Page 24 of Country and Clove
Liv grinned up at Abigail, leaning in to plant a kiss on her cheek. Aaron groaned. “You think you two will be able to keep your hands off each other long enough to train?” he added with a scowl.
“Ooh I bet that tasted bitter. Jealous much?” Liv quirked an eyebrow at him, her soft honey eyes sparkling with the win.
“Next,” Aaron growled out. He was already tired of this little bonding experience.
“Oh yeah, the rage queen. You’re damn terrifying. Where the hell did you learn to fight like that, lass? I think I’m in love.” Graham was staring across the circle like a lovesick puppy. Aaron’s heart sped up when he realized they were talking about Clove. She blew him a kiss and Graham mimed gripping his chest and falling flat on his back. Clove giggled at the display and the sound both filled Aaron with joy and enraged him at the same moment. He wanted to be the one to make her laugh and smile. Which was unlikely considering he broke her heart—and some of her bones.
“I’m Clove. Like Hunter said, I’m a twin. You probably know my sister, Gigi. She’s the more social of the two of us.” Clove gave the circle a smile that faded when she reached the spot where Aaron was seated.
“And your powers?” Graham asked, having fully righted himself once more. Clove paled slightly.
“I don’t have any powers. I’m just a lycan.” Her voice was steady but Aaron could sense the tension in her posture.
“Bullshit,” Graham pressed. “I can smell it on you.”
“You can’t smell magic,” Abigail argued dryly.
“You sure as shit can. Smoke, fire, brimstone.” He looked around the room. “Y’all have never smelled magic on the air?”
“Maybe it’s a foreign thing,” Dane offered.
“Maybe it is. I ne’er really thought about it. So”—he turned his attention back to Clove—“what are your powers?”
“Are you Scots hard of hearing?” Clove clipped. “I already told you I don’t have any powers.”
“Fine, fine. You don’t have to say it right now. It can be a surprise for the future. Who’s next?” Graham pointed to someone in the circle. Aaron’s stare was fixed on Clove. He didn’t miss the subtle glance she exchanged with Waylin, or the reassuring squeeze he gave her hand. Did Clove have powers? As her mate, shouldn’t he be able to sense that sort of thing? And what was the relationship between her and Waylin?
Green and gold eyes flicked toward him and his curiosity grew. The rest of the recruits introduced themselves, but Aaron’s mind was stuck on Clove. The way she reacted when Graham asked her about the magic…like an animal caught in a trap. She had a secret. A secret that it damn well seemed like Waylin was privy to.
Jealousy festered in his gut, growing into something twisted and green.
The rest of the day was spent with drills and conditioning. Aaron tried to keep his focus neutral, but his eyes always found their way back to Clove. He couldn’t resist watching the way her muscles flexed and worked as she ran through the various exercises or the way her firm ass and thighs made her movements explosive and powerful.
He allowed the group to end conditioning in favor of one round of sparring at the end of the day. Aaron watched with his dick practically in his hand as Clove took down Jason, a lycan nearly twice her size, flipping him and wrapping her legs around his head.
“I would have taken you for a big-titties man but it seems thighs and ass are more your style.”
Aaron whirled and found Graham peering over his shoulder, watching him watch Clove.
“Where’s your partner?” Aaron barked out as heat flooded his face.
“She’s over there getting her shoulder popped back in.” Graham pointed behind him to where Hunter held Callie while Dane slammed her shoulder back into its socket.
“Take it easy,” Aaron warned. “This is light sparring. I don’t want y’all getting sent to Dr. Sawyer on your first day.”
“Oh really? Did that same reasoning not apply when you beat your girlfriend to a bloody pulp and sent her to the infirmary at tryouts?” Graham baited. Aaron opened his mouth to argue but the other man was already jogging away from him, chuckling under his breath. Aaron was going to beat the hell out of that dirty Scot the first chance he got.
His gaze fell back to Clove. Jason had tapped out and the two were currently chatting and toweling off. Sweat glistened on Clove’s fit body. A shimmering bead dropped down from her collarbone, sliding slowly across her tanned skin until it landed between her breasts. He wanted to slam her down on the mat in front of everyone and run his tongue along every part of her. To taste the salt on her skin and the sugar between her thighs while she moaned his name.
Clove looked up at him, her pupils blowing wide, and he stilled.Can she sense what I’m thinking? She bit her lip, then averted her eyes. His mind ran through the possibilities. They were mates, even if he’d rejected the bond. Maybe they still had some kind of connection. It lit something dangerous within him that felt an awful lot like hope.
Training ended for the day. The lycans slowly filed out. Aaron waited for Clove to pass him before giving her a friendly, “Great work today.” She looked back at him like he’d spit on her, then turned away and walked out.Okay yeah, so she’s still pissed.
He spotted Hunter lingering behind, probably waiting for Dane. “Hunter,” Aaron called and the golden boy quickly met him across the room.
“Sir?” he answered dutifully.
“You and Dane fancy a drink?”
