbles at Brax. His usual armour quickly morphed from his skin, overlapping and creating an impervious shield. However, where it typically only settled in areas that were threatened, this time, the scaled bio-metal kept multiplying until it covered his entire body, including his head and face.

When Brax looked at them, Mikhail almost stumbled back a step. Only Jinx’s hand on the small of his back stopped him. Brax’s eyes were red, his fangs were insanely long, and his claws were out. He looked half-beast, half-robot.

“Grotesque, huh?” Brax’s voice was deeper, more of a growl than anything.

“Are you kidding? That is the coolest thing I have ever seen,” Mikhail exclaimed, meaning every word. He’d never seen anything more badarse in his life.

“Not to mention the sexiest,” Sabre purred, her hips swaying as she made her way to Brax.

Before she could touch him, Brax scuttled backwards. “Don’t touch me. You saw what happened last time.”

Sabre smiled, unperturbed. “It’s okay. I trust you. Think sexy thoughts. It’s just me.”

They all held their collective breaths as Sabre moved slowly and confidently until her hand rested flat on Brax’s chest in the ‘V’ created by his shirt. She grinned up at him. “Hi, handsome.”

Brax’s smile was rather unsettling, but Mikhail was proud of his control.

“How about trying to push the energy out, Brax?” Draven suggested calmly. “You can clearly choose when the armour has voltage. So, choose to expel it offensively.”

Brax nodded, asking Sabre to move. She did, but didn’t go far. Mikhail stepped in front of Jinx, hoping he could create a forcefield around her if things suddenly became dangerous. At first, nothing seemed to happen. Brax just stood there, growling and clenching his clawed fists. But then, a crackling energy began to dance across the surface of his exoskeleton, arcing in vibrant blue-white tendrils. It skittered and leapt between the metallic plates, leaving flashes of light in its wake.

“Awesome!” Sabre cheered. She pointed to a target on the far wall. “Aim it over there.”

Brax rumbled his agreement, squaring his body to the target. Within seconds, miniature lightning bolts forked and branched in split-second bursts over his body and down his hands, illuminating the scene in stark flashes. The air itself seemed to hum and vibrate, filled with the scent of ozone. Suddenly, arcs ofelectricity shot out from Brax's body in every direction, causing them all to scramble and duck for cover.

Much to Mikhail’s consternation, no forcefield was forthcoming. It was definitely not reactionary. Not yet. A quick look around revealed no injuries but an impressive array of damage to the training centre. “I see what you mean about it being unpredictable,” he remarked mildly. “Mine is too,” he continued quickly before his brother could get down on himself. “And Z’s was, or still is, for all we know. He admitted as much to Jinx.”

“Mikhail is right,” Draven stated. He gave Brax a warm look. “You’re doing very well.”

The charges around Brax's body faded away, and the arcs of electricity dissipated into thin air. “I think that's enough for today,” Brax said with a sigh, the exhaustion from using his new powers evident on his face.

“Sorry, but I don’t think it is,” Jinx said, surprising everyone. They all stared at her. She raised her chin, looking at Mikhail. “You’re both capable of so much more progress. I’m sure Zagan’s plans have been expedited in light of recent developments. What if he attacks tonight? Or tomorrow?”

Mikhail exchanged a look with Brax. He could tell Brax didn’t like it, but he agreed with Jinx. So did Mikhail. “You’re right. And I thought Sabre was a hard taskmaster,” he said close to her ear.

Jinx shivered, turning her head. Her lips brushed Mikhail’s chin. “You haven’t seen anything yet,” she whispered.

Mikhail stared in shock as she sprinted off to the restrooms. “Um, what’s happening?”

Mercy rubbed his hands together. “I think I’m about to get fed. Tigers can cause a lot of pain.”

“Oh shit …” Mikhail murmured, realisation hitting him.

Sure enough, one minute later, a majestic white tiger prowled out of the bathrooms, its muscular form rippling with barely contained power. Jinx's feline eyes fixed upon Mikhail with an intensity that made his heart race. Those eyes held the same fierce intelligence and mischievous spark he'd come to adore in her human form, yet now they burned with an ancient, primal energy that both thrilled and humbled him.

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