CHAPTER 27

VENUS

There was only so much we could do between all the strategizing and the waiting.

Training was one of those things.

My sister was getting better and better, and with all the Knights around, she was essentially in her own personal mini version of the academy, right here in our hometown. Her confidence was increasing, and with it, my anxiety about her safety was doing the opposite. And thank God for that.

I was trying my very best to not be a hypocrite. I had wanted to be given the opportunity to train and fight. Wanted Griffin and River to trust me and have faith in my abilities. So the least I could do was ensure my sister was trained and prepared enough to be able to do the same and protect herself.

She was even going on patrols, tagging along as an extra to observe and learn with Raven—who surprisingly, and against all my expectations, had developed a fondness towards my baby sister, taking her under her wing.

Occasionally, the Knights partnered up with the pack to take watch, and those were the days Celeste would join in.

I was just relieved she was getting along with the wolves, especially given her previous detest towards them.

I mean, she was fine with most of them now, except for maybe Zander. He still wound her up the wrong way. But her friendship with Sky and Raven had me reassured. They'd be good protection for her to have in the town, and I'd sleep at ease, even when I wasn't here, knowing my sister had eyes on her and people—or rather, wolves—in her corner, should she need someone to lean on.

Billie, Kit and I were perched on the log that bordered the sparring mat, watching on as Celeste and Raven practised with Griffin hovering over them, scrutinising and nit-picking their form while he circled the mat. His brows were scrunched as he observed, finding faults wherever he could and then barking out orders at them—which Raven begrudgingly obeyed. But I didn't miss the resentful looks she directed at him every time he opened his mouth.

The fact that she still listened meant she obviously knew he was right and appreciated his help, whether or not she'd ever admit it. Although, knowing her stubbornness, it was unlikely she would. At least she was taking on the feedback.

Celeste—to my utter shock—had been quite good with listening to the captain, following instructions and respecting his knowledge. I think she admired the strategic thinking, expertise and finer details involved in his role, holding him in high regard. It could have gone either way, but I was delighted with the progression of their relationship.

Satisfied my sister was in capable hands and still participating, I moved off the log, sitting in the grass to face my friends.

My legs felt like jelly after the not-so-small functional training circuit the girls and I had just run through. I stretched them out before me, tucking one ankle over the other while I leaned back on my arms.

"Griff's been more uptight than usual. And broodier than he's been in a while," Kit stated as she polished a dagger with the material of her tiny Lycra shorts. They went with her black sporty bralette perfectly and she wore matching fingerless training gloves. That beautiful platinum hair of hers was tied in a top knot with a black scrunchie. Billie was chugging down a protein shake, sitting on the log in her simple light grey workout set. She managed to get out a nod of agreement in response to Kit, making her high braided ponytail swing with the movement.

I winced. "That's probably my fault."

"Probably?" Kitana challenged with a perfectly arched brow.

I threw a gym towel at her, even though she wasn't wrong.

Billie set down her shaker. "At least the wolves are benefitting from it. We all are. He's pushing us hard, and the Knights need it. It helps to get our asses handed to us every so often. Keeps us in check. Especially being away from the compound."

"Arms up Cel, don't leave yourself open," Griffin corrected my sister and my gaze drifted back to him. His tone was less harsh with her but equally as authoritative.

Pulling my attention away from the mat, I refocused on Billie. "We're still no closer to getting answers. So yeah, you're right, we need Griff to whip us into shape. If that's all we can control, we better be damn good at it."

"Mm-hmm," Billie mumbled, nodding her head but sounding unusually distracted.

I followed her line of sight to see Santiago taking a drink break, meandering over to Griffin's side to watch the girls spar. He'd been training with Griff all morning before the captain moved on to instructing, the two of them throwing ninja stars at a target like they were playing darts. I'd been sneaking so many glances at Griff the whole time that I didn't even realise that my friend's attention was focused on the other Knight with him.

I now examined the blonde instead of the usual brunette who took up an abnormal amount of my focus.

"Santi is kinda badass. I mean all the Knights are, but he has an unapologetic sweetness about him that makes him even more attractive," I said, trying to coax out Billie's thoughts. She was quiet when it came to her own feelings and sometimes needed a little more persuasion to open up about herself, feeling bad about making anything about her.

There was a faint smile on her full rosy lips. "That's true. It does somehow make him even hotter," she agreed, not giving away much. But it was enough.

"You should see him in the pool," Kit added, licking her lips. "Of course, I'm essentially wifed up now so my eyes have only been on Carter."

I chuckled. "Look at you, Kit! How is that going? You two seem cosy. I love it."

I felt like I'd missed so much not being around them all the time, but hearing about her and Carter, let alone watching them together, made my heart all fuzzy and warm—a nice change from how cold and withdrawn it had been in recent times.

"Things are really good. Monogamy is an adjustment for sure, but we're getting there." She shrugged nonchalantly, yet I could clearly see the happiness in those light blue orbs of hers when she spoke about the British bad boy whose chaotic, restless energy seemed tamed and soothed by her own. They were almost the same person: high on life, full of energy and always pushing the boundaries. Turns out in their case, it wasn't ‘opposites attract'. Somehow, they just perfectly worked.

"The spark between us is only growing now that we've given in to the soul flame bond," she added.

Soul flames.There was that term again. I was aware those two were soul flames, she'd told me earlier, but it was a concept I kept forgetting. A notion I didn't have time to think about.

It was something that seemed almost incomprehensible to me, that non-shifters had bonds too—probably because of how little it was actually brought up in my circles. It was fairly common for the Knights, given how many options one got, but not something they fixated on or cared too much about. It didn't fit with their whole detached and impervious image. If they had one, great. But no one really flaunted it. The only reason we heard about it from Kit was because she was our best friend and confided in us about everything. With Knights, the effects of the soul flame were seen more than discussed, particularly when it came to combat. Or so I'd been told.

I didn't have much to go by, but I was looking forward to watching how it strengthened the two of them as a fighting unit and as a couple.

Before all of this with the rogues, I had briefly wondered about it; the Knight"s Bond. I mean, it sounded intense but equally incredible. Who wouldn't want that? But since everything had spiralled, it truly had slipped my mind.

And mates? Well, apart from Axel and Aubrey, Blaze and Bear, I didn't know any other mated wolves. So once again, I wasn't extremely well-versed on the matter. But the wolves were much more open when it came to talking about their bonds—except for River. The concept of true mates made more sense to me, it was like the ones I read about in all my books. When Axel found Aubrey, he'd shared a lot with me about how it felt; that immediate pull towards each other. Both the mated wolf couples I knew seemed infatuated, thoroughly connected and utterly inseparable once they accepted their bond—in a purely supernatural way. Normal humans were not that attached to their partners. Not like the wolves were. I knew it was treasured in shifters; the greatest blessing to find one's fated mate.

"I truly love that for you," I directed to my little firecracker. I hoped my tone expressed how much I meant it, but was sure she could tell just how happy I was with one look at my face. Carter and Kitana were beautiful together and I was overjoyed for my friend. For both of them.

"I will say, it somehow makes the sex even better." Her icy eyes shone with mischief as she wagged her eyebrows suggestively.

Billie and I belly-laughed at that.Kit's openness and lack of filter was endearing and part of the reason I'd been immediately obsessed with her.

"I love that for you even more," I said mid-laugh.

My mirth was soon cut-short though when my gaze caught on Griffin's irresistible smile.

It was directed at the purple-haired Knight that had joined him.

I had nothing against Winter. She was fierce by nature, serious and mature, and had been nothing but lovely to me. But seeing Griffin smile at her like that made my breath catch in my throat. And not in a good way.

Celeste and Raven were no longer on the mat, but Griff and Santi still stood where they were on the outskirts. Winter claimed the spot on Griffin"s other side. In one hand she held a sword. But my eyes felt like they were going to burn a hole through the spot where she touched Griffin's bicep with her free hand.

The clip holding back her lilac hair did little to stop the flyaways that had fallen out during training from floating in the light breeze, making her look dazzling and ethereal with the wispy colourful pieces. Her eyes didn't leave his face. Didn't so much as look to Santi who was still standing with them, clearly part of the conversation.

I didn't even realise I was squeezing the water bottle in my hand until the metal started to bend inwards, leaving indentations where my fingers had been gripping.

No right—I had absolutely no right to be jealous. Yet I felt the emotions bubble through me against my will.

Griffin was no longer seeing Sienna. He was no longer with me. Winter had every right to shoot her shot.

But that didn't stop the unreasonable and intruding stab of jealousy from coursing through me.

I tried to push it down. Shove it away and box it up.

I also didn't realise I had all but frozen in place until I heard a male snicker beside me.

"Jealousy isn't a good colour on you."

Zander seemed to have appeared out of nowhere—presumably from somewhere inside the pack house, since he hadn't been out here training. Neither had Riv. But the Beta had plonked himself down next to me at some point.

"Shut up," I shoved him in the chest, but as I did so, I saw his gaze drift towards Celeste upon his perusal of the clearing, who was now sparring with Bleu. Like all the Knights, the male was dangerously irresistible.

Something akin to jealousy flashed across the Beta's own features at the sight. Only for a microsecond. Then he seemed to shake it off and continued to scan the others who were training, as if it had never happened. But I had seen it.

"Green isn't your colour either, Zan," I taunted.

He gave me a shit-eating grin. "I look amazing in green."

Picking up on what I was implying about his feelings towards my sister, and then appreciating Zander's quick-witted comeback, Kit and Billie giggled. In fact, Kitana egged him on, suggesting he show Bleu how it's done.

As if finally realising we were there, Griff focused his wrath on us, slowly turning in our direction with a withering glare.

"If you ladies are done chatting, do you want to deign the others with your presence?"

His crossed arms bulged, drawing my attention. My stare trailed upwards, taking in his arched dark brow and the unstyled hair that flopped over his forehead, damp with sweat from being out in the heat for hours.

Breathtaking. He was breathtaking. And he was strong and bold and skilled. He was charismatic and confident and intense. He was hypnotic.

Why wouldn't Winter try her luck? She had been gone for a while, off on missions, and now she was here. And he was here. And they were both titled, official Gray Knights.

It made sense. Like him and Sienna had made sense.

But him and I?

Just because I was still making my decision didn't mean he had to wait around. He didn't have to wait for me at all.

He jerked his chin towards the other hunters working on weapon training off to the side. To be fair, none of them had taken a break as long as ours, so he had a point.

Watching me like he was waiting for me to challenge him, surprise mixed with what looked like desire flitted across those strong features when I said, "Yes, Captain," and got up to my feet, dusting off my gym shorts.

The Gray heir was right.

We had lots to do and so much to still learn to be prepared and ready for whatever was coming.

So we trained.

And then went back to HQ and dialled in to multiple Knight meetings with Thea and the others, before finally taking a few precious hours to ourselves to rest, refuel and recover.