Fated By Starlight by Krista Street

Chapter 10

~ WYATT ~

Eliza was lying on the riverbank, burning up with fever by the time we reached her. She was shivering, soaking wet, and mumbling incoherent sentences.

Shit. She was worse than I’d originally thought. I kneeled on the muddy bank and felt her pulse. “Eliza? Can you hear me?”

She only mumbled more.

Avery crouched on Eliza’s other side, picking up her friend’s limp hand. Tense lines formed around her mouth. “She’s really sick, isn’t she?”

“Yes.” Cursing, I pulled out my tablet. Thankfully, it was waterproof. I placed a call to the command center and barked out orders.

Minutes later, a helicopter hovered above us and an SF squad was helping us climb aboard. Nobody said a thing when they appraised our wet clothes and Eliza’s fever-glazed eyes. She was so weak she couldn’t stand. Two SF members had to carry her into the bird.

The worry on Avery’s face increased. She kept her knees locked together and her attention on her squad mate when the helicopter took off. Minutes later, we were back at headquarters.

The second we touched the ground, the team rushed Eliza out, which left Avery and me in the helicopter as the pilot shut it down.

“Bad day?” the pilot flashed me a grin before unbuckling his seatbelt.

I sighed heavily. “Suppose you could say that, although it didn’t start out that way.”

The pilot chuckled. “Your new recruit should be in the healing center by now. I’m sure she’ll be fine. Anything in particular you want me to put in my report?”

“Just the facts.”

The pilot nodded before glancing at Avery, his gaze dipping to her breasts. In her wet T-shirt, Avery’s tits were on full display, the round globes clearly outlined while her nipples peaked.

Avery’s focus was still out the window, to where Eliza had gone, but when she turned her attention back to us, her cheeks flushed.

She hastily crossed her arms, and my wolf snarled inside me, a low warning growl erupting from my chest before I could stop it.

The pilot whipped his attention to his report. “Anyway, take care, friend,” he said before disembarking.

I didn’t reply. Rage still simmered beneath my skin that he’d been checking out Avery, that he’d seen what was mine.

The second that thought registered, I jolted. Mine? Avery wasn’t mine.

I rammed a hand through my wet hair, my pulse quickening at my instinctual reaction.

Avery cleared her throat, then said hesitantly, “Do you mind if I check on Eliza?”

The part of my brain that functioned on autopilot noted that she didn’t say sir at the end of her question, but I didn’t correct her. I was still reeling from what had just happened. And it seemed hypocritical to demand that she follow protocol when I clearly hadn’t—she was a new recruit, off limits, not mine.

Concentrate, Jamison. You’re the commander here.

“That’s fine,” I replied in a sterner tone than I intended. “I’d like to check on her, too, but first I need to make sure the other recruits know they’re off duty until Monday.”

“Oh, right.” Avery shook her head. “I completely forgot the others are waiting for us at the end of the trail.”

“Exactly.” They’d probably been waiting for some time.

I pulled out my tablet again and posted my request on the SF commanders’ forum, alerting my fellow Majors that I was in need of help. Within ten seconds, a reply came through. Major Patrichy offered to collect them.

I shoved my tablet back into my pocket. “Okay, let’s go.” I unbuckled my belt and looked at Avery expectantly.

She floundered with her seatbelt. Not surprising since the buckle had two complicated latches. For someone not used to them, they could be tricky. She also kept eyeing my chest.

I looked down and realized my shirt was sticking to me too. A low hum of satisfaction filled me.

She’d just checked me out.

Her fingers slipped on the latches again.

Before I could stop myself, I reached forward. “Let me help you.”

My fingers brushed hers. Her fingertips felt like ice. I scowled. She was cold, and I didn’t like that even though it shouldn’t bother me. New recruits had to grow used to hardship. It was part of training.

Yet . . . I didn’t like it.

A second later, the seatbelt slid off, and she gave me a shaky smile. “Thanks.”

I grunted, not able to manage more.

Water droplets fell off our clothes when we jumped out of the helicopter. We began walking to the healing center, Avery at my side. Several SF members marching in the field and training nearby gave us double takes. Our wet clothes were definitely attracting attention.

“Was Eliza sick the entire hike today?” I asked, anything to distract myself from Avery’s wet T-shirt.

“I think so, but she was trying to hide it.”

“Is that why you stayed at her side, because she wasn’t feeling well?”

“For the most part, yes.”

My brow furrowed. “That was rather noble of you.”

She shrugged, but her cheeks heated. “She would have done the same for me.”

“Maybe, but regardless, you shouldn’t have been put in that position. I should have noticed she wasn’t well. This is my fault.”

Her mouth fell open. “No, it’s not.” She shook her head, and then a thoughtful expression formed on her face.

“What?”

She shook her head sheepishly. “Nothing, I mean, it’s just that you still blame yourself for everything when a situation goes bad, like you did in high school, even when you’re not the only party at fault.”

I grunted again, not sure what to make of that comment, but damn, she remembered those kind of details about me? “It’s the alpha in me,” I finally said. “It’s my instinct to take responsibility and take the blame if someone under my command is hurt.”

She sighed. “Even so, you couldn’t have known Eliza was sick. She was purposefully hiding it from you and trying to from me. I was right beside her all day, and it wasn’t until the river that I truly saw how bad she was, so it’s really not your fault.”

I made a discontented sound but didn’t comment further, although inside my wolf was preening. He liked that Avery sought to comfort us and make us see reason.

It was exactly what one’s mate would do.

My stomach bottomed out, my breath snagging in my chest. WTF. Seriously. That was one word that should not be floating around in my vocabulary.

Thankfully, the healing center came into view with its green medical sign hanging above the door.

“I wonder what’s wrong with her,” Avery said, oblivious to my ridiculous thoughts. “She said she’s been feeling sick all week, and it’s been getting worse.”

I thought about Eliza being a fairy and what it’d said in her file. I had my suspicions about what ailed her, but I wouldn’t know for sure until the witches confirmed it.

I pulled the door open for Avery. She slipped past me, our chests nearly brushing as a few SF members strolled behind us on the sidewalk.

“You two go for a swim?” one of them called good-naturedly.

I forced a chuckle, but it was hard to feign lightheartedness considering all that had happened.

The door closed behind us, but instead of heading toward the stairs, I found myself going to the elevators, unable to help it since I knew it was the best option for Avery. “I’m guessing after your first full week of training that the stairs sound rather painful right now?”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes, they do. My calves are already cramping.”

I frowned, eyeing her wet clothes again. I had a feeling the healing center’s cool air conditioning wasn’t helping. Dammit but that bothered me too.

The elevator doors dinged open, and we stepped on board. As we glided up, Avery massaged her neck.

My eyebrows drew together. Don’t ask it. Don’t ask it! “Sore?” I asked.

She let her arm fall, her expression sheepish. “A little.”

I once again told myself it wasn’t my concern, but then I found myself saying, “I’ll ask the witches to make you a potion.”

The doors slid open, and the healing center waited ahead of us. For once, it was busy. Healing witches hurried down the hallways while a few moans and painful calls came from several patient rooms.

“Is everything okay?” Avery asked in alarm when a particularly loud wail reached us.

I strode forward, my long strides eating up the floor. “It will be. I got an alert that a squad came back this afternoon. A few were beat-up, but they’ll be fine.”

I thought about the team that flew off on Avery’s first day. They’d had a nasty run-in with a group of formidable half-demons and an ancient vamp during their assignment. We were lucky we hadn’t lost anyone.

“Major Jamison!” Sally said from the central healing station. The red-headed witch looked at me expectantly, her eyes brightening. “Your recruit is in room 239. Cora’s attending to her.” Her attention shifted to our clothes, her brow furrowing.

Water dripped onto the floor around us.

Her lips pursed. “Hmm, that will not do. Let me help with that.” She came around the station and lifted her hands, her fingers waving elegantly in the air as she whispered a spell.

Warm air blew around us, our hair and clothes lifting from our bodies. Magic shimmered over my skin, and when our clothes settled, they were dry again.

I gave her a crooked smile. “Thanks, Sally.”

Pink tinted her cheeks, and a shrill giggle escaped her before she clamped her mouth shut. “Of course, Major Jamison,” she said from beneath her lashes. “Always happy to help.”

Avery also murmured her thanks as her gaze traveled between me and Sally. I felt the immediate need to reassure her that Sally meant nothing to me and the interest was entirely one-sided, but then I mentally slapped myself.

Just because Avery caught onto Sally’s flirtation didn’t mean that Avery cared if the witch was flirting with me.

Gritting my teeth, I set off down the hall.

Avery followed behind me, peeking into the rooms we passed. In one room, three witches hovered over an SF member lying on the bed. He writhed in pain, one leg coated in blood. Two of the witches held him down while the third mumbled an incantation under her breath.

When a fourth witch saw Avery watching, she gave her a heated glare before snapping the privacy curtain closed.

Avery’s eyes widened, and she jerked her attention away.

When we reached room 239, I knocked on the closed door. “Private River? May we come in?”

The door opened with a flourish, revealing Cora—a stout witch with graying hair. “Major Jamison, your recruit is doing much better.” She stepped to the side, allowing us to enter.

The room was small with a single bed and a lone window. Eliza lay on the bed, propped up on pillows, looking the picture of perfect health.

Avery blinked. “Eliza? What the heck, are you okay now?”

“I most certainly am!” She grinned, revealing her pointy teeth. “I feel so much better. Cora’s potion helped immensely.”

The older witch’s jowls jiggled when she shook her head sternly at Eliza. “This young lady was suffering from a severe case of fae lands withdrawal. She should have come to me immediately when she began feeling unwell this week.”

So it was fae lands withdrawal, exactly what I’d suspected.

“You mean this week is your first time leaving the fae lands?” Avery asked Eliza incredulously. “Ever?”

Eliza shrugged sheepishly. “I grew up in Elsfairdasvee. Most from my village never come to earth. We’re too remote, and the portal is too far.”

Avery frowned. “I’m trying to remember where Elsfairdasvee is. It’s in the far north, right?”

“That’s correct.” Eliza beamed. “My village is small and still follows the old ways. Most never leave.”

My brow furrowed as Avery and Eliza continued talking. Even though Eliza had grown up in a small village, it was still unusual for fairies to suffer from withdrawal symptoms upon entering the earthly realm. The only time that typically occurred was when a fairy child visited earth for the first time.

But most fae children had made the realm crossing enough times by the time they reached adulthood that their bodies had adjusted to the lesser magical environment of earth. And most adults never experienced withdrawals even if it was their first crossing. Most. But not all.

I inhaled, taking in the strong magical scent that coated Eliza. She was definitely from the old ways. She had an ancient magical tang to her—it possibly also made her more prone to withdrawals.

But whatever the case for her physiological condition, her sickness was an oversight I shouldn’t have missed. I should have been monitoring her better this week, even if withdrawals in an adult were rare. I paused, thinking again of what Avery had said. About how I blamed myself when things went wrong. Another twinge of satisfaction rolled through me that she’d remembered that detail about my personality.

I raked a hand through my hair. Not important, Jamison!

“Excuse me, girls, but I have a few more things to chart.” Cora brushed to the side of Eliza’s bed and held a magical assessment device over the fairy’s head.

Avery backed up, giving the witch room.

While Cora was scanning Eliza, I stood at the end of the bed and crossed my arms. “Private River, I owe you an apology. I should have been monitoring you better this week, and for that I am sorry, but I also need you to tell me when you’re unwell. Pretending you’re not sick when you are, not only puts you at risk but your squad too.” My chest tightened when an image of Avery in the river shot to the front of my mind. “Private Meyers almost died in that river today. You’re never to jeopardize your squad mate like that again. Understood?”

Eliza lowered her chin. “Yes, sir. I am very sorry.” She raised wide eyes filled with guilt to Avery. “And I am very sorry to you as well, Avery. I very nearly cost you your life. That is a most egregious error in judgment. Please forgive me.”

Avery shook her head, looking embarrassed under Eliza’s plea-filled apology. “It’s fine, really. Don’t worry about it, but I appreciate that, thank you.”

Eliza dipped her head again, and I grunted, satisfied that the recruit had learned her lesson.

Cora finished with her device and pocketed it. “She’ll be spending the night here, Major. Just to make sure that the dose I gave her is strong enough to cure her.”

I nodded curtly. “Could you also provide a potion for Private Meyers? She’s an ambassador recruit and just finished her first week of training. She’s feeling sore.”

“Ah, of course.” Sympathy dripped from Cora’s words, as if Avery’s low-magic profession explained her fatigue.

Cora shuffled to the cabinets and extracted a small vial.

“Thank you,” Avery said, pocketing it.

We said our goodbyes and left the healing center.

Back outside, the mid-afternoon sun shone brightly above. Avery’s stomach gave a loud grumble, and she slapped a hand over her abdomen, her cheeks flushing.

I quirked an eyebrow up. “Hungry?”

“Yes. I mean, we did miss lunch, because you know, a certain someone had his recruits run a mile this morning and then hike six this afternoon.” The second the words left her lips, she clamped her mouth shut.

It took all of my control not to laugh at her smart comment. It was so easy to fall back into how we’d been in high school. Even though we hadn’t been close friends, we’d had many mutual friends which meant we sometimes hung out. I’d loved every second of those nights.

Still, I smoothed my expression. That was then. This was now. I couldn’t joke around like a sixteen-year-old kid anymore. “The cafeteria should still be serving lunch. I imagine the other recruits are there too.”

Her smile faltered, and her cheeks flushed. “Of course, sir. I’ll go find them.”

She scurried away, and against my better judgment, I watched.

Her T-shirt and cargos still clung to her curves even though she wasn’t wet anymore. And when she walked, her hips swayed, as if she were a belly dancer entrancing a man with her round ass and narrow waist.

Damn. She was so beautiful.

My cock throbbed, stiffening in my pants. I growled in irritation and shoved my hands into my pockets to hide the bulge.

When she reached the door, she glanced back to where I was standing. With a start, I realized she knew I’d been watching her the entire time she’d walked away.

∞     ∞     ∞

After my embarrassing display of acting like a besotted teenager, I retreated to my apartment to fix myself lunch in the privacy of my kitchen. I could have followed Avery into the cafeteria, even shared a meal with her, but that wasn’t wise.

Not only was her scent still clinging to me, but my thoughts kept clouding with images of her walking away. Seeing her ass move so provocatively . . .

I was permanently tenting.

But more than that, I kept getting flashbacks of her falling in the river.

I stood at my counter, making a sandwich, but the distraction didn’t stop the tension that had been building steadily within me.

Now that the excitement of the river was over and I knew Eliza was okay, I allowed myself time to process it all, and one realization kept barreling into me.

I’d almost lost Avery.

Only a few hours ago, she’d nearly drowned. If I’d emerged even twenty seconds later from the forest . . .

Fear ran through me again, and the knife I’d been holding clattered to the plate.

I placed my hands on the counter, leaning into them. Seeing Eliza soaking wet, splayed out on the tree, screaming for Avery, had made panic consume me.

I’d never felt anything like that.

Straightening, I picked up the knife again and finished smearing mayonnaise on the bread. I then loaded it with beef and cheese.

But my wolf still snarled inside me, not caring that our stomach growled.

Agitation oozed from him that Avery had been put in danger. Our protective instincts raged so strongly with her, more so than I’d ever felt for a new recruit . . . or anyone.

A memory of blurring into action, grabbing Eliza off the tree, then diving into the river filled my mind. Class four rapids raged in that part of the river. I hadn’t known how long Avery had been under. Terror had ripped through me when I’d swum beneath the surface, searching for her, because even with my wolf’s superior strength and speed, navigating the river hadn’t been easy.

But then her hand had broken through the surface, allowing me to locate her. I’d turned into a torpedo, shooting straight for her. Even with that clue, though, it was truly a miracle I’d located her and pulled her to the surface in time.

Because if I hadn’t . . .

My breath stopped, and I leaned against the counter again, my heart beating hard.

No, I can’t think that way.She’s okay. She’s safe. No harm came to her.

Yet blood still pounded through my veins. I hated that she’d been put in harm’s way. Hated it.

My wolf snarled. An image of our teeth elongating and biting into the fragile flesh at the base of Avery’s neck filled my mind.

I jolted upright, my spine cracking into place at how quickly I’d moved. I pushed away from the counter, my sandwich entirely forgotten.

Claim her? You want to claim her?

He whined.

We can’t do that. She’s not ours.

He snarled then whined again, his agitation rising.

I stabbed a hand through my hair. We can’t!

But Avery’s near death had propelled my wolf’s feelings for her to an entirely new level. He wanted her safe at all costs, and claiming her was the only way to ensure that.

I paced the length of my kitchen, raking my hand through my hair again and again.

I would be lying to myself if I tried to pretend that I didn’t feel the same as him. More than anything I wanted to wrap Avery in my arms, shield her from the world, and protect her from any danger. I knew that she wasn’t incapable and that she was stronger than she gave herself credit for, but she was still weaker than most supernaturals.

Which made my protective instincts roar with a vengeance.

But . . . she wasn’t mine.

She was a new recruit who I had to train even if that occasionally put her in harm’s way. That was how training went.

My wolf snarled, enraged that I was fighting what he wanted.

I stalked out of the kitchen, leaving my sandwich uneaten on the counter.

I needed to run.

This was absolute madness. Avery Meyers was my recruit. She wasn’t mine to claim and protect.

I yanked open my door and bolted down the hallway, but try as I might to run from what I was feeling, I couldn’t.

With every fiber of my being, I wanted to take her for my own.

And that wasn’t possible.