Bound By Honour (Book 1)

Chapter 31

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"Wolfe?" He glances upwards, expecting a servant but knowing as soon as he heard the voice exactly who it is. She tilts her head, a concerned look flittering in her eyes. She looks down at the journals containing coded information and she bites her lip. "Are you changing it now?"

"No. I believe, whether rightly or wrongly, that you will not use the information against me, neither will Hunter. Where have you been?" He asks, seeing how she shifts her weight between her feet every few seconds.

"Training." A small, secretive smile plays on her lips, her eyes sparking with humour. "Your men are coming along well." She shifts to her left foot. "They were a little anxious though when Hunter never turned up. I think they think that I'm going to replace him." She laughs, showing how ludicrous the idea is. Her weight moves to her right foot. Wolfe tries hard not to frown. "Nothing else happened, right?" Wolfe blinks when he hears the hint of vulnerability to her words.

"No, Hunter simply decided he was going to stand guard over everyone through the night. I made him return to his room. Should you have trained this morning with your injuries?"

Her hand self-consciously rises to her neck, discounting her head injury from only a day earlier. The bruises now stand out against her pale skin, growing outward with a dark webbed fog. Wolfe knows instantly that he shouldn't have mentioned it. She would train regardless of injuries, training this morning would most likely taken her mind off being attacked and made her feel stronger. An unnatural expressionless look covers her features when she replies, "I did nothing that would hurt me further." She shifts her weight back to her left foot and Wolfe cannot help frowning.

"Why do you keep shifting your weight then?" Irritation, he thinks. Irritation is what passes momentarily across her face. Then it's gone and she chuckles to herself, shaking her head.

"It's an unfortunate trait, I am impatient and thus I cannot stand still." She glances down at his desk again. "You seem busy."

"Yes; very much so. I have much to do here and then I must ride out to one of our farms which is over an hour away, then I must be back in time for this dinner tonight. I should have gone yesterday but I couldn't leave the Ricells unattended their first day here." His cobalt eyes flick to hers and he sees the way she has slowly stepped back, disappointment clouding her features. "Sparrow?" He says softly.

"Of course." Then it dawns on him and hope blooms in his chest. "I should see where my sister is." She backs further away and reaches for the door handle.

"I apologise Sparrow, I do not have time today but I can train you tomorrow; or perhaps after the dinner. If you can aim and hit your target in the dark, daylight will be no obstacle." She bows her head in acceptance. She turns the handle but it is already opening. Sparrow steps back quickly, out of the swing of the door. Hunter marches in and sinks into the chair opposite Wolfe. His eyebrows rise. Hunter sinks into the chair, his face like thunder.

Sparrow's and Wolfe's gazes meet over Hunter's head and she shoots him a questioning look. Wolfe shrugs and redirects his attention to Hunter, even though some of him will not allow him to completely let Sparrow fade into the background. "Hunter." His name is all the prompt that is needed.

"Can we send Starling back without Sparrow?" Sparrow bites her lip, not her nervous habit, no; it is to stop her from giggling. "She is everywhere and she does not stop talking." Something tells her Hunter is unaware of her presence.

"She is a guest, Hunter, and you should be welcoming and helpful. Do your family proud." Hunter dark eyes alight with fire and Wolfe senses his mistake. Hunter has never once come to him in his study. His brothers, however, have on a regular basis. His response would be naturally targeted at them. Not for Hunter. Hunter most certainly cares for his brothers but to call them family? That is most certainly pushing it. The air stills as Wolfe grasps for words that would fix the situation.