CHAPTER 17

VENUS

Aweek. We had a week until the next full moon.

A week to figure out how on earth this would all work: the Knights and the wolves joining together.

Thankfully today was the day that the task force would arrive, and with it, Kit, Billie and Carter.

The mini squad based at my house—members including Griff, mum and myself—had managed to figure out the logistics of what the Knights would do on the day of the full moon, but it would help to have a few extra brilliant minds look it over and fill in any gaps. Though, I was pretty sure that Griffin taking the lead meant that there would be no stone left unturned.

Even though he approached most Knight business with nonchalance, when he was actually required to be in captain mode, he did it well. He might not have had the whole personable, empathetic leader thing going on like River, opting for more of the callous and tough commander approach, but he was still shrewd, resourceful, bold and crafty. And thorough. The man was a perfectionist. And the combo somehow worked to earn him equal respect.

Training this morning at the pack house had been counterproductive. The excitement that had me in a constant state of buzz was my biggest distraction and ultimately a foolish weakness, evident by the fact that my punches made Griff laugh and Sky was able to get me on my ass—too many times for my liking.

I called it quits early and instead watched the rest of them spar with precision and vigour. The wolves were not used to this level of daily training and yet most of them seemed to relish in a much-needed outlet to feel in control again. Something that drew me to the practice too when I joined the Knights. The discipline was … calming. At least most of the time.

Not in my current state though. All that would calm my air of excitement was seeing my friends—my other friends.

And watching the time tick over so very painfully slow helped no one.Not that it stopped me from doing it.

With the promise that the task force was on their way, Axel, Aubrey, Raven and Tanner had been the first to leave on their diplomatic mission.

The objective: coalition.

They were staying close to home for the moment, visiting the neighbouring packs they'd already been working with to explain the situation and keep them in the loop. If we were lucky, those packs would reach out to their own contacts and help spread the word.

Assuming they were willing to join our cause of course.

But based on their history with River's pack, we were counting on a "yes". And hopefully when the time came, it would mean we'd have many packs on our side for the battle. Not to mention all territories on watch to stop any further civilian attacks in the meantime.

The absent wolves would get notified of any inevitable updates that might occur with the Knights arrival.

I was still in awe of the nature and strength of these pack bonds and how their mind-linking worked. I obviously knew about it before, was exposed to it almost daily, yet the extent of it never fully dawned on me. I was learning more and more each day. And the findings never ceased to amaze me.

All wolves could communicate in wolf form when in close proximity, no matter what pack they belonged to. But the connection needed to be accepted on both sides when they weren't in the same pack; like picking up a call. Once distance was between them, they'd no longer have access to each other, except for Alpha's whose powers gave them a bit of leeway. Human to wolf contact didn't work the same way. Within packs though, all shifters could talk to each other at lengthy distances, even in human form, as long as both parties kept their connection open—a tether, of sorts, to each other. Alpha's, of course, had the longest range. Which meant in most situations, River would be able to update his pack wherever they were on their recruitment mission. Although, there were still limitations to how far they could be.

As an Alpha, he had undisrupted access to his wolves when they were nearby—with or without their permission. They couldn't shut him out like non-pack members, even if they tried. The only way to fully cut off the connection to him would be to join another pack or become a lone wolf and eventually a rogue. Similarly, his command was absolute. If he used his Alpha aura, his pack had to obey. This was why it was so crucial to have a good Alpha.

The world of the wolves was almost inconceivable.Even to me; a fantasy-loving, supernatural girlie.

It was magic.

I could only describe the power of the wolves as magic.

Similar to that of the hunter gifts.

I didn't quite understand how they existed in our world, and what else possibly existed that we didn't know about. But I'd take it. I'd take magic any day.

If only the magic could make the minutes go by quicker now.

"Stop fidgeting so much."

I spun around to find Griffin watching me pace the foyer. Billie had texted saying they had just past the border sign of Saint Claire a few minutes ago. They'd be arriving any moment.

My pacing resumed. "I can't help it," I threw back over my shoulder. "I'm excited."

"I think half of Saint Claire knows that with how many times you've said it," he grumbled. Though the twinkle in his eye did little to hide the amusement he found in the situation.

"Have we forgotten anything?" I asked, taking in the unfamiliar space we were in. Mum had organised an Airbnb to host the small unit that was being sent down with our friends. There was no way we were finding accommodation in our tiny town for nine Knights and recruits.

I didn't question how mum even found a house this big. But it was in the richer area of Saint Claire, not far from the pack house, so it was probably a holiday home for a rich family that came down once a year for some peace and quiet, and then proceeded to neglect it when their vacation was over. Given the size of the place, that was my best guess.

Mum still insisted Griff stay with us, and while I would have loved to have Kit and Billie at our place instead—particularly due to the lack of temptation they would incite—I couldn't exactly kick the Gray heir out.

Plus, I did happen to enjoy his company.

"Apart from physically unpacking their suitcases for them, I don't think there's anything else you could possibly do," Griff drawled from where he was spread across the sofa, legs dangling off the armrest while he twirled his beloved kunai. "You seem to forget that they're used to the luxuries of the Bunker," he said sarcastically. "They're going to have an abundance of freedom, ample amount of personal space and more comfort than they know what to do with. This place is huge.And there's a pool." When his gaze returned from where it had wandered to the large French doors overlooking the turquoise water, he looked pointedly at me. "So relax."

I let out a breath, sitting on the edge of the sofa arm that his legs rested on.

"Relax," I repeated quietly to myself, almost trying to manifest the word into my inner being. Maybe if I said it out loud, it would stick. It wasn't a practice I was particularly good at.

He chuckled.

When I turned to face him, his eyes were already on mine. The silver flashed in those molten grey depths and I quivered at the charged veil of intensity that settled over us.

We stayed like that for a few quiet heartbeats. Until we were broken out of it by two obnoxious beeps that I could almost guarantee came from either Kitana or Carter.

My eyes lit up and I grinned at Griff before rushing to the door.

Carter.

The blonde male bombshell was in fact responsible for the ostentatious entrance. His partner in crime—another platinum blonde bombshell, also known as Kit—was by his side in the passenger seat of the blacked-out Jeep.

At least she was seated at some point.

But now?

Now she was standing through the sunroof waving like a crazy person before moving on to raise the roof, whooping at the sight of us.

Standing in the doorway beaming, I had Griffin casually leaning on the doorframe beside me. Without even sparing him a glance, I knew he was holding back a grin, trying not to show too much emotion—lest it ruin his blasé image.

I could just make out Billie in the back of the car, shaking her head with a huge smile on her face at our ridiculous friends.

It hit me then: they were here.

No longer able to contain myself, I basically squealed in excitement.

Almost running to them, Griff lazily trailing behind me, I intended to open the car door to let them out. But Kit didn't give me a chance before she pulled herself on top of the Jeep, swung her legs over and slid right off to drop down in front of me.

Within a heartbeat, her arms flung around my neck and she squished me to her. And I squished right back.

When she pulled away, she took me in, eyes bright and happy.

"Hey sexy." She beamed at me. Then pulled me back into her. "Never leave me again."

A laugh tumbled out of me. "I missed you too."

She winked and then flung herself at Griff—who caught her and grumbled a "Hello Kitana"—before she meandered to the house.

"Oh my God, look at this place," she muttered to herself in awe. But I was too busy hugging the life out of Billie to reply to her, only vaguely aware of the two boys pulling each other in for a bro hug to my left.

Billie's warm inviting smile captured my attention when she pulled back enough to hold my shoulders. "It feels so good to be reunited," she gushed in that cool, calm and collected voice of hers.

My eyes crinkled with joy. "No better feeling," I agreed.

She rubbed my arms comfortingly, giving me a look I knew meant she was silently asking me if I was okay. I nodded, communicating back my reassurance. We'd unpack it all later.

One would think we hadn't seen each for years with the greetings that went down, when in actual fact it had only been like two weeks. But that was clearly too much time when it came to us and the bonds we had formed.

Moving towards me, Carter drawled, "My turn," before lifting me into his embrace and spinning me around. When he returned me to the ground he winked. "I know you missed me the most, right Sunshine?"

I just nodded, not willing to burst his bubble and choosing instead to let him have his moment. I did miss him. I missed them all. But the one I'd missed the most had made that longing a little bit easier by closing that distance earlier—even if I was keeping him at arm"s length right now.

I snuck a glance his way as he greeted Billie, his eyes snapping to mine the moment he felt my gaze, like they always seemed to do. He looked happy to have his friends here and I was almost certain it would ease an underlying tension I knew he carried. It may not have been visible—ever that stoic captain—but their presence would be welcomed.

Carter threw his arm around my shoulder as we strolled back towards the waiting house and an over-excited Kitana—who we could hear exclaiming at whatever new aspect of the house captured her attention.

By the time we took our first steps inside, we heard Kit call from the second story, "I call dibs on the ensuite."

None of us were surprised.But realistically she'd need to share with Carter or Billie.

The others took in the expanse of their new living quarters with equal appreciation.

When she came back down and her eyes landed on the beckoning turquoise water of the pool, she didn't hesitate to strip down to her bra and thong before running past us through the open doors and cannonballing straight in, an ecstatic squeal echoing after her.

Resurfacing, she pushed back her soaking platinum hair and grinned at us once more. "Get your asses in the pool. Now." She laughed to herself before leaning back and taking off across the water in a perfect backstroke.

I looked at the other—slightly more sane—members of our group with a raised brow, waiting for a confirmation as to whether we should join her. In answer, Carter pulled off his shirt and ran after his girl, plonking in the water with a large and dramatic splash.

I grinned, looking at the two remaining Knights.

The other compound vehicles would be a few minutes behind, but that didn't stop me from taking my own clothes off before either Billie or Griff could protest.

Amusement and surprise glittered in Griffin's eyes as watched me, hungrily taking in every inch of my body on full display in my matching purple underwear set.

But I was off, throwing myself into the sparkling water.

I wasn't prepared for the cold bite that traversed through my body as I broke the surface. It awakened all my senses in the best way, and I savoured the serene, muffled blue silence of the world I'd dived into.

My senses remained awake and buzzing even after I made my way back up—largely due to the fact that I was greeted to the ridiculously delicious view of Griffin in nothing but his black boxers stalking confidently to the pool"s edge. My eyes trailed every single movement, glued to him as he sat on the edge and lowered himself into the water, his corded muscles rippling with the controlled movement.

His eyes didn't leave mine and I knew he loved every moment that I spent drinking him in.

I forced myself to look away, instead smiling at Billie who approached the edge and then dived in, ever the graceful athlete.

We needed this. A breather. A moment to just be.

When was the last time I felt this free? This happy?

We didn't have long before the rest of the Knights arrived, Juliet and Tom following the sound of our laughing until they were outside staring at us in a combination of shock and amusement.

"Uh, hello?" Tom croaked with a confused smirk. His brown hair and eyes were lit with warmth from the summer sun.

His twin's matching eyes were bright as she giggled demurely. "Well, that looks fun."

Kit, casually floating on her back, responded with a simple, "I think I'm going to like it here."

The others eventually settled in or joined us in the pool, clearly not expecting their mission to begin like this but simultaneously not complaining about the moment of calm before the storm.

When we eventually turned into prunes and decided to get out of the water, we lazed around the pool for a little longer as Griff and I informally briefed them on what we'd learnt during our time in Saint Claire, before deciding to order some food.

We sat in the open living area that took up most of the lower level of the house. The couches all faced on another, creating somewhat of a closed section. From where I sat on the sofa that Griff had occupied before our guests arrived, the white French doors to the pool were on my left. A large textured-grey fireplace was directly in front of me, bordered by more French doors on either side that opened up to the garden. A modern, yet homely kitchen—that was larger than necessary—took up the right side, with a massive stone bench dividing the area.

The space seemed intentionally built with the notion of hosting indoor-outdoor events, based on the kitchen's proximity to the floor-to-ceiling doors and the twelve-seater outdoor dining table just past them. Not that there wasn't an indoor dining table of equal grandeur on the pool side of the room. It seemed the options for hosting and feasting here were endless.

It was giving me summer-in-the-Hamptons vibes, but with a modern Mediterranean take.

A grand staircase leading upstairs to the rooms was just past the kitchen, closer to the front entrance. Somewhere under those were two doors: one leading to a huge study with countless books, and the other opening to a massive and fully stocked home-gym. It was kind of perfect for the task force.

All the furnishings and fixtures were in textured creams and soft greys with light wood, black accents and olive pops of colour. It was earthy and open yet raw. Luxurious and comfy yet minimal. Light and airy yet cold. A perfect and unexpected harmony and balance reflected in every element of the home. I was shocked to think that a place this big and beautiful wasn't used to its full advantage.

Unlike the pack house, the property here was fenced off from the surrounding forest; a little gate at the back the only way to access it. Instead, the backyard was tailored and landscaped. Kept tidy and manicured despite its huge size and lack of occupancy.

I brought my attention back to the conversation that was being had as the task force of Knights picked on the array of food we'd ordered while we sat around the lounge. All eleven of us were scattered on the couches, chairs pulled from around the dining table, the floor, or any other sittable surface.

Mum had stopped by earlier to make sure everyone was well and truly settled before explaining the role she'd play in assisting Griffin with leading the squad and acting as Thea's eyes and ears.

Similarly to Griff, the others had fawned over meeting her in the flesh, and his nickname of ‘Mama Stone' quickly stuck—but more so among my friends who felt a bit more comfortable in using a pet name for a Knight legacy. The others weren't quite so brave—or rather, were more respectful—instead referring to her as the safer option of Colonel Stone. For the purposes of this mission, Thea had forced her to reclaim her previous title and she accepted. At least for the moment.

"Mumma Stone is such a MILF," Carter randomly confessed from his spot on the floor in a moment of silence between mouthfuls of noodles. With his legs sprawled under the coffee table, his back rested against Kit who was seated beside me on the couch.

"Yeah she is!" Kit enthusiastically agreed, nodding her head animatedly.

I laughed awkwardly. "This is so weird for me."

"Guys, have some respect. That's your Colonel you're talking about," Griffin half-heartedly chided with a suppressed smile.

"Oh please, Gray. Like you haven't thought about it," Carter threw back. And I knew his rebuttal was not wrong.

"I've been a little preoccupied with a different Stone woman." Griffin's reply was instant. I blushed as silver eyes slid to mine, not bothering to hide anything from the others.

The heat in the gesture combined with his words almost made me choke on my food.

"Can we please change the subject?" I urged, trying to brush it off. Griffin chuckled quietly.

"So what's the go with training while we're here?" The female Knight with short lilac hair asked—Winter. I wanted to hug her for the save but decided against it, considering I didn't really know her.

Three titled Knights had been sent down with the others—ones that I'd passed on occasion in the halls of the compound but never really met. They were usually off on some mission, not training with the rest of us of ‘recruit' status. Given that the Gray Knights would need to be scattered around the state, three—as well as Griff and Car—was all they could spare for this task force

Newer officially titled ‘Gray Knights', like Carter, were mostly used around the compound, not yet needed on missions outside the city but useful for patrols and training. They also still slept in the Bunker—as would likely be the practice going forward as the current recruits finished with their initial training, given the lack of space and private rooms combined with the sheer number of us. Only the elite Knights, with titles or notoriety, would get their own rooms. The rest of us would likely continue in a similar way to how we did now, only with the honorary title of ‘Gray Knight', a pay rise and the requirement to be available for relocation at any given time.Unless you were an official or helped run the compounds.

Even with the addition of ‘Gray' to the title, everyone mostly referred to anyone within the organisation as a ‘Knight', or used their official military title if they had one, like Captain Gray in Griffin's case or Colonel Stone in mum's. That didn't stop higher ups from using the term ‘recruit' like it was an insult whenever it suited them. But such was the hierarchy in an operation like ours.

Kitana and Billie would probably make that title transition very soon, given their age and experience. Thea, with Colonel Lennox's aid, would decide when someone was ready for that promotion using a few factors to make the judgement. Age was a consideration, as was skill, knowledge, on-field experience and whatever else they deemed necessary.

I would probably take a little longer to reach that upgrade, seeing that I was still very new to everything.

Not that I minded, I was in no rush. I was feeling more and more like a Knight every day anyway, and that's what mattered to me. Plus, they were still allowing me to have a significant impact in this mission by working with the wolves, even given my lowly status.

The others with us now had been officiated at least a few years back, being slightly older. With their serious demeanour and expertise, I was more than a little intimidated.

Realising that Griffin was their superior was a bit of a mind fuck. Though his position was based on his legacy, over-achieving nature, overall dexterity and enhanced hunter gifts, rather than his age. It was inevitable that Griff would lead them, being a Gray heir. It was his birthright.

I wondered if that made him a Gray, Gray Knight.

Thinking about it—what his position meant and my general lack of respect towards him—made me slightly nervous. He never pulled rank when it came to me though. If anyone else spoke to him like I did, he'd probably find a way to punish them.So I had to consider myself lucky.

I dared another look at him lounging on the armchair to my right, keeping my face forward so he wouldn't catch my stare. He was eating fried rice from a takeout box, but even the way he sat in his chair oozed confidence and bored indifference. I hated that it was so attractive to me. So I busied myself with my own takeaway box.

Juliet and her friend Rose—the petite one with sunk hair that seemed to be her main companion—looked to the Gray captain expectantly, waiting for him to answer Winter's question about training. Tom, sitting next to them, had his feet kicked up on the coffee table, occupying himself with something on his phone.

When Griff didn't deign to respond, it was Billie who chimed in from my other side.

"Vee mentioned something about a setup at the pack house, if I remember correctly?" She eyeballed me for confirmation.

I nodded but didn't get a chance to verbally reply.

"You lot will love puppy school tomorrow morning," Griff cut in with a devilish smirk that meant trouble. I shot him a look which didn't go unnoticed by the others. His overall irreverence to … well … most things was mind blowing. Yet somehow he took all the strategizing and safety stuff seriously—which was a huge relief.

Probably why I noticed so much when he did.

Despite his constant mockery and perceived lackadaisicalness, he was great at his job. A lot of his nature seemed to be a carefully placed facade.

He let people underestimate him. Which made him even scarier when he was in action and his true skill shone through.

Most of the Knights now knew him for what he really was: a threat and predator. But also likely our biggest asset. And they knew not to mess with him.

Kit chuckled, lowering her spoon back down just before it reached her mouth to ask, "What have we missed?"

"Well, Griffin tried to take on a whole pack by himself," I said, glaring at him before looking back at Kit. "Made quite an entrance on his first day, pinning the Beta to a tree with daggers while surrounded by wolves in their home den, and then proceeded to aggravate and challenge the Alpha the second he stepped onto their training ground."

That got Tom's attention, causing him to look up from his phone with a half-smile.

Santiago, the titled male Knight with blonde short hair, contrasting regrowth and a tailored fade, snickered. He had dark eyes and brows, full lips, and soft pretty features that were quite at odds with his collection of sticker tattoos all along his neck and peeking out from under his black tee. When he spoke, he had an underlying Spanish accent that bought out a beautiful cadence to his husky voice.

The final Gray Knight of the task force—Bleu—seemed to also be holding back a laugh from where he sat at the dining table. He was tall, standing around the same height as Griff, but with longer, leaner muscles that made him appear even taller. The dining chair hardly seemed to contain his limbs with the way he lazily lounged on it. His dark braids hung around his startling green eyes that popped against his flawless brown skin, and his silver nose ring, multiple ear piercings and highly detailed tattoos basically marked him as a member of The Gray Knights. As did the little matching silver rings with sword and cross pendants decorating his braids.

Both these Knight males were positively dangerous and extraordinarily beautiful. And I didn't think a single one of us females failed to notice.

"Typical." Kit shook her head at Griffin's behaviour, but humour danced in her eyes.

"Nice one," Carter said with a satisfied smirk, and I thanked the gods that the girls were here to help me manage them all. I was surrounded by idiots.

Griff chuckled, casually putting his hands behind his head and leaning back against the armchair, his food forgotten. "They do have some bite to them though. I have to admit, it's been quite entertaining."

"Griff, you need to behave," Billie half-laughed, half-scolded.

"Thank God you're here," I directed to my only reliable friend and the responsible one of the group. "Please help me contain him," I begged.

"I'll do my best," Billie promised.

A snort sounded from Griffin's direction, clearly holding the opinion that she would be unlikely to succeed.

I shot him daggers.

He smirked at me, using his fingers to draw an imaginary cross over his heart. ‘Best behaviour', he seemed to say. A symbol and reminder of his promise to me.

At that, I relaxed a bit, then added, "He did somehow end up winning them over after battling with the Beta again in a contained environment. I think they somehow have some respect for each other now—not that I fully understand how that happened."

"Boys will be boys," Kit declared with a shrug, earning laughs around the room.

We discussed the training that would commence for them tomorrow as well as the patrols, informing the warriors of the offer to train with the wolves whenever they liked, but of course also ensuring them they could use the gym here whenever they wanted.

The rest of the night was a mix of general conversation, firsthand recaps of some of the Knights' previous missions and a few ideas about how we could spend the next seven days to make the most of our preparations for the first full moon we'd face with the wolves.

I'd texted River to confirm he was fine with all of them coming past the pack house in the morning for introductions, training and a possible strategy meeting, which he promptly ensured me would be a great idea.

When nightfall hit, I silently got into Griffin's car, ready to make our way back home.

The unnerving quiet after I buckled myself in made me uncomfortable and I was desperate to break it, so after a moment, I spoke into the silence.

"Well, that went well. I'm glad they"re all settled."

It was all my brain could come up with. I needed to say something—anything. As pathetic as that was.

He just smirked at me.

"What?" I asked. Confused by his suspicious smile.

"So only I get the special treatment of staying at the Stone household, huh?" He purred seductively, that gravelly voice never ceasing to do crazy things to my body.

"Don't make me regret it," I rolled my eyes, "Just drive."

He chuckled darkly. "Aye aye, Captain."