39. Annalise
Chapter thirty-nine
Annalise
Ican practically feel the chill of the storm raging outside in my bones as I close yet another General's autobiography covering the first few years of the war.
Apparently, I need to add, “Learn to make a fire in the wild in the middle of a blizzard,” to my to-do list after experiencing the unfortunately realistic simulation we were put into today during Ghost Walking.
Despite wearing the winter gear provided to us, every sideways gust of wind had felt like the sharp crack of a whip across my face.
Every step down the snow-covered mountainside in search of shelter and food was like carrying a weighted Vanguard pack.
And every stumble had the packed snow finding its way between my thick waterproof layers and the skin they were meant to be protecting.
A hot shower is calling my name as I power-walk down through the library stacks in search of any other book that could help me prepare for what we'll be facing in a few short months.
A much grimmer, though preferred topic to think about rather than the illusion and the blinding reflection of the sun on the snow that still has me seeing spots.
A hand snags my wrist, and I shout as I’m yanked sideways, the world blurring as my boots skid over tile, and then the door shuts behind me with a soft, final click.
Dark room. No windows. My heart is practically exploding.
"Annalise." Tyr’s voice slices through me—the tone rushed and worried in my mind. "I'm coming!"
“Let go!” I choke out, already twisting, power humming beneath my skin.
My heart slams upward. My fists are already rising as I brace my body for impact—until the figure in front of me shifts, and I hear a low, familiar voice:
“Seiri, it’s just me.”
Hunter.
My heart drops into my stomach, adrenaline dropping so fast it’s embarrassing. I smack his chest with the flat of my hand.
“Are you insane? You can’t just abduct people in libraries!”
He catches my wrist gently.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I was trying to get your attention, but you were lost in your head.”
“Well, I’m out of it now,” I mutter, breath still uneven. “You’re lucky I didn’t—”
But my words cut off because Tyr pushes again, and I can feel his own memories of my attack.
"Are you safe? I’m coming."
“I’m okay. I’m sorry. Hunter just surprised me.”
I hear his faint grumble and murmurs of killing the stupid fucking human; before he cuts off our connection.
Hunter steps into me, the adrenaline and his body heat melting the ice I’d been locked in just seconds ago and replacing it with an entirely different kind of heat.
“What are you doing?”
“I just wanted a minute alone with you. I missed you.”
Stepping up on my tippy toes, I gently kiss him. “You saw me last night.”
“Yeah?” He leans in, ghosting his fingers up my arm, slow and deliberate. “And I’ve been thinking about you all morning.”
“Hunter, I missed you too,” I whisper, “but we’re in the library with students still studying all around us.”
“I know.” His mouth brushes the corner of mine, “but no one ever comes to this section.”
Looking up, I see the sign for Thandroanian History and laugh. "Hunter, I'm literally in here all the time."
"That's pretty weird."
“And this is reckless.”
He mumbles his agreement against my lips, but he doesn’t hold back, devouring me so thoroughly to make up for our mere hours apart. His hand curves around my waist, pulling me into him and kissing me like it's been weeks rather than hours since we were together last.
The sexual tension that's been building over the last month is driving me wild.
Every time we've gotten close to having sex, something has happened and we've been interrupted which has left us both needy and borderline careless.
Hunter looks at me too long in formation, I stand closer than I should when we coincidentally stand in the coffee line together.
And I swear every time he says my name in that low, steady voice of his, I'm ready to pull him into the closest room to climb on top of him.
When he forces himself to pull back, his forehead rests against mine, breath warm on my lips.
“I shouldn’t have done that here,” he murmurs.
“And yet, you did.”
“Yeah.” His thumb sweeps over my now swollen bottom lip. “But every time I see you, my Gods damn common sense disappears.”
My heart twists, and I know I’m smiling at him like a fool, but I can’t stop.
He brushes a stray strand of hair from my cheek, eyes softening in that way that makes my knees weak.
The floor creaks, and we freeze as two voices stop to talk mere aisles away.
Hunter grabs my hand and tugs me into a small cove stacked with dusty books.
The raw need I've been feeling amplifies at the thought of being caught, and I reach down, carefully unzipping his pants and sliding his cock out so I can take him in my mouth.
I'm about to lower to my knees when I catch a spark of mischief spreading across Hunter's face.
Before I can move, he's backing me into the stack behind me, and lifting my hands above my head. In one smooth motion, pulls the hair pony on my wrist out, twists it around my other, and loops it over his finger, binding my wrists together and taking complete control.
With his free hand, he lifts one leg, spreading it enough for him to step between them and rubs his tip against my already drenched lace thong.
"More," I mouth, earning a smile just before his lips crash back into mine.
I'm desperate for more, writhing against him until he presses into me, his tip so thick I moan into his mouth.
“Did you hear something?” One guy asks, and I freeze.
Hunter’s eyes flick to mine, and for the first time since grabbing me, he looks truly worried.
Of course, he does; he doesn’t know what I could do if I had to.
I let my confidence in my magic chase away my own nerves as I lean forward and kiss his throat, working my way up the sensitive path until I'm sucking his ear into my mouth.
His sharp inhale is like ecstasy for my ears.
"Since you can't be good while you take me, I guess you'll just have to settle on something else," he whispers just before his fingers leave my thigh and press into my drenched pussy.
My head falls back against the wooden beam, a light thud coming from it, but Hunter doesn't stop working me.
Two fingers, then three…all moving at the perfect speed and hitting every spot I could dream up.
“Baby—” he groans. “You're sure this is what you want?”
"Mmhmmm."
"Oh Gods! Hunter! I'm so close," I try to whisper, though the recruits must be long gone, because there is no chance they wouldn't have heard us if they were still here.
He moves his thumb to my work my clit at the same time his fingers curl inside me, and his pinky presses against my asshole. Every sensation becomes too much, and I'm moaning far to loud for such a quiet space.
“You’re so fucking sexy. I don’t know what I did to get so lucky, but I’ll do it a million times over," he says, gently lowering my leg to the ground and releasing my wrists so he can stabilize me.
Removing his jacket, he cleans me up with his shirt. “Now, you need to get to Dragon Riding, Ms. Corvin, or I’m going to bring you home and make you scream my name.”
As if on cue, the bell rings, which means Riding class will start soon.
“Shit, I didn’t realize we’d been in here so long. I’ll go check to make sure the coast is clear.”
“That’s okay,” I assure him, before giving him a quick kiss. “I'm a big girl, I can manage. Plus, you still need to clean up and pull your pants back on before your next class,” I wink, before sliding out to go proctor Delta Company's class.
“Mattey, I did it!” I sprint the last few steps and launch myself onto his back, not even considering the chance of him not catching me.
Laughing, he does—one arm under my thighs, the other bracing my hip. “What did you do, Lee?”
“I saved someone’s life!” I cling to him, beaming over his shoulder as he carries us toward the Riding Field. “Like, I actually, actually saved them. In. Real. Life!”
“Wait, what? How?
“You know how I was helping Sorenson with Delta Company’s Dragon Orientation?
Well, Micah, the recruit, thought he was too cool to hang onto Priscilla when they landed.
Needless to say, that went horribly wrong for him, and when he fell off, he landed weird, and the bone in his leg—” I make a face.
“—was not where a bone should be. And the artery got nicked. Blood everywhere!”
Matt winces. “You are way too excited for something so gross, but keep going.”
“I didn’t even think,” I say, breathless from adrenaline all over again. “I sprinted across the field, dropped next to him, packed the wound, slapped a tourniquet on, and Sorenson said if I’d been thirty seconds slower, they would've been prepping a body bag.”
Matt finally twists to look over his shoulder at me, his expression a mix of pride and awe. “Holy shit, Lee.”
“I know,” I squeal into his neck. “I have never felt so badass in my entire life. I mean—my hands were literally inside his leg, and I didn’t pass out.”
He shudders. “You’re such a badass. I would’ve thrown up on the kid… probably in the wound.”
I laugh, loud and unfiltered, the sound echoing across the path as he continues walking with me still clinging to him.
My cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. The sunlight is warm on the back of my neck. People passing us are staring, but I don’t care. I feel happier than I have in weeks, and no one is going to rain on my parade today.
Matt bounces me once, adjusting his grip. “Alright super hero, after the vault, we’ll see who wants to go have a celebratory drink.”
“Can we just do a night in? I’m not really feeling up for the whole bar scene. Plus, I really should be studying.”
“You’ve been studying nonstop lately, and you just saved someone’s leg. But fine, how about we do game night with the crew in my room?"