The Partner

Chapter 10

Kenai changes into a gray sweater and jeans after taking a shower. He was driving himself crazy waiting for Anvy to return, so he gave up sitting around downstairs and came to his room to try and take his mind off of it. As he towel dries his hair, a knock sounds through his quarters. He tosses the towel in his hamper and heads into the living room attached to his bedroom that he transformed into a small library. Opening the door, he's surprised to find Anvy standing outside. "Anvy? How did you-?"

She motions downstairs. "I ran into Raven and she told me where to find you. I told you I'd come back to you." He wants nothing more than to take her into his quarters and spend some time alone with her. But they're on duty.

"Were you able to get the list?"

She nods, not seeming pleased with that at all. "Yeah, Caul took it to your friend, Gunner to see if he could find a quicker way to search through the dates and locations. That's why I came up here. Thought we could spend some time alone before they need us." She smiles and motions towards his doorway. "May I come in?"

He fumbles backwards, automatically opening the door wider at her request. "Of course. Sorry, please come in." Anvy walks past him, checking out his library as she does. He closes the door behind her. "These are my quarters."

She walks around, eyeing his books. "Ah, you have a library up here as well."

He takes a few steps into the room. "Yes; Kristofferson's didn't have all my favorites." As she fingers his Charles Dickens collection, Kenai comes over to her from behind. "How did getting the list go, Anvy?"

"I got it." She replies without looking at him.

"That's not what I mean." He says, lying a hand on her shoulder. "You can tell me, you know. You can trust me."

She turns, giving him her beautiful smile. "Of course. There's no one I trust more." At that instant she breathes deeply and shuts her eyes. "Vane refused to get it for me, so I had to go to his superiors. I got the list from them, but I had to report Vane to do it. They demoted him for letting his feelings get in the way of his duty."

She seems sad about it, and if it's because she cares about Vane...that makes Kenai both upset and uncomfortable. She can't possibly like him, can she? After the way he's treated her and all the pricks did last night? "Is that good or bad?" He questions, fighting off his newfound jealously he's still getting used to.

Anvy opens her eyes, the brown depths gazing into his. "I don't know. Yes and no. I don't want him as my commanding officer, so that's good, but now my whole squad hates me even more. I just wish...I wish I didn't have to go back there when this is all over."

"Then don't." Stay here with me. That's what he wants to say, but he knows that's impractical. She can only stay here if she mates with him, or... "Leave the Haunt Squad and join the Shield Guild."

"I've already tried. My application was denied and Kristofferson has offered to try to get me in, but after the hoops he had to jump through to get Kyra in...the Guild taking me is highly unlikely." She tells him sadly.

Kenai cocks his head to the side at what she says. "Wait, you know about Kyra?"

She cringes. "Yes...I probably should have told you this earlier, but you know how Kristofferson stuck a wraith on your sister after she was turned down by the Guild?" He nods slowly. Anvy gives him a knowing look, and he gets it.

Embarrassment and fear enter his gut. "No."

"Yes; it's okay, Kenai." She touches his arm comfortingly, but he ignores it.

His hands go to his hair, pushing and pulling at the strands. "That means you know what I did to her, how I treated her, and how awful of a brother I've been. Crap. No."