by Amanda Carol
I smile up at him, and he sighs and pulls me into one of his bear hugs.
“You know, you’re a pain in my ass sometimes, but I love you just the same.” He kisses my head. “Thank you.”
“Anytime. It’s what I’m here for,” I tease.
He releases me, then walks up the steps to take another shower.
After Declan is finished, I shower quickly and change into fresh clothes. I let my hair dry naturally, then toss it up into a loose ponytail. I throw on some eyeliner and mascara with a touch of lip gloss. Then I put on my black Chucks and head downstairs.
Declan’s already left with Ciera. I’m sure there’s a lot of training getting done. Yeah right. Knowing my brother, he’s probably trying to make out with her. I shudder and stop that train of thought from going down a dark and dirty path. I open the front door as Luna is reaching out for the door handle.
“Hey, Aria.” Her voice sounds strained.
I step aside as she walks in and sets her stuff down on the couch. Then she continues toward the kitchen. I turn around and follow her.
Okay…
“Everything alright?” I ask, leaning my hip on the doorframe.
She grabs a glass, then walks over to the pantry and pulls out a bottle of wine.
“Rough day?” I quirk a brow.
She doesn’t spare me a glance as she uncorks the bottle, pours herself a glass, then chugs almost the whole thing in one gulp. I raise both eyebrows as she pours herself another.
“You could say that. Alexander told me what happened today, and I spent the rest of the day making sure our wards protecting the Compound were still up. If a vampire got in, I’m clueless as to how.” She sighs and takes another hefty sip. “Anyway, you headed to see Grace tonight?”
“Yeah, I was just on my way out. But if you’re up later, I would like to talk to you. I have some questions.” I shove my hands in the pockets of my shorts.
“Oh. Yes, of course, sweetheart. I have a feeling I’ll be up all night. We can talk later. Have a good session with Grace.”
I study her for a moment longer, then turn to leave.
I walk down to Grace’s cabin, ignoring the stares from the neighbors, mostly from old ladies. Guess I’m still the town topic. Thankfully it’s not as hot as it was earlier, because the sun is starting to set and the twinkling lights are just starting to glow. I don’t think I will ever stop being amazed by those.
I reach Grace’s cabin and walk up the steps. I knock on the front door, but I hear nothing. So, I knock again even louder, and that’s when I hear a feminine giggle and a husky groan. My eyes widen as I realize that I may have just interrupted sexy time between Grace and Knox. Just before I start to turn and walk away, the door opens and Grace is standing there. Her face is flushed and she’s pulling the sleeve of her cardigan up on her shoulder.
“I’m sorry, I can come back later.” I point behind me with my thumb.
“Don’t be silly, sweetie. Come on in.” She steps aside and motions for me to come inside.
I hesitate for a moment before slowly stepping through the doorway. She closes the door behind me, then walks past me, motioning for me to follow her.
“Would you like some tea?” she asks.
“No, thank you.” I shuffle after her.
We walk into her kitchen and she motions for me to have a seat at the table. I do as I’m told.
“So, what’s on the agenda for tonight?” I ask.
Grace turns, then brings a finger to her lips and winks. Just then, Knox walks in the kitchen dressed in a black V-neck shirt and tactical pants.
“Hey, Gracie-Bear, I’m off for patrols. I’ve got my phone on me in case you need me. You sure you don’t want me to stay here with you?” he asks, grabbing her waist and pulling her to him.
She smiles up at him as she throws her arms around his neck. “No. We’ll be fine here. You go and do your job. I promise I’ll call if there’s any trouble.”
She stands on her tip-toes and gives him a quick peck on the lips. Knox removes one hand from her waist and cups her cheek, deepening the kiss. I glance away quickly, trying not to stare. I start to think back to the almost-kiss with Hunter in Luna’s kitchen.
“Snuck,” she giggles, pushing him away slightly and pulling me out of my thoughts. “We have a guest and you have to go to work.” She glances apologetically at me before turning to Knox, narrowing her eyes at him. “Yes, I’m sure. Now, please go.”
“Alright. I’m leaving. I love you, Gracie.” He kisses her forehead, “Have a good training session, Aria.”
He nods, then leaves the kitchen. After a few moments, we hear the front door close.
“I love him, I really do. But sometimes he can be a pain.” She smiles to herself, seemingly lost in her thoughts.
“He seems to be very protective of you,” I comment, leaning on the table and rubbing my temples again.
The medicine from earlier is wearing off. I should have taken more before I came over here.
“Yes, he is. A few years ago, right around the time we first got together, I was attacked by a vampire. We were going to a concert to see Knox’s favorite band and I accidentally left my purse in the truck.” She walks over to the kitchen cabinet and pulls out two mugs, then grabs the kettle off the stove and pours hot water into both. “Knox, being the gentleman that he is, left me alone while he ran back to go grab it. I was snatched from behind and dragged down an alleyway. Before I could summon my magic, he’d bitten me. Knox found me just in time, and he’s never left my side ever since. I think he feels like it’s somehow his fault. He did take me out of town for a few days, though.”
“Oh, my God,” I breathe. “That’s awful, but it’s no one’s fault. Vamps are sneaky bastards.”
“I know. I’ve told him that. I don’t think he’s forgiven himself for it, though.” She sighs and places a homemade teabag in both mugs, before handing one to me. “Here. I know you said no to the tea, but you’ve been rubbing your head for the past ten minutes. That homemade blend should help with your headache.”
I smile and take the mug from her. I hadn’t realized that I’d been rubbing my head that long. I gently blow in the cup to cool it down and take a sip. I wince as the hot liquid burns down my throat, but almost immediately, I feel the slight throbbing starting to ease up.
“Wow, this is amazing. Thank you, Grace. What’s in this?” I ask, taking another sip.
She grins, “You’re welcome. It’s got ginger root and some peppermint, along with some other herbs to help offset the bitterness of the ginger. I can give you some to take home with you.”
“I don’t want to take your stock,” I whisper, glancing in my mug only to see that I’ve almost finished it.
“Oh, please. I’ve got plenty. What’s mine is yours, sweetie.” She waves her hand as she finishes her tea and takes our mugs, placing them in the sink. “Shall we get started?”
I nod and get up from the table, feeling good as new. She motions for me to follow her and we come up to a hidden door in her kitchen. When she opens it, she leads me into a built-in porch with a hot tub in the center. The windows are floor-to-ceiling, like Alexander’s office. I stare wide-eyed in amazement at the view.
“Don’t worry. You can see out, but you can’t see in. Knox made sure of that,” she says.
She snickers to herself, taking off her cardigan and shorts, revealing a cute hot pink bathing suit.
“Uh, Grace?” I question, shifting on my feet.
I didn’t know I would need a bathing suit. In fact, I don’t even think I own one anymore. I haven’t been swimming in years. Grace looks at me for a moment, her brows furrowed together, then it clicks.
“I’m so sorry, I must have forgotten to tell you to bring a bathing suit.” She claps a hand on her forehead.
“It’s okay. To be honest, I don’t even have one.” I shrug, putting my hands in the back pockets of my shorts.
“Be right back,” she says as she sashays past
me back into the cabin.
I take the moment to walk over to the windows and have a look outside. The sun has gone down, but the moon is full, illuminating the woods. I lean my head up against the glass and a black shadow outside catches my eye.
My body freezes and I stare out the window, trying to focus. My heart rate picks up as I glance around and when my eyes adjust to the night, they land on black fur.
Hunter.
I instantly relax against the glass. He looks directly at the window; it’s as if he can see right through it, even though I know he can’t. I smile to myself as I think back again to our almost-kiss in Luna’s kitchen. I touch my fingers to my lips. If only Bennett hadn’t interrupted us again. I’m getting that boy a collar…with a bell.
“Alright, here you go. These should fit. Plus, they’re brand new, never worn.”
I jump at the sound of Grace coming back into the room.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.” She winces and hands me the bathing suit.
“Thanks.” I smile even though my heart feels like it might actually burst from my chest.
Before I leave the room to change, I glance back out the window, but Hunter is gone.
“Everything alright?” Grace asks, pulling my attention back onto her.
“Yeah, everything is fine.” I start to walk past her, but stop just as I reach the doorway and turn to her. “Where’s the bathroom?”
“Through the kitchen, first door to your right.” Grace replies, and starts to get into the hot tub, the water lapping up on her hot pink bathing suit.
I follow her directions and change into the suit. I fold and lay my clothes neatly on the floor. Declan would shit a brick if he saw that. He always calls me a slob, so I’m trying to do better. I turn the light off and make my way back to the porch.
“That looks amazing on you! You can totally have it,” Grace squeals from the corner of the hot tub.
I glance down at the suit again. It’s a plain black one-piece, but the straps have small ruffles on them. Not typically what I would go for, but even I have to admit it’s actually really cute.
“Thank you, Grace, but I can’t take this from you as well.” I avert my eyes to the window, hoping I’ll see Hunter again, but it’s nothing but trees.
“Aria.”
My gaze shoots to Grace, who has scooted forward in the hot tub.
“Stop. You can, and you will. In fact, to be quite honest, I bought that just for you. After the meeting, I made Knox take me into town to shop. I had a feeling that you wouldn’t have much, since you traveled around a lot. Was I wrong?” She tilts her head slightly, quirking a brow.
Without realizing, I’m shaking my head. She is right. Declan and I have been living out of suitcases for the past three years.
“Right, then. C’mon, let’s get to work.”
I climb into the water, feeling the bubbles dance along my skin. When I sit down, I instantly feel my muscles relax and I take in a deep breath, letting the steam fill my lungs. That’s when I feel it, and my eyes snap open and lock onto Grace’s steel gaze.
“You feel it, don’t you?” Grace smirks.
She slowly lifts her hand up out of the water, palm up, and I watch as it forms what almost looks like a small waterspout, only it’s not spinning. Then she flips her palm over, her hand forming a claw shape, and the water shoots up into her palm, forming a ball. She slowly turns her hand back over, still holding the water ball. She brings her other hand over and hovers over the water ball for just a second before she drags it away, forming what looks to be a water rainbow between her hands.
“Holy shit. How did you do that?” I gasp, mesmerized.
She giggles, and the water falls back into the hot tub.
“Water is the easiest element to work with. Especially if you’re around it. If you aren’t, you have to search for it and summon it,” she explains.
“Like Zayne with fire?” I ask.
“Yes. Fire is different. But I’ll let him explain that to you since that’s his element.”
I nod.
“Okay, now, remember your lesson with Kat? How you felt the humming of the earth? It’s basically the same with water. Just relax and close your eyes. I’ll walk you through it.”
I do as she says and let the hot water and steam relax me again. I start to feel the humming sensation and I focus in on it, imagining it flowing through my veins.
“You good and relaxed?” she asks.
I nod.
“Good, now I want you to imagine a ball, big enough that you can place it in the palm of your hand,” Grace whispers.
I picture a tennis ball.
“Once you’ve got your ball, I want you to lift your hand out of the water and concentrate on the power flowing through you,” she continues.
I lift my left hand up out of the water, letting my power flow through me. It’s easier now that I know what it feels like.
“Open your eyes, Aria.”
I do as I'm told once again, opening my eyes and glancing down at a tennis ball-shaped water ball in my hand.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” I mumble. “It took me hours to float a stick.”
“Like I said, water is one of the easier elements to work with. But let’s keep working on it, yeah?” Grace quirks a brow.
I nod excitedly.
It takes me a few tries and a lot of curse words to finally master what Grace had shown me. Which apparently takes over an hour. Grace tells me that I’m doing great. Of course, I don’t believe her. I mean, I do eventually get it right, but I'm a demigod. It shouldn’t take me that long to do something as simple as make a water ball, or a water rainbow, as I like to call it. I change and walk back into the kitchen, rubbing my temples. My headache seems to be making a nice comeback.
“Head hurting again?” Grace asks, handing me a bag.
I open it and look inside and see that she has packed me some of her special tea. She then hands me an empty bag for my wet bathing suit.
“Yeah, a little bit. I think I’ve just had a busy day. Thank you for the tea, and my new bathing suit.” I smile as she leans in and gives me a nice warm hug.
I hesitate for just a moment then wrap my arms around her. Just then, I hear the front door open and close and a few moments later Knox walks into the kitchen.
“Hey Gracie-baby, I’m home.” He strolls over to Grace and pulls her in his arms, placing a quick kiss on her forehead.
“I see that, Knoxy-coxy.” She turns, standing on her tip toes, and gives him a peck on the lips before turning back to me. “He hates it when I call him that, but I do it anyway.”
She smiles as Knox wraps his arms around her and kisses her on the cheek. These two are possibly my favorite couple ever. They are disgustingly cute and deserve so much happiness.
“I hate the name, but I absolutely adore you.” He nuzzles her neck, and she playfully rolls her eyes and pushes him away.
“Snuck, I love you, but you need a shower.” She scrunches her nose.
“Will you join me?” He pouts, sticking out his bottom lip for dramatic effect.
“No. Maybe.” She pauses for a beat. “Okay, yes, but not until I see Aria off. Now, go get ready.” She practically shoves him out of the kitchen.
“Oh, wait.” Knox peeks his head back in. “There’s a buddy system in place. No one walks anywhere alone until the vampire who attacked Sloane is dealt with.”
“It’s only a five-minute walk, less if I run,” I tell him, but he shakes his head.
“Alpha’s orders. Your escort is waiting outside for you.” He winks and with that, he’s gone.
I huff and roll my eyes. I’ve been on my own before. I can handle myself.
“Don’t take it personally, sweetie. The Alpha just wants to make sure we don’t have another attack. I know you can handle yourself, but so could Sloane…” Grace trails off.
I mean, I get it. I know firsthand how strong Sloane is. I had the bruises to prove it. But really?
A buddy system? When she opens the door, I step out on the front porch and a black wolf is sitting at the bottom of the steps, and blue eyes meet mine.
“Well, you both be safe getting home, yeah?” Grace quips from the door.
“Of course.” I reply, walking down the steps.
I hear her close the door behind me. Then I look down at Hunter, still in wolf form.
“Did you volunteer for this?” I ask him.
He nuzzles my hand as I pat his head.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
We start to slowly walk back to Luna’s cabin. Hunter is staying super close to my side and I idly let my fingers brush against his black fur. I start thinking about my time with Kat and Grace and how genuinely nice they have been, taking time out of their schedules to train Declan and I. Even being reunited with Abby feels weird, but it’s a good weird.
“Declan and I have been on the road for so long that I’ve forgotten what it was like to have friends,” I say out loud.
He stops walking, so I stop and turn to him. He sits and tilts his head to the side, as if asking me to explain.
“We were never in one place long enough to really make friends. I mean, I kept in touch with Abby, but it’s not the same.” I kneel in front of him, so we are eye level. “You guys have welcomed us with open arms. So, thank you.”
I don’t hesitate this time as I reach up and touch his cheek. When I start rubbing his fur, he leans into my hand and closes his eyes.
“Who’s a good boy?” I joke, starting to laugh.
His eyes snap open, narrowing at me, and then he lunges forward so he’s on top of me. He’s snarling slightly, and I probably should be scared, but I'm not. I know he’d never hurt me. Then he leans down and licks my cheek, which sends me into a fit of giggles.
Hunter shifts to his human form, and he’s smiling down at me, those damn dimples making an appearance. He rolls off me onto his back and we both lie there laughing. We turn our heads to look each other at the same time and our laughter dies down. I roll onto my side, propping my head in my hand and Hunter does the same. I know we probably look ridiculous lying here, but I don’t care.
