“Breathe.” Diana reached up and placed her hand on his jaw, and a spark of her touch pulled him from his anger. “Watchers began as our greatest protectors. They helped keep us safe during our assignments. Samuel left when things began to change.”
“She’s right, but even back in my day, something dark had already infected the group. No one leaves. Ever. I was trapped. I only managed to get out when a fire broke out in my study. I took as many of my notes as I could save, and I made myself disappear. They assumed I had died.”
“And because you’ve helped us, they now know that you’re alive.” Gabriel turned away and began pacing, angry at himself for the utter mess he’d made of things.
Samuel waved his hand as if to brush away the protest. “Stuff and nonsense. The men are different than they were in my day. They have an objective now that’s more important to them than coming after a dying old man.”
Gabriel nearly tripped over his feet at the devastating words. “What?”
“I said you don’t have to worry about the Watchers anymore. Your marriage to Diana has been very public, thanks to the scandal with Williams. It’s ironic that in trying to destroy you, he actually saved you. You will find strangers following you from time to time, but they should keep their distance now.”
Gabriel struggled to comprehend everything he just learned. He wanted to rage at Samuel for not telling him, but how could he be angry with him for putting his life on the line to save Diana?
Samuel’s harsh cough interrupted his musings, and Gabriel’s own lungs ached to hear Samuel’s raspy breathing. “Come, you need to rest. We’ll talk more about this later. You have a lot of explaining to do.”
Gabriel helped Samuel rise out of his seat when Diana waved him off. “Take him upstairs. I think it would be best if he stays with us for a time, don’t you?”
He resisted the urge to kiss her, grateful for her understanding. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”
Gabriel helped Samuel lie down, worry over his friend eating away at him. “Samuel—”
“I am dying. I’ve known for some time.” Samuel patted his arm as if to comfort him. “Be kind to the girl. She loves you, you know.”
Gabriel barely caught himself when he sat down on the edge of the bed and completely missed. He did not know what confession grabbed his attention the most. “Excuse me?”
Samuel closed his eyes, leaning heavily back into the bed. “I need to rest now. You should go to your wife. She can answer your questions.” Samuel’s hand shot out, gripping Gabriel’s wrist. “She has had a lot of shocks lately. Go gently with her.”
Gabriel nodded, but Samuel had already drifted off to sleep. Total confusion chased around his thoughts as he made his way back down to the study. So much had happened in such a short time, he couldn’t wrap his mind around the changes in his life.
But he knew one thing.
Diana was his.
Now and forever.
Diana stood as he entered the room, her expression unflinching, and he watched her tumble a blade between her fingers. The tension that kept his spine rigid slowly dissipated by just looking at her, but he kept his expression blank, a little annoyed that she hadn’t told him how she felt sooner.
That he had to learn the truth from someone else.
He stalked toward her, tightening his hands into fists to keep from reaching for her. He needed her too much. If he touched her, they wouldn’t be talking again any time soon.
All the pain and anxiety of the past few days faded. Something about her brought him peace, and helped him forget the hell he’d been living the past few years. He hadn’t even known what he was missing until he’d barged into her cottage that fateful night.
Instead of flinching away from him, Diana lifted her stubborn chin. Always proud. Gabriel admired that about her, but he wanted to shake her composure and put them on even footing.
With her standing just inches away, his control broke, and he gave into the demand to touch her. He cupped her face in his hands. “You love me.” He said it coldly, keeping the question out of his voice. “Say it.”
Her lip trembled a little, and Gabriel almost relented, quickly moving back before he did something stupid like kiss her. Once he started, he knew nothing would stop him from taking her. As he stepped away, it felt like he was peeling off his skin. He couldn’t go more than a foot before he stopped and leaned against the edge of the desk.
Satisfaction filled him when a blush covered her cheeks. The lavender scent she favored made his cock harden. “Say it.”
His voice grew gruff at her stubborn refusal. Didn’t she understand that she held his happiness in the palms of her hands?
“Come, now. Don’t become faint of heart on me now. Where is the warrior queen who’s unafraid to take on the world?” As he intended, her shoulders went back, and her posture straightened.
Instead of answering, she fumbled with her pocket.
A long silver chain slipped free, dangling from her fingers.
“This was my aunt’s, something I received when I was a little girl. My people have a ritual, much like your marriage ceremony. It’s only performed when a Druid finds the one they are destined to love.” Diana lifted the chain up to him almost hesitantly. “Do you accept?”
Gabriel swallowed hard at her confession. About fucking time. A sense of utter rightness surged through him. He ducked his head in acceptance, and when she slipped the chain over his head, he tightened his hands on the desk to keep from wrapping her in his arms and showing her how much she meant to him.
The cold metal heated when it came into contact with his skin and he waited expectantly, staring down at her beautiful blue eyes.
“My people create their own wedding vows. It is binding for me and legal in my heritage.” Diana took a deep breath.
Her pale eyes lightened, almost seeming to glow. “You are mine alone to protect and cherish. You are the other half of my soul. I will stand by your side in all things, support you, and comfort you in times to come. I will protect you to the best of my abilities. Our love was written in the stars before we were born, and I have been waiting for you ever since. You and your family are my life. Our love will span our lifetime and beyond.”
Gabriel’s throat tightened at the beauty of her vows, knowing she would honor them until death…and beyond. Her voice wavered at first, then grew stronger with each word. He looked down at the delicate chain, noting that the intricately entwined knots hid an inner strength…just like Diana.
With everything he’d ever wanted within his grasp, Gabriel cleared his throat, and told her what he should have said on their wedding day. “You and Emilie are my life. I will protect you and any children we may have to the best of my abilities, and be true to you all the days of my life. I will love you to the day I die and beyond. You are my laughter and my joy. You are my peace. You are everything I’ve ever wanted, and you were worth the wait.”
Not giving her a chance to respond, he swooped down, capturing her mouth in a kiss, offering her his heart and soul. And she accepted, wrapping herself around him. Gabriel tore himself away before things got out of hand and he took her on the desk like a cad. Slightly breathless, he grabbed her hands. “Would you like to spend a few days here before we return?” His smile faltered. “I would like to spend some time with Samuel before he…”
His sorrow echoed through her, and she snuggled against his chest, wishing she could do more for him. “I understand. I need to talk to him about the collection of books he managed to save. We have to make sure they don’t fall into the wrong hands. And maybe we’ll find clues about how we can locate others of my kind before anyone else can find them. They need proper training for what the future holds, if they’re going to have any hope of surviving.”
“Of course. I have more than enough money to fund a new school.” His generosity shouldn’t have dumbfounded her, and Diana once again thanked Bandia for her good fortune. After years on her own, she’d finally
found the one person who could accept her for her true self and loved her more for it.
Diana reached out and placed her hand on his chest. “Druids have another custom that I think you might enjoy—where the groom carries the bride across the threshold of their bedroom to ensure a lifetime of happiness. Why don’t we head upstairs and see if it works?”
Gabriel’s eyes darkened to a lovely blue, his love shining down at her. “A grand idea.”
~ THE END ~
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To my husband…always and forever.
About the Author
Stacey Brutger lives in a small town in Minnesota with her husband and an assortment of animals. When she’s not reading, she enjoys creating stories about exotic worlds and grand adventures…then shoving in her characters to see how they’d survive. She enjoys writing anything paranormal from contemporary to historical.
Visit Stacey online to find out more at www.StaceyBrutger.com
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OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR:
Paranormal Romance
BloodSworn
Coveted
A Druid Quest Novel
Druid Surrender (Book 1)
Druid Temptation (Book 2)
A PeaceKeeper Novel
The Demon Within (Book 1)
A Raven Investigations Novel
Electric Storm (Book 1)
Electric Moon (Book 2)
Electric Heat (Book 3)
Electric Legend (Book 4)
Electric Bundle (Books 1-3)
Coming Soon:
Electric Night (Book 5)
Citadel
~ COVETED ~
Discover what happens when a woman stumbles across a Scottish werewolf imprisoned in a thousand-year old dungeon. Magic and mayhem, not to mention a lot of kick-ass action and some sexy hijinks, of course.
Pack alpha Aiden vows to do whatever necessary to protect his people. When he discovers a plot to harvest blood from his wolves to create the ultimate drug, he’s determined to stop them at any cost. And quickly finds himself taken captive. After months in prison, Aiden barely manages to hang onto his sanity. The last thing he expects is a shapely little human to come to his rescue and bring out all his protective instincts.
Shayla is being stalked because of her abilities as a seeker. When offered a job in Scotland, she leaps at the chance to escape. With danger pursuing her at every turn, she must decide if she could give up her magic in order to live a safe, ordinary life. Never in her wildest fantasies did she expect to find a feral-looking man imprisoned in a thousand-year-old dungeon…or be so wildly attracted to him. She didn’t need more trouble, but when fate presents the means to help him escape, she doesn’t hesitate.
Now they are both being hunted, and Aiden is determined to do everything in his power to protect Shayla…and seduce her into becoming his mate. As the danger intensifies, Aiden begins to suspect that Shayla might be the key to saving not only his people but also the future of his race…if he could keep her alive long enough.
~ BLOODSWORN ~
Ten years after they bound her powers and banished her, Trina Weyebridge had successfully carved out a new existence in the human world. She put her life as a witch behind her. But, her magic would not be denied, the bindings holding them in check are weakening. Vampires who crave a taste of the powers stored in her blood are hunting her with deadly force and have kidnapped her sister to lure her out. In a desperate bid to free her sister and gain her own freedom, Trina bargains with the all-too-tempting lion shifter who calls out the long forgotten wild side in her...she would be his concubine in return for pack protection. She’d be safe…until they found out the truth.
UNDENIABLE DESIRE. FORBIDDEN LOVE. INESCAPABLE DESTINY.
When Merrick spots a female intruder living on his property, he’s intrigued by her daring. Curious to find out more, he follows her and comes to her aid when she falls prey to an attack. After weeks of unnatural silence, his beast awakens at her touch, and he suspects that she might be the only one able to save his race from a disease killing his kind. Not willing to take the chance of losing her, he binds her to him the only way he knows how…by claiming her as his own. All he has to do to save her is uncover the secrets of her past, stop a pack revolt, convince her that she’s desperately in love with him in return, and prevent a war.
~ THE DEMON WITHIN ~
As a punishment for failing his duty as an angel, Ruman finds himself encased in stone in the form of a guardian statue. Every few decades he is given a chance to repent. And fails. Until the totally unsuitable Caly Sawyer accidentally brings him back to life. Nothing is going to prevent him from gaining his freedom, especially some willfully stubborn human determined to kill him.
Caly doesn’t trust the mysterious stranger who came out of nowhere and risked his life for hers. As a demon hunter, she knows there is something not quite human about the sexy bastard. Her ability to detect demons is infallible. She should know. She used to be one.
War is brewing between demons and humans. The demon infection that Caly had always considered a curse might just be the key to their survival…if Ruman can keep her alive long enough. Despite the volatile attraction between her and her sexy protector, Caly’s determined to do whatever it takes to keep everyone alive. The more Ruman learns about his beautiful charge, the more he questions his duty and loyalty...and dreads the call to return home. If they can’t learn to trust each other in time, one of them will die.
~ ELECTRIC STORM ~
A WOMAN WITH TOO MANY SECRETS DARES TO RISK EVERYTHING TO CLAIM THE PACK DESTINED TO BER HERS.
Everything changed when Raven, a natural born conduit, accidentally walks in on a slave auction. She only wants a night out with her friends before her next case as a paranormal liaison with the police. Instead, she ends up in possession of a shifter and his guardian. When your touch can kill, living with two touchy-feely shifters is a disaster waiting to happen.
POWER ALWAYS COMES WITH A PRICE…
To make matters worse, a vicious killer is on the loose. As mutilated bodies turn up, she can't help fear that her new acquisitions are keeping secrets from her. The strain of keeping everyone alive, not to mention catching the killer, pushes her tenuous control of her gift and her emotions to their limits. If they hope to survive, they must work together as a pack or risk becoming hunted themselves.
A Raven Investigations Novel : Book 1
~ ELECTRIC MOON ~
WHILE THE MOON’S CALL RIPS THROUGH THE SHIFTER COMMUNITY, A KILLER STALKS FOR PREY AMONGST THEM. TEMPERS RISE, LUST EXPLODES, AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF EITHER CAN PROVE TO BE DEADLY.
Raven’s very private life explodes into the spotlight when she is nominated as a Region on the paranormal police force. The secrets of her past are slowly being exposed. With the safety of the pack paramount, she will do whatever is necessary to protect them. In return, they are teaching her how to navigate the shifter community and control the moon’s call where even the most innocent touch could destroy her carefully crafted world.
SURVIVAL WILL DEMAND THE ULTIMATE PRICE…
As she juggles the demands of pack life and police work, the lines between duty and loyalty blur. Shifters are dying in mysterious ways. Raven suspects something sinister is destroying the pack from within. She must dig into the dark corners of the paranormal world, secrets that they would kill to protect, and find the reason behind the deaths before her pack becomes the next target.
A Raven Investigations Novel: Book 2
~ ELECTRIC HEAT ~
ANCIENT MAGIC HAS BEEN UNLEASHED INTO THE WORLD. IT’S WILLING TO DO ANYTHING TO SURVIVE, EVEN IF IT MEANS WAR. ONLY ONE WOMAN CAN KILL IT…OR SET IT FREE.
The local witches’ coven offers Raven a trade: Surrender herself to them for one week or give up a member of her pack. She thought they wanted to study her, but Raven discovers something far worse—murder. To save her pack, Raven must make the ultimate sacrifice…her free
dom.
WHEN DARKNESS IS UNLEASHED…NO ONE IS SAFE.
Witches are being drained of power and killed using a wild magic that’s been dormant for centuries. Tasked with locating the one responsible for releasing it, Raven soon finds herself the prey rather than the hunter. The more lives the magic claims, the stronger the killer becomes. As she and her pack scramble to unravel the secrets of the coven, her own beast starts to wake, and she begins to wonder which is more dangerous…the killer or her beast. But one thing is sure, if the coven and pack don’t learn to work together, none of them will survive the coming storm.
A Raven Investigations Novel: Book 3
~ ELECTRIC LEGEND ~
SOMETHING MALEVOLENT HAS INFECTED THE FREAK SHOW, SPREADING TERROR AND DEATH WHEREVER THE CIRCUS TRAVELS. ONE VISIT WILL ENCHANT YOU, BUT DON’T DARE STAY PAST DARK OR YOU MIGHT NEVER LEAVE.
After her recent nearly-fatal case as a paranormal consultant, Raven decides to take a much-needed vacation with her pack. They stop at a freak show, a circus owned by the paranormal, and stumble upon a case…or to be more precise, the pack is kidnapped and held hostage.
WHAT WOULD YOU RISK FOR LOVE…
Raven plots their escape, knowing that if even one thing goes wrong the circus would vanish overnight without a trace, taking her pack with them. When her newly awakened dragon sabotages their every attempt to leave, Raven must depend on her wits alone to discover who is terrorizing and killing the shifters in the circus before her pack becomes the next target. Her situation only grows more precarious when the bonds between her pack begin to unravel. To save them all before it’s too late, Raven will have to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Druid Temptation (A Druid Quest Novel Book 2) Page 32
