WYATT

So Avery Meyers was back in my life.

I walked steadily down the stairs to the underground tunnel, the new recruits scurrying behind me as they tried to keep up. I didn't look back at them. I couldn't.

I knew meeting Avery again was going to affect me. I just hadn't anticipated it being so powerful.

But seeing her again had caused a cataclysmic response in my chest that I hadn't felt in . . . well . . . not since the last time I'd seen her eight years ago, which meant I needed to get my shit together.

"This tunnel is what we commonly use to access the garage from the main buildings," I called over my shoulder. "There are walking paths on the grounds, if you prefer to be outside. However, this is the most direct route." Chris Larson followed hot on my heels. I could scent his eagerness as easily as the cleaning detergent used on the recently scrubbed floors. He was so impatient to prove himself that he reeked of hope.

The corner of my mouth kicked up. I remembered that feeling. I'd felt the same when I'd first joined the Supernatural Forces seven years ago.

"We'll go first to the barracks so you can drop off your bags. Then we'll do a tour."

"A tour of the entire grounds, sir?" Chris asked. "Yes, Private, of the entire grounds."

I inhaled when I turned the corner down another hallway in the tunnel. The new recruits all had their own scents, and their heightened emotions gave off unique smells, but it was the underlying lilac scent that I focused on.

Avery's flowery fragrance hinted at her witch background, but since she was only half witch, and not a very strong witch at that, it was subtle, but it was enough for me to know she was there.

Eight years had passed since I'd detected that scent. Eight years since she'd left Ridgeback, my pack town in British Columbia.

Even though I'd purposefully breezed over her figure when I entered the garage—not wanting to draw attention to our shared history—I'd still caught the inquisitiveness of her eyes and the thick length of her hair.

She had the same dark lashes and clear apricot skin that she'd had as a teenager. But she'd matured more, her breasts were fuller, her hips more curvaceous. Damn. If I'd thought she was hot eight years ago, that was nothing compared to her now.

Even though she was only at the SF temporarily—the gateway to the Supernatural Ambassador Institute—I had a feeling it was going to be a long three months.

I fought the urge to pinch the bridge of my nose.

Shit. I was going to be a goner again if I didn't control this.

I took a deep breath and called over my shoulder, "Living barracks are on the west end of the property. You have to leave the facility to reach them. Does anyone need a refresher on admittance protocol to the buildings?"

A string of, "No, sir"s followed.

I gave a curt nod and resumed my fast pace.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Charlotte Morris whispered.

My ears perked up when I caught her quiet question in the back of the group.

"Huh?" Avery replied.

Charlotte laughed. "I knew you were thinking about him. I'm guessing you've heard of him?"

My brow furrowed as I wondered who Charlotte was referring to. "Charlotte, they can probably hear you," Avery hissed quietly.

She was right. Any vamp or wolf could easily hear conversations yards away. Chris and Zaden were probably listening too.

But Charlotte just laughed again. "Sorry. It's just so obvious that you already have the hots for him."

My nostrils flared, and my ears really perked up now. Hots for him?

Hots for who? Is Avery already crushing over a new recruit?

That possibility elicited a surprising twist in my gut.

I filtered through the sounds pummeling my senses—the air from the vents, the beating of everyone's hearts, the tap of footsteps—as I turned the corner to the hallway leading to the elevator. With practiced concentration, my senses tuned into Charlotte and Avery's conversation, and the rest fell to the background.

I knew I should respect their privacy, but I had to know who'd caught Avery's eye.

"I don't have the hots for him, Charlotte. No more than you do, but if you're asking if I know that Wyatt's the third son of Walter Jamison, then yes, I do."

Me? They're talking about me?

"It's nothing to be intimidated by," Charlotte replied. "Just because he's an alpha's son doesn't mean he'll lead a pack one day."

"I know that. My reaction was just from nerves. I mean it's our first day. Aren't you a little nervous too?"

"Well, yeah, a little, but your face actually paled when you got a look at Major Jamison."

It was true. I'd noticed Avery's change in complexion as well.

I kept walking, pretending to be oblivious to the conversation that had completely captivated me.

"Are you going to confess to whatever caused that reaction?" Charlotte asked. "I know it wasn't just nerves."

Avery sighed. "Fine. It's because I've met him before. We lived in the same town when we were teenagers. It was only for a couple of years, though, while my parents were on assignment there, but during that time Wyatt and I attended school together. I was surprised that he's our commander. I didn't even know he worked for the Supernatural Forces."

My heart stopped. Avery remembered me.

But Charlotte just carried on, oblivious to how that news affected me. "No shit? You lived in Ridgeback, BC, and knew him?"

"I wouldn't say I knew him, but we lived in the same town for a few years—" But Avery abruptly stopped talking when my footsteps slowed.

I internally cursed myself for walking so fast. We'd reached the elevators, which meant I had to address my recruits again, which ultimately meant that Charlotte and Avery's conversation stopped.