Protector

by Joanne Wadsworth

  Zac rose to his feet, brushing the back of his pants. “I’m not going anywhere for your trouble has just begun.”

  I snuck my hand into Davio’s. We needed privacy. Without asking, I took us both away.

  He grinned, glancing about the room I shared with Silvie as we arrived. “Perfect. Now why didn’t I think of that?”

  Only Zac and Viv followed a nanosecond later.

  “Enough,” Davio snapped, pulling me behind him through the door. “Everyone to bed. There is nothing more we can do this night, or even until Dralion’s spies have been ferreted out and wholly removed.”

  I tripped into his back as I was propelled down the hallway. We were in his room before I knew it, his door slamming shut.

  He led me to his king-sized bed and swept out his hand. “Sit.”

  Why could I not stay out of trouble?

  Sighing, I took the weight off my legs, jiggling about on the mattress. “Well, this is nice.” I smoothed my palms across the royal blue comforter.

  “Uh-hum.” One deep cough.

  “Ooo, and that’s nice, too.” I pointed over his shoulder at a pretty piece of framed artwork. “Is that somewhere in Peacio?” The painting was a landscape, one of a fast running river nestled among a forest of trees.

  “You’re attempting to distract me, but it will not work.” He moved to the large bank of windows and pulled the velvet mushroom curtain shut. “Although it is late–almost two in the morning.”

  “It is? Then I should go to bed.” I jumped to my feet.

  With a narrowed gaze, he stepped in front of me, all six foot four of him. “Yes, that one. Where I can watch you.”

  I clicked my tongue. “You can’t mean your bed. I know you heard the part about my father being Alexo Wincrest. I don’t think he’ll want me sleeping with you.”

  Taking my arms, he leaned in. “As much as I loathe the Wincrests, always have and always will, you are not specifically my enemy. You are my mate.”

  “But–”

  “No buts.” His finger pushed against my lips. “I will only concede to the point that Peacio suffers from Dralion’s spies breaching our country’s tight security. I agree that you should not be permitted to travel to Peacio under those conditions, or as I’ve said, until they’re fully removed. So, as you can see, our relationship does not change. I want you in my bed, for I can no longer deny my feelings toward you. I want you closer to me, right by my side where I can watch over you.”

  I flushed. “Spies. Other worlds. Blood-bonds. You want to watch over me–lovely.” Here I’d thought my life was all about final exams in a couple of months.

  His lips thinned. “Go and change for bed. You are sleeping under those covers with me until morning. Which means you have two minutes to ready yourself for any longer, and I’ll personally hunt you down.”

  I could see he wasn’t going to give in. “Give me five.”

  “No. You have two minutes, and just so you’re aware, I’m already counting.” He turned and headed toward the bathroom off his room.

  “Hey,” I grumped. “You can’t make those kinds of demands and walk away. On Earth, those involved in a relationship discuss things. You’re supposed to come up to three minutes, and then I’ll come down to four.” The door clicked shut as I chased him, banging a fist to it. “C’mon, you’re a prince for heaven’s sake. You should know the end deal should have been three and a half.” My blood began to boil. “I’m going back to five.”

  “No,” he called through the solid wood. “I don’t bargain.”

  I thumped the door again for good measure, before flashing to my room where I should have been sleeping. I grabbed my clothing from the twin bed and returned.

  Davio waited in the doorway.

  I stopped, breathing in deeply as I stared at his low slung pajama bottoms.

  That was it? That was all he had on?

  “I’ll need the bathroom,” I squeaked as I tried not to focus on the solid wall of his chest. “Where’s Silvie gotten to?”

  “She’s with Belle, checking places you like to go to. I’ll send a message to tell them you’re back and to return.” He stepped to one side, allowing me to enter.

  I puckered my lips and let them pop. “I can’t believe I’m sleeping in here with you.”

  His brow creased, his index finger sliding underneath my chin. “I can’t have you several rooms from me as you were last night. We’ll sleep together, and by sleep, I mean sleep.” He bent his head, kissing the tip of my nose. “This is not the time for us to strengthen our bonds sexually. In fact, that kind of relationship between mates is generally reserved for marriage even as old-fashioned as that sounds.”

  Well, that was an unexpected answer after he’d just demanded we sleep together.

  I cleared my throat. “Well, in all honesty, I’m relieved.” Because there was the whole glaring issue of my father who had a very long sword instead of a shotgun.

  “So, we’re in agreement? To abstinence?”

  I touched a finger to his chest and tapped it, inhaling and letting out a soft sigh. Oh, I liked how he felt. Warm skin and lots of it. C’mon, head up. Be firm. “Yes. Your idea is solid. We’ll go with that.”

  “Good. Now go and change for bed.” He turned me around, giving me a push in the right direction.

  Showering in thirty seconds flat was a record for me. As was dressing in my yellow cami top and pajama shorts a full minute later. With a quick whizz of my toothbrush over my teeth, I was ready.

  Propped up in bed, his back pressed to the headboard, I scooted in beside him, merging my mind fully with his. “This is a first.”

  He gave me a crooked grin. “We’ll adapt. Let me turn off the light.” He flicked the bedside switch, plunging the room into dark.

  I blinked to adjust.

  “Down. I’ll need to hold you, skin-to-skin. Is that acceptable?”

  “You’re actually asking?” But I scuttled, setting my head on the pillow. At night, I always wrinkled my cami top up, just enough over my midsection so I could stroke the scar I’d had since birth.

  As I did, his fingers bumped into mine.

  Okay, that wasn’t too uncomfortable.

  A minute later, and I still stared upward. “This doesn’t feel right.”

  His breath hitched as he rolled into me. He wrapped his arms snugly around and kissed the side of my neck. “Is that better?”

  I moaned. “Oh, that is sooo much better.” I smiled, threading my fingers through his, not sleepy at all. Then I caught a stray thought in his mind through my forethought. He was thinking of those back home.

  Wriggling onto my side, I touched a finger to his cheek. “You’re thinking of Silas. He’s your cousin, right?”

  “Yes. Silas is younger than me by only a few months. We grew up together in the castle. Our mothers are sisters. He’s knocking telepathically. Even though I’m blocked, I can still sense him.”

  I traced my fingers along his brow, knowing I would find a frown. “Go ahead and speak to him if you wish. But tell him he’s infringing on your first night with your mate.”

  A small chuckle. “Thank you. I won’t be long.”

  I tugged my pillow more comfortably under my head as I waited.

  Minutes passed, and I snuggled closer, the sound of his even breathing lulling me.

  “I’m sorry. Silas is insistent.”

  A yawn escaped. “Insistent about what?”

  “Tomorrow afternoon there’s a gathering of protectors. We all need to be there. It’s very important. But be assured, Belle will stay.”

  My mouth popped open. “Well, that’s a surprise. How long will you be gone?”

  “A few hours at most. You will stay put. Here.”

  “We’ll see.”

  He groaned, and I grinned in the dark.

  “So, what’s the meeting about?”

  “Dralion’s spies. That’s the one issue I need resolved. I have to have the freedom to move you there.”


  “Oh.”

  “I’m leaving Belle with you.”

  “So you said.”

  “And Silvie. I want you to stay close to Silvie.”

  “Okay, quit that.” I flicked my finger to his cheek. “You’re not going away for very long. I believe I can look after myself for a couple of hours.” I yawned again, clapping my hand to my mouth to hide it. Next, he’d demand I go to sleep and somehow I wasn’t ready for that. I wanted to stay close to him, talking and learning more about him.

  A shuffle of noise. The light on his modern watch illuminated the display and his subsequent frown. “I’ve kept you up for too late. I should be taking more care of your needs.”

  Great. I could swear the man worried more about me than anyone in my entire life ever had. His innate ability to do so truly sucked.

  “I don’t want to go to sleep yet. I want to stay up all night talking to you. You’re the first man I’ve ever slept with. This is kind of cool.”

  “Faith.” My name was a warning, his lips brushing my forehead. “I know we’ve had a rough day, especially with what played out earlier with Wincrest, but remember we have a future together. We have a lifetime to talk.”

  I curled up against him, yet another yawn escaping. “Just ignore that,” I mumbled, only my eyelids felt like lead. Whether I wanted to or not, I drifted.

  “Goodnight.” His soft murmur seemed to come from far away, and then I was out, slipping assuredly into my safest haven.

  Chapter 7

  I awoke, stretching to find Davio’s arm draped across my waist, his breath warm on the back of my neck. A smidgeon of dawn light sneaked in under the heavy fall of velvet curtaining, highlighting his features. I smiled. No longer did he have last night’s dark shadows set under his eyes. It appeared he’d rested well.

  Pushing up onto my elbows, I checked the time. My watch said five-forty. Not much sleep, but I was okay with that. In all honesty, I had to be because my legs ached.

  I stroked down my right thigh to my calf, then back up again. The itchy ache felt like coiled energy deep inside needing to release. I should run.

  Swinging my feet to the ground, I checked over my shoulder to make certain I hadn’t woken him.

  After such a late night, an extra hour of sleep wouldn’t hurt him, not when I could look after myself.

  I snuck out of the bedroom, tiptoeing down the hallway and peeked in on Silvie.

  My lips lifted. She slept so snugly in her bed.

  The intricate burgundy quilt was fluffed up around her neck, or it was until I bounced on top of her.

  Only she didn’t wake.

  Didn’t even stir.

  I took a length of her red-gold curls and yanked. “Wake up, sleepyhead.”

  She groaned and lifted a wobbling hand, blindly patting the air until she knocked my hands away. “You’re such a pest. Go back to sleep and leave me alone.”

  With one hand gripping the top edge of her covers, she yanked them to her nose.

  I chuckled, her typical morning moodiness only encouraging me further. “I’m going for a run and didn’t want to leave you behind, not like I did last night. I’m sorry I scared you. You wanna do Centennial Park together?”

  Her eyes still shut she lifted a knee and whipped into me from underneath the covers. “Oh, you’re so funny. I don’t run. I’m a sane sleeper. And you’re forgiven.”

  I grinned. “You’re such a spoilsport. You won’t get fit lying around in a bed.”

  She dragged an eyelid open, one piercing blue eye sending a sharp look at me. “What’s wrong with your legs? I can feel the mini earthquake from here. Why are you wriggling about like that?”

  She was right. My lower limbs shook. Even clamping a hand on them didn’t help. “I don’t know. I woke up like this.”

  She dropped her eyelid as if it weighed too much for her to handle. “Then go for your run and make it a lengthy one. Belle said with your sort of skills and general number of them, you’ll have an overabundance of energy to expend. Many of the highly skilled need to run it out a couple of times a month.”

  “Truly? No one’s told me that before.” It made a whole lot of sense though. “In that case, I’ll pop home, change and do just that.”

  “Shut the door on your way out.” She rolled over and heaved the burgundy quilt up and over her head.

  I smiled for I had been dismissed–Silvie fashion.

  One-half second later with the precise image of my bedroom in mind, I flashed there. Oh yeah, had to love that speed.

  I pulled open my dresser drawer. Out came a pair of sky-blue running shorts and a white t-shirt. In the bathroom, I pulled a comb through my hair and secured it in a versatile ponytail. Next, I pulled on running socks and lace-up Adidas sneakers and dashed to the bathroom to brush my teeth.

  At the other end of the hallway, I checked in on my sleeping mother.

  Her dark hair tumbled in complete disarray over her pillow, and she mumbled in her sleep. I jiggled from foot to foot, bending to drop a kiss on her forehead.

  Tub of yogurt. Glass of water. Another shake of my legs, and I was off.

  I took the pathway, gazing up at the thicker tree canopy swaying overhead in the breeze. I pounded down Centennial Drive, hearing the hum of chirping sparrows and buzzing bees.

  Another minute and the sun would rise fully over the eastern horizon. I was in paradise. I adored spring, watching the roses bloom in a myriad of color over Mr. Ray’s backyard fence and this, the park’s varying shades of breakout green. Spring was the most beautiful season.

  “Good morning.”

  I jumped, my heart losing ten very necessary beats as Davio stepped out from behind a tree. “That’s not funny.” I glared, then half-stumbled at the yum-yum sight of his white sports t-shirt pulling tight across his chest. “Where did you come from?”

  “From behind the tree.” A devilish grin.

  “Obviously.” I tugged my ponytail tighter and set out again. “Was Carlisio being nosy?”

  “No, this time I shook Silvie out of bed for the information. Stubborn redhead was almost impossible to wake up.” He reached for my hand as we ran, and I merged my mind with his. Oh boy. There it was–instant gratification.

  Feet pounded the ground as my speed built. “Why aren’t you asleep like she is? I left you behind for a good reason.” I pumped my legs, going faster still.

  He grumbled. “Where you are is where I’ll desire to be.”

  I glanced at him, laughing. “That didn’t sound like it.”

  His gaze widened as he paid attention to my feet. “That’s because we’re running like there’s no tomorrow. Is there a reason for this?”

  Still chuckling. “I’m just warming up.” We neared the isolated end of Centennial Park where the town’s perimeter merged with the country as the pavement gave way to an open area of grassy land. “Now I can truly let loose.”

  “You’re kidding.” A burst of misty morning air puffed out of his mouth.

  “What happened to your stamina and speed? Having trouble keeping up with the Halfling?”

  “I’ve come to notice you’re very feisty in the mornings.”

  “Only the mornings?”

  He smiled and I grinned back.

  “Hey, I can’t help it. Silvie didn’t get all snippy at you for no reason, not after I’ve trained her so well. And talking about Silvie, I mentioned to her I woke with lively legs. Apparently, Belle told her it happened a couple of times a month. Something about excess energy?”

  “Yeah, you have to deal with it and run for a good hour or two like this. But for now, go as fast as you need to. I’ll somehow manage to keep up.”

  With another surge, I did just that.

  We wove our way through the bushy lower basin of Te Pukē’s gully, the next two hours passing quickly as we tracked away and upward along the Papamoa hills.

  Considering our mated bond, I broached the question foremost in my mind as we made the scenic hilltop and stopped. Hands
to my knees, I drew in a couple of deep breaths. “Why is it we still haven’t created a link? I know it requires trust, but as a mated pair shouldn’t that be a given? I have a link with Belle.”

  “We should have, and I do trust you.” He rubbed my back. “Except we’re dealing with more issues than most mated couples. We’ll give the telepathic link more time. When it comes, we’ll be able to speak to each other no matter where we are–and we’ll both need that.”

  I straightened, looking him in the eye. “I take it there’s never been a Wincrest who ever trusted a Loveria?”

  He muttered his answer first, repeating it a second time with more strength. “We are born enemies, but not you and me. Come here.” He pulled me into his arms. “We will work this out.”

  “We better.”

  His hold tightened. “The people of Peacio are my first priority, but no one, not a soul will be able to drive us apart.” He bent his head, pressing every hot inch of himself closer as his lips touched mine.

  I grinned as he kissed me. “Are you trying to make me miss school?”

  “I wouldn’t mind.” A second later he ’ported us to my room. “Except one’s education is important.”

  I tilted my head to the side, taking a quick moment to listen for the sound of my mother. “She’s not home, but at some point I’d like you to speak to her.”

  “About?”

  “Anything. She doesn’t know you, and I’d like her to.”

  He smoothed his finger along my jaw. “I’ll not mention Magio, but I’d like that too. Now, dress and ready yourself. I will return in two minutes.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Two minutes?” Only he shimmered and disappeared before I could argue with him yet again.

  Turning, I headed for the bathroom, showering and dressing in my favorite pair of faded, blue denim cutoffs. I pulled on a gray and blue striped hoodie and blow-dried my hair. Minimal makeup and I was done.

  Back in my bedroom and low and behold, guess who was back?

  He tapped his watch as he frowned. “Fifteen minutes?”

  “That’s the new standard. Get used to it.” I merged my mind with his. “You look nice, by the way.” Scrumptiously dressed in a black shirt and jeans, his dark hair was damp and curling delectably around his neck.