Page 113 of Hell Fae Commander

Right,I replied.

And it’s none of your business,Ajax added, like he was reminding himself that I wasn’t someone he could confide in anymore. Not that he had confided in me much over the last decade anyway.

Unfortunately for him, it sort ofwasmy business now that we were mates. Even before, I’d always felt close to Ajax. Not quite protective—because he didn’t need protecting—but possessive, perhaps.

And I did not like the idea of Shade meddling with my mate.

Rather than push it, I simply replied,Okay.

I’d drag more out of Ajax when the time was right.

I have an idea for today’s training,I said, focusing on that instead of Ajax’s issues with Shade.

Good,Ajax replied.Cami is almost ready.

Almost?I echoed.

A spike of pleasure followed, telling me he was about to engage in yet another round.

Seriously?I growled.

My cock immediately hardened again, my body—and beast—intrigued by the arousal thrumming through my veins.

Ajax was trying to prove a point, one I heard loud and clear.

I’ll be waiting outside,I hissed at him.

You can have your fun,I added as a thought, only for myself.Because it’s only a matter of time before I repay the favor.

* * *

I founda pair of pants and shoes waiting for me outside, the size too perfect a match to be a coincidence.

Shade,I guessed.

The fabric was probably bespelled, but I put it on anyway. Then I paced, waiting for Ajax and Cami to join me.

When they did, I didn’t say a word, instead cocking my head to the side and leading them to a place at the edge of the palace grounds.

It was a location I’d spotted while flying—a space outside the precious courtyards and closer to the wild. There was a forest just beyond the clearing, the vast wilderness riddled with power and a variety of creatures. I’d considered hunting there, but Aflora’s essence seemed to be laced into every leaf. And I didn’t want to offend the Midnight Fae Queen by accidentally killing one of her pets.

I paused in the center of the clearing and faced Ajax and Cami.

Today’s lesson would require enough wood for a fire, but not so much as to create an inferno. The damp leaves would make things sizzle, although it wouldn’t be enough to quench the flames.

Not when I planned on releasing something that neither Ajax nor Cami had ever experienced before.

An arrangement of rocks strangled by roots gave me the perfect place to work. I stood between two massive trees that had found purchase despite this area’s difficult terrain.

“So, you said you had an idea for today’s training,” Ajax said, folding his arms. “What is it?”

He wore his battle leathers today. I knew they would be equipped with many hidden blades, as well as his wand that was tucked away, probably in his boot. It interested me that he didn’t wear his Midnight Fae robes now that we were back on his home grounds. It suggested he still didn’t feel comfortable here.

I considered that for just a moment before focusing on Cami.

Time to train, I thought at my Phoenix.

He immediately took the reins, causing my arm to lift and my fingers to snap together. A tree at the edge of the clearing went up in flames a second later, causing Ajax and Cami to spin around.