Chapter 31
It was a nice night on the East Wall. Scarlet listened to the warm breeze rustling the dry autumn leaves on the trees and stared into the distance to the mountains and the fifth and second garrisons. Small clouds skidded across the sky, turning luminous when they danced across the bright full moon. It was beautiful. She loved to listen to the silence and feel the breeze against her face. Soon the snow would come and the long quiet winter would begin. Not even that would bother her now.
“Quiet tonight.” A familiar male voice stirred her senses, deep and luscious. She closed her eyes a moment to savour its effect on her and then looked at him. Corazon was wearing just his loose white shirt and black trousers, along with his knee-high boots. His dark hair was tousled and his eyes held so much love for her. “Second Lieutenant Scarlet.”
She smiled, still unused to her new rank.
Corazon opened his arms to her.
“I’m on duty, Captain Corazon.”
“It is an order then,” he said with a smile of his own.
She stepped into his arms. She would never stop loving how good she felt whenever they were around her, holding her close.
A giggle came from across the way and Corazon turned his head sharply to face it. “Lance Corporal Aradne!”
Scarlet held her laugh inside when Aradne’s face went as white as a sheet and she pushed Milton away, making him stumble into the wall. It was obvious that they had been kissing. Both of them looked intensely guilty.
She looked up at Corazon. “I hardly think you’re in a position to reprimand them.”
He smiled down at her and held her tighter. “Captain’s privileges.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aradne grab Milton’s hand and run off further along the wall with him. She was glad that they had made it through together too. Milton was a changed man since he had achieved the rank of Corporal in her stead, but it was a change for the better. Both Aradne and him were more confident now, and happier about how open they could be about their relationship.
“Have you had news from Troy?” Scarlet said to Corazon as he released her and leaned against the wall, staring off towards the mountains.
He nodded.
“Did he accept?” she asked, nerves churning her stomach.
He shook his head. “It seems all men that fall for you refuse promotions. He would have made a good captain though. Perhaps in time.”
She couldn’t believe that Troy had declined the position of captain. The seventeenth company had lost their captain in the battle along with the two lieutenants. Third, fourth and first company had also lost a large number of officers. The werewolves were slowly regaining their numbers, but many had died in the battle. As for the humans, their numbers had been halved, and there was one among the casualties that she wasn’t sad to see gone—Jacob.
She frowned up at Corazon, studying the line of his profile. He was so handsome. Every time she saw him, she swore he had grown a little more good looking. His dark eyes slid to meet hers and then he turned his head to face her.
“What is it?” he said.
“I didn’t think you would have again refused the offer of becoming a general.”
He reached over and brushed her hair behind her ear, a smile teasing his lips, barely curving it.
“I will never take a position that takes me away from you, Scarlet.” He leaned towards her and she stepped close to him, wanting him to fulfil the promise that his eyes held and kiss her. “I will never leave you again.”
She closed her eyes when his lips met hers in a slow, passionate kiss that stirred flames inside her, chasing away the chill of the cooling night air. She knew he wouldn’t leave her, but sometimes she needed to hear it. She needed to know that he would always be at her side now, in this place.
He broke the kiss and looked into her eyes again.
“I love how quiet it is now,” she said and stroked his cheek, her gaze locked with his.
It had been months since the battle at the sixth garrison and the truce was holding well. There had been no fights since then. Each night had been peaceful. Sometimes, she wondered if she was dreaming. It had been wonderful. The humans had kept their promise and the medics had found a way of extracting blood without the need for biting. They stored it as best they could so they didn’t have to continually take blood from the humans to feed themselves. Some of the vampires had even moved into the human settlements to protect them against animals and help them hunt for food. All in all, things were going so well that she found it difficult to remember how hard things had been before the truce. It was strange to have this sense of peace over the land. The garrison had become her dream of the villages. Here she was at home, and Corazon was with her.
A horse neighed in the distance. She instantly looked there and smiled when she saw three horses galloping down the road from the fifth garrison. The rider in the middle was streaking ahead of the other two and she recognised him immediately.
Troy.
It had been a month since she had seen him. He had gone to the fifth garrison with the two first lieutenants from twelfth and thirteenth company.
She smiled and waved, hoping he would see her.
She turned to face Corazon. He was smiling too. She had never seen him look so happy.
There was no more battles. He had ended it all and started a new era of peace. He was finally free of war. They were finally free.
The gates in the North Wall opened and the riders came in. Her eyes followed Troy as he dismounted and came straight over to the East Wall. He climbed the steps and walked over to her. It had been too long since she had seen him.
The moment he reached her, she threw her arms around his neck and held him tight. His arms encircled her and he pressed a kiss to her cheek.
“I thought you were on duty,” he said and she released him.
She gave Corazon a little smile. The one he returned was seductive.
“I will reprimand her later,” Corazon said, voice low and promising passion.
Scarlet dropped her gaze to the floor and bit her lip.
“How were things at the fifth?” Corazon said and went over to Troy.
She looked at them both, not bothering to listen to their conversation. Troy looked handsome in his dress uniform, his hair dishevelled from riding hard. She smiled when he looked her way and then averted her eyes when he smiled back at her. They shifted to Corazon. He was watching her with intense dark eyes that made hers jump to the scenery. She cursed them both for flustering her with nothing more than passionate looks.
Her eyes roamed to the starlit sky again and then the blue-tinted crystal clear world below. It was a beautiful night. She leaned against the wall and stared into the distance, enjoying the quiet. Corazon came to stand to her right, his hand resting over hers where it lay on top of the wall. Troy stood to her left and leaned against the wall, his hip and shoulder against hers.
She sighed.
She had never been so happy.
To her left was her first lieutenant.
To her right was her captain.
Both men she couldn’t live without.
Both men she loved.
The End
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