I quietly chew on the lamb sand which. The kitchen only had one girl in it today. The girls name is Atta. She is sixteen and has the biggest crush on Jeremy.

I smile at the naive girl as she bats her eyes at the uninterested man while setting down his plate. He grumbles a thank you while quickly taking a bite.

Her eyes widen "Your-your welcome."

Jeremy unfazed by the girl walks out the door seemingly in his own mind. A dreamy sigh leaves her small lips. Her doe brown eyes catch mine.

A blush takes over her face.

"You do know he is a lot older than you right." I call out. Her eyes widen at my voice.

"What-what are you- you what are you taking about?" Her words scamper out of her mouth.

"You look at him the way someone looks at their mate."

She sighs. "I'm- I'm only 16 I can't sense my mate yet. And for your information. He is only 20."

I nod my head "Still four years your senior." She rolls her eyes at me.

"I know, I can't help myself. He isn't like other dragons." She then pauses. "Well I mean he is but he is more quiet about it."

I chuckle at her referring to a male dragons ego.

"He is more gentle,"

I raise a brow swallowing my last bite. "You haven't trained  with him have you."

She nods a small smirk on her face. "He taught me self defense. He was very patient and gentle."

I nod, he is patient, not so sure about the gentle part as I start to feel a small pain in my legs.

She takes my plate as someone walks in, I turn and see Jaiden.

"Talking about Jeremy again Atta? I told you he is betrothed to someone you need to get over him." Jaiden sternly says looking Atta in the eye.

Atta rolls her eyes.

"Roll those eyes some more maybe you'll find a brain back there." Jaiden snaps as she grabs a cup of water and quickly walks out.

"It's not right." I turn my head to Atta with my eyebrows raised.

"They are forcing him to marry and he hasn't even found his mate!" She harshly states.

"Mates are overrated anyway." I spit out with a hint of bitterness.

She glares at me.
"Of course! Since your older than me you think you know but you don't. You don't have a mate so how would you know. You don't know! Mates are wonderful."

I flinch as a pain goes through my heart as she continues.

"You have no idea what your talking about, you wait until you find your mate an-"

"I did." I finally cut her off bitterly. "I got rejected."

What was portrayed as justified anger leaves her face and anguish takes its place.

"What?" She asks in a whisper.

"You heard what I said." Is all I say as I stand and leave Atta standing, with her hand on her heart.

I head up to my room and close the door behind me leaning my head against the door.

I squeeze my eyes shut as they water. I slide down and put my head in my hands. A small sob shakes my body.

I wasn't expecting saying it out loud to hurt so bad. Why would it, it's just words, but it felt like being rejected all over again.

What if this pain last forever? Will living in the same place with him cause the bond to never fully break?

A knock cuts my thoughts

"Come on Ittzy time to break some more sweat." I sigh at Jeremy's voice and slowly stand.

"I'll be there in a minute." My voice croaks.

I don't hear anything for a moment.

"Ittzy?" Jeremy's concerned voice floats through the door quietly.

"I will be down there in a minute." I say again more forceful as I walk away from the door.

Suddenly the door opens and Jeremy steps in concern written on his face.

"How did you get in?" I question frustrated for him to see me like this. My puffy eyes glare at him waiting for an answer.

"It wasn't locked." He says gently as he closes the door.

"Oh" I pathetically knot my hands together.

A minute of silence passes us.

He grabs my arm. "Let's get your mind off of whatever it is on" he says knowingly.

He reopens the door and leads me out.

We walk silently down the stairs in to the work out room. He then looks at me and smirks.

"Give me a 100 laps."

I glare at him and his smirk gets bigger.

"Well come on it ain't going to run it self go go go!" He raises his voices and clapping his hands as I take off.

I groan cursing him in my mind and out loud as I start my jog.

"Come on you can go faster than that." I huff and push myself faster.

"That's it keep going!" Jeremy claps from behind me as I run faster on the makeshift track.

"This is going to be forever." I call out as I start of my second lap.

"Not my problem." Jeremy sings as he sits in a chair and watches me.

I groan and push on running a bit faster.

***

"Come on let's eat." Jeremy states as we walk out of the work out room. I follow behind him quietly.

The castle is quiet, everyone is asleep by now we had been working out all day. It was now 10:30.

"I think I'm just going to go to bed." I whisper.

"Okay, sleep well, we have a long day of working out again tomorrow." A groan escapes my lips as he laughs at me. We part ways and I head to my room.

I squeak as I'm pulled into a dark room.

My wide eyes look up into icy blue eyes.

"You are around Jeremy to much." A chill goes down my spine at my mates voice.

I blink a few times as I realize what he had just said. His hand falls from my lips and he takes a step back.

"What?" Is all I can ask.

"You will be training with me from now on." He says quietly.

"We have only trained for like a day." I whisper back.

"You are training with me, it's final."

I am speechless as he glares at me.

I don't understand, I'm not supposed to train with him until I can beat Jeremy and I haven't even started fighting.

"I like training with Jeremy though." As soon as the words leave my mouth I am slammed onto the wall.

"Mine." August growls. As soon as he does his eyes widen in shock. He covers it quickly while taking a step back.

"Look you are training with me, you have a fight coming up in a week and you can't lose." He growls.

I don't say anything, as he gives me one last look and then walks out.

I swallow harshly.

Now I will have to face my mate everyday.