I’m finally in the mood to bask in their praise, so I smile and agree demurely.
The conversation turns to lighter topics, and I resume eating with gusto.
I’m thankful I was assigned to such a supportive team. They could have so easily agreed that omegas aren’t right for this job and let me leave.
Even if I’m never able to use the hiss again, it doesn’t matter. Like Orion said, I have the skills and knowledge to be a great rescuer, and I have a great team behind me.
I go to bed early even though I’m feeling better.
A chocolate scent hits me as soon as I enter my rooms. It’s faint with the strong air filters, but I follow the smell to a fancy chocolate bar on my nightstand that I don’t remember buying. It’s an expensive brand I’ve looked at lustfully many times but never eaten. Maybe we picked it up on our shopping trip and I just didn’t notice until now.
I’m not sure why it’s not in the drawer with the rest of my snacks, but I was going to have a little treat before bed anyway.
I unwrap the bar and take a bite.
It’s even more delicious than I imagined, rich and creamy. I’ll have to splurge and buy more.
Visions of chocolate dance in my head as I fall asleep that night.
Chapter 10
Orion
“You really think she used a hiss?” Charm asks.
“That’s what it sounds like. Her voice changed. I can’t describe it, but just hearing it made me want to stop and listen,” I say.
“That’s such a rare ability, I never thought I’d see it,” Charm says.
He missed it since his radio wasn’t on while dealing with the other hikers.
As much as I wish we could have helped Hestia while she was down in that hole, I’m proud of her for taking care of herself.
Not that I can take any credit for her rescuer skills. She did all of that on her first day with us. Yet my chest still swells with pride.
It’s a little strange I’m so affected by it. I’m always happy when our trainees do well, but I don’t usually feel this…whatever this intense feeling is. It must be because Hestia had to work harder to get where she is. It’s impressive to see.
We’ll keep her confidence up, and in two years, she’ll leave us as a full-fledged rescuer.
My glass cracks and I quickly set it down before it spills on me.
Henri is already on it, getting me a new glass and pouring another scotch before whisking away the broken one.
“So you’re happy that we didn’t go down to help her?” Magnus asks.
“I’m happy Hestia handled it herself, like I thought she could,” I say.
“Even though we heard her struggling with him,” he says, deadpan.
My eye twitches.
“Was it really that bad?” Charm asks.
“Hestia was yelling at Silas, and we heard him dragging her around,” Cato says.
“She didn’t describe it like that when we wrote our report,” Charm says, clenching his jaw.
“No, she didn’t. When I asked her about it, Hestia told me she was okay and wasn’t injured,” I say.
