Hunted By Firelight by Krista Street

Chapter 10

~ WYATT ~

Even though I hadn’t been to Bavar’s estate before, I found myself watching my mate instead of admiring the lavishness of the fairy commander’s country home as he gave us a tour of the castle’s five wings.

Avery’s eyes lit up as Bavar led us from one extravagant room to the next. I stayed at her side or just behind her the entire way. I ached to touch her but knew I shouldn’t.

To keep myself from draping an arm possessively around her shoulders, I kept my hands stuffed into my pockets and my back rigid.

But her scent called to me, and the way she’d reacted to me outside only made my wolf yearn to claim her again.

She’d been aroused and flustered when we’d stood so near one another by the gates. Her scent had taken on that musky tint, interwoven with her signature lilac fragrance.

And when I’d kissed her beneath her ear, knowing I shouldn’t but unable to help myself, her entire body had trembled.

She still responded to me as she had before the alignment. It only made me further convinced that somewhere, lurking amidst the powerful magic that now vibrated through her body, lay the Avery I knew and savagely loved.

“And here we have the music room.” Bavar opened another set of doors.

We all stopped outside of it, everyone’s eyes wide as we took in the rich blue and cream colors. Inside were over a dozen instruments, expertly crafted and beautifully polished as they waited near chairs and chaise lounges for one to pick up.

Twelve tall, narrow windows with light-blue curtains took up an entire wall of the room. A few rays of sunlight streamed in, and on the other side of the window panes, leaves from the ancient trees that grew around the estate’s perimeter fluttered in the breeze.

Bavar arched an eyebrow. “My mother is the musically inclined in the family, so you’ll have to forgive me for not entertaining you with a sonata tonight.”

Bishop—the only other male werewolf in Squad Three—snickered. “Does that mean you won’t be playing us bedtime lullabies either, commander?”

Bavar gave him a sly grin. “I’m very sorry to disappoint you, but no. However, if you need a warm cup of milk or would like a magical tincture to ensure a good night’s rest, I’m sure the staff would be happy to oblige.”

Avery muffled a laugh, although the rest of Squad Three didn’t try to hide their amusement.

Bishop shook his head and grinned. “I haven’t had a cup of warm milk before bed since I was a wee pup. So which staff member do I need to accost for one tonight?

One of the staff stepped forward, obviously not picking up on Bishop’s sarcasm. When Bishop saw Avery’s pink cheeks, he winked in her direction which elicited a huff from Marnee.

My wolf’s hackles rose, and it wasn’t because I was still tired. I inched closer to my mate. I didn’t like the jealous scent that had been coming from the siren. It had risen during the tour as Avery slowly blended in with the squad—something Marnee obviously didn’t want.

But since Charlotte and Avery were already friends, and I’d been so attentive to Avery, I knew Marnee was coming to learn that Avery wasn’t just any protectee in this assignment.

Unfortunately, I had a feeling the one-night stand I’d had with the siren three years ago was coming back to haunt me. Ever since that encounter, Marnee had been trying to bed me again. I’d caught her more than once tossing her hair over her shoulder and pouting seductively. She was bordering on desperate with how much she wanted to catch my attention, and that didn’t bode well since Avery’s trust in me was only just forming. The last thing I needed was a mistake from my past to come back and fuck everything up.

I shifted in front of Avery, subtly maneuvering her away from Marnee’s heated stare. The siren’s prickly energy tingled my back, letting me know that she was still watching me.

I gritted my teeth at the memory of her using her magic outside. She’d actually tried to manipulate me using her siren song. I’d have to report that to Wes. That would only piss Marnee off more, but protocol was protocol. Using her song was no different than a vamp compelling—both were illegal.

At least my alpha power was strong enough that I was immune to her song, but three years ago, on one drunken night in the fae lands, in which my squad and Bavar’s squad were out celebrating, I’d succumbed to her charms.

I still blamed the fairy wine on my poor decision. Sure, Marnee was attractive, but I’d never been interested in her beyond a working relationship. Although, my mate didn’t know that.

Smug satisfaction filled me when I remembered the flare of jealousy in Avery’s scent when she’d realized that Marnee desired me. Since the alignment, my mate had acted like she wanted nothing to do with me, but her scent couldn’t lie. She felt more for me than she wanted to admit, even if she didn’t understand what she was feeling.

“This tour is a bit long, don’t you think?” Avery said under her breath. “Do we really need to know what’s in every room? Not that I’m complaining, it’s a beautiful home, but one would think Bavar is grandstanding his wealth.”

I snorted, then choked down the sound when Marnee shot daggers our way. “Believe it or not, he’s not giving us a tour to show off his home. He’s doing this so Squad Three knows where each room is and any vulnerable points in them. I can guarantee that if you asked Bishop, Heidi, Lex, Marnee, or Terry where a room is in any of the wings, they could immediately answer. It’s their job to memorize details like that, and it’s something I need to know, too, even if I’m stepping down for a few days.”

Curiosity lit her eyes. “And Charlotte? Would she know?”

I shrugged. “She knows it’s part of the job, but she’s still new. It takes practice to master that kind of quick memorization. She probably couldn’t accurately recall all of those details yet.”

“And last, I shall be showing you to your chambers.” Bavar’s comment interrupted Avery’s curious questions as he turned to his staff. “Please see to everyone’s belongings. I’m sure we’ll all want to freshen up before we reconvene.”

The staff scurried off, and I was glad for the chance to clean up. After weeks of little to no sleep, enough hair had grown on my cheeks that I had a beard, which meant I needed a shave. And the tears in my clothes from those damned sprites, along with the dried blood all over me, meant a shower and change of clothes were exactly what I needed.

“The rest of you may follow me.” Bavar clasped his hands behind his back and sauntered down the hall. “The sleeping chambers are in the Daphnis wing.” Bavar’s bright orange hair flashed gold in the fairy lights twinkling above.

We were currently in the Titun wing. Each of the five wings of the house was called by the royal courts in the capital—which had been named after planets in the fae lands’ solar system.

Our heels clicked on the marble floor, echoing down the vast area. The walls in each wing rose to at least thirty feet, decadent murals and tapestries adorning the walls and ceiling. Due to the estate’s awkward design, the long halls proved lengthy to navigate, but Bavar had pointed out several internal portals that could be used to transfer from one wing of the castle to the next so one didn’t have to walk the entire length.

“Bishop, you’ll be here.” Bavar opened the door to a suite with a fireplace, a king-sized bed, two couches, and an impressive wardrobe.

Bishop whistled. “Thanks, boss. I could get used to this.”

Bavar smirked. “We’ll reconvene again in an hour in the drawing room.”

He led the rest of us to the next room. Everyone followed one by one, retiring to their chambers to wash off the dirt and blood from the sprites’ attack.

When it was just me, Avery, Charlotte, and Marnee, Bavar paused. “There are only three chambers left in this hall. Major Jamison, where would you like to reside?”

I stepped closer to my mate. “I’ll stay in Avery’s chamber. Given what happened this morning, I’ll be staying at her side for the remainder of this assignment.”

Avery’s lips parted. “Is that really necessary?”

I gazed down at her, keeping my hands in my pockets so I wouldn’t brush the lock of hair off her cheek. “Yes. This estate may be secure for the time being, but that doesn’t stop the fact that you’re being hunted by a group that obviously has no qualms about killing others to get to you.” My blood boiled just thinking about it.

Her cheeks flushed, making it appear that she was frightened, but her scent gave away her true emotion—apprehension at rooming with me. Apparently that was more daunting than a dozen men trying to abduct her.

Marnee’s nostrils flared as Charlotte slid a sly grin Avery’s way.

“Very well.” Bavar bowed. “Marnee, you shall be here. Right this way.”

The siren pushed past us, shouldering Avery in the process.

Avery jolted forward but righted herself before she fell. A low growl rose in my throat, but Marnee never uttered an apology.

“You’re excused!” Charlotte called out after her, but Marnee didn’t acknowledge that comment either. “Or not,” Charlotte muttered. After Marnee slammed the door to her room, Charlotte cocked her head. “What’s her problem?”

“Long story,” I replied. “Don’t ask.”

Avery’s nostrils flared. She inched away from me, and that jealous tint entered her scent again. With a brittle smile, she looped her arm through Charlotte’s. “Since Charlotte is also an SF member, I don’t see why I can’t room with her instead of you.”

Dammit. I would be thoroughly pissed if that one-night stand truly fucked this up.

Resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of my nose, I replied patiently, “I’m the commander in charge of your care. You’ll be rooming with me.”

“But if it’s going to cause problems, with your . . .” She inclined her head toward Marnee’s room.

“Charlotte?” Bavar interrupted, coming out of Marnee’s room. “Your room is just over here.”

Charlotte swung wide eyes between me and Avery, obviously reluctant to leave the lobbying battle between me and my mate.

“Corporal Morris?” Bavar said more sharply.

With a wistful sigh, Charlotte followed him to her chambers, which left me alone in the hall with my mate.

As soon as we had privacy, Avery crossed her arms, her eyes flashing.  “Just because the SF has decided I need all of you around doesn’t mean I’m a prisoner who has no choice in what happens here.”

I bit back a smile as my blood heated. Damn, I loved her fire. It was one of the reasons I fell in love with her. She was a fighter, not one to back down even when an SF commander was looming over her.

“It’s for your own safety,” I replied calmly.

“If that’s the case, why can’t I room with Charlotte? She’s perfectly capable of protecting me, and if you hadn’t noticed, I’m not a weakling. I’m the one who saved the two of you during the middle of the night.”

“True. You’re not weak, far from it.” I raised my hand when her mouth opened to argue again. “But the answer is still no because Charlotte’s new to the job. She doesn’t have enough experience to fully protect you.”

She arched an eyebrow, the energy emanating from her still simmering. “And your girlfriend won’t mind that you’re sleeping in the same room with me?”

This time, I did smile. Taking a step closer to her, I leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Careful, I’m detecting some jealousy from you.”

She tensed, and then shivered when my breath puffed against her skin. But as soon as that satisfying reaction occurred, she pulled her arm back and slugged me in the shoulder.

My eyebrows rose as a chuckle threatened to escape me. “Did you just hit me?”

Her jaw dropped, and horror filled her eyes. She quickly composed herself, snapping her mouth closed. She twirled around, her back to me so I couldn’t see her face. “I . . . I don’t know . . . I, uh . . . I don’t know why I did that. I’m sorry.”

I stepped closer until I knew she could feel my heat against her back. Once again, I leaned down and said softly into her ear, “Marnee means nothing to me. She’s not my girlfriend and never was. You have nothing to be jealous of.”

“I’m not jealous!”

“Well, if that’s the case then you have no reason to hit me again.”

She turned back to face me, but as soon as she realized how closely we stood, she took a huge step back. “Again, I’m sorry about that. I don’t know what came over me.”

I opened my mouth to tell her that I knew exactly what had come over her, but Bavar returned from Charlotte’s room and waved toward the end of the hall. “Your chambers are right this way.”

Avery rushed forward, staying close to the fairy’s side as I brought up the rear. Immense satisfaction rolled through me, making me want to grin. Avery may not have her memories back, but a part of her body remembered how she’d once felt for me, even if she wasn’t consciously aware of it.

And that was all I needed to win her over.