Page 52 of Great Falls Rogue
Heat floods my blood, and I stop short, stepping in front of her. “That what? One morning of a hard workout and I’m ready to whimper and cry? The point isn’t to have him lighten up on me, it’s to gain his respect as a warrior so we can work together to protect the whole damn mortal world. Sniveling isn’t going to get me there.” I take a breath, the corner of my vision marking the one being I want to see even less than Arisha or Coal just now—Shade. The healer’s trained eyes will ask questions that will drain every last drop of my energy to withstand scrutiny. “Listen… I’ll see you in a bit.”
Without waiting for Arisha’s reply, I duck into the tall hedges of the reflection garden, hurrying to make myself scarce before the male might spot me.
7
Shade
As he crossed the central courtyard toward his infirmary, Shade’s muscles woke, a movement beside the reflection garden catching his full attention in that primal way a scurrying rabbit or errant squirrel often did nowadays. Instantaneous and so rousing that if things continued in the same trajectory, he’d be chasing mice for fun soon. Unfortunately, this target of his body’s full attention was not a small animal but a small cadet, her lush curves and lilac scent carried on the breeze driving Shade insane.
Literally.
Because there was nothing normal about the way Shade’s whole attention zeroed in on Leralynn, the way he marked all her movements, from the swinging of auburn hair to the brush of fabric skimming her ankles. To the fact that Leralynn was limping, her usually graceful body rigid as she put on a fake smile for her friend Arisha’s benefit.
Yes, Lera was hurt and trying to hide it. Which made her his professional problem.
Unfortunately.
After how hard Shade’s cock had throbbed yesterday when Lera splayed her hand—herhand,for stars’ sake—on his chest, he little trusted himself. Especially if she was hurt. As if he were a predator sensing blood, Lera’s vulnerability made some primal part of Shade rear up with the need to chase her down. To cradle her against him.
After spending most of Ostera liberty unsuccessfully hunting the woods for an elusive fae female—whom Shade was no longer certain he hadn’t imagined—he at least expected his body’s frustrating fascination with Lera to finally melt away. He’d found his mate, and it wasn’t the cadet. But instead, his fascination had grown, tugging Shade’s soul so hard that he could barely stand being in the same room with Lera without dragging her to his bed. Or the floor. Or the ground.
Or against the infirmary wall, cadet or not.
Watching the last of Leralynn’s red dress disappear into the reflection garden, Shade shook himself. He was a professional. An instructor. And he should act as such instead of devolving into a horny dog unable to keep from mounting a bitch in heat.
Plus, if he didn’t see to Lera, someone else would. With the thought of another healer’s hands roaming Lera’s naked body making the hackles stir along his neck, Shade raised his voice. “Leralynn.”
The girl’s steps quickened, the quick flashes of her dress showing through the occasional break in the reflection garden’s greenery.
Shade’s muscles tensed, his nostrils flaring as he sniffed the breeze for her scent. Difficult as it was to control himself around the cadet when she was standing still, it was near impossible when she ran from him, the drive to chase and hunt and conquer making his blood roar.
“Leralynn, stop.” Shade dropped his voice to a low, commanding timbre that usually brought wayward soldiers and patients in line. Usually. But not today.
With a soft growl rumbling through his chest, he prowled toward the reflection garden, the serene world of tall green stems and flapping butterflies closing around him. Striding through the labyrinth of blooming rhododendrons and tall bamboo shoot walls, Shade isolated Lera’s lilac scent with an ease that frightened him. As he turned a final corner into an isolated alcove, he found her sitting at the foot of a picturesque stone archway, the burbling fountain and bird feeder behind it providing a rain-like backdrop against the Academy’s sounds. With her red skirt spread casually over her legs, the girl held her beautiful face up toward the sun in a feigned bliss that only added to his straining temper. Her rich auburn hair was pinned up off her neck, showcasing the tempting curve of her jaw and creamy skin.
“Leralynn.” It came out rougher than he’d intended, and he cleared his throat.
Opening her eyes, Lera blinked with an innocence that utterly mismatched the scent of pain and anxiety drifting from her. In fact, Shade would wager that after realizing he’d spotted her, she’d moved deeper into the reflection garden solely to find a place to sit. Because she couldn’t stand very well.
Bracing his arm on one of the archway columns, he glared down at her. “This would be a good time to apologize for ignoring me calling you,” he said evenly despite his speeding pulse. “You can follow that up with an explanation of your limp.”
Lera braced her hands on either side of her stone seat, her face impressively calm. “I apologize. I—I didn’t hear. I’ve a stone in my shoe and was searching for a place to get rid of it.”
Three lies in as many sentences. Shade felt his face harden, knowing he was losing the fight but not sure what winning would look like. “Would you like to try that answer again? You might be surprised to learn that I’m not nearly as stupid or blind as you seem to imagine.”
Lera’s chin rose in a stubborn gesture that looked too familiar by half. “What exactly would you like me to tell you? I trained with Coal this morning, and I’m sore. The same as half the Academy most days. Are you demanding answers from a hundred cadets this morning?”
“No. Only ones I don’t trust.” At least she was done lying about the shoe pebble. “And ones whose instructors ask me to watch them.” Not that Shade had needed Coal’s encouragement to pay attention.
“Not you too,” Lera muttered. Color filled her cheeks, her eyes narrowing as anger seeped into her scent. “I didn’t know spying was part of a healer’s duties these days.”
Shewas mad athim? Heat simmered through Shade’s blood. He considered himself easy-going most of the time, but not when it came to lies and utter insolence. Few pushed Shade far enough to learn his limits the hard way, and Leralynn had just signed herself up for that list. “Get up.”
“Why?” Lera’s face twitched with weary suspicion.
“Get up,” Shade repeated icily. “We are going to the infirmary.”
“But—”
