He shrugged. “Nah. Just fooled around when I was a kid. No formal training.”
Aubrey nodded, amazed by that idea. To fool around with a weapon was so unlike her experience growing up. All she’d known was training with weapons, bows, knives, guns. Always training. She’d never actually used her bow for entertainment like she had tonight. Playing games, competing for fun. And yes, she’d had fun. Being with Jaylon had been easy. She’d enjoyed it, wanted to do it again. Dangerous, dangerous thinking.
“Well, it’s getting late. I should probably get to bed. Got some prepping to do before the team arrives for you all to meet,” Aubrey said, more than a little reluctantly.
Jaylon nodded. “Sure, sure, but just one more round, okay?”
Aubrey smiled. “What? I’m not kicking your ass enough?” She giggled.
“All or nothing. One more shot.”
Aubrey shrugged. “Okay.”
He walked over to a tree and tugged a rope she hadn’t noticed before. A small target, the size of a hand, swung down like a pendulum—fast moving, almost a blur. Her instincts perked up, the challenge of hitting the target something that incited her competitive nature.
“You’re never going to hit that.”
Jaylon cocked an eyebrow and smirked. “Ye of little faith.”
Aubrey laughed. “That’s going to be hard for me to hit.”
“I propose a bet.” Jaylon lifted his bow, motioned for her to lift hers. “If you hit the target first, you win and I’ll leave you alone after tonight.”
Aubrey’s smile faded.
“If I hit the target first, I get another night with you. A whole night. And you have to do whatever I want.”
“A whole night? Whatever you want?”
Jaylon nodded.
Aubrey gulped. Her thoughts whirred but she didn’t give herself more than a second to decide. “I accept.”
He motioned for her to raise her bow and he lifted his.
“On the count of three. One, two…three.”
They both let loose at the same time. The thunk of the arrow hitting true resonated within her body, sending a shiver down her spine.
Jaylon jogged to the target, one hand raised to catch it mid-swing. He stopped its movement, angled it so she could see the arrow embedded. Blue feathers. He plucked it free from the target, sauntered back to her, twirling it between his fingers, cocky assurance on his face. “I won.”
Aubrey nodded as she leaned toward him, putting up no resistance as he pulled her into his arms and devoured her with a kiss.
Yes, she thought. You did.
She shifted back to look at him, a memory suddenly popping into her head. “I thought you said the other night that you’d used a recurve before? That you were no stranger to hunting.”
“I did say that, didn’t I?” He smiled sheepishly.
She smacked him playfully on the chest, let him take her mouth again when she started to argue further. She couldn’t give him too hard a time for sharking her. She hadn’t exactly been honest with her skills either.
There was no way she’d let herself make that last shot—not with so much to lose.
Chapter Eleven
Darcy had insisted on eating outside to enjoy the unseasonable warm weather that night. Of course, Mayhem indulged. Mayhem always indulged when it came to Raven’s mate—like a father with a spoiled child, favoring her every whim. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Raven in action was even worse. Darcy was his princess, commanding him with just a look if it meant he’d see her smile.
Something Jaylon was starting to understand. He was finding himself more and more in the state of mind that he’d do just about anything to make Aubrey happy. Seeing her smile the night before, watching her laugh and stoking that competitive fire had made the night unforgettable. He was itching to see her again, had spent the day circling the mansion in his wolf form. Stalking her movements through the house when he could. Delighted beyond reason when she appeared outside with her bow to train.
Now he was waiting for her to come outside again. Anxiously waiting. “Where is she?”
Darcy looked up from lighting some candles and chuckled lightly. “Aubrey is meeting with her new security personnel in the office. She should be bringing them out for a little meet and greet.”
Shit. He growled. He’d forgotten about the security team meeting. “That’s tonight?” He had plans to eat quickly and take her out for the night to have some fun before bringing her back to his room for a different kind of fun.
“Uh huh.”
Mayhem joined them, nodding his approval at the set up. “Food is on its way. Dy and Raven are piling everything on the service dolly.”
Darcy beamed. “Great!”