Archangel's Blade (Guild Hunter #4)(109)

Adria nodded, saw Riaz do the same. “What do you need done?” Riaz asked.

“Mack and one of his trainee techs went up to do a routine service of the hydro station,” Hawke told them, “but their vehicle’s not starting, and they’ve got components that need to be brought back to the den for repairs.”

“No problem,” Riaz said. “I’ll take one of the SUVs, pick them up.”

Even as Adria was thinking the task was a one-person job, Hawke turned to her. “You’re now one of the most senior people in the den.” His dominance was staggering, demanding her wolf’s absolute attention. “I’d like you to get reacquainted with the region, given that you haven’t spent an extended period of time here since you turned eighteen.”

She nodded. Ranking just below the lieutenants in the hierarchy, senior soldiers were often called upon to lead, and as a leader she had to know every inch of this land, not just the section she’d been assigned to during the battle. “It’d be better if I do it on foot.”

“You can explore in detail later on.” Hawke pushed back strands of hair that had fallen over his forehead, the color a distinctive silver-gold that echoed his coat in wolf form. “I want you to have a good working knowledge of the area as soon as possible.” He handed her a thin plastic map. “The trip up to the hydro station will take you through some critical sections—and you have certification in mechanics, correct?”

“Yes.” It had been an interest she’d turned into the secondary qualification all soldiers were required to possess. “I’ll take a look at the vehicle.”

“What about the replanting?” Riaz asked, his voice clawing over her skin like nails on one of those old-fashioned chalkboards the pups liked to draw on. “Felix’s team have enough security?”

“They’re fine.” Walking to the territorial map on the stone wall of his office, Hawke tapped a large cross-hatched section below what had been SnowDancer’s defensive line in the fight against Pure Psy. “Felix’s volunteers and conscripts”—a sharp grin—“are planting the area with fast-growing natives, but for now, it’s so open it’s easy to monitor, especially with the cats sharing the watch.”

Adria thought of what she’d seen on that battlefield filled with the screams of wounded SnowDancers, the cold amber and red of a flame so hypnotic and deadly, and wondered at the cost paid by the young Psy woman who held all that power—and their alpha’s heart. “What are the chances of another Pure Psy attack?” she asked, intrigued on the innermost level by a relationship that appeared so very unbalanced on the outside, and yet one that was as solid as the stone of the den.

It was Riaz who answered. “According to Judd’s sources, close to nil. They’ve got worse problems.”

“Civil war,” Hawke said, shaking his head. “If he’s right, there’ll be no avoiding the impact—so we make sure we’re prepared to weather any storms.”

Nodding in agreement, she left the office with the man whose very scent—dark, woodsy, with a sharp citrus tone—made her skin itch. “We should get some food.” The drive wouldn’t be quick, plus Mack and his tech, who had probably not planned to be up there this long either, would be hungry.

“Should be something in here,” Riaz said, walking into the senior soldiers’ break room.

They worked with honed efficiency to slap together some sandwiches and were ready to go ten minutes later. Clenching her abdominal muscles as she got into the vehicle with Riaz, Adria told herself to focus on the route, the geography, anything but the potent, masculine scent of the man in the driver’s seat . . . because she knew full well why he incited such violence in her.





Riaz drove them out of the garage, and into the mountains, very aware of the cool silence of the woman with him. The more time he spent with her, the more he realized how unlike Indigo she was, in spite of the superficial similarity of their looks. One of the reasons he’d always enjoyed the other woman’s company was her upfront nature—Adria, by comparison, was a closed box with Do Not Enter signs pasted on every surface.

He understood that. Hell, he had his own “no go” zones, but with Adria, it was armor of broken glass that drew blood. “This track,” he said, doing his job because personality clash or not, he knew his responsibilities, “is the most direct route to the hydro station.”

“Not according to the map Hawke gave us.” A quick, penetrating glance. “So what’s wrong with the other road?”

Man and wolf both appreciated her intelligence, something neither part of him had ever doubted, even when she was slicing into him with her verbal claws. “Sheer cliff face right in the middle.” Making two tight turns, he continued onward. “Meant to delay any aggressors if they ever get that far.”

Adria didn’t say anything for several long minutes, studying the map and their passage into the mountains. “I’ll need to request another senior soldier go with me on some of my exploratory trips, so I don’t miss things like that.”

“I’ll take you,” Riaz said, because damn it, he was a lieutenant, even when it came to a prickly piece of cactus like Adria. “Indigo made sure I was familiar with the details after I came back from my posting in Europe. It’ll be good for me to go over the knowledge.”