RECESS

32

Another tortuous day of discussion passed without any breakthroughs. Finally, by early afternoon—when everyone's patience wore thin enough that half the room was pacing—Luka suggested they break early and spend the rest of the day outdoors to clear their heads. Most of them murmured in agreement.

Aria was grateful for the excuse to leave. It had gotten stuffier each day they spent holed up in that bright white, claustrophobic space. Selene had prior arrangements anyway, so they were left to their own devices without her there to answer any questions that arose. Not that she'd been much help so far.

As Aria made for the gates, hopeful to make a break for the beach as she'd done the evening before, she found Evelyn had caught up beside her. "Are you going with the group that's sparring?"

"No," Aria replied, "I think I may go train on my own."

"Still not over the other day, huh?" Evelyn looked at her knowingly.

"No, no. I was over that the same day. I just… need to clear my head. That's all."

"So what does beach training look like for the fae? "

Aria stopped mid-stride. "How did you know where I was going?"

"It's my job to know things, remember?" Evelyn kept walking, forcing Aria to double her pace to keep up with the panther's long legs. "Besides, I'd like to join you. I could use a swim." It wasn't so much a question as it was a statement.

Aria had just fended off Luka's invitation to spar with him and the rest of the squad, and she really did want to be alone, but… Evelyn usually kept to herself. They probably wouldn't even interact much, anyway.

"Fine," Aria said as they passed through the entrance, "but stay out of my way." Her wings spread and she took off, Evelyn not far behind as she fled on all fours. Aria beat her to the beach, but just barely. She was always shocked by how fast the shifters could run. She landed, her chest pounding, embarrassed that she would have made it faster if her tunic hadn't flopped around her messily and slowed her down. Aria blinked, adjusting to the reflection of the sun off the sands that were just as white as the Sanctum stone, and righted the clothing that had shifted in flight.

But when Evelyn approached her—the bottom of her dress and her long, black waves sighing around her in the breeze—she looked like she'd just left a ball, not run a few miles through trees and sand. Aria wanted to roll her eyes. It was becoming a little annoying, how good Evelyn looked at every waking moment.

"I take it you weren't planning to do much training if you're not in your leathers," Evelyn continued walking toward the water and slipped out of her shoes, her bare feet leaving prints in the wet sand.

"I could say the same for you."

Evelyn cocked her head. "I have a whole different form that doesn't require clothes, you know. "

"Perhaps I planned to train naked," Aria teased. "Maybe that's why I wanted to be alone."

"Now that's something I would pay money to see," Evelyn laughed. "Come to think of it, I did go to this show once in the Wolf Province capital—"

"My gods, you shifters are insatiable, aren't you?"

Light danced in Evelyn's eyes. "Some of us more than others."

"So if you knew I wasn't training, why did you ask to come along?" Aria crossed her arms, watching Evelyn wade through the gentle waves—a strikingly opalescent blue—that lapped at her shins and reflected along her skin.

"I meant what I said. I wanted to swim." She gave Aria a suggestive smile and pulled her dress over her head, revealing a thin black bra and underwear that hugged her wide curves, doing little to hide what awaited underneath. Aria's mouth went dry as Evelyn chucked her dress to the sand at Aria's feet. "The water's warm," she eyed Aria invitingly, "you should join me."

"Here I was, worried you didn't even like me, and now you want me to join you for a swim? How do I know you're not going to use this opportunity to pull me under?" She laughed, hoping Evelyn hadn't noticed how much she was avoiding looking at her, how much she wanted to memorize every part of the woman's soft, enticing body. So contrasting with the sharp angles of her personality. Salty and sweet.

Evelyn turned, walking further into the water, giving Aria the perfect view of the swell of her ass just before it disappeared under the surface. "A girl can't change her mind?" Evelyn called over her shoulder. "I did let you pet me, after all. I would say that makes us friends."

Aria could barely hear Evelyn over the white noise of the water, but she liked what she heard nonetheless. If Evelyn was trying to lure Aria in behind her like a siren, she was doing an excellent job. Aria waded in ankle deep, debating on whether or not to follow further. On one hand, she had a great view from where she was. And she really hadn't planned on swimming, just enjoying the view. But on the other hand… "I'm good here," she decided, and sat on the sand far enough so that just her toes remained in the line of the tide.

She had already crossed the line with Luka, but Evelyn was… What was she doing? Inviting me for a swim, that's all , she assured herself. Inviting her for a swim with bedroom eyes, but…

So much had changed in just the last couple of weeks between all of them. Aria had given in once, she really shouldn't do it again. The last thing she needed was a messy triangle.

"What, did Luka sink his talons into you already?" Evelyn buoyed up for air, slicking her hair back from her face, the length of it lining her chest. "Don't think I didn't see you two conspiring this morning. Fragrantly, I might add," she smirked, crinkling her nose in emphasis. The color drained from Aria's face. "Like I said, it's my job to know things. Listen, I'm not judging. Been there, done that," she laughed.

Aria ran a hand through her tangled hair. Gods be damned , she'd thought they were being so careful. She forgot that the shifters, especially the wolves and panthers, had a much stronger sense of smell. Served her right, though, for trying to have fun for once.

Evelyn could see the torment flicker across Aria's face and backtracked. "Don't worry about it," she moved into the shallow water and sat across from Aria, most of her body still covered by the rise and fall of the waves. "I would never say anything. Luka's secrets are always safe with me, and at this point, so are yours." Aria eyed her suspiciously. "You have nothing to worry about between me and him, if that's what your face is contorted about," she chuckled. "I let him down easy a while ago."

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?" The question had crossed her mind a lot. She honestly felt like Luka and Evelyn would have made a pretty good pair, the more she got to know both of them. They were both spitfires, hard-headed. Though, she could see why that might actually mean their downfall.

"Not at all," Evelyn replied, running her hands across the surface of the water. "Luka is a softy. He puts on a big show, but at the end of the day, all he really wants is a bond like the one his parents had. That requires love, and that's not something I really have to give. Never have," she shrugged dismissively. "He wanted to settle down, and I don't really like relationships to begin with. He was lucky he got as much time with me as he did," she smiled softly, following her hands with her eyes as her mind wandered. "He's a great guy, but there are a lot of other great people out there that I'm interested in. I just don't have it in me to devote my life to one person, you know?"

Aria studied Evelyn's face, still focused on the water. It matched what Aria knew of Evelyn, who looked like she was in a constant state of fight or flight, never staying in one place for long. She imagined Evelyn's heart was the same way. It didn't surprise her in the least.

"I understand," Aria said softly.

"To be honest, that's why I was so aggressive with you for a while. I saw the way he looked at you. I recognized it. And I want so badly for him to be happy, I just didn't want you to get in the way of that," Evelyn looked up, finally meeting Aria's eyes. "I still don't want that, to be clear." Her lips spread into a thin line. A smile mixed with a threat .

"I hear you," Aria said. "I don't plan on breaking anyone's heart anytime soon."

"Just mine, when I ask you to swim and you say no?" Evelyn pouted, fluttering her lashes.

"I promise you I will swim with you at some point," Aria laughed. "I don't even know what it is we're doing," she said. "Luka, I mean. It's probably just a distraction right now, really. Nothing serious."

"Well, I can tell you that you're not just a distraction for him. He's never really been one to bed people without intention."

"Oh, we haven't—"

" Yet , maybe." Evelyn finished her sentence with a raised brow. "Honestly? I would encourage it. He's a fantastic lover. But you should know that he approaches everything with that big, dumb heart of his. Whether he shows it or not."

Aria's heartbeat quickened at Evelyn's admission. And based on how forward she was, how beautiful she was, Aria could healthily assume Evelyn knew what she was talking about. "That's good to know," Aria acknowledged her with an awkward nod.

"Gods, you don't get out much, do you?" Evelyn teased. "You two really are alike, no wonder you were drawn to each other. All bark but no bite."

Aria flinched. "What do you mean?"

"I know you talk a big game, Princess, but at the end of the day? Your tough exterior is just a ruse. I see right through it," the panther paused, her gaze traveling across Aria's features, her head tilted. "Right through to your core. And for some reason I'm always drawn to the good ones."

Aria wasn't sure whether she should be offended or flattered by that, but it gave her a rush of energy either way. She appreciated how bold Evelyn was with her words, never hiding what she meant. It made her want to do the same. "Is that why you're drawn to me, too, then? Because I'm like him?" She smirked in challenge, inviting Evelyn into the banter that she'd grown to miss. She might not like sparring physically as much as the others, but she was beginning to really enjoy the verbal version.

Evelyn accepted the invitation with vigor, placing her hands in front of her and crawling toward Aria through the shallow water. "Do you like that I'm drawn to you, little sprite?" The words rolled off her tongue seductively.

Gods be damned , what was it with these people and that nickname? And why didn't she mind it when Evelyn said it like that? Aria kept up her steel facade, trying to keep her eyes locked on Evelyn's and not the heavy, swaying breasts that inched toward her, threatening to pop out of the thin fabric at any moment. "I'm certainly not opposed to it."

"But…?"

"But what?" Aria's cautious gaze lingered on the soft peaks of Evelyn's lips.

"You're worried about Luka, yeah?"

There was that boldness again, always right to the point. Aria swallowed, summoning the same honesty that Evelyn had offered her. "I'm worried about a lot of things. Luka is only one of them."

"You really are a challenge." The breath from Evelyn's laugh tickled Aria's lips. "Don't worry, I can be patient." The panther never broke her stare as she grabbed her dress, still sitting beside Aria in the sand, and pulled it back onto her body. The movement was so swift, all she could do was gawk. "If you think you're speechless now," Evelyn continued, "just wait until I'm done with you. "

Before Aria could think of a snappy response, Evelyn stood and shifted, and was already halfway down the beach, her dark fur stark against the light sand.

" Fuck ," Aria exhaled to herself, placing her head against her knees.

She'd never been pursued by two people at the same time, not like this. So boldly, so confidently. But more than that, she'd never been drawn to two people like this. Sure, she'd been part of groups before. But this felt… different. Not at all like the casual hookups she'd enjoyed in the past.

Now alone with her thoughts, she ruminated on what Evelyn said about Luka being more interested in romantic relationships than purely physical ones. It was a comforting bit of knowledge, because she was too, if she was honest with herself. But she'd always been too afraid to let herself feel deeply for someone, afraid of what that might mean for her future.

And then there was Evelyn. She took relief in the fact Evelyn wasn't interested in a relationship. That eased her concerns about being in the middle of the history the two shifters shared. But, Mother of Mallium , Aria felt a glow run through her when Evelyn was close by. It was wholly different from how she felt about Luka. Where her connection to him was about a mutual understanding that ran raw and deep between them, her pull to Evelyn was softer, and yet just as intense, in its own way.

Aria laid flat in the sand and closed her eyes, letting the sun beat down on her tanned skin. She had so many other things to worry about right now, and yet here she was, dallying over these two stupid shifters who had somehow worked their way into her love life against her will.

And yet, despite the dissonance that roared in her head, it was the happiest she'd been in a long, long time.