Reluctant Guardian

by Elisha Bugg

  Thane dipped his hand lower, stroking the molten heat of her through her lace panties, causing him to shudder as she gasped, leaning into his touch. He smirked, taking full advantage of her offering, rubbing softly over the material until he had her moaning with pleasure.

  Anya’s hand skimmed lower too, rubbing at the hardness between his legs making her moan. The sound erotic to both their ears, spurring them on further.

  Thane had planned on only pleasuring her, slowly easing her into the idea of being with him, but when she held him in her hand like that, rubbing and stroking like she was, he wasn’t sure he could hold back the wolf. He’d been trying for so long, only making it more difficult the harder he tried.

  He wanted her, but he wasn’t sure he should. Not when her bruising was still healing.

  Thane took hold of her hand, tearing it away from his throbbing erection to hold against his chest.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, her eyes still shining beautifully as her emotions got the better of her.

  “I won’t be able to stop if you keep doing that.”

  “Is that really such a bad thing?”

  “I don’t want to hurt you. You’re not fully healed yet and the wolf’s more in control than I am at the moment. He doesn’t do gentle.”

  Anya bit down on her lip, her swollen red flesh beckoning him to do the same.

  He pushed up, taking her mouth in his, leaning his head to the side for a deeper, more passionate and possessive kiss.

  She moaned into his mouth, binding her arms behind his neck as she climbed up over his lap, her breasts bouncing beneath her nightdress as she moved.

  Thane shuddered as she lowered herself over him, the slickness between her thighs making him ache.

  “Maybe I don't want gentle,” she whispered in his ear, grinding her hips over his lap. The friction was intense, making him clench his hands tight against her back.

  He tilted his head back and roared.

  She was driving him insane. The need for skin contact a scream inside his head.

  He pulled at her panties, nudging them down her legs. When she refused to move, smiling against him, he growled, ripping the lace from her body, making her gasp.

  “I don’t like to be teased,” he grumbled, the sound deep and throaty.

  “We’ll see,” she smirked against him, lifting herself back off his lap, kissing his neck and jaw. Her small, sharp teeth scraping his collarbone.

  Sweat gleamed across his body as he tried to rein in the beast, to remain in control. Gripping hold of the bed sheets, his knuckles white from the pressure.

  Anya placed her delicate hands on his torso, rubbing her way down and smiling wickedly, her claws now protruding from her fingertips.

  Bringing her hands back to his shoulders, she dug her nails in, scraping them across the smooth plains of his bare chest. He roared, snapping his eyes open to stare at her. How could she know to do something like that?

  “Good?” she asked in a breathy voice.

  Rather than answering her, Thane dipped his head into the crook of her neck, feasting on her sensitive flesh, making her tremble in his hands, but that didn’t stop her teasing.

  She tried to push him back, using all of her force. He laughed at her pitiful attempts to move him, but he did as she wanted, lying back against the soft sheets, allowing her to take control.

  He closed his eyes and waited eagerly for her to climb back over him, straddling his thighs once more, but nothing happened.

  Instead she placed her lips against his stomach, raking her nails down his sides.

  She paused above him, licking her lips. Her green eyes tinged with amber specks as she gave him that same devilish smile as before.

  Suddenly her head dipped out of sight, her mouth wrapping around his cock.

  Thane growled, arching his back off of the bed, wrapping the sheets around his fingers.

  He was wrong. He did like being teased by this woman. As she stroked her mouth up and down his shaft, licking and sucking at his head, he throbbed, needing to be inside of her.

  He couldn’t take it any longer. He lifted her with ease, flipping her over so she lay on her back before him like a treat ready to be devoured.

  She wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand and licked her lips.

  “You’re wearing too many clothes,” he accused, tugging at the hem of her satin nightdress.

  Anya gasped as he lifted it up over her head, discarding it on top of the t-shirt he shed last night. She tried to shy away from him, hiding her body beneath her shaky hands, but he wouldn’t allow it.

  “Don’t hide yourself from me,” he growled, pinning her arms above her head, feasting on her with his eyes, “you’re perfect how you are. Every curve,” he whispered, cupping her breast in one of his hands, “every freckle,” he leaned forward and kissed her chest, lavishing at each and every mark across her skin. She squirmed beneath him, giggling when he kissed her ribs. The skin sensitive and ticklish.

  “You’re beautiful,” he breathed, struggling to form coherent words as lust overtook him.

  He pressed his lips against hers, fisting his hand in her hair and holding her close. The need to be inside of her ruling him.

  He positioned himself at her entrance and paused, waiting for her to accept him.

  Her hand skirted down his stomach to his cock, squeezing him, pulling him forward as she lifted her hips up off of the sheets and took him inside of her, gasping loudly into the crook of his neck, making him roar with pleasure.

  She was so tight, so wet and hot around him.

  Her back arched, pressing her breasts forward, exposing her slender neck to him. His teeth itched with the need to mark her, claiming her for his own, but he couldn't, not yet.

  Thane tilted his hips to thrust in deep, sweat beading on his skin. She moaned and wrapped her legs around his waist, rocking her hips up toward him, adjusting his angle inside of her.

  Thane groaned and pushed into her harder, pounding against her thighs. His body shaking as she matched his pace, rocking her hips in time with his thrusts.

  His movements grew more urgent as he swelled inside of her, stretching her.

  The way she moved beneath his hands, breathtaking. The look in her eyes and their magnificent colour even more so.

  Her scent surrounded him, turning him feral.

  He wanted to plant his seed inside of her. This woman he loved, who loved him in return.

  Thane lost control, seeing her now through the wolf’s eyes as he leaned down and took her neck between his teeth, holding her in place, marking her as his.

  She squeezed her legs tighter, gasping out his name on a breathy whisper, her body shuddering as she fractured around him, her muscles squeezing so tight he almost came.

  He rode her harder, feeding the fire that was building inside his veins. Plunging deep inside her with short, hard strokes. The silken tightness of her clenching around him, bringing him to a new level of pleasure he’d never felt before.

  She was his. His mate. He was never going to push her away again.

  Thane roared up to the skies, his muscles tightening as pleasure ripped through him.

  He dug his fingers into her rear, holding her to him as another orgasm hit her, taking him along with it.

  He collapsed against her, his heart hammering inside his chest as he lay still for several minutes, regaining his energy.

  This is how he wanted to spend the rest of his life, surrounded by her scent, her arms wrapped around him.

  He pressed up on the bed and leant forward for another kiss, nibbling at her bottom lip before he rolled off of her, concerned he could be crushing her beneath his weight.

  She snuggled into him, curving her leg over his, absently stroking her hands across his chest.

  "I wish we didn't have to move from here," she murmured against him.

  "Me too," he whispered, pulling her closer with his hand on the small of her back.

  "But we can't stay here,
can we?"

  Thane didn't answer. He didn't want to. All he wanted was to enjoy this moment and not think about what still had to be done.

  "Where have you been the last few days?" Anya asked, leaning up on her elbows so she could look down at him.

  "I know you didn't leave my side once you'd freed Lucas and defeated the hunters, but since I've been awake, I haven't seen you before now."

  "I wasn't avoiding you," Thane sighed, taking a loose strand of her silken hair between his thumb and fingers, "I've been trying to find Keri, hoping she hasn't had a chance to tell Richard what happened."

  "Surely he already knows?"

  "Unlikely," Thane grumbled, pulling her back down to lay her head against him.

  Even now, with her still within touching distance, he felt like she was too far away. He craved the skin contact he'd starved himself of these last few months, and every second counted.

  "If Richard knew, he would attack now whilst we're weak, but he hasn't."

  "You think Keri might have run away rather than going back to the hunters?”

  "It's a possibility."

  Thane hadn't thought of that. These last few days, Duncan, Hugh and himself had been checking all of Keri's usual hangouts hoping to catch a glimpse of her, or find someone who had, but nothing. What if Anya was right and she’d run away, scared Oleander wouldn't be so unlucky a second time? That would make things a lot more complicated.

  "Where could she run too?" he found himself asking, curious whether Anya would have any more ideas.

  "I'm not sure. It's not like we've spoken much over the last few years. Perhaps Oleander would know?"

  "No he would’ve told me," Thane insisted.

  Oleander understood Thane's need for vengeance. He'd even been willing to break the rules so he could get it. There was no way he would know where she was and not tell him, but perhaps the Council would. It wasn't like they would tell him if they did know. They dealt with their own, it was how the vampires managed their people.

  Perhaps it was time to call upon Erebus once again.

  He knew several powerful witches, one of them was sure to know how to cast a tracking spell.

  "What are you thinking?" Anya asked, looking up at him with a frown, "I know you're planning something. I can tell by the look on your face."

  “Maybe.”

  “Tell me,” she demanded, shoving at his chest playfully.

  Thane laughed, grabbing a hold of her wrists and rolling her over onto her back, pinning her hands above her head.

  He smiled down at her before leaning forward to kiss at her marked neck.

  He would never get enough of her.

  “Really?” she gasped when she felt his erection pressing into her abdomen, “you can’t be ready to go again. Not yet.”

  “I’ll always be ready for you," he smirked, nuzzling at her neck once more.

  Chapter Thirty Nine

  After a quick shower, with Thane joining her, insisting she needed help scrubbing her back, his hands roaming over her body and caressing her skin; both of them dressed and made their way downstairs.

  It didn't take them long to find Edwin and Tynan sitting in the kitchen, helping themselves to breakfast.

  "Where's Lucas?" Thane asked, joining the others by the table.

  "I'm here," he called from behind, wrapping his arms briefly around Anya's shoulders, kissing her cheek before joining the rest by the food.

  It had only been a week or so since Lucas had been freed, yet he was already filling out his lean frame. His face fuller and his body more muscular than she remembered. He looked almost healthy.

  Anya couldn't help but smile as she watched on. All those she cared about huddled around one table, laughing and elbowing each other out of the way like a real family.

  "What's for dessert?" Tynan asked around a mouthful of food.

  "I've put some brownies in the oven, they'll be done soon. And Tynan-"

  "Mm?"

  "Don't talk with your mouth full dear," Heleana teased, hands on hips as she scolded him.

  Anya laughed. All four men turned to her, handfuls of food paused halfway to their mouths as they smiled, then carried on stuffing their faces.

  "Not hungry, hun?" Heleana asked, placing a hand on her shoulder as all the men turned back to their food.

  Anya gasped from the unexpected contact, spinning and almost losing her footing.

  "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you, but you really should eat something before the boys devour it all," Heleana fussed, leaning in close to whisper in her ear, "you'll need to replenish your energy after all."

  Anya's face turned scarlet, fiddling with the collar of her jumper, paranoid about the mark she’d spotted on her neck earlier as Heleana walked away with a huge smile on her face.

  She was over the moon that she was Thane's, but she didn't want everyone making a fuss about it.

  "Heleana's brownies are to die for," Tynan announced, spraying the food still in his mouth, cringing when Heleana scowled at him over her shoulder.

  "Sorry," he muttered, wiping the crumbs away from his mouth.

  Of course they would have heard Heleana's question and would join in on the fussing, she was just surprised that Tynan had beaten the other three to the punch.

  "I'm not that hungry," Anya replied, taking a seat away from the table, sipping at some water as she tried her best to ignore the glare Thane was giving her.

  She knew she should listen and needed her energy to heal, but she didn't feel like eating. Her stomach was still churning from the poison. Just the smell of food was making her nauseous.

  Silence fell in the room as a few of them stared behind her, sounds of footsteps approaching down the hall.

  Anya spun around to see Hugh standing in the doorway looking exactly the same as he had when he took her. The only difference she could see was the look in his eyes as he stared at her.

  "I'm glad you're recovered," he spoke, clearing his throat and fiddling with the sleeves of his jacket.

  "No thanks to you," she snapped, turning her back on him.

  Edwin looked to the others and nodded his head toward the door, a signal for them to leave.

  How could they leave her alone with him after what he'd done?

  All of them filed out of the room; all except Thane. He remained propping himself against the counter.

  Lucas paused to place a hand on her shoulder whispering, "Be careful," as he left.

  "I didn't know about Keri. I never would have called her if I had," Hugh pleaded, realising that Thane didn't plan on leaving them alone like the others, "I thought she'd take care of you while I was gone."

  "Then you're more of a fool than I am," she sighed, continuing not to look at him.

  "I've been back a matter of months and even I noticed something different about her, but I put that down to the company she kept. What's your excuse?"

  “She'd been that way since the moment I met her. I didn't think anything of it.”

  Anya was aware that Keri had joined the hunters after she'd been changed into a vampire, but surely Hugh must have noticed the signs.

  "I was never close to her. I was never close with any of them."

  "You and Chase were always together, aside from when you babysat me and took me to see Lucas. To see my dad."

  "Chase was just there to follow me. The only time I was alone was when I was with you, or left on hunter property. Richard doesn't trust me,” Hugh continued, knitting his eyebrows together as he stroked a hand through his short hair.

  She watched him in the reflection of the window as he fidgeted on his feet, swaying from one foot to the other before taking a seat far away from her.

  It irritated her to think he was afraid of her, that he no longer wanted to be near her. She was the same person she was when he met her.

  "I knew who you were before I took you to Lucas, it's why I hesitated."

  "If you knew, why didn't you tell me?" she fumed, spinning around to face him
, knowing by his gasp that her eyes had changed, "why didn't you try and stop me from going there?"

  "I did try, but you're so god damned stubborn. Besides if I told you, what would you have done?" he groaned, looking up to the ceiling. “You'd have laughed, or ran. And what if someone had heard me? You'd have been killed. I was trying to protect you the only way I knew how."

  "Why?"

  "There's something about you that I just couldn't ignore. No matter what punishment I received for helping you."

  "You know your dad's not human, too right?" Anya asked, needing to change the subject when she noticed Thane's nostrils flare and his eyes turn to granite as he stared at Hugh.

  She didn't know why she cared if Thane hurt him, he deserved it after what he'd done. Except, something inside told her to listen and give him the benefit of the doubt.

  "Yes. I do, thanks to Thane."

  "Then that means you're not either?"

  "No," he sighed, looking from Thane back to her, “Richard isn't my real dad. He married my mum shortly after I was born, but when she died he kept me as his own, hoping to turn me into the perfect hunter that would jump to his every whim. He couldn't have been more wrong. I was always a disappointment to him."

  "You want me to pity you?" she scoffed, slamming her water on the worktop, the contents sloshing over the rim.

  "No," he muttered, pushing out of his chair to step toward her, pausing when Thane inched away from the counter he leaned upon, "I just want you to understand that I never chose to be a hunter. I was forced to be there."

  Maybe he wasn't the monster she thought he was. He'd helped the Guards when the hunters had attacked after all. Thane had explained to her that he'd helped him, possibly even saved his life.

  He'd even freed Lucas when Thane was unable to pass the door to go to him, but did she trust him?

  He was the reason this all started in the first place.

  If he hadn't have taken her, she wouldn't have been left with Keri to be poisoned. And now that Keri had escaped, she could have told all the hunters about Edwin and the rest of the Guards. Every one of them could now be in danger because of him. He was right to feel guilty.