Wolf Slayer (The Order of the Wolf, #2)(16)
“I heard about your sister,” Chris said between mouthfuls of his third burger. “Congratulations.”
Aubrey sucked in a deep breath and dropped the fry she’d been toying with, her appetite gone for good. “Yeah, she’s happy. Settling in and training.”
Chris nodded, “We all thought maybe you’d be called forth too.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Sorry to hear it didn’t happen.”
Aubrey shrugged off the sting and took a sip of her water. “It is what it is. Can’t control destiny, I guess.”
“For what’s it’s worth, I think you should be. You’re prime Huntress material.” Chris leaned back and rested his hands on his stomach. “It’s good that you’re moving on, though.”
“Yeah, thanks.” She shook her head and forced a smile. “All that training can’t go to waste, right?”
Chris nodded toward Gareth, who was still mowing down on his heaping plate of food. “I guess we’re all in the same situation. We’re too old now for the mark. No use to the Order. Not directly, anyway.”
Gareth and Chris were both Hunter candidates, both coming from a long line of Hunters. Highly trained and loyal Order supporters, they lived off-site from the actual Order compound. Neither had been called forth. For Hunter hopefuls, the call only came when the mysterious wolf tattoo appeared somewhere on their bodies. A mark triggered by some kind of werewolf encounter. It seemed to depend on the sensitivity of the Hunter and the body’s readiness to receive whatever their particular magical ability was. When they got their mark, they joined the Order and began an intensive training regimen, which included not only mastering their special magical skill, but also learning the more secret aspects of the Order’s legacy and, of course, continuing with their physical training and fighting techniques. The inner working of the Order as well as which Hunter candidates actually came to be selected remained mysterious to those on the outside. Even though it was not totally understood, the initiation into the Order was generally believed to be reserved for the very young. Chris and Gareth had not been chosen. Duds in the Hunter world.
Outcasts. Aubrey bit back the word, but it was true. They were all outcasts.
“Never say never,” Gareth said as he popped something deep-fried into his mouth. “There’s nothing that says we won’t be called forth still. No age limit.”
Chris screwed up his face, looking like he’d just sucked on a lemon slice. “You’re living in delusion land, my friend. Everyone at this table knows that the mark, and in Bree’s case, the call, comes at a young age. Ain’t no Huntress or Hunter chosen after twenty-five.”
“Not yet, no, but much of our ancestry is shrouded in mystery and we’re not yet twenty-five. No one really knows…”
“You’re a dreamer.” Chris scoffed. “Shut up and eat your food.” He glanced back at Aubrey with a wink. “We’ll take the job. Sounds like fun. Just two questions, though. When do we meet the band and would it be unprofessional to ask for autographs?”
Before she’d stepped over the threshold into the mansion, Jaylon was there, towering over her, eyes blazing, fingers wrapped tightly around one wrist.
“Where were you?” he growled.
Aubrey flinched, yanked her arm back. Futile gesture really, but instinct drove her to fight. “Let go of me.”
He glared down at her for a heartbeat, silent communication passing between them. She saw things in his eyes again, things speaking of possession, desire. He inhaled deeply and growled again.
“Who were you with?”
She frowned, twisted her arm again. “I was meeting with my new security team, if you must know. Now let me go.”
He actually looked a little sheepish but he didn’t let her go. Instead, he slid his hand down to entwine his fingers with hers. “I have something to show you,” he said as he tugged her forward. “Come with me.”
She sighed, thought about digging her heels in, knew it would be pointless. “Fine.”
He led her outside, into the forest.
“The wolf—” Aubrey started.
“You have nothing to worry about. I’m here with you.”
She bristled—she wasn’t worried about herself. She’d been trained as a wolf hunter! It was him she was worried about. She opened her mouth to argue when she was struck speechless by the something he had to show her.
In a small clearing, illuminated by hundreds of tiny lights, was another target area, this one more extravagant than the one before. Her gaze jumped from one target to another. Some were high in trees, moving back and forth, rigged up in some way that she couldn’t wrap her head around. The lights cast a beautiful and yet eerie glow on the area, like stars blanketing their little spot in the forest.
“Solar lights,” he whispered as he swept his hand toward the array. “You like it?”
Aubrey swallowed, didn’t really want to look at him. It was beautiful, both in the way it looked and the gesture. Thoughtful, considerate, so much work. “I don’t understand.” Maybe not the right words, but the only ones that she could force out. She was tripping over the thoughts that she really wanted to speak. “Why?”
Jaylon tugged her arm, forcing her to look at him, and when she did her heart thumped faster, harder. He was smiling, his eyes full of hope. “I want you to teach me how to shoot.” He pointed to a nearby tree. Leaning against the trunk was her bow case and another bow for him—black, brand new, a quiver of arrows next to it, bright blue feathers catching her eye. Beautiful. “I’d like to do something that you love.”