Immediately, I’m hard again, completely negating the point of my run.
“Sorry,” I grunt.
She gives me a reproachful glare as she pulls the dress over her head. I can tell she has a lot to say, but for once she remembers not to talk out loud. Once she’s dressed, she jerks her chin toward the table where we still have the parchment laid out. I brace myself for whatever she wants to write.
I’m surprised though that she doesn’t comment on me walking in on her—or the very obvious bulge in my trousers that she can’t possibly have not noticed.
I want to go exploring today.
Without a second thought, I shake my head.Absolutely fucking not.
She glowers and scribbles angrily on the parchment.
I’m bored.
It’s dangerous.
She rolls her eyes.
What am I supposed to do all day? No one will talk to me.
We could go home.
She lets out a frustrated sound, turning her back on me and stomping toward the door. I whip a hand out and grab her arm, pulling her back.
What would you be doing at home?
Magic
I give her a dark look and she quirks an eyebrow, in a clear challenge. I scowl. She rolls her eyes.
Or training, I guess
My heartbeat picks up. This is a war camp; there’s not much else to do here except training, sleeping and eating because everyone is always too exhausted to do anything else.
Come train.
Will they let me?
Fuck, that’s a good point. The wolves would never let her join in, but maybe I could just order them to.
One thing I liked about living with wolves instead of Fae is the hierarchy. In Vernallis, I have to deal with soldiers arguing with me and complaining all the fucking time, or trying to act like they know better than I do. In the camps, dominance always wins.
I jerk my head toward the tent entrance, indicating that Aurelia should follow me. We’ve barely stepped outside when I nearly run into Kai.
“Morning,”he says to me in my head. Then, glancing at Aurelia, he repeats himself out loud. “Morning.”
Aurelia waves cheerfully, and I narrow my eyes. I doubt he came by just to say hello.
Kai gets straight to the point. “A patrol just returned and told me there’s more wyvern nesting in the caves on the eastern ridge. I’m going to lead a hunt up there, but one of my best soldiers died last month so I’m a wolf short.”
“Understood.”
“Would you like to come?”
I raise an eyebrow, remembering the old days—when our old alpha, Olaf, would bark orders across camp and stare down anyone who didn’t bend their necks. “Since when does an alpha ask instead of command?”
A muscle works in Kai’s jaw as he tries to hold my gaze with his one seeing eye. Out of curiosity more than anything else, I stare straight back. After a second, Kai lets out a breath and drops his gaze to the ground. He doesn’t bare his neck, but it’s nearly the same thing.
