30

HAWK

THE look in her eyes broke something within me.

I hadn’t expected to see Ivy during our celebration of life for Corbin. It was meant to just be a small gathering now that the rest of the team was here to put our man to rest.

But then the faery wine started flowing, and all of a sudden, I had a red-head in my lap while she tried to convince Zeph to bite her, promising she had a touch of Fae in her veins despite being a witch. And I felt nothing.

I’d chalked it up to the wine. To the loss of my friend of forty years.

But then I saw her, and it was like the lights came back on.

The small, tight dress did wonders for her curves, and I couldn’t ignore the rush of possessiveness that rose at the sight. Smooth, thick thighs on display for just anyone to see. Of course, Grey’s team were there. Ivy’s mates . The fucking bitterness. I wanted to blame it on the fact that they’d all survived and one of mine hadn’t, but that wasn’t even it.

It was because they had her, this beautiful creature, and I had...

Scrubbing a hand over my face, I carefully pushed the red-head off me. She didn’t even seem to care, not as she climbed into Zeph’s lap. My denial of her must have given him the answer he wanted, because he had his fangs in the girl’s throat in an instant.

“I need some fresh air,” I said to no one in particular. “I’ll be back.”

It was a lie; I wasn’t sure if I was in the mood to go back. Escaping onto the street, I walked with no direction in mind. My hands curled into fists as I shoved them into the pockets of my pants.

My thoughts drifted back to Ivy, though I didn’t try hard to stop them. Alone, I could dwell on them—on her .

I found myself standing at an intersection, one with a break in the buildings that revealed the spires of the palace, and groaned. What the fuck was getting into me? She was the new Queen, had her mates and anchors, and was going to be taking over from Queen Greer in a matter of months. And I was...I was imagining the betrayal in her eyes.

What she really thought when she looked at me was disgust. I’d been an issue for her from the moment I’d gotten to the safe house. She didn’t like me—fuck, she didn’t even know me. And I certainly didn’t know her. The Fae magic that lived within me— that reacted to her. It sensed her power, and it wanted a taste of her, no matter what. But that was never going to happen.

I gave the palace one last look before turning on my heel and stalking towards my home. The walk was short and not another soul bothered me. Good. I wasn’t in the mood anymore. And I felt like a fucking idiot.

I entered my apartment alone, trying to ignore the dark, twisted voice of my Fae side. That creature wanted to go to her, find her, and...I shook my head. Whatever it wanted, it wasn’t going to happen. But for whatever reason, that didn’t matter. There was an intense pressure in my chest, one that was hard to ignore, but I knew I had to.

Ivy was off limits. She always had been—and she always will be.

There was nothing particularly exciting about the apartment I called home. Nestled in the Endora sector, it was in a neighbourhood of small apartment buildings usually inhabited by other agents when they weren’t off in the human world on assignments.

It was the only time I could be alone. And for the first time in nearly fifty years, I hated it.

Had she gone back to the palace on the arms of her mates? Were they in her bed now?

The moment our eyes met filled my head again, and I tried to push the flash of hurt and look of betrayal out of my mind. But it was burned into my retinas, my soul . Deep down, I knew I’d fucked up somehow.

Shooting a quick message to the team, I shucked off my clothes. The red-head’s scent clung to them, and for some reason, I needed them off. Everything about her had been too artificial, too sweet , and nothing like what I wanted.

I couldn’t even have a Goddess-damned coffee anymore without thinking about Ivy.

She was nothing but a parasite in my head, and the longer I let her stay there, the more damage she would do.

I had to find a way to get rid of her. With my clothes off, I made my way to the bathroom. Everything was upgraded with more modern human technology, like showers and flushing toilets. I couldn’t imagine what Avalon was like before Queen Greer implemented these changes, but I was glad we had them. I knew there were still villages that hadn’t upgraded, and certainly, there were parts of Faery that refused to modernise, but there were systems I enjoyed—and that included the shower.

Letting my wings unfurl, I stretched them as far as I could before stepping into the large shower. I turned the water on, and it didn’t take long for it to heat up to an almost burning temperature, but I needed to burn Ivy out of my system.

As the water beat down on my back and over my wings, I planted a hand on the wall and lowered my head. My magic slithered beneath my skin, the darkest parts of my mother’s bloodline rising to the surface. Lines of darkness appeared on my skin, and I bit down hard on my tongue from the pain.

Yet nothing could stop thoughts of her . She appeared in my mind again in that little green dress. How the fuck had Grey and Beckham let her leave the palace in that? She’d been more beautiful than anyone I’d ever seen. Just that alone was burned into my memory. What it would feel like to rip it off her body...

My cock hardened at the thought. I knew she hadn’t been wearing a bra, not with the way her breasts had been spilling from the top. I gripped my shaft and tried to stop myself from going any further. When our eyes had met, her lips had parted, almost in surprise, and maybe it was that moment that had ruined me.

I stroked the length of my cock as I imagined what it would be like to have those plump, pink lips wrapped around me. I’d noticed the way her mouth moved, especially in defence of the people she loved. To take that sassy mouth and have her choke on my cock...

The pumps grew quicker, my breathing heavy, as I imagined that scenario. Ivy on her knees in that little green dress. The hemline rising up her thighs until you could almost glimpse her sweet cunt. Would she be wearing panties? I thought back to seeing her outside the bar, and realised if she hadn’t been wearing a bra, then she certainly wasn’t wearing underwear, especially with how tight the dress had been around her ass.

I groaned, my cock swelling in my hand. I panted as I fucked my hand and squeezed my eyes shut, dredging up that image of her again. Those doe-brown eyes on me, mouth wrapped beautifully around my cock, cheeks pink as I slid between those lips. Her tits bounced as I fucked her, and when I wrapped her soft hair around my fist and angled her face up, I couldn’t help but wonder what she would sound like choking as I came.

My balls tightened, and I bit back a growl as I climaxed. My release hit the tile and for a moment, I wished it had been her pretty face. But as the water washed away the remains of my orgasm, it washed away her face too.

“Fuck me,” I muttered, pushing off the wall. I finished cleaning myself up, but it was no use.

She had me wrapped around her pinkie finger, and I was doomed.

~

I woke to the sound of beeping. Every three seconds, something chirped, drawing me out of my fitful sleep. Dreams of Ivy clung to the edges of my memory, vibrant and clear and way too fucking distracting. Of her sweet cunt tightening around my cock. Her cries of pleasure loud in my ears. The weight of her in my arms as I flew above the city—

I stopped that train of thought and pushed myself up into a sitting position. The beep sounded again, and I realised quickly where it had come from. Fuck .

That was an easy way to get rid of Ivy.

I scrubbed a hand through my hair as I checked the time. It was nearing four, usually when I got up to train, but after last night I wanted nothing more than to lie in bed and forget everything that’d happened. I reached over to the nightstand and grabbed my handheld communication device.

YA’DAHIR: new assignment – ACTIVATED

Sighing, I checked into the main system of Phoenix and initiated the new assignment. Maybe being sent off to some new place in the human world would be good for me and the team. Getting as far away from Ivy was what I needed.

NASH, HAWK - ASSIGNMENT

TRAINING INSTRUCTOR

Was the first thing I saw. Fuck, were they keeping me here? It wouldn’t be the first time I’d spent a semester as a trainer at the Phoenix Compound. But that would put me closer to Ivy, which was the last thing I needed.

I scrolled the rest of the file, and my stomach bottomed out.

OBERON ACADEMY

MAGICAL DEFENCE FORCE

MENTORSHIP WITH WILSON, IVY

I glanced upwards like the Goddess herself was laughing down at me. What kind of bullshit was this? There was no other information, other than a request to be at the academy before the orientation ceremony at 2PM.

Once or twice over the years, I’d been requested there to run a day’s worth of training exercises. I was pretty sure Grey had run a few combat classes in her day—though now, on the new Queen’s council, that likely wouldn’t be happening.

I threw the device onto the bed. My head dropped into my hands, but not before a different kind of beep echoed through the bedroom.

The bag of gear I’d been avoiding from the safe house chimed in warning. Tension coiled through me as I rose from the bed and stalked towards it to retrieve the enchanted tablet.

I should have known. The call coming through was one I recognised immediately. It wasn ’t an accident that I was being sent to the academy, but what else did the damned Seer want?

I hit ‘accept’ and the old woman filled the screen. “Seer.”

She grinned. “ Hello, Nash. I’m so glad you could take my call. ”

My jaw clenched. “You know I always answer when you do.”

The woman laughed, and the beads in her hair chimed like bells. “ Aren’t you adorable? ” she teased, eyes darkening as the amusement disappeared from her face. “ Your presence at the academy is integral to my plans. Is that understood?”

Something dark and angry twisted in my chest, but I lifted my chin and nodded. Everything I’d done, everything I’d worked towards—that’s what mattered. “Understood.”

“ Good.” Shadows danced across her face as she sat back in her overstuffed chair. She steepled her fingers in front of her on the desk. “ I’ve foreseen war, Hawk Nash. And if we wish to protect Nyx’s word, we must be prepared. ”