AVERY

His lips kicked up before he said slyly, "Or if all else fails, remember your neighbor in London and pretend that she's chasing you."

I laughed, again unable to stop it. "Of course, sir. I'm sure my imagination could do that."

The corners of his mouth twitched before he nodded ahead. "The healing center is on the second floor. The witches will see to your wounds. I'll see you at 0630 tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

He nodded curtly, although I could have sworn merriment still glittered in his gaze, but then he did a one-eighty and strode away.

My heart beat harder as I watched him. I'd seen parts of him during the ropes course that reminded me of the boy I once knew. And just now, while walking here, I'd seen actual sides of him that I remembered from high school—the laughing, lighthearted Wyatt who all the girls wanted to be with and all the guys wanted to be.

But he was different now too. Harder. More serious when his job called for it. More mature. He'd pushed me relentlessly today, but he'd also encouraged me and made me believe in myself.

My heart fluttered when I crossed the sidewalk to the healing center's main doors as his advice filled my mind.

It's all mental.

I chewed on my lip. If I wanted to succeed and become an ambassador, I needed to do this. I had to push past the pain and keep going day in and day out.

Remember why you're here.

I took a deep breath and reached for the door.

Or if all else fails, remember your neighbor in London and pretend that she's chasing you.

I laughed and pushed through the door.

∞ ∞ ∞

Thirty minutes later, I hopped off a bed in the healing center with healed palms and a small vial containing a potion to relieve my sore muscles.

"Now, remember," Rosalie said as she swirled about the room in her long robe, "take that potion tonight, soak for thirty minutes in a hot bath, then head straight to bed. If you follow those instructions, you'll wake up able to train again tomorrow. You won't be pain free, but it will be drastically less. Okay, dear?"

"Yes, thank you. Take the potion, then a hot bath, then go to bed. Got it."

Rosalie smiled sweetly. "Lovely. Now be on your way, dear. It's getting late and you'll want to eat before heading to your barracks."

I thanked her again before leaving the ward. Despite my cuts and rope burn being healed, my legs were another story. Going down the stairwell was quite possibly worse than going up it. My thighs screamed in agony with each step, so I breathed a sigh of relief when I finally made it to the main floor.

From there, I headed out of the building to the cafeteria, knowing that my squad mates had probably already eaten and left.

Sure enough, when I arrived, I didn't spot any of them. With a frown, I grabbed a tray before getting in the food service line.

My stomach growled when I caught the scent of roast beef. Letting my nose lead me, I ended up in the line where they were serving smoked beef brisket. A light reduction sauce was drizzled over the meat before the kitchen server added a hefty portion of mashed potatoes and grilled kale on the side.

It was a simple meal but looked so damned good that my mouth was watering as I grabbed a fizzy soda.

Once back in the large cafeteria that was nearly full with SF members, I searched for a free spot. On the far wall, a small table was empty, so I nabbed it before anyone else could and began digging into my food.

On my second bite, a man said, "Do you mind if I join you? Seats are a bit limited right now."

I looked up to see a tall vampire wearing normal street clothes, which was definitely odd in a facility where everyone wore matching uniforms. He looked to be in his early thirties, and his hair was longer than most SF members. Dark blond strands brushed the tips of his shoulders, and an air of confidence surrounded him that made me wonder if he was a superior who didn't have to follow protocol.

"Of course, sir," I replied, waving to the seat across from me.

He pulled out the chair and smiled before nodding at my tray. "I was tempted by that brisket when I saw it, but I couldn't say no to the burger. It's been a while since I've had American food and it's impossible to find a decently cooked cheeseburger in Eastern Europe." His words lilted with an accent from long ago.

I swallowed the bite of kale I'd been munching. "Oh? Have you been traveling?"

"I have." He squirted ketchup next to his plate of fries. A small dollop landed on his glass of blood, which he wiped off with his fingertip. "I've been working in eastern Europe for several hundred years."

I perked up, a smile lighting my face. "Where in Eastern Europe, sir? I lived in Poland for a while as a child."

"Is that right? Mówisz po polsku?"

"I'm afraid not. I didn't live there long enough to learn the language, sir."

"Neither did I." He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial tone. "And

just so you know, you don't need to call me sir. I'm not an SF superior, but merely an SF consultant."

I blushed. Well, that explained the casual clothes.

His gaze swept over my ruddy cheeks, his pupils dilating in desire or hunger—I couldn't be sure—but he had good enough manners to look away and pretend he hadn't noticed the rush of blood to my cheeks.

After picking up his burger, he sank his teeth into it, then moaned in delight. "Delicious. Even though I don't need this food to sustain me, it certainly tastes sinful."

A flutter ran through my stomach. Between his moan and the way he appraised me while he chewed his food, I felt like I was on the dinner menu.

I sighed internally. Vampires were always so sexual. Everything about them oozed sex appeal and their carnal appetites were legendary. I'd lost my virginity to a vamp when I was nineteen. It'd been a memorable encounter.

I briefly fingered my neck, remembering how my ex had bitten me quite enthusiastically on occasion during sex.

I glanced up to find the vamp watching me, a curious glint in his eyes. I cleared my throat and forked another bite of meat. "So where in

Eastern Europe do you work?"

"Bulgaria," he replied. "And forgive me for being so forward, but I'm quite curious how you came to live in Poland at one point in your life?"

"My parents are ambassadors. I spent my childhood traveling and living in various countries. I lived in Poland when I was eleven."

He cocked his head, a new interest lighting his eyes. "You're not Avery Meyers, are you?"

I paused, my fork halfway to my mouth. "I am. How did you know?"

He grinned, which transformed his face from being merely attractive to unsettlingly arresting. "I heard an ambassador student started at the SF this week. I contract to the Institute when matters arise in which utilizing the international libraries are needed."

My jaw dropped. Eastern Europe held the largest supernatural libraries in the world. Inside that secretive monolith, hundreds of gargoyles worked, since the little stone creatures were well renowned for their academic achievements. However, gargoyles didn't live like other supernaturals. Like leeches, they only came alive after feeding off of a supernatural's life source. Supernaturals condemned in the courts were their unfortunate victims, and the longer a criminal's sentence leeching was, the longer the gargoyle was able to come alive and work in the library. But they only came alive during the day. Each night, they returned to stone.

"So, you're a gargoyle representative?" I said, putting the puzzle pieces together. "Of course, that would explain why you're working in Eastern Europe and why you're a consultant to the SF."

"Indeed. I'm Nicholas Fitzpatrick, at your service." He gave a mock bow, which made me laugh. His satisfied smile followed. "Well, what luck this evening has turned out to be. I thought I was merely asking a young, attractive woman to have dinner with me, and it turns out she's also the sole ambassador recruit at the SF this quarter."

My core tightened, and I wanted to smack myself, but I knew there was no use. Quite simply, vampires and I didn't mix. I had next to no defenses against their sexual pull since my magic was so weak. It didn't help that Nicholas's pull was stronger than most. The strength of his allure hinted at his age. He had to be at least five hundred years old.

Damn. My goal tonight had just changed to not only taking my potion and going to sleep, but to avoid ending up in bed with a vampire fucking me senseless.