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Chapter 12

Tessa was the epitome of a relaxed sunbathing goddess when I found her lounging by the pool. Her blond hair was splayed out around her as sunglasses perched on her nose, while her tanned skin glistened in the sunlight.

“Tess!” I hurried to her side as my wolf continued to yelp in excitement inside me.

My twin slid her glasses down and eyed me over the rims. “Grab a suit from my room. You can’t sunbathe in that.”

“I can’t stay here. I have to go.”

She bolted upright. “Go? What are you talking about? You just got here.”

“I know, and I’m sorry, but I need to contact Kaillen. Is there anywhere on this base that I can use a phone?”

Her forehead crinkled when she frowned. “No, they don’t let us use phones. The one time I did was to contact Nicole, and it was in the command center under supervision on a scrambled line.”

“So there are phones here.”

“Yes, but only in the command center, but we can’t go in there.” She swung her legs over the side of her lounge chair. “Why do you need to call Kaillen?”

“I have to tell him something, but I can’t let Klebus know that I overheard her. She already knows enough about me,” I added in a mumble under my breath.

Tessa pulled her sunglasses fully off, and an excited sparkle entered her sapphire eyes. “What did you overhear?”

“I can’t tell you either. Only in case Klebus questions you,” I added when she pouted. “Where else would there be a phone outside of the command center?” ’Cause even though I had a lot of talents, even my magic couldn’t break into a secured SF building.

Tessa tapped her chin, her manicured pink fingernail shining from a recently applied polish. “There might be a phone in the hanger. We could try there.”

“We?”

She gave me a devious smile. “You don’t think I’m going to let you have all the fun while I stay here, do you?”

I rolled my eyes, but then a small smile parted my lips. “Do you think you could wield some of your charm on the guards while I search the hanger?”

Tessa jumped to her feet, her breasts bobbing with the movement. “Well, if I go like this . . .” She struck a pose, showcasing her tanned curves that her bikini did little to conceal. “I imagine I can distract the entire battalion.”

I snorted but couldn’t stop my grin. “I do love you, you know that, right?”

She winked. “Just like I love you. Now, let’s go find you a phone!”

∞     ∞     ∞

Inside the bungalow, Tessa dropped her Kimono-style sarong on the floor and picked up a sheer scarf. She wrapped it around her waist until it resembled a see-through mini-skirt. Following that, she donned a large T-shirt that she tied into a knot just below her breastbone, which exposed her abdomen.

“I’m ready!” she said excitedly. When I raised a questioning eyebrow at her attire, she merely added, “Trust me.”

Nerves fluttered anew in my belly when Tessa and I left her bungalow. We followed the same walkway that the young private had led me on. Cactuses and creosote bushes lined the path, along with other desert plants I couldn’t identify. Their scents hung heavy in the air as I tried to differentiate what was what and failed miserably. I sighed. Kaillen did say it would take time to learn individual scents.

“They let you go wherever you want around here?” I asked incredulously when she veered onto another sidewalk that led to the hanger.

She shrugged. “There’s nowhere for me to get lost, so they said as long as I stay on the base, I’m free to roam.”

“Lucky for us.”

“We should go this way.” Tessa waved toward the hanger’s south side. “That’s where only men are stationed. Around the opposite side and the far end, there are women too.”

I chuckled. “And my guess is that whatever you have planned needs a male audience only?”

“Well, heterosexual males.” She winked.

My cheeks reddened at just the thought of what my sister had planned. While I wasn’t a prude, I was somewhat modest and didn’t flaunt myself or show off my curves even though they matched Tessa’s. But my sister? She would happily prance around in a string bikini in Times Square if it meant enrapturing others.

When we neared the hanger, sweat beaded on my forehead and it wasn’t from the sun. What we were about to pull off would land us in a world of shit if we failed.

“Hi there, Private Osmond!” Tessa called coyly to a young SF member stationed near the hanger’s large open door. Inside, the aircrafts I’d seen last night sat silently.

“Ms. Davenport.” Private Osmond’s lips curved when his gaze shifted between the two of us. He glanced at my sister’s exposed midriff and sheer skirt before snapping his attention up. “This must be your sister?” he added, although he seemed loathed to drag his gaze from Tessa’s display.

“Yeah, this is Tala.” Tessa waved flippantly in my direction, then coiled her finger around a long curl of blond hair. “I’m showing her around since she’s new. Do you mind if I show her the airplanes?”

He made an apologetic face. “I’m afraid I can’t allow you inside.”

Tessa pouted prettily. “Even if you joined us?” She glanced toward the taller, dark-haired SF member stationed on the opposite side of the massive hanger door. “Do you think maybe you and Private Fitchberg could give us a tour? If it’s not too much to ask,” she added in a hurry with just the right amount of pleading and consideration.

Private Osmond looked toward the other SF member who’d begun striding toward us from across the eighty-foot expanse.

“These two want a tour!” Private Osmond called to him. “Do you think it’d be okay?”

Private Fitchberg reached us and eyed Tessa first, his gaze also lingering on my sister’s considerable display of flesh before eyeing me.

My nose twitched as a subtle scent rose from him. It was musky yet not outright arousal, but it was similar. Interest, maybe? Or something that meant she’d caught his attention? I wasn’t sure.

“I suppose that would be okay.” Private Fitchberg shrugged. “But you’ll have to stay with us. This isn’t a civilian area.”

Tessa ran her finger idly up his arm. That scent off him rose, but then she pretended to pick a speck of lint from his shoulder, before giving him a suggestive smile. “We’ll stay right by your side. Promise.”

Private Fitchberg grinned cockily. Okay, the dude was definitely interested.

“This way.” Private Osmond gestured toward the aircraft.

“Wow, they’re so big!” Tessa’s eyes widened when we approached the first craft. “Do you two know how to fly them?”

I pretended to also show interest while scoping the far walls for a phone.

“We’re in training,” Private Fitchberg responded, pride in his tone. “That’s part of the reason we’re here.”

“Do you fly them often?” I asked, just so I wouldn’t come off as a complete nincompoop who was incapable of language.

Private Osmond gave me a crooked smile. “Five days a week.”

They let us circle each plane, and while they gave us a few details about what each craft was and how they maneuvered, it was pretty obvious that they were intentionally keeping their answers vague. While Tessa may have sparked their interest, neither SF member was stupid enough to reveal classified information.

The entire time, I nodded and smiled while also scanning every wall and cranny for a phone.

When we reached the fourth aircraft, I finally spotted one near the corner door, which was sixty feet away . . .

I pinched Tessa and subtly gestured toward it while Private Fitchberg explained the aerodynamics of the fourth airplane. She gave me a barely perceptible nod before moving toward the aircraft’s nose.