Closer
Sienna
“I’m not happy with this,” Grandpa Al grumbles, frowning as he glares at Ahren, who simply stares back, a lazy smile on his face.
“I didn’t get a choice either, Grandad, so blame Uncle Leo,” Ahren says, his voice dropping to a whisper as if Uncle Leo himself might hear him.
Grandpa Al growls, his nostrils flaring. “I fucking have and will send another fucking message, too. How the fuck does he think this is smart? Turns out the fucker’s the dumbest person around. Your heat is still ongoing, isn’t it?”
I blush, feeling mortified. Is it really so common to talk about a woman’s heat? I mean, we’re talking about me getting all turned on; that is not what I want to discuss with Grandpa Al or Ahren!
“It’s under control; I have methods to deal with it,” I answer, keeping it short as we enter the barracks.
Grandpa Al shakes his head. “There’s a lot of single men out here-”
“I’m right here,” Ahren says, his eyes glimmering dangerously. “They won’t go near her.”
Grandpa Al lights a cigarette as he leads the way through to what is clearly the sleeping quarters. The living conditions are far from comfortable. Just thinking of Jayce in one of these small rooms with the cold seeping in…
“You have both got your own rooms, not that I’d call it a fucking room,” Grandpa Al remarks as he opens a door. Instantly, I can smell Jayce’s scent; it’s faint, but it’s here.
“Whose room was this, or should I say, is this?” I ask as I touch my neck. I’ve decided to glamour my mark as well. Anyone would recognise it as Jayce’s, and I won’t do that to him.
Grandpa Al looks at me before sighing. “He’s dead.” That is not what I wanted to hear. “But if you’re picking up the fucker’s scent, it’s because he’s right next door.”
Ahren sighs. “Well done on the subtlety,” he says sarcastically. “You know this will only annoy Jayce, right?”
“I do agree; maybe I should be bunked somewhere else?” I suggest.
“No, I’m right next door to you, and Ahren is on Jayce’s other side. We are keeping you close,” Grandpa Al says dismissively. “There are too many men here.”
I hide my smile. Grandpa Al is extremely overprotective, but I don’t think he was so innocent himself. Maybe that’s why he’s so protective, knowing what he got up to in his younger years.
“Don’t worry, Grandpa, I have no interest in anyone but Jayce, and I can defend myself.”
“If it was up to me, I’d remove Jayce from your interests, too,” he counters.
“Luckily for her, it’s not up to you. I know wolves don’t have high blood pressure, but are you sure you don’t have some other similar issues?” Ahren asks, resting an elbow on Grandpa Al’s shoulder.
Grandpa frowns at him. “It’s all these girls. They just have to go find men when they’re so young; they should at least wait until they reach thirty, if not thirty-five. That’s a good age.”
“Ah, yes, wise. Very wise words, Grandad. How old was Aunty Kiara when you found her? Let me see… Twenty-eight, ah… not too early. Oh- no, damn, I miscalculated; she was only-”
“That doesn’t count!” Grandpa Al growls at him as Ahren chuckles, moving away, and I look at my bags that are placed on the small bed. Most of it is stuff to deal with my heat.
“Sienna!” Ahren calls me.
I take a quick glance around the room and, turning, exit the room, following Grandpa Al and Ahren towards the door that leads out to the common room.
Grandpa Al opens the door, and I freeze, my breath catching. The room smells of smoke, fire, and something richer, and so, so seductive.
It smells of Jayce.
He’s here.
My heart thunders as I step through the door after Grandpa Al, and there he is.
He’s leaning back in the chair, long legs stretched out over the table, one booted foot on the table, the other braced on the floor. The fur coat that only makes him look regal hangs open, and he’s shirtless. I notice the new tattoo that covers his neck, too. My core throbs.
Fuck, why does he look so good...
The light glints off the planes of his chest and the sharp grooves of his abs. His hair is different, shaved from the sides, and his stubble is darker. His angled jaw is defined, and the way his skin catches the orange glow only makes my stomach knot.
He is the definition of a sex god, and every time I see him, he seems to be getting more handsome.
His eyes snap to mine, those delicious sage green eyes burning into me. My throat goes dry, my heart rate spikes, and I can feel the heat crawling across my skin like a wildfire.
He radiates dominance, power, and something dangerous that makes my body betray me before my mind can even process it. I should turn away. I should pretend I’m not staring, that his presence doesn’t bother me, but my legs don’t obey, and I’m left there watching the rage grow in his gaze.
Grandpa Al says something about how I came instead of Mama, but he simply narrows his eyes, still looking so perfect.
Gods…
My chest rises and falls, and I know he can see right through me. The tension is thick, hanging heavily in the air between us. And still, the ache in me deepens, a mix of longing, frustration, and pain. I know he cares, but he will keep on denying it.
“Jayce, good to see you,” Ahren says as he brushes past me and saunters over to him. Call me crazy, but for the very first time in my life, I might just be jealous of Ahren as he grasps Jayce’s forearm in greeting, and Jayce gives him a small nod.
“Why are you here?” he asks, his tone icy. That question isn’t just about Ahren. Jayce’s eyes turn blue, the colour of his wolf’s, and it is the only sign of the fracture in his control.
Ahren shakes his head as he drops into a seat at the table Jayce is sitting at. “Well, it wasn’t fair to separate Mom and Dad again, so I came along with Sienna to see if she could do something to help.”
The thing is, Jayce knows when a person lies, an ability he keeps on the low from most, and Ahren had worded it vaguely enough.
“How long are you here for?” Jayce asks, his eyes not leaving Ahren’s face.
Ahren shrugs. “We’re here without a set return date. So, you should be happy,” he says with a smirk. “By the way, the new hair looks good on you.”
Really, Ahren? Can you stop teasing me? I say to Ahren through the mind-link, trying not to pout.
Well, you’re easy to read; you were thinking it, Ahren replies, a smile on his face.
“I’m going to go shower.” Jayce stands and walks towards us; he doesn’t look at me, his gaze straight ahead. I step aside as the smell of cedarwood, leather, and dark spice mixed with blood and ash fills my nose. His scent that I love so much…
My wolf howls, my eyes burning as she comes forth, desperately wanting her mate. For a fraction of a second, Jayce tenses, but then he’s gone, leaving the room and slamming the door behind him.
A whisper passes through the room as everyone watches us with intrigue, but they’re smart enough to keep their heads down. None of them is from England, so they wouldn’t know about Jayce and me anyway.
I walk over and sit down beside Ahren, and he puts his arm around me.
He’ll come around, he says via the mind-link. I look up at him and smile. I’m grateful for his support; I didn’t think I’d have it.
“Come, let’s go eat and then you need to get to bed. We’ll put you to work tomorrow. Jayce led his army and defeated one of the enemy bases, so they may counterattack; stay alert,” Grandpa Al says as he leads the way out into the cold.
I grit my teeth as the cold bites into me as I follow him through the deep snow. I’m in thick clothes, but it’s still freezing. I might need to get some furs. Resisting the urge to rub my arms, I’m relieved when we’ve crossed the short distance to the mess hall.
Grandpa Al pushes open the door, and I’m surprised to see the warm ambience of the low-roofed long hall.
It’s dimly lit, but there’s a relaxing atmosphere in here; there’s Russian music playing on low volume, and there are platters of food on the table: vegetable soup, bread, and some cheese, and it smells good.
I am hungry; it’s been a while since we ate, and the cold makes me want a hot drink.
And I can see the thermoses spread across the tables, no doubt filled with hot drinks.
I glance around at the mess hall walls. “Second-in-Command, were spells cast to keep out the cold?” I ask Grandpa Al. Now that I am under his command, I will address him according to rank.
“Yeah, and they didn’t last; they warp and seem to have adverse effects. So, we deal with the cold the normal way,” Grandpa Al says.
Interesting…
I know the Communication Outpost has a team of witches stationed there who are observing the ley lines and the power that emits from the dome, but they have had to be positioned quite far to be able to do their work.
“Welcome back, Second-in-Command,” a blond, middle-aged woman bows her head to Grandpa Al.
“Lieutenant,” he replies with a curt nod before turning to Ahren and me. “Alpha Ahren Rossi of the Black Storm Pack, and his sister, the Tribrid, Sienna Rossi. This is Lieutenant Ana Varanova.”
“The goddess.”
“Not a goddess,” I correct. So, she knows the story? Does she know who I am to Jayce? I hope not.
She gives a small nod. “I apologise,” she says politely, but it’s that look of curiosity in her eyes that I see far too often.
“Fallen goddess,” Ahren says with a smile. “Befitting for a demon.”
I smile as Grandpa Al smirks. “That’s a good one; now go find a seat, get some food in you.”
I follow Ahren and sit down beside him, as Grandpa Al walks over to the end table, exchanging words with two men.
I notice there are only a handful of women, and most of them are definitely middle-aged.
I help myself to a bowl and fill it with soup when a few younger men come over and take a seat around us, with one taking a seat right beside me.
“I’m Vasquez, a warrior under Captain Westwood’s command. Jarron Vasquez.” He holds his hand out to me, and I accept it.
“Sienna, Sienna Rossi,” I say with a polite smile as the rest introduce themselves.