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Soboring.
Everybody had a scent, and they all varied from person to person. Someone who evoked bergamot and roses to me might have smelled like blue cheese and socks to another. I knew there was a large genetic component involved, especially with shifters. Those who’d be a good genetic match and produce strong offspring would always smell better.
So, the medic should have at least smelled likesomethingto me. But no, I remembered nothing there. The only thing that lingered behind her was the faint scent of water and the military-issue, scent neutralizing body wash everyone on base had access to.
Well, she was a witch. Maybe she utilized other potions as well to hide her personal signature. Cryptids of her type were notorious for their privacy, which was one of the reasons we at the base were so lenient about Ayla avoiding any group or community building exercises/projects.
Come on, Kai,I mused to myself, surprised at how caught up I was in this.Pull yourself together.
I had far too much going on to puzzle over a witch I thought acted oddly. That was generally what witches were known for.
But still, she wassucha mystery—a bundle of contradictions and intrigue. Surely it wouldn’t mean any harm to approach her again, just to see if I could learn more about her. Ayla was part of the team, and I’d only be doing my job as captain.
After all, if anything ailed her, if anything were on her mind, wouldn’t it show good leadership if I showed compassion? Besides, I wanted to know what I could do to make her position within the base more comfortable. It definitely wasn’t a usual situation. She obviously brought great value to our forces, and it’d be well worth the effort to make her life a little easier.
Still, it’d have to wait for another time. We’d most definitely cross paths again in the meantime. I even found myself hoping to see her again soon. I didn’t think I’d ever been so drawn to someone when my senses found her so dull.
Bored. Boring. Ugh. My mind supplied he scent again while I stood there debating. I very much had been looking forward to dipping into the cool water of the secret little glen I went to every now and then, but my mind… well, it seemed it had no idea what it wanted. It was like it would try to replay the scene withher, then give up halfway through, washing the entire thing away only to start over.
One thing was absolutely certain, though: Ayla was beautiful. Seeing her up close in the woods had caught me off guard, like I was actually getting a good look at her for the first time since we met. It was ridiculous, considering I’d often seen her in much better lighting at the fort plenty of times… hadn’t I? Suddenly, I couldn’t remember.
But what I did recollect was how she’d looked standing under the stars as she stuttered over her words, her blonde hair framing her face, the iridescent ray of moonlight hitting her pale skin. She was ethereal, almost ephemeral, an impression only amplified by those luminous, icy eyes of hers. But she didn’t hold herself like a bombshell. Unlike Darla Khan, who was obviously acutely aware of her attractive features, Ayla held herself as if she’d never looked in a mirror. Never seen what a beauty she was.
That was a right shame.
Well, if Ayla didn't already know she was gorgeous, that may have to be remedied. If she could just let down those stubborn, frigid walls… maybe if I—
Ah, damn.Just like that, my thoughts had slipped from professional concern straight into self-interest.Get. It. Together. You’re her superior officer. She’s a talented healer. She doesn't need your advances.
She’d also made it clear she wasn’t interested. I decided to do us both a favor and stop this trail of thoughts before it turned into a well-traveled road.I’d like to think that normally I wouldn’t even entertain thoughts of seducing a woman who was clearly not interested, and that I was just caught up in the strange, oxymoronic nature of her actions.
My interest in skinny dipping had completely faded at this point, and I mechanically made my way back toward thebarracks. Despite the way my thoughts kept falling into pieces, I ran the encounter with Ayla through my mind again and again, as if running my thumb over a new engraving on familiar jewelry.Sometimes I got further than usual into the memory, but I never quite made it to the end.
Then the quiet of the night was shattered by an explosive shriek.
The alarm!
Warning alerts were supposed to be loud, yes, but the shrill alarms of the fort warning about attack were especially hard on shifter ears. Pain and alarm snapped me out of my reverie more violently than if I'd been slapped, jerking my head to the side as I tried to catch up with what exactly was happening.
We were being attacked.
Suddenly, all thoughts of the strange medic disappeared completely from my mind, supplanted by adrenaline and shock. Then I heard explosions just outside the base's walls. I took off like a shot, years of training taking hold as I raced the rest of the way into the barracks.
I lurched forward and exploded into my wolf form, sprinting across the distance to the fort as fast as I could.
When I arrived, I saw all those on the night watch readying for battle. I'd no doubt that they’d soon be joined by auxiliary forces, no doubt in the middle of jumping out of bed and getting their uniforms on. However, if they were shifters, they’d probably already transformed.
We also had several brand-new recruits who’d never so much as experienced battle before, as well as soldiers who were still recuperating from the first time they had. They’d been told what to do during their orientation, but that didn’t mean their brains would automatically supply them with the protocol when jolted from their sleep in the middle of the night.
All of those new recruits were in the barracks.
Bursting through the main gates, I raced to those buildings in the eastern quadrant. I didn’t shift back into my human form until I reached the first door, which I practically kicked off its hinges.
“Up and out, everyone!” I cried. “If you can fight, gear up! It’s time. Anyone who isn’t cleared to fight needs to get themselves to the infirmary or other support positions if you’re capable.”
No, it wasn’t a complete briefing by any stretch of the word, but that was war.
Turning on a dime as I shifted right back into my wolf, I went right down the row until I ran into two of my sergeants who apparently had the same idea as me. Giving them a nod, I transitioned into the main building.
