AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I will discuss things with my advisors,” I said in a level tone. I liked to think that I was known for my understanding and treating those in my command like they were real people, not just pawns to move across the board. It wouldn’t be in character for me to fly off the handle and tell her the idea was reckless, stupid, and unnecessary. In truth, I didn’t even really understand why my reaction was so virulent. As far as I could remember, this was the longest interaction with her I’d ever had.
Yet her safety seemed vitally important to me, as if tantamount to our fort’s survival.
“But even if they approve, you’re not going alone. I’ll organize a task force for the mission. A full group I can trust with your safety.” I affixed her with a hard look that gave no quarter. “And who youwon’trun away from.”
I was still irritated Ayla had been able to separate from her escort when their whole purpose had been to protect her and never get in the way of her healing. But I had to admit, it was terribly cute how a pink flush rose up her neck until it spilled onto those pale cheeks of hers.
“I’m s-sure that’s not necessary. I’m sure that with this much forewarning, you could request a replacement medic from one of our sister forts, or even the capital, and they would arrive before I even left. You know, just in case.”
Just in case.
Just in case.
I knew what she was saying, and normally I’d have agreed to finding an immediate replacement. But I couldn’t even fathom what she was implying.
Medic Everton, the same woman I’d watched sew Darla back together right in front of me, was acting as if she were replaceable by a personnel request. She was saying that if shediedor wascaptured, it wouldn’t even be that much of an inconvenience.
Was that what she really thought of herself? Did she really,reallyhold herself in such low regard?
I felt my inner alpha bubble up to the surface. Those instincts were always with me, and I was usually able to use them to make myself a better, stronger person. But that wasn’t the case at the moment. Instead, my alpha was incensed that a valuable member of our pack who had saved so many soldiers was willing to offer themselves up like a lamb to the slaughter.
I took a step toward the shorter woman, looming over her with all of my mass.
“Medic Everton, I do not want you to ever mention dying in the line of duty so casually again,” I said, my tone firm. I even let a little bit of my alpha voice slip into it. That was pretty inappropriate to use on a fellow soldier, especially one who wasn’t actively disrespecting me. Yet, I felt driven to convince her there wasnoreplacement for Medic Everton, even if a dozen other healers joined us. “You saved dozens and dozens of lives at the battle, and that was without any prep. In fact, you are such an invaluable team member that I’ll go with you myself. I’ll head the escort team.” I took another step, crowding her into her room. Surprisingly, it didn’t smell nearly as neutral as she did. If I concentrated, there was a faint spiciness to it that definitely intrigued my wolf. However, each time I thought I got a handle on the scent, it would disappear, only to emerge a few beats later.
“You?” Perhaps I should’ve been offended by how horrified Ayla looked, but instead my alpha just surged further outward. I was drawn to her at the same time as I was being repulsed, which certainly led to conflicting impulses. “Y-you’re the captain of this place. Fort Canid needs you. You can’t just a-abandon them for… for…”
We were back to the cute, flustered woman I’d first met in the glen in the middle of the night. I'd wondered where she had gone. I also wanted to see if I could bring out that colder, biting side of her again.
“For you?” I finished for her. I didn’t realize that I’d driven her all the way up against her desk. She was looking up at me, those brilliant, blue eyes of hers wide and framed with impossibly thick lashes. For a moment, she looked like a painted masterpiece, a work of art that'd been dutifully and painstakingly added to by someone creating their magnum opus.
I shouldn’t have even entered her room, but I felt locked into place. As a captain, I had a right to enter any quarters.Nevertheless, I didn’t make it a habit of just knocking on every door, especially not those of young, beautiful women. Good soldiers needed to feel safe and like they could trust their leaders.
“Medic Everton, I think I need you to take a step back and analyze just how important you are to us.” Tome.
To me? No, that didn’t make any sense. We had no connection. No allegiance to each other beyond being soldiers in an endless war.
“You’re the only witch we have in this entire sector, and already, you’ve come up with an idea no one would have the resources for other than you. Sargent Kahn, our strongest psychic, is alive because of you. So many of our soldiers are only alive because of you, and that’s not even counting those excellent potions you’ve been making for three years. Yeah, that’s right, the head of the infirmary told me about those.”
I wasn’t making that up, but I also didn’t really remember that, either; not actively. I was so caught up in my protective instinct that I was recalling things without even thinking.
“So, when I tell you that you are worth a full escort including me and several other specialists, I want you to know that I am not exaggerating. Do you understand?”
Ayla nodded, swallowing, and I watched the slender column of her throat rise and fall. I felt myself flickering between intense attraction to the young woman and innate boredom with her.
“I… I…”
She was tripping over her words, and I had the fleeting worry that she was scared of me. My alpha recoiled at the thought. He only wanted to protect, to nurture, and the idea of making Ayla uncomfortable made me want to pitch myself out the window.
But then I realized that she wasn’t pulling away, wasn’t trying to duck me despite our close proximity.
I was familiar enough with uncomfortable situations to know there were three Fs: fight, flight, and freeze, so she very well could be rooted to her spot. But then I noticed that those beautiful eyes of hers were on my lips.
Just…
Staring.
Normally when a woman was looking at me like that, we were in the middle of a muchdifferentinteraction.
