by Amelia Jade
“That still doesn’t help us here in Cloud Lake, sir, though I’m glad to hear that. If Fenris launches any sort of attack here, I’ll be forced to pull back from the city. We’ll have to retreat to Cadia, and we’ll have lost all those men for nothing.” He ground his teeth, trying very hard not to say anything more, anything about politicians and their inability to pull their heads from their asses.
Saying that, even to Garrin, would not go over well.
The twinkle in his commanding officer’s eyes told him he’d heard the unspoken words anyway.
“Oh, did I forget to mention the other thing I managed to secure you?”
Jarvis cocked his head. “Why yes, sir, you did. Must have just slipped your mind, I’m sure. You wouldn’t purposefully not inform me just to get me worked up, and then tell me.”
Garrin grinned. “Oh no, of course not!” Then he fell silent.
Jarvis fell back in his seat and simply stared at his friend and commander.
Garrin looked like he was going to try and wait his friend out, but in the end he relented and his smiled widened. “I managed to procure you an entire squad of Pegasi.”
His jaw dropped. “The RAF gave you an entire squad?”
The RAF, or Ragin’ Air Fillies, was the military arm of the third flying shifter species. Although calling one of them a Pegasus was a little bit a misnomer. They looked exactly like their namesakes of legend, except for the three-foot razor-tipped horns that jutted from their foreheads. But there was no convenient name for a flying unicorn, so the name Pegasus had stuck.
Unlike other combat arms, the Fillies were purely female. And they were seriously hardcore. Two words best described them.
Bad. Ass.
An entire squad of them parked in Cloud Lake would go a long way to warding off any future attacks from Fenris, at least until they could counter those heavy hitters.
“They did,” Garrin said. “Like everywhere else, they’ve expanded their training programs as well. We likely won’t see much more support from them until that begins to bear fruit, but I was able to get this commitment.”
Jarvis shook his head. That was amazing. The Pegasi were fairly private, and even with the interaction of various species in the Guardians, Jarvis still had no firm idea just how big the RAF was. But he doubted it was more than five or maybe six squads in size. Only dragons were less populous than the Pegasi. To get an entire squad was a huge commitment. That would be like the Green Bearets sending him another four or five hundred shifters to reinforce him.
“Thank you, sir. That is most welcome news. I could certainly use them.”
“I’m working on more for you, as is the commandant. We understand how important Cloud Lake is, even if some of the politicians don’t.”
“I hate politicians. Always fucking shit up.”
Garrin grinned. “True. But they pay our salaries, those bastards.”
Jarvis nodded. “And those salaries allow us to buy beer.”
The colonel regarded him inquisitively. “They do?” he asked with faked innocence.
“Of course sir. It works slightly differently out here in Cloud Lake. Perhaps I should take you to one of these human places. I believe they call them, uh, taverns, sir. It really is interesting how money can be exchanged for goods.”
“Intriguing,” Garrin said with a chuckle. “You should definitely show me. Right away.”
Business concluded, the two rose and departed to catch up on events outside of the Green Bearets.
Jarvis wondered if he should tell him about Carrie…
Chapter Four
Carrie
Glancing at her phone again, she hurried down the block.
Once again the sun was out, not hidden behind clouds. The snow would still be around for some time yet, but the giant piles of it that had accumulated were slowly beginning to shrink. Due to their proximity to the coast, and being on the west side of the Quicksilver Mountains, Cloud Lake didn’t get anywhere near the harsh winter that Cadia would get.
Carrie was extremely thankful for little miracles like that. She detested the cold. Snow was beautiful to look at, as it was falling or waking up to a fresh covering on the ground. But being out in it was horrible. She should really be somewhere south, in the sun on an island. Now that would be the life.
She slowed her hasty walk, tugging at her pants. They’d gone on fresh from the dryer, but now that she’d been walking in them they were starting to stretch to their normal size, and so she tightened her auto-cinching belt a little more. Angelo’s place was just around the bend, and she was already running late. The last thing she wanted to do was show up looking like a mess, with her pants falling down.
You should have just worn the other pair of jeans.
But the other pair didn’t make her butt look as good. These showed it off, and the shirt and jacket she was wearing was short enough it didn’t fall over her pants, so Jarvis would be able to see it.
Andrea had given her all sorts of harassment upon seeing the outfit she was wearing. Her sister had bluntly called her out for dressing up to impress the shifter. When she’d noticed Carrie’s makeup was done too—again—she’d nearly lost it with laughter.
Carrie had tried to protest, but her heart really wasn’t in it. She was instead picturing the way Jarvis’s ice-blue eyes would warm at the sight of her.
Hopefully.
The tall form leaning against a wall next to the door into the apartment building resolved itself to be Jarvis as she approached. The huge shifter straightened, and his eyes flared as he glanced at her up and down.
It was pointless to deny that she thought he was hot. That was a given. But ever since she’d first stepped into his office, Carrie had felt oddly at ease around him. Even his other men, the Green Bearets, still left her uneasy or flat-out nervous.
But not Jarvis. He made her feel relaxed, and though she wasn’t going to rely on it, safe.
Moving through her house the day before had been nerve-racking until he’d shown up. But with his presence there to safeguard her, Carrie had felt herself relax. It wasn’t until later, when thinking her day over that she’d realized it, but it was true.
Even now, as she’d come closer to him, Carrie had felt herself uncoil, as if her body just instinctively knew he would let no harm come to her.
“Hey Jarvis,” she said, flashing him a brilliant smile.
“Good afternoon,” he said stiffly, accepting her friendly hug of greeting, though his arms didn’t linger on her at all.
Carrie suppressed a frown. What the hell was going on with him? He seemed so…awkward.
His eyes were focused anywhere but on her, she noticed.
“Everything okay?” she asked, not convinced he would tell her.
“Of course. Shall we?” he asked, pointing to the door.
“Sure,” she replied, looking up at him. This was not the Jarvis of yesterday, or even the one from his office.
Why was he so afraid to make eye contact, or to touch her? It wasn’t like she was trying to rub herself against him. It had just been a friendly hug. He’d seemed fine as she had walked down the sidewalk to see him.
When had his body language changed? She played back her memory.
Right after he checked me out, he got all uptight.
The urge to go to the washroom and examine herself in a mirror washed over Carrie. What was wrong with her? Had something happened to her outfit that she hadn’t noticed? As Jarvis opened the door she quickly glanced down at herself, but nothing seemed out of place. Her pants hadn’t fallen down, the zipper was done up…and her shirt hadn’t fallen out of place either.
So what the fuck was wrong?
They walked up the stairs in silence. It was only a three-story building, and it did not have an elevator.
“How was the rest of your day?” she asked, trying to start a friendly conversation.
Anything to kill the awkward silence as she stared at his back.
“It was good
,” he replied. “My commander came into town unexpectedly and I got him caught up on all that’s been going on.”
They reached the second floor and walked down the short hallway to the entrance to unit 203, Angelo’s place. Carrie had only been there once, and she hadn’t been overly impressed. It was small, undecorated, and all of his stuff looked like he’d just gotten out of college.
Man, I sure know how to pick ‘em. What did I do to have such shitty taste in men?
“Got any plans for today after we’re done here?” Jarvis asked as he opened the door.
Carrie very carefully did not let her eyebrows shoot up at the tentative, probing manner of his question. He almost sounded…jealous?
The full realization came to her.
Holy shit, he thinks I’m going somewhere after this, and that’s why I’m all dressed up!
“Um, no,” she replied, feeling her face heat up a little. “I just felt like getting dressed up today.”
She didn’t want to be too blunt about her reason why. But she also didn’t want him thinking she was rubbing her personal life in his face! Not that she had one.
“Oh. Well, you look really nice,” he mumbled and opened the door, walking inside before she could respond.
A smile pulled her face tight as she looked up at him, even as he surveyed the little apartment. It was a studio unit, with the only doors in the place leading to a washroom, and a closet. The rest was completely open to them.
“Thank you.” She left it at that, letting her own eyes scan the place. It looked almost the exact same as when she’d visited. Everything was still in boxes, dishes everywhere, laundry on the floor.
“I can see he didn’t adhere to the same standards of clean living as you,” Jarvis commented, moving in.
“There’s a reason I only came here once,” she said.
The comment made Jarvis jerk slightly. He covered it well, but she’d happened to be looking almost directly at him when she said it, so Carrie saw it happen.
What was going on with him? Something was bothering him, but she just didn’t know what!
“Clothes. Clothes, kitchen stuff. Ah, here we are,” Jarvis said, pawing through some of the boxes and big plastic bins.
“What? Find something?” she asked.
“Books.”
“Books?” Carrie didn’t understand why that was interesting.
“Books tell a lot about a person.” He started rifling through the box, as if looking for something. “These don’t say much about him, though. They’re all over the place.”
Jarvis frowned as he looked at the other bins nearby, but they just contained other random things. Coat rack, towels, all the things one might need to move in.
The big shifter looked through them all, and as he did, his face became more and more pensive. Something was definitely on his mind.
“What is it?” she asked, moving to stand in front of him.
He immediately turned to the side, his eyes focusing on the wall behind her. “I’m not sure,” he answered, his voice tight. “Something in here is off. I just can’t pick up what it is.”
Carrie looked around the place, trying to figure out what could be so off. It looked like a slob’s apartment to her. But perhaps her bias and distaste for Angelo were showing through, and she was ignoring something important?
Jarvis stood up. “Okay, I’m done. But do you mind if I keep the key? I’m probably going to want to come back here, perhaps bring another of my men for a second set of eyes, to see what it is I’m missing.”
“Sure,” she said with a wave of her hand. “I don’t care. I don’t need it anymore.”
The shifter gave her an odd look at that comment, but he just dipped his head once sharply and pocketed the room key. “Thanks.”
Extending his hand, he motioned for her to leave the room.
Carrie was utterly bewildered as they headed downstairs. This meeting had not gone anything like what she’d expected after the way they’d gotten along so well the day before. She’d expected conversation and perhaps even a little flirting.
Now, she felt like she was about to be sent home and never talked to again.
“Carrie,” Jarvis said as they approached the sidewalk in front of Angelo’s building.
“Yes?” she asked, not turning around. She was getting frustrated.
“I’ll walk you home,” he said.
She frowned, letting the expression slide across her face, knowing he couldn’t see it with her back turned to him.
After the stiff, prim and proper attitude he’d had for the past forty-five minutes as they searched through Angelo’s belongings, she wasn’t sure she felt like dealing with him anymore that day. Not until whatever was bothering him had worked its way through his system.
“I think I’ll be okay,” she said, turning to look at him. “My sister’s place isn’t all that far.”
Jarvis flashed her that big, almost goofy grin he possessed, the one that made her just want to smile along with him. “I insist. Please?”
He batted his gorgeous eyes at her.
What the hell? Where was this Jarvis earlier?
It was as if, now that they were done official business, he was allowing himself to relax. Carrie was utterly confused now.
“Um, sure,” she said, relenting.
Perhaps during the walk she could get him to open up about what the hell had been bothering him. Or she’d be in for twenty minutes of really awkward silence, if he suddenly reverted to his previous self.
But as she started walking, he came up alongside her, instead of following behind. Even his body language seemed to be happier.
What the fuck…
Carrie wasn’t complaining; this was the guy she’d hoped to chat with for the entire day. Not just the last little bit of it before he sent her home.
Still, maybe she could pry deep enough to figure out what was going on.
***
Jarvis
The moment they had exited the apartment building and begun to put distance between them and the reminder that Carrie was spoken for, Jarvis had begun to feel better.
Until it had become obvious that his attempts to stay neutral had been noted. Now Carrie was looking at him weird, and he was hoping she wouldn’t dig too deep into it.
“What’s life like for a Green Bearet?”
The question caught him by surprise. Nobody ever wanted to know what life was like for him and his men.
“Really?” he asked.
“Sure? I mean, I don’t know much about shifters in general. You’re all pretty secretive. But now that I have your attention for the next twenty minutes while you walk with me, I may as well exploit that, and see what you can reveal to me.”
He almost got his guard up, until he noticed the smile peeking through her carefully crafted neutral expression.
“Well, most of it is super top secret. Ultra-classified. I’d have to tickle you to death if I told you,” he teased.
Carrie laughed, a melodic sound that brought warmth to his heart as it filtered through his ears. “Bullshit. I’ve read a few books by ex-military guys before. It’s probably all, umm, what was the term…? Oh!” she snapped her fingers. “Right, hurry up and wait. Lots of hurry up and wait.”
Jarvis nodded slowly. “There might be a little bit of that,” he said, a smile growing on his face to match hers. “Lots of training too,” he elaborated. “Even after shifters graduate and become Green Bearets, there is more to learn. You can always get better at the craft. Because of our healing abilities, we can afford to push ourselves much harder, to train with fewer restraints. It allows us to become very good at what we do,” he said quietly.
Talking about his ability to kill indiscriminately if needed was not something that he liked to discuss, or advertise, truthfully. The fewer people that knew the true potential of one of his Green Bearets, the better. Not only for their peace of mind, but also to prevent information from getting back to Cadia’s enemies.
“Me?” Again, her question wasn’t one he expected. “I enlisted when I was sixteen.”
Carrie frowned, her eyes unfocused for a moment.
“Didn’t you tell me that your bear didn’t, uh, what was the word you used?”
“Manifest,” he supplied.
“Right. That it didn’t manifest within you until you were fifteen?”
Jarvis nodded in agreement.
“So literally a year later, while still in high school, you joined up with the Green Bearets?”
“I see what you’re doing there,” he said in response to her digging for information about life as a young shifter in Cadia, and whether they actually went to high school or not.
“Sorry,” she said sheepishly.
“It’s okay,” he told her, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder, letting her know it wasn’t an issue.
“I just know literally nothing about you, your life, your history. You’re an enigma. You at least can make an assumption that I grew up, went to school, and then started working. Sure things may have been different, but I mean, the basic early life of a human isn’t difficult to figure out in general.”
“Can’t argue that,” he agreed. “So you want to know more about shifter life?”
She nodded. “Your life.”
He tried not to react to the way she seemed to be prying to get to know him better. If Jarvis didn’t know better, he’d say she was trying to flirt with him while she grilled him.
But he did know better. She had a boyfriend, and he wasn’t going to let her dishonor herself, nor was he going to dishonor her.
Doesn’t mean you can’t answer her question…
True. He just had to watch himself, ensure he didn’t get too comfortable with her. And watch his bear. He could feel it in the background, pacing back and forth, telling him to get closer to the human woman. To touch her. To explore her.
To kiss her.
That was the urge he would have to clamp down on the most. He must not touch her—even the squeeze on the shoulder was pushing his limits. Every time he did something like that, his bear went berserk, trying to get him to do more.