A Dark Guardian

by Donna Grant

  That thought was thrown aside as he drew her closer and closer and closer until their bodies touched, and he molded her to the hard planes of his body.

  His mouth descended on hers, and his tongue delved deep and rapid as he kissed her as if he hadn’t kissed a woman in a hundred years. She tasted his hunger that only fanned the flames of her own desire. When his hand trailed down her back to cup her buttocks, she moaned and moved closer to him.

  She couldn’t stand much more of this. She needed him. Desperately. “Hugh,”

  she whispered as she moved her mouth to his neck.

  “St. Christopher,” he moaned and leaned her back so he could suck on her breasts.

  Mina raked her fingers across his broad shoulders as his tongue scraped across her nipples. He straightened her and took her mouth again. This time she wound her arms tightly around his neck and let the fire of their passion consume her.

  His rod pressed against her stomach, and she had the sudden urge to feel him.

  The fact that she had almost died made her realize that she couldn’t stand in the background anymore, she needed to take what she wanted.

  Before she changed her mind, she unwound her fingers from his hair and trailed a hand across his broad shoulders, down his thick chest and chiseled abdomen until her hand rested at his waist. She took a deep breath and moved her hand until his rod rested against her hand.

  He gasped and ended the kiss. She looked up to find his jaw clenched and his eyes tightly shut.

  “Mina,” he whispered as though he was in great pain.

  She immediately let go.

  “Nay,” he groaned. He opened his eyes, and she saw his yearning flare. “Touch me again. Know me as I have known you.”

  It was all the encouragement she needed. Her hand once again found him and was amazed at the length of him, hot and hard, even through his trousers.

  His mouth blazed a trail of tingling kisses along her neck as she continued to learn him, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted to see him and touch him without clothes between them.

  “I want to see you,” she whispered as she closed her hand around his manhood.

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  He moaned and pressed against her.

  “I hope I’m not interrupting anything…pressing.”

  Hugh felt Mina tense in his arms as he ended the kiss. He leaned his forehead against her. “’Tis not meant to be, love.”

  He turned and shielded her from Aimery’s eyes. “What do you want?”

  “We need to talk.”

  Hugh nodded and in a blink Aimery disappeared. He turned back to Mina to find her sitting in the water. He shook from his desire, and the flush on her cheeks and her swollen lips didn’t help him find the calm he needed. “I cannot keep away from you.”

  “Is that a bad thing?” she asked as she nonchalantly rinsed her arm.

  “For me it is. For you as well. I’ll be leaving here soon. You deserve more than that.”

  “You mean if I’m innocent.”

  He shut his eyes for a moment. “It isn’t my intention to hurt you. I usually have complete control over myself.”

  She nodded and turned away from him, but not before he saw the tears in her eyes. He hated when women cried. Damn. He really hadn’t planned to hurt her, but it seemed that was what he was forever doing.

  He sighed, wanting nothing more than to sink into her tight sheath and lose himself in her heat, but he knew that Aimery would only come if it was important. Hugh hurried from the chamber, his clothes and the bath forgotten as he went in search of the Fae commander.

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  Chapter Eighteen

  Hugh stalked to his chamber where he was sure he would find Aimery. He wasn’t wrong.

  “Sorry for interrupting,” the Fae said as Hugh shut the door.

  “Nay. I’m glad you did. I had no business kissing her.”

  Aimery laughed. “You are a strong man. I’ll give you that, Hugh. But I know something you don’t.”

  “What’s new,” Hugh murmured and leaned against the door not even bothering to ask what it was that the Fae knew.

  “You can fight the demons inside you, and you can fight the creatures that roam this world, but you cannot fight lust…or love.”

  Hugh fought the urge to roll his eyes. “Over the years you have trained us, guided us and even helped us. Never in all that time have you given us guidance when it came to our own lives. Not even when that bitch I was sharing my bed with controlled the creatures. Why now?”

  The Fae shrugged and ran his hand down the burgundy material that hung around Hugh’s bed. “Would you have listened to me had I warned you about that woman?”

  Hugh started to say he would but then stopped.

  “I knew even then you wouldn’t listen to me,” Aimery said. “Now is not any different, but I thought I would give it a try.”

  Hugh raked his hand through his hair. “Just tell me if she is innocent. Tell me if she was with you.”

  “I

  cannot.”

  “Cannot or will not?”

  Aimery lifted a shoulder. “Take your pick.”

  Rage simmered just below the surface. Hugh fisted his hands and itched to wrap them around the Fae’s neck. “I don’t know why I bother.”

  “None of that matters now. Have you found a way to kill the creature?”

  “Mina designed a trap that I think will work.”

  “Then I pray it does,” he said and disappeared.

  Hugh blew a breath out of his mouth. He had a feeling Aimery had intentionally interrupted him and Mina, and frankly he owed the Fae a debt of thanks for that. He needed to focus his mind on the creature and the blue stone. Everything else needed to be set aside.

  * * * *

  Mina bit her lip and looked into the mirror. Her hair was loose around her shoulders and fell nearly to her waist. She rarely let it down because it got in the way, but she liked the way Hugh played with it.

  The pink gown she wore was a couple of years out of fashion, but she loved the A DARK GUARDIAN

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  way the soft material clung to her body and molded her breasts. She wrapped her newer braided leather belt around her waist and hips and let the ends fall down the front to her knees.

  She raised her gaze and looked at herself. The pink brought out more of the red in her hair. She had never liked her hair much, but over the past couple of days she had paid more attention to it. When she was with Hugh she felt pretty.

  “Ah,” she said and pushed away from the mirror.

  Hugh had said it best. He would leave once the creature was dead, and she would fall into her silent world once again. She needed to put some distance between them and most of all she needed to keep from being alone with him. The temptation to taste his lips was too great.

  She had always known she was weak, she just didn’t realize how much until he had come along. All those years of telling herself she didn’t need anyone was a lie.

  Hugh had proven that. In the end, it would just be her, and she knew she could survive.

  Gertie, her mother’s nurse, had taught her all she needed to know. It was time she remembered Gertie’s words.

  With her resolve in place, she walked from her chamber and slowly made her way into the great hall. She ran her gaze around the hall and noticed that not many were about. It was midmorning and the people had returned to their homes.

  She expected to find Hugh sitting at the dais, but he wasn’t there. Her stomach growled reminding her why she had ventured from her chamber. She made her way to the kitchen and grabbed some bread and cheese. She didn’t think her stomach could handle anything stronger.

  The weakness from the night before still assaulted her, but she was determined to get past it. By the time she sat down at one of the tables, she was shaking from the exertion.


  “You should be abed,” Gabriel said as he sat across from her.

  “There is too much to do for me to stay there.”

  The corners of his mouth titled up in a smile. “Where is Hugh?”

  “I thought he was with you. Aimery came to see him this morning.”

  “He must be with him then.” Gabriel raised his hand, and she looked over her shoulder to find Cole walking toward them.

  “Are you feeling better?” Cole asked as he sat beside her.

  “Some.”

  Gabriel snorted. “She’s going to make it worse if she doesn’t take it easy.”

  “It won’t matter if we don’t kill the creature,” she pointed out. “I take it you didn’t find anything last night?”

  “Nothing,” Cole said. “Hugh showed us the design for the trap. I think it just might work.”

  She beamed at his compliment. “Thank you.”

  He smiled in return.

  “So,” she said, “which one of you is to watch over me while Hugh is occupied.”

  Both men refused to meet her gaze. “Surely not the both of you?”

  “Nay,” Cole finally spoke. “I have other orders.”

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  She turned her gaze to Gabriel. “You’re the one stuck with me.”

  “I don’t find it hard to be around you, my lady.”

  She chuckled. “No one has called me that since my betrothed.”

  “’Tis what you are, and they should treat you with that respect.”

  She cocked her head to the side and studied him. His silver eyes intrigued her.

  She had never seen the like before. “I’m glad you all came here.”

  Cole excused himself just moments before Theresa entered the hall. She took one look at Mina and made straight for her. Mina sighed and waited for the verbal onslaught.

  But it never came.

  She looked up to find Cole escorting Theresa to the kitchens. With food in her stomach, Mina felt her strength return and rose to walk outside.

  “I’m not sure that’s wise,” Gabriel said as he placed a hand on her elbow and walked from the castle by her side.

  “’Tis a good thing you will be there to catch me if I faint then,” she said with a smile.

  “Don’t even tease about that, Lady Mina. Hugh would have my head if he caught you in my arms.”

  She laughed, thinking him jesting her, but one look at his stern features told her it was the truth. Never would she understand men. Her feet took her leisurely around the bailey. Where once it was filled with laughter and children playing, there was subdued silence and the threat of death on the air.

  It pained her to see her home turned into this. “Why are the creatures being released?”

  “That

  is

  something I cannot tell you.”

  She had expected Gabriel to answer in such a way. “It must be a lonely way of life.”

  “We don’t have time to become lonely.”

  She snorted very unladylike. “Pigs wallop.”

  He

  laughed.

  She stopped in her tracks and stared at him. “That’s the first time I’ve heard you laugh.”

  “In our line of work, there isn’t much to laugh about, my lady.”

  She nodded and started to turn away when something on one of the castle towers caught her eye.

  “What is it?” Gabriel asked and turned to see what had drawn her gaze. “It is only a gargoyle. They are meant to keep away evil spirits.”

  “I know,” she said slowly. “They scare me.”

  “Then it’s doing its job.”

  She turned her gaze to him. “Hugh said the same thing.”

  * * * *

  The day passed entirely too slowly for Mina. She caught glimpses of Hugh as he took Bernard and some of their knights to the forest to set the trap. She and Gabriel searched more of the castle, but discovered nothing, much to her frustration.

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  returned. Both she and Gabriel became worried as the sun began its descent and Hugh had yet to return.

  “Hugh will make you stay,” Gabriel stated as she braided her hair.

  “Then he will be the one, not you.”

  For the past hour, she had listened to Gabriel ramble about how she was still too weak to venture out, and a woman should know her place. She was becoming so annoyed she could pinch his head off or, at the very least, throw a loaf of bread at him.

  “I’ll make sure of it.”

  She rolled her eyes and slid her feet into her boots. Once again she had dragged out her man’s attire. Her gowns and skirts would be too cumbersome with what she needed to do tonight.

  A knock sounded on her chamber door. Gabriel opened it just as she straightened from adjusting her boot.

  “Tell me you weren’t in here while she dressed,” Hugh said dangerously as he glared at Gabriel.

  Mina closed her eyes and prayed for patience. “Of course he wasn’t.”

  Hugh looked at her then. His dark eyes raked over her, and her body instantly reacted.

  “My day was boring,” she said and walked to him as she noted the padded jerkin over his sky blue tunic. “Thank you for asking.”

  One side of his wide mouth lifted in a grin. “I see you’re in a fit mood.”

  “With my bodyguard always near to catch me if I fall,” she said and smiled sweetly. “I’ve had a wonderful day.”

  Hugh’s eyes snapped to Gabriel. “What did you do?”

  “You must be jesting?” Gabriel said to the ceiling. He turned to Mina. “See what you’ve done? Fix it. Now.”

  “Do not threaten her,” Hugh warned and took a step toward him.

  Gabriel threw up his hands and turned away.

  Mina watched Hugh closely. Why was he so protective of her? Could it be he lied and that he did care for her a little?

  “I was teasing,” she said. “Gabriel was a perfect gentleman.”

  Hugh stared at her a moment, then turned to Gabriel. He held out his arm. “Once again, I must apologize.”

  Gabriel clasped his arm. “Don’t think twice about it.”

  “Did you find anything?” Hugh asked.

  She and Gabriel shook their heads. “Nothing,” she said. “Did you finish the trap?”

  “Aye. ‘Tis ready and waiting for the creature.”

  She smiled. “Good. Shouldn’t we head out?”

  For a moment, she thought Hugh would also tell her she had to stay behind. She refused to allow that to happen.

  “You have limited men,” she reminded him. “The knights need to be here as well to watch over the people. You cannot afford to leave me behind. Besides, I’ve kept myself alive before you arrived. I know how to take care of myself.”

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  He moved to stand beside her. “You aren’t well enough yet.”

  “I have drunk Gabriel’s herbal four times today. I even took a nap this afternoon so that I would be rested for tonight. I walked the bailey this morning and this entire castle after the noon meal in search of that stone.”

  Still he stared at her.

  “Don’t leave me behind,” she begged. “I need to go.”

  “If anything happens to you.…”

  “It won’t. I swear.”

  He nodded, and it was all she could do not to throw herself into his arms.

  * * * *

  Hugh sat atop his horse in the clearing as he waited for any sound of the creature.

  He had stationed Mina beside Gabriel and Bernard. He didn’t want to take any chances with her life.

  His horse’s ears pricked forward, and he tossed his great head. It was all the signal Hugh needed to let him know the creature was coming. It was a testament to what his mount
had seen that kept the horse calm as they waited for the evil.

  Total silence surrounded them except for the occasional snort from one of the horses. The creature was near. Very near. Hugh began to turn to check on Mina when a shadow out of the corner of his eye made him turn forward.