Fated By Starlight by Krista Street

Chapter 17

~ AVERY ~

“What’s got you so excited?” Charlotte asked as we ventured to the cafeteria on Monday morning. The dawn sun had just cleared the horizon, and only a handful of SF members walked the grounds.

“Who said I’m excited?” I asked innocently while trying to smother my cheesy smile.

Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Um, you’ve been in a good mood since yesterday morning despite your raging hangover, and you were the first out of bed this morning, and you haven’t mentioned coffee once even though it’s barely six.”

I shrugged. “I woke up early and am eager to learn today. What’s so wrong with that?”

Eliza and Charlotte shared a disbelieving look before Eliza said, “Avery, this is the first morning you’ve woken up without cursing the alarm. I have to agree. Something is quite amiss.”

I rolled my eyes. “Can’t a girl just be happy for a new day?”

Charlotte laughed. “If you were anyone but Avery Meyers that may be believable, but in the short time I’ve known you I’m certain of three things. One, you make the best chocolate truffles I’ve ever tasted. Two, you may have shit for magic but you don’t give up when the going gets rough. And three, you hate mornings. Like hate them. In fact, I’ve never met anyone quite so angry at the sun for rising each day.”

“Well, it can be quite bright and annoying. Surely, I’m not the only one who feels that from time to time.”

Eliza smiled, her pointy teeth sparkling white. “Do you know that in the summers in my village, the sun only sets for four hours? Something tells me it’s not a place you would enjoy inhabiting.”

“But the winters are probably fantastic, eh?” I joked. “Only sunshine for a few hours total then?”

Eliza laughed, the sound like tinkling bells. “That is also true.”

“Meyers, you’re weird.” Charlotte shook her head. “Who doesn’t like the sun? I could bask in it every day.”

“Um, vampires don’t like the sun, and I have nothing against the sun. I just don’t like how it rises so early.”

She shoved me playfully, and we all laughed.

A few minutes later, we reached the cafeteria and headed inside to meet our squad. Today marked the first day of group training. I had no idea what that meant exactly, but if it meant training under Wyatt, I was all for it.

My stomach flipped at just the thought of our commander. All day yesterday, I’d reveled in one truth—Wyatt Jamison had feelings for me. Real feelings. That had to be the reason behind his behavior. It was the only thing that explained his actions.

Since my mother was half werewolf, I’d spent a decent amount of time amongst her pack and other werewolf packs while I was growing up. And there were two things that all male werewolves had in common. One, when they were interested in a female, they showed possessive and territorial behavior around her. Any other male who showed the female attention got an immediate reaction from the territorial male. I smiled, thinking of Wyatt’s pulsing anger when I’d had dinner with Nicholas, how he’d thrown Tim across the dance floor when the frat boy touched me, and how he’d snarled at the technicians in the garage.

Two, if the werewolf male wanted the female badly enough, he would be willing to break rules and social norms to be with her. Last night, Wyatt had created time to be alone with me and had kissed me, touched me, and given me the most mind-blowing orgasm of my life.

Even voicing feelings for me was against SF protocol—and I would know, since I’d reread the handbook following my dinner with Nicholas—but what Wyatt had done, had not only broken the rules, it’d stomped on them, burned them, and given them the middle finger.

You couldn’t get more rule-breaking than what we’d done Saturday night. In other words, Wyatt Jamison wanted me.

I knew now that when Wyatt whisked me back to headquarters, claiming Institute matters, he’d been lying.

I’d called the Institute yesterday, and they’d sounded surprised at my apologies. Yes, they’d expected me to check in, but no, it hadn’t been urgent. I could do my weekly check-ins at my leisure.

I smiled smugly. Wyatt’s behavior on Saturday was only explained by his werewolf origins—wolves that wanted a female acted as he had.

Wyatt was interested in me.

Plain and simple.

And knowing that, made me feel freakin’ fantastic. I wasn’t even mad at him for lying to me about the Institute.

I inhaled the scent of doughy waffles and sizzling bacon as we stepped into the cafeteria.

“There are the guys,” Charlotte said, nodding ahead.

Chris, Zaden, Bo, and Nick had arrived through the cafeteria’s south door. My breath caught when I looked over their shoulders.

But Wyatt was nowhere to be seen.

Sighing, I picked up my tray and got in line. We all meandered through the serving area, but every time I heard a male speak, laugh, or cough, I looked over my shoulder eagerly.

But each time it wasn’t Wyatt.

“That’s weird that Major Jamison isn’t here yet,” Charlotte said when we all sat down at a long table. The din was picking up as more and more SF members filled the cafeteria. “He ate breakfast with us each morning last week.”

“I was thinking the same thing.” I drizzled syrup distractedly over my waffles, continually eyeing the doors.

“Hi, ladies.” Zaden’s grin split his face when he pulled out the chair across from us. His skin looked particularly pale this morning next to his dark-green shirt. “You gorgeous girls are a pleasant sight for sore eyes. It was a long and lonely weekend without you. I hear you all went out and didn’t invite me.” He pouted.

“He’s just peeved ’cause Nick and I went out for drinks on Saturday night and didn’t bring him along,” Chris said, taking the seat across from Eliza.

Charlotte snorted. “And here I thought he was coming on to us again. My mom warned me that vampires were always horny.”

Eliza laughed. “My mother said the same thing.”

Zaden brought a hand to his chest, as if wounded. “I feel so labeled.”

“But it’s true, right?” Bo said, sitting beside me. The mid-level sorcerer had also chosen waffles, except instead of syrup, he smothered his in peanut butter.

Zaden grinned again. “Well, I mean if any of these women want to fuck, I’d be all for it.”

I rolled my eyes, for once looking away from the doors. “So charming.”

“Just wanted to make sure the offer’s clear.” He winked at me.

I took another bite of my waffles and tried to pay attention as my squad mates continued to banter, but my gaze stayed focused on the cafeteria entry points. Where was he?

Before I could take another bite, the corner door opened. A tall woman stepped inside, her black hair pulled back into a severe bun. Her complexion was a smooth coffee color, and she looked like she could bench press more than most men.

And then Wyatt appeared right behind her.

I nearly dropped my fork, but I managed to catch it at the last moment.

“Whoa,” Nick said. “Careful there, Meyers.” He blotted at the syrup droplets that had flown from my utensil onto his shirt.

“Sorry,” I mumbled just as Wyatt approached our table with the tall woman following him.

He stopped when he reached us, nodding in greeting. “New recruits, good morning.”

The woman didn’t say anything.

Everyone mumbled, “Morning, sir,” as I did my best to do the same.

I looked at him expectantly, willing him to show me a flash of something that indicated his heart was beating as fast as mine.

But Wyatt’s jaw was set, his gaze staying over our heads.

“Finish eating, then join us outside.” Wyatt glanced at his watch. “Ten minutes.”

With that, he turned on his heel. He and the tall woman left the cafeteria as quickly as they’d come.

I frowned and picked up my fork again, but then I figured his snub was to be expected since technically dating one another was against the rules.

I still didn’t know how we’d continue seeing each other, but I figured we would work something out.

Smiling, I dug into my food.