"Come on, swing at me!" Xavier yelled at me, trying to agitate me and it worked as I took a step back before charging at him, yet again.

I threw punch after punch, but he blocked them by putting his forearms. As I stopped for a second, he took this as a change to try to do an upper-hook punch, but I grabbed his wrist, and his eyes widened, immediately knowing his mistake.

Turning my back to him, having a firm grip on his wrist, I flung him over me and made him hit the ground in front of me on his back. As I let the man go, he glared at me jokingly as I helped him up.

"I was just going easy on you because Francis said so, y'know," he huffs, and I roll my eyes with a smile.

"Of course, you are,"

"It's true! Plus, you have bird powers and shit!" he says, and I nodded my head, agreeing with the last part.

Walking away from the crowd of trainers, I wiped the sweat off myself since I had been wearing a jumper and changed into a sweatshirt, flying out of the window before anyone could see my neck.

I didn't realise that love bites stay on skin for so long and I've had to hide my neck for this long.

With the training and enhanced abilities these wings have given me is useful. I've become pretty good with knife throwing, but by far I've become one of the best with hand-to-hand combat.

To pass by the time when Francis was working, I challenge the people training here, since it benefits both of us. Even though I knew that Francis told everyone to go soft on me and not hurt me, so before we duelled I told them to forget that, and they usually did. So, I won some and lost some.

But by far, the thing I'm focusing on, is learning how to fly. Mostly by myself without Francis. Knowing he wouldn't like, I do it none the less. I found a space in the forest to practice getting off the ground, without any leverage. With the support of the trio of dogs.

The three would sit and watch me attempt to get off the ground and once I did, they would chase me, trying to nip my heels, maybe in a way to keep me in the air. But when I landed on the ground they would immediately stop and let me stretch again. And that's what I was doing now.

Francis was on a trip today, so he shouldn't be back until dinner, and I had at least a few hours to practice.

I let a deep breath out and flare my wings before jumping then flapping rapidly. The dogs yelled in celebration, and I laughed at their enthusiasm, but I stopped as I felt a sudden presence behind me. Chills were sent down my spine as a finger trail down my back and I instantly turn, for my eyes to be met with golden blaze.

"What are you doing out here alone?" his voice deadpanned, and I clapped my hands together with a nervous smile.

"Francis!" I cheered, but his face remains blank. "How long have you been watching me?"

"Long enough," he huffs and pulls me back onto the ground. The dogs come and sit at me feel as if to protect from Francis, making me chuckle quietly but he ignores it. "Why were you flying here by yourself?" Francis asks sternly and I raise an eyebrow and cross my arms.

"Oh, I don't know.. maybe because I don't want people seeing these?" My tone is blunt as I point to the hickeys scattered along my neck and his lips break into a smirk and he pulls me closer to him.

"I don't know, I quite like them." he shrugs, and I scoff with a smile and jokingly push him away, making his wings pull me back into his grasp. We laugh together as he puts his nose on mine and we look into each other's eyes.

"Please tell me from now on." He uttered and I nodded before stepping out of his grasp and flaring my wings again and letting my feet leave the ground.

"But how about you see how good I've gotten?" I tease and float, so my face is inches from his. "See if I've gotten better than you, a game of tag?"

"Oh, you're on." He says in a serious tone as he stretches his raven wings and stares me dead in the eye. "20 second head start."

I nod and immediately zip away from him, gliding through the trees, angling my wings to bend through thin spaces like it was nothing.

After thirty seconds I noticed, there was no sound of wings behind me, so I went above to trees to look for him and when I did, I was met with a black blur immediately speeding towards me, so I dived back into the forest.

Hot on my tail, I crossed into trees and saw that he was stuck between the thin passages. "Angel.." he groaned, and I looked back at him, upside down, laughing at him trying to get through the thin trees. His wings were large and black, nothing compared to mine, so we had different advantages.

"Guess I am better." I laugh as I flutter closer to him as he holds the trees beside him as if they were prison bars.

"You know that agility isn't my strong suit Angel," he sighed and in a second I was pulled in between the trees and to him.

"But I tagged you." He gloated and I laughed at his child personality and lower us both down to the ground.

I let go of him and start to walk away but he quickly wraps his arm around my hip to keep up with me and I sigh but he stops me midway "No victory kiss?" He questions and I shake my head a smile making his smile drop.

"You need to learn not to be so clingy Francis," I say, and he shakes his head profusely.

"Never," He flirts and brings his lips to come on mine, but I stop him with my pointer finger.

"Not now Francis, you said we have a meeting and I need to be there?" I ask and he paused before nodding his head.

"Yes we do need to get there and meet other leaders." He groans.

He had told me about the meeting they would have to keep peace and discuss boundaries they would have and there was one today. It was the first in years that he had attended and I'm the one who convinced him to go when I heard about it.

As we approached the mansion, I noticed different cars lined along the terrace and unfamiliar faces, glaring at me, guards I presume.

Although some were happy that I became queen, others thought it was poor of Francis to choose a woman to be with him with this life style. But they were the lowers, and I could beat them in a fight any day.

I followed Francis to the conference room and was immediately greeted with sour expressions, all aimed at me, but I didn't cower down. I store each of them in the eye, daring them to say something, which surprised them.

Francis and I seated at the head of the table since he was the leader to the most powerful gang and others were seated in the ranks getting lower.

The meeting continued and I stood back and talked to Xavier, who had to be there as second in command, to stop any threats against his boss.

It was all going well until I felt someone's gaze lingering on me, and when I looked up, I saw a man's eyes on me. The second-best gang leader, Vincent Lucio.

He's one of the oldest here and didn't have someone to take over his gang so it would be going out of business soon.

As my gaze met with his, his grubby face smirked, shining some of his golden teeth and turned to Francis, uttering something that I could faintly here. "What did you do to bag a whore like that Whitelock?"

My eyes sped to see what Francis was doing and he was sending Vincent daggers, if looks could kill then he would be dead, and since they can't he would be dead soon enough. So, I had to step in.

"Jealous?" I spoke up, surprising everyone in the room. I pushed myself off the wall and walking towards the table. The man was glaring at me, but he was still surprised making my smile widen. "I'm sure, you of all people wouldn't know what it's like?" I snicker looking him up and down and his fists curl in anger along with him gritting is jaw, his wrinkles stretching along his face.

The elder pulled out a gun and aimed it to my forehead, making Francis immediately go to my protection but I held up my hand to stop him. And in a swift mood I grabbed the gun out of his hand and was at the back of his head. But soon enough, his second in command had one pointing at me.

It stayed like that for a minute until I dropped the gun, making the guard lower his. When I walk back to Francis, I leaned over and whispered something into his ear, making him freeze on the spot, dumbfound.

As Xavier, Francis and I start to walk out of the room, I hear a laugh spark the room and I smile to myself, leaning my head on Francis's shoulder. And he moves his head to kiss the top of my forehead.

"I'm proud of you for doing that. Just- never doing it again." he sighs, and I laugh.

I knew he wanted best for me, meaning that he didn't want for me to get hurt, but I wanted to show him that I can stand up for myself, without him.

We walked down the hall and eventually we had to part ways since he had others business to tend to.

Xavier escorted me back to my rooms but at the corner of my eye I could see his jaw clench as we reached the door to my bedroom. I turn and look at him and see annoyance in his eyes.

"What is it?" I ask and lean on the door before he could open it and excuse himself.

He groans and avoids my eyes making me cock my eyebrow further. "Uh-" he waits a second, debating whether he should tell me and after he sighs and reached into his blazer to find, what looks like a letter.

When he hands it to me, I open it and instantly know who it's from. Pink handwriting.

"Sienna.." I utter and Xavier nods stiffly as I start to read the note aloud.

"Hey Val!

Really sorry that I couldn't catch up with you after the party, so I was just thinking that we could have another mini party, like just with my gang and yours's. You know I'm a party animal, so I just need an excuse to go to one!

So how about it? I'll convince my leader and you can convince yours, sounds great right?

I'll be there at 4 to discuss.

xoxo, Sienna"

I folded the letter when I finished reading it and looked at the time to see it was 2, so only 2 more hours until she gets here. As I smiled to myself I could see Xavier acting even more skittish.

"Xavier, what is it?" I ask and he immediately snaps out of whatever he was thinking and shakes his head.

"Nothing, just remember to stay safe around people like Sienna." he utters and walk away before I can get another word out.

People like her.

What was everyone's deal with her?