Disclaimer: SJM owns all :D
A/N: I am very sorry it's taken me forever to get this next chapter posted. I kind of hit a bit of writer's block on where to go next after that last chapter, but I made it! Also, to reward for your patience, I made it twice as long as it normally is! So! I hope you enjoy! There are a couple surprises in this chapter! :D
Chapter Eleven
Gwyn woke with a start. She looked around the room she'd been allowed to use at the River House for any sign of what might have awoken her from sleep. Just as she was about to roll back over and try to fall asleep again, she spotted some of Azriel's shadows by the doorway. They were acting nervous. She flung the covers back and got out of bed.
As she got closer to them, they moved closer to the door. It was as if they were trying to lead her somewhere. "Okay, little shadows. Lead the way."
She followed them down the hallway where they paused right in front of the door to Azriel's room. Her brow furrowed as she looked around. It was very late at night and it didn't sound like anyone was awake in the house. She was just about to ask them why she'd brought them to his door, when she heard it. She was through his door and across the room in an instant.
Although, she wasn't prepared for what she found. He was lying in bed half-naked with his legs twisted up in the sheets. He was mumbling something by the time she got to his side. His face was scrunched up as if he were in pain. She could just barely make out what he was saying. "No, no more. No, not my wings…Please, not my wings."
Gwyn's heart shattered. He was having a nightmare. And she knew without a doubt that he was back in that cell being tortured all over again. She had to stop it.
She knelt onto the bed and placed her hands onto his chest. "Az, wake up. You need to wake up." He kept mumbling, shaking his head as if he didn't hear her. "Azriel, please wake up. It's just a nightmare. You're safe, but you need to wake up."
She reached out and put her hand on his face when his eyes suddenly snapped open. He sucked in a big breath and looked around in alarm, as if he wasn't quite sure where he was. "Az, it's okay. You're safe. You're at the River House. It was only a nightmare. I'm here."
He just stared at her for a long minute, taking in her presence and adjusting to his surroundings. She stayed silent, letting him reorient himself. He swallowed thickly and looked away from her. "Did I wake you?"
She shook her head, running her thumb soothingly down his cheek. "No, but your shadows were worried about you. They came and got me."
He looked back at her, confused. "They came to your room and brought you to me?"
She nodded, a small smile coming to her lips. "They did. They brought me right to your door. That's when I heard you, so I came in to make sure you were okay."
He nodded, finally taking in her appearance. He glanced down at her, his eyes widening. He quickly looked away from her, blushing. Her brow furrowed and she looked down. She mentally kicked herself. She'd been so worried about Az, that she'd forgotten to grab her robe. She was leaning over him in nothing but her nighty, only a couple of days after becoming his mate and coming to the mutual decision that they weren't going to do anything sexual for a while. She could have kicked herself.
"I, uh, I forgot my robe in my haste to see what was wrong. I apologize. I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable or coming on to you or anything. Especially after our conversation the other day. Uh…I guess I'll just go back to my room now, if you're okay then."
She started moving away from him, but he quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist. She turned back to him and saw a look on his face that she hoped she'd never see again. It quickly disappeared, but his grip on her wrist didn't. "If you don't mind…would you stay? I won't come on to you, I promise. I just…"
He bit his lip and looked away. This was the most vulnerable she'd ever seen him, including the other day when they were talking and had revealed their feelings for each other. He was nervous, she could tell. She smiled softly at him, sitting back onto the side of the bed. "I'll stay as long as you want me to, Az. Do you need anything?"
She could tell he was mulling over his next words carefully, considering how he should word them. She gave him the space and time he needed until he was ready to ask. "Will you stay? Here?"
"Of course. I already said I would."
He shook his head. "No. I mean…will you stay with me…here? You don't have to. I just…I don't know if I'll be able to fall back asleep after that."
Her eyes widened as she realized what he was asking. Her heart rate increased and she stayed silent, thinking. She'd never slept with a male before. This was all new territory to her. After a couple of minutes of silence, Az smiled at her reassuringly. "Gwyn, you can say no. I won't be upset, I promise. It's okay. It's too soon, I understand."
She shook her head, pulling herself from her stupor. "No! You just took me by surprise, that's all. I…I've never slept with a male before. This…all of this…everything we're doing is all new to me."
He pushed himself up onto his elbow and rolled so that he was facing her. He reached up slowly and placed a hand on her cheek. "We can go as slow as you need to go, Gwyn. I'm probably the most patient male you'll ever meet. If you just want to hold hands for the next ten years and that's it, I'll be thankful every day that I get to see your smile and know it's for me."
A tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. She couldn't believe how incredibly lucky she'd gotten. The Cauldron had picked the absolute perfect male for her. She couldn't imagine anyone better. Just knowing how lucky she was and seeing the truth in his words, gave her the courage to do what she did next. She took a deep breath and then got under the covers, rolling so that she was right next to him.
Az was still leaning up on his elbow when she scooted in next to him. He looked down at her with a soft smile. "You do know that you don't have to do this?" She nodded, skootching an inch closer to him.
"If at any point in the night you feel uncomfortable, you can leave. I won't be upset. Or you can wake me up and we can talk it through. I don't mind being woken up, I promise. I just want you to feel safe."
Gwyn nodded, placing a hand on his chest. "I do feel safe, Az. I've always felt safe with you. This is just a new experience. I'm just…nervous."
He nodded, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him slowly as he lowered himself back into the bed. He slid one arm underneath her neck while the other was draped around her waist. "Is this okay?"
She giggled, "Yes, it's okay. I like being close to you. Which…in some ways is odd because I can barely stand males being close to me, but…it's different with you. And Cassian, of course, but that's completely different. You…I don't know. I trust you more than I've ever trusted anyone. So, being close to you comes naturally."
Az smiled, laying his head down on the pillow and looking at her. "I'm happy to hear that. I like being close to you too. And if you hadn't noticed…I tend to keep my distance from most people, including my family."
She nodded, running her hand up and down his bicep, studying the muscles underneath her fingers. "I had noticed that. Why is that?"
He shrugged with one shoulder. "That's just who I am. I like to keep to myself."
"So, then where do I fit into that?"
Az watched her, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Have you noticed that since you've come around I've started opening up more? Not just to you…but to my family as well? Like, at family dinners I don't sit alone in the corner."
She nodded absently, biting her lip. "I had noticed that, actually. I just thought it was from getting over Elain or Mor."
He chuckled, laying his hand flat on his stomach as she continued to play with his bicep. "I guess in a way that did help, but you're the main reason. You make me happy. And that makes me want to open up more and enjoy myself. Of course, that is when I'm not being an arrogant jackass and ruining everything."
She shook her head, turning towards him at last. "You never ruined anything, Az. Things were simply…put on hold for a while. But none of that matters anyway. We're together now and it all worked out. You're here, you're safe, we're both happy. That's all that matters. Now, we're going to focus on getting you better so that we can get back up to the House and we're going to focus on us. On building our relationship and getting to know each other better, building towards accepting the bond in the future."
His eyes sparkled. "So…you think you'll want to accept it?"
She smiled lovingly at him, placing a hand on his face. "I know I will. The Cauldron couldn't have given me a better mate. It chose perfectly. As I said the other day, I just need a little time to overcome some more things, prepare for the bond. So, yes, I will accept it. I can't say when that will be in any certain terms, but I know I will. But in the meantime, we can enjoy being together…right?"
He smiled at her, pressing his forehead against hers, "Of course, I will always enjoy being with you."
Her smile widened as she reached up and pressed her lips against his in an intimate kiss. She could tell he was holding himself back for her benefit, so she pulled back and rested her head on his chest as he rolled onto his back. He wrapped his arm around her back, pulling her closer to him. She sighed happily as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep in his arms.
The next morning, she had left his room early to sneak back to her room before anyone saw her in her nighty leaving Azriel's room. She didn't want anyone getting the wrong impression. Well, she supposed they were allowed to do the things that would imply, but she didn't want to start any drama this early in the relationship with him.
She met him downstairs for breakfast along with everyone else. Nesta and Cassian had even come down from the House to join them, claiming the House was too lonely with Gwyn and Azriel both here.
As they were finishing up with breakfast, Nesta looked over at Gwyn, who was holding Az's hand under the table. "I almost forgot to mention to you. I ran into Clotho in the library yesterday. I guess Merrill is having a fit about you taking time off. She was going on about if you don't show up today for your shift…you'd be dismissed from her service. Clotho wanted me to let you know."
Gwyn rolled her eyes. "I told her exactly why I was taking time off. It shouldn't surprise me that she's throwing a fit about it."
Az looked over at her. "You didn't work any shifts while I was gone?"
She shook her head. "No, I stayed here while we were trying to find you. I wanted to be close in case something happened. I wasn't going to make someone take me back and forth from here to the library every day. Plus, that would have just taken away valuable time where I could be looking for you. She was fine on her own for a few weeks."
Az frowned and glanced back at Nesta. "How serious was she about dismissing Gwyn? Did Clotho say?"
Nesta shook her head. "No, but its Merrill. I wouldn't put it past her. She's a bitch."
Az nodded, turning back to Gwyn. "I think you should go back to the library today. I don't want you to lose your job because of me."
Gwyn shook her head. "I'll be fine, Az. Merrill is horrible anyway. Besides, you're still healing. I can't just leave."
Az smiled softly at her, squeezing her hand gently. "Yes you can. I'm getting better every day. I've already started physical therapy on my wings. I'm in less pain every day. Besides, if I need any help, I have Rhys and Feyre here to help me. I'll be okay, I promise."
She chewed on her lip. She didn't really want to lose her research job in the library, but this was Az. Something inside of her was screaming at her to protect him, take care of him. She knew it was the bond, even though they hadn't officially accepted it yet. She sighed, giving in. "Okay, if someone doesn't mind taking me back, then I'll go back today. But…if you need anything from me, I expect you to me know."
He chuckled. "Deal."
She was only an hour into her shift with Merrill and she already regretted coming back. She'd gotten into a screaming match with her the second she'd stepped into her office. Merrill had yelled at her, saying there was no excuse for missing a month of work just because she had an 'in' with the Inner Circle. She had said it was a waste of time to have been searching for 'that Spymaster' the whole time. She had seen red at her words. She had lost her temper and yelled right back at her.
Merrill had since banished her to the lower levels of the library for the rest of her shift as punishment. The second her shift was over, she dropped what she was doing and trudged out of the library, eager to get away. The need to get as far away from the library as she could deeply unsettled her. The library had always been her safe place and now, because of Merrill, she wanted to be nowhere near it.
As she passed Clotho's desk, the priestess stopped her, passing her a note.
I heard what Merrill said to you earlier today. It was unacceptable. I will be speaking with her later.
Gwyn shook her head, looking up at her. "It'll only encourage her to try harder next time with her punishments. I can handle Merrill."
Clotho seemed incline to say something, but Gwyn gave her a tired smile. "Really, Clotho, I appreciate your concern, but I need to get going. If you'll excuse me."
Gwyn left Clotho standing behind the desk as she made her way out of the library and up into the House of Wind. She had a good amount of time before they were to leave for supper at the River House, so she decided to go to the training ring and work out some of her frustrations there.
After making a stop at her room to change into her leathers, she made it up to the deserted ring and spent the next couple of hours training. It felt good to be training again. It had been so long since she'd been able to with everything going on with Azriel. She hadn't even realized what time it was when Nesta came and found her.
"I was wondering where you were. I didn't realize you'd be training. Everything okay?"
Gwyn grunted as she slammed her fist into the practice dummy before leaning against it. "Fine. Just needed to work some stuff out."
"Mm. Does this have anything to do with Az?"
Gwyn looked back at her and raised a brow. "With Az? Why would it have to do with him?"
Nesta shrugged, walking towards her. "We haven't had much time to talk since we got him back. Have you two even been able to have 'the talk' yet? I'm assuming you have considering you were definitely holding his hand this morning at breakfast."
Gwyn blushed, looking away. "We did. We were able to talk that afternoon he regained consciousness."
Nesta stopped a few feet from her, crossing her arms. "Okay. Spill. What is it that you're not telling me?"
Gwyn bit her lip. Her and Az had decided to keep it to themselves for now that they were mates, but she wanted to talk to Nesta about what she could. How could she do that without giving it away? "He confessed his feelings for me, I confessed mine. We decided we wanted to be together as more than friends. Officially."
Gwyn peaked a smile over at her friend to see the biggest smile spread across her face. "And you've waited this long to tell me? Gwyneth Berdara! Any other scandalous news you're neglecting to tell me?"
Gwyn's heart picked up and she hoped Nesta didn't hear it. She smiled mischievously. "Does sleeping in his bed wearing only a nighty while he's half-naked count?"
Nesta's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her head. "Gwyn! By the Cauldron! When did this happen?! Details!"
Before she could give any, Cass walked out into the ring. He immediately realized he was interrupting something and froze, looking back and forth between the two of them. "What did I miss?"
Nesta looked at her mate, eyes wide. "Gwyn slept with Az! And before you ask, no, it wasn't sex. But they were both practically naked!"
Cass's jaw dropped as he stared at her. "My little warrior…all grown up. How the hell did this happen?"
Gwyn rolled her eyes. "You two do realize that is what happens in a relationship, right? The normal ones."
Cass's eyes seemed to widen further, if that were possible. "In a relationship?! When did that happen? No one tells me anything anymore!"
Nesta rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I just found out too. Don't feel too left out. Make sure you grill Azriel when we get to the River House, hm?"
Cassian nodded, "Definitely. Speaking of which, we need to get going. We're going to be late as it is."
He flew them both over to the River House and when they walked in, they found Azriel in the living room talking to Mor. He looked up at Gwyn as they walked in and smiled warmly at her. She smiled back and went immediately to his side, sitting next to him on the couch. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him instinctively.
Mor looked back and forth between the two. "Has something changed between the two of you that I don't know about? You two seem pretty cozy."
Nesta snorted, taking a seat in an armchair while Cass grabbed them something to drink. "Oh, they're cozy, alright."
Az's head whipped back to Gwyn. His voice lowered. "What did you tell her?"
The blush that rose on Gwyn's cheeks almost matched Mor's favorite dress. "It…may have come out that we shared a night together."
Mor's cackling laughter filled the room when she saw Az's eyes widen a fraction. "I hope you told them we didn't…"
She nodded furiously, "Oh yes. She knows it was innocent."
Mor lifted her drink to her lips. "Not anymore."
Az looked at her and gave her a withering look. "Don't you have a date to prepare for?"
Mor chuckled as she stood. "Yes, actually, I do. As much as I was enjoying seeing this new side of Az, I'm confident that Gwyn will be around for a long, long time and so I have plenty of time to grill for details. In the meantime, I expect Nesta to get as much as she can and fill me in later."
Nesta nodded, accepted the water Cass was handing her. "Oh of course. Every detail I learn, every naughty detail."
You could hear her cackling laughter down the hallway as she left, leaving Az and Gwyn alone with Nesta and Cass. Cass handed Az a glass of scotch, sending him a wink. "So, joining the big boys club, I hear. Where's Rhys? I'm sure he'll want to hear all about this too."
Az sighed, leaning further into Gwyn. "He and Feyre were called to the Library for a meeting with Clotho a couple of hours ago. They haven't been back since. I assume it was important for both of them to be called."
Gwyn froze, her heart rate picking up speed. Az immediately felt the shift and turned to her, brow furrowed. "Gwyn, what's wrong?"
She could feel all their eyes on her as she looked at him and bit her lip. She thought over her words carefully. "I'm pretty sure they were called there because of me…"
Az narrowed his eyes slightly in confusion, "Gwyn, what happened today? Was Merrill upset with you for being gone so long?"
She nodded, staying focused on Az. "The moment I got to her office today, she started yelling at me. She…"
Gwyn shook her head and looked down at her hands. She could feel the anger rising to the surface again thinking of those awful words. Az's hands gently lifted her chin to look at him. He was looking at her with so much care and support that it nearly broke her heart to have to tell him what the bitch had said.
"It's okay, Gwyn. Just start from the beginning. Whatever it is that was said…I can handle it. Just talk to me." He knew. He'd already known just reading her body language that it'd been about him. She closed her eyes, taking a deep, stilling breath, before continuing.
"She said that I had no excuse being gone unexpectantly for a month, that I don't get leaves of absences. She said…there was no excuse for my absence just because I have an 'in' with the Inner Circle and that…it was a waste of time searching for 'that Spymaster'."
Az's hands had tightened in hers at her words, his jaw clenching, but he let her continue. "I went berserk on her. I was so angry. She had no right to say any of those things to me. I'm not her puppet she can just toy around with. And her saying that it was a waste of time searching for you…it's a miracle that I didn't hit her. I screamed at her. Clotho could hear everything. She spoke with me at the end of my shift, offering to speak with Merrill, but I said there was no point. Merrill had banished me to the lower levels for the rest of my shift as punishment for the day. Who knows what she'll come up with for tomorrow."
Az took a steadying breath, running a hand through his hair. Gwyn was conscious of Nesta and Cassian watching their interactions and listening to their whole conversation, but she didn't care. "What do you want to do, Gwyn? I'll support whatever decision you want to make, but…she can't keep treating you this way. This isn't right."
Gwyn shrugged. "I know, but what else is there for me to do, Az? What am I supposed to do? Just quit her service? Then what? I'll be out of a job. Not that this one even pays to begin with, but still. It gives me some kind of purpose."
He shrugged, glancing over at Cass for suggestions before looking back at her. "I don't know, Gwyn. Maybe Rhys will have a suggestion. He's good for that. All I know is that I don't think you should stay in that library. You don't need it as a sanctuary anymore since you've already moved out. It's just the work keeping you there and now…that's getting too stressful. I think…and again, you're free to make your own decision here, but I think you need to find something else."
At that moment, Rhys and Feyre walked into the room. "I completely agree with our dear Azriel, Gwyn. You need out of that library."
Rhys strolled across the room and poured himself and Feyre a glass of wine. They all watched him as he walked to his mate, handed her the glass, and they sat in the remaining seats, facing them. Gwyn studied their expressions to try and gauge how the meeting had gone.
Az pulled her tighter against her to comfort her as he spoke to his High Lord. "What happened?"
Rhys took a long sip from his drink before opening his mouth. "When we arrived, it was just Clotho. She explained what had happened, that there had been a very heated argument between our beloved Gwyn and Merrill. She didn't, however, tell us exactly what was said. Feyre darling here asked if we could speak with Merrill herself, get her side of things since we would eventually be speaking with Gwyn. So, Clotho took us up to her office. It went well."
Feyre snorted, looking over at him. "Really? You think that was things going well?"
Rhys shrugged. "She didn't throw anything at us or threaten us, try to bewitch us. I think we're in the clear."
Feyre rolled her eyes, before turning to Gwyn. "When we got into her office, Merrill was having a fit that we had interrupted her. She didn't quite seem to care that it was the two of us and Clotho that were in front of her. We told her why we were there, which seemed to piss her off even more. She started saying things like 'that damn Spymaster' and went on a tangent about how you have an 'in' with the Inner Circle? Honestly, even I had a hard time following her. She just kept getting herself more worked up the longer she went on. By the way, Az, she does not like you. What did you ever do to piss her off?"
Az shrugged. "Stole Gwyn's attention away from her, I suppose."
Gwyn giggled, leaning further into his side, mindful of his still healing ribs. "So, what exactly does all of this mean? What did it lead up to? Did you just go and listen to her rant about how much she hates Az and is now out for my blood?"
Rhys chuckled. "No, although we did have to listen to a great deal of her rantings about Azriel. She got to a point where…it became too much for even myself to handle. So, I hope you won't be too upset with me, Gwyn, but I dismissed you from her services effective immediately. No one should have to put up with that. That library is supposed to be a sanctuary. She is turning it into the opposite of that. I instructed Clotho that she is to finish out any research projects she has solo from here on out. If she starts any new ones, she will not be getting an acolyte to help her. She is to remain on her own. She has proven she cannot be around others and remain respectful of their healing. If she continues with this behavior, Clotho will inform us and she will be banished from the library. For good."
Gwyn sat up, eyes wide. "What am I supposed to do now? Don't get me wrong, I am immensely grateful you freed me from her. She was a nightmare, but…what am I supposed to do now? The library and training where what I did."
Feyre smiled kindly at her, leaning forward and grabbing her hand. "We had a thought about that too. And you can say no. Don't feel pressured into saying yes just because it's us. You can say no to us. Just ask these guys. Rhys is all about everyone having free will and being able to choose."
Rhys smiled warmly at her as they all nodded their agreement. "We wanted to ask you if you'd become our official Researcher for the Night Court. It would involve some traveling here and there, but not until you're 100% ready. You have all the time in the world. In the meantime, I could send someone else to get whatever you needed and bring it back to you."
Gwyn's mouth dropped open. She just stared at him in complete shock for a minute before looking around at the others. They all had smiles on their faces. When her eyes finally landed on Az's, he smiled encouragingly. "Whatever you want to do, I'll support you. If you want to turn him down, I'll laugh in his face. If you want to accept it, I'll help you every step of the way."
Rhys scoffed at his comment, bringing a hand to his chest feigning hurt. "You wound me, Az."
Gwyn's lip turned up a fraction at the comment. Her eyes slowly made their way back across the room. Taking in everything, all the faces of these wonderful people she was beginning to call her family. Her eyes landed on Rhys, but before she could open her mouth to give him an answer, he held up a hand. "Oh, one more thing, Gwyn dear, I had a secondary thought. I want to add a title to Official Researcher."
Feyre looked back at him, confused. They hadn't discussed it then. This was all coming from Rhys. Her heart rate picked up again. She hoped none of them could hear it.
"What's the title?"
Rhys smiled. "I would like you…only if you want, of course, to become a spy. You could be…Valkyrie Spy, or something like that. We'll work on the name later. Call it a work in progress. But, I was thinking, with you and our dear Azriel being mates, you could be a kickass spy team. The Valkyrie and The Spymaster. Gives me chills just thinking about it. Think about it, let me know."
Both Az and Gwyn had completely froze. Feyre looked between the two, confused until a screeching noise could be heard. "You're mates?!"
Gwyn sighed and rested her head on Az's shoulder in defeat. "Well, that didn't take long."
Az shook his head, running his hand through his hair. "No, it didn't."
Rhys's eyes widened. "Was I not supposed to say anything?"
Cassian's head whipped between Az and Rhys. "How long has Rhys known? Why didn't I know? What the hell, brother? How long have you known?"
Nesta nodded, looking at Gwyn. "Same questions!"
Az sighed, looking down at her. "Would you like to handle this, or shall I?"
Gwyn shook her head, passing it off on him. She was emotionally overwhelmed. She needed a breather, so she let him take the reins. The arm he had around her tightened in understanding.
"Well, we've known since the afternoon I regained consciousness. It snapped into place while we were talking. Rhys knows because he figured it out on his own. I didn't tell you yet, because…we were keeping it under wraps for now. We're not accepting it right away since we just got together and everything is so new. We're just going at our own pace for now."
Cass nodded, looking back and forth between the two. "Okay, I can accept that. And Rhys is a pretty sneaky bastard. I wouldn't put it past him finding that shit out on his own."
Rhys huffed. "Hey! What is up with the insults today? You're hurting my feelings."
Feyre laughed leaning back into his waiting arms. "Your feelings are just fine because you know it's true."
"You wound me, mate."
Cass let out a roar of laughter. "Things are about to get mighty interesting around here. Especially if my little warrior over here accepts this job."
Gwyn felt Az tense at the nickname. She looked up at him and saw that his eyes were closed. She knew immediately that the mating bond, even though they hadn't accepted it yet, was pulling on him to protect her.
Cass chuckled, seeing the same thing. "Mating bond chafing a bit there, Az?"
Rhys laughed wholeheartedly, taking in Az's tense posture. He swirled his wine and shook his head. "This is going to be fun."
Gwyn leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to Az's cheek, bringing some of the tenseness out of him. He opened his eyes and looked down at her. She was smiling up at him. She noticed that the rest of their little family had started talking amongst themselves, giving them a sense of privacy. She lowered her voice so that only he could hear it. "I think…that I want to take the job, but I want to know what you honestly think. And don't give me that whole spiel about how you'll support me. I know that already. I want to know what you actually think."
He nodded dipping his head closer to hers to give them a heightened sense of privacy. "I think…that being Rhys's Researcher will create a lot of possibilities for you. When you're ready to go back out into the world, you could go anywhere. You could go to Helion's libraries and raid them if you wanted. And I know you do. I also know that Rhys will never intentionally put you in harm's way. As for him wanting you to become a spy and team up with me…I…"
He looked away from her at that, down at his hands. Those hands had shed so much blood. He'd tortured so many people. He didn't want that for her. He didn't want her to feel that guilt. She could read that in his eyes, see it written all over his face. She reached up and put her hand on his cheek, pulling his face back towards her. "Az, no matter what you've done, it doesn't diminish the good inside of you. You are a good male. You are one of the best. Just because you've done some bad things, doesn't make you a bad male. And as for me becoming a spy, I always worry when you leave on missions because you always go out alone. You never have anyone covering your back. This last mission just proves that you could use someone covering your back. You know I've a good fighter and I'm getting better every day that I train. I made it through the Blood Rite just like you did. I'm a Carynthian warrior, just like you. You and Cass have taught me well. And you continue to do so. I won't stop my training. I'll work even harder at it. And who better to watch your back than your mate? I think…I think we'd make a pretty good team."
Az smiled, nodding. "We would, I have to admit that. Though, I don't want you torturing anyone. I don't want you anywhere near that."
"Deal."
They both looked up to find Rhys studying them. He'd been listening to their conversation. Az narrowed his eyes, but Rhys shook his head. "She won't be anywhere near that aspect unless she wants to be. Her choice. We can double up on her training. She can train with the Valkyries if she wishes, but I'd also request she train with you, learn your ways, your techniques, your movements. Once you're fully healed, of course. This won't be starting until then. I won't have you injury yourself further."
Before Az could argue, Gwyn nodded. "It's a deal. To everything."
Rhys grinned and stood. He kneeled in front of Gwyn and took her hand in his, "Welcome to the Inner Circle, Gwyn. We are very pleased to have you."
A/N: Soooo! What did you think? She is officially part of the IC! I just had to. I hate Merrill. Tell me what you think! And any thoughts on what you'd like to see happen! Until next time! :D
