Page 11 of The Guardian's True-Mate

“Yeah. I grew up closer to Mage Street. That’s where ---”

“Hemlock Academy is,” he finished my sentence. “Many assume because we don’t venture out where others can see us that our coven knows little of the world. That simply isn’t true. Part of staying safe meant knowing more about others than they knew about us.”

“That’s sorta sad. Don’t you think?” I asked and regretted the question.

“Maybe in the gloomy poetry way,” Cardian shrugged. “Survival usually isn’t a pretty thing, but it’s the only thing living creatures have sometimes.”

“Even now that things are calmer in the geopolitical realm?” I asked him.

“Even now,” he nodded. “Look at the Moonscales. They were forced into a war not too long ago.”

“Do you think there’ll be another war?” I asked, trying to hide my frown.

“Do you really want to know what I think about that or are you filling in the empty air?” he asked me.

“I do,” I nodded.

“There will always be another war. It doesn’t matter how good most groups are doing. It only takes a handful of people not happy with the status quo to change that. Sometimes they do it for the right reasons. Sometimes they do it for the wrong reasons. Thing is, they always do it. That’s the one thing history can teach us.”

I nodded. He was right, but I wasn’t sure I could ever look at the world like that. I couldn’t go on living every day if I spent time wondering when the next war would pop up.

“We should talk of happier things,” Cardian announced. “In the grand scheme of things, survival is what every creature aims for because it is the only thing that can lead to the better parts of life. War probably won’t touch Heartville for a long time.”

I let out a long, slow breath.

“I think I failed at speaking of happier things,” Cardian frowned.

“I think it’s because Scott’s pregnant.”

“I think it’s because of you,” he said.

“Me? I make you think of unhappy things?” I dropped his hand and stopped on the path.

He turned to face me and cupped my chin in his hand.

“No, mate. You make me think of dangerous things. You make me think of every force in the universe I might have to fight to keep you by my side. Perhaps that’s the vampyric predator I am, perhaps my guardship training, perhaps it’s the magic of the true-mate response, but that’s what I think of. Guarding my brother’s offspring is simple. No one wishes to hurt children in the village. Mostly, I’m protecting my brother from himself.”

“But I’m complicated?” I said, swallowing down a chuckle.

“Unlike my brother’s offspring, you are not currently tucked away in a safe, watery prison,” Cardian said.

“Ummm… I was once upon a time if that makes you feel better.”

Cardian smiled and something inside me melted. I rose up on my tiptoes and brushed my lips against his. With one hand still cupping my chin, his other found the curve of my hip. His lips pressed harder against mine, parting them so his tongue could slip inside. I leaned against him as much as I could with his hold on my chin, as his warm, nimble tongue swept around my mouth.

All Alphas went a bit cave-Alpha when they met their true-mate. They got territorial and grew overprotective. Most of the time that died down after the pair exchanged the claiming vows. Blood rushed to my cheeks, flushing my face as I imagined him stripping me down and claiming me in the woods. Breaking free of his hold on my chin, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him harder. I could’ve kissed Cardian forever. His hands slid to my ass, holding me close as his fingers kneaded into the round globes of my ass.

“Come with me,” he whispered against my lips when the kiss broke.

“Where?” I asked.

“I know a place in the Other World. We’ll be back by morning,” he whispered.

“What about the pups?” I asked him.

“You all are night sleepers. I bet Scott will be out cold soon. I don’t think he’ll need your help very much. They’ve survived without me this long, what’s one more night?” he asked.

I wanted to give into his words, to follow him anywhere he wanted to take me.

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