Page 8 of The Guardian's True-Mate

“Fucking Laurni!” The man swore again.

The swearing man was the most likely carrier of the scent that made my knuckles turn white from gripping the chair arms too tightly.

“What’s going on? Do you see someone? A dead someone?” Liam asked, but the owner of the voice didn’t answer.

A blur passed on the street and doubled back through Scott’s yard before landing square in front of me on the porch. He was tall. I didn’t need to stand up to know he’d probably tower over me. He had dark hair and brown eyes. His skin was pale in the light of the setting sun. For a long moment neither of us said anything. Liam waited at the foot of the steps as if he didn’t dare approach the vampire looming over me. From a distance that’s what he must’ve looked like. There I sat gripping the chair like a man about to be eaten alive by a vampire.

I met his gaze and let out a long, slow breath. My wolf’s tail wagged faster and I tried to free my hands from the chair arms. Only my brain wouldn’t accept the message. The man reached out to touch my face and I leaned into his warm palm.

“Quit accosting Dakota,” Terrick said, opening the door. “I thought you were going to settle in before you showed your face around here, Cardian.”

Cardian. Cardian? Terrick’s brother was the one stroking my cheek and driving my wolf crazy? The one I’d spend the rest of my life with?

“Hey, little brother,” Cardian said without looking away from me. “A man cannot accost someone who chose him lifetimes before.”

“Quit your emo poetry and stop touching him!” Terrick said.

Cardian laugh, low and melodical. The sound wrapped around me and my fingers finally relaxed. I reached out for his free hand and our fingers entwined as if they’d never been separate.

“I think they’re true-mate responding, Terrick,” Liam called from the bottom of the steps.

“What?” Terrick asked.

“It’s true, baby brother,” Cardian nodded, but still didn’t look away.

“What’s going on, guys?” Scott yelled from the bedroom. “I don’t like being out of the loop.”

I opened my mouth to say I should check on him, but no words came out.

“Ummm… Terrick, can I go inside and talk to Scott? Especially, if you’re going to stay out here talking to your brother and Dakota.”

“Of course,” Terrick nodded and moved out of the way.

I tugged Cardian’s hand until he stepped forward, his feet on either side of mine. I pulled away from his hand to nuzzle against his belly, raking my scent on his t-shirt and stealing some of his onto my skin. He sighed and his free hand moved to run through my hair. I wrapped my arm around him and nuzzled more. His scent was everything I didn’t know my nose was missing out on.

“For the love of the old elves! Don’t let him suck your dick on the porch!” Terrick sighed.

“Baby brother, don’t be so fucking crude. By now, I thought you’d know better than anyone, that shifters nuzzle.”

I let go of Cardian and sat back properly in the rocking chair, trying not to blush as hard as I was.

“Do you want us to leave?” I asked Terrick.

“No,” his voice was softer than when he spoke to his brother. “You’re here to help. Just keep it clean on the porch. I don’t want to be the house people don’t let their kids walk by, okay?”

“Sorry, Terrick,” I said.

“I’ll leave the door unlocked, you two can come inside whenever you’re ready. Did Scott or someone show you where your room is? I put your bag in there already,” Terrick said.

“Thanks, Terrick. I know where it is,” I said and almost apologized for true-responding to the brother he didn’t even want to visit, but stopped short. Life didn’t last long enough to apologize for something that made me happy.

Chapter Six

Cardian

“I need to make a sweep of the house,” I told my mate who scooted forward once again in his chair to nuzzle my stomach.

Sure, the affection hit me square between the legs, but he wasn’t sucking my dick. Where Terrick found his crude language, I’d never know. Maybe he was just horny since his mate was pregnant and laid up on bedrest and he projected it onto my mate’s innocent nuzzling.

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