Page 12 of Taken By My Guardian's Fangs

Juliette's toes curled under the furry top of her house slippers at the rare note of teasing in Gaël's voice, and it was all she could do not to melt.

"I know what you're doing," she muttered.

Gaël leaned close, and her heart started pounding. "Is that so?"

"You're trying to charm me out of my bad mood."

"Ah." Gaël leaned even closer to take an almost-playful peek at her expression, and Juliette could no longer keep her gaze from colliding with his icy blue eyes, which were still gleaming with amusement.

Ugh!

"Please stop laughing at me!"

"I wish I could," Gaël said solemnly, "but how can I, when you're too damn adorable when you pout?"

Oh, dear Lord, please, please, please be still, my racing heart, because this is a Caro we're dealing with, and he'll absolutely know when you start acting funny!

While Gaël smirked and Juliette blushed, the rest of the family had a harder time as they struggled to continue pretending they were deaf, dumb, blind, and stupid.

Severin looked at Sydney with a grimace. Why do they always act like they're in a fucking world of their own when they obviously aren't?

His stepsister gave him a look of pity. A Caro like you will never figure it out.

The mood for the rest of the evening was one of great conversation and laughter, and the girls had tears in their eyes when Juliette slipped up all on her own. They were talking about a UdLA student that had been expelled, and as Juliette argued that the student's expulsion was a rotten act of justice, she had seen her guardian choke on his soup, and Juliette, forgetting herself, had cried out, "I know what you're thinking, and you're wrong! How many times do I have to tell you it wasn't a fart?"

The night should have ended on a high note after that, but just as the wards bid good night to their respective guardians, it was around this time that Gaël's phone rang, and all eyes were on him as they heard Gaël mention a familiar name.

Emilia Moretti was one of the most famous and wealthiest werewolf princesses in the world, and rumors had been rife about a possibly strategic marriage between the two. It had come to a point that Jean Luc himself had asked his brother about whether the news had any truth to them, and Gaël, in his usual blunt manner, had simply said he would only remarry if he found someone whose

sangferia was a near-perfect match with his blood.

There was no line that Gaël would be unwilling to cross if it enabled him to better defend his family, and everyone knew that Gaël had long stopped caring about whether other people viewed his actions as disgraceful or amoral. Protecting House Bellecourt from all threats was Gaël's priority, and though Juliette knew this herself—-

It didn't do anything to lessen the pain, and Juliette struggled to keep her face blank as Gaël excused himself from the table. Emilia Moretti was the kind of woman any preter would be lucky to marry, and if Gaël did end up wanting the princess to be his bride, it was Juliette's duty as her ward to be happy for him.

Right?

Just thinking about her guardian marrying someone else was too much, and Juliette mumbled an incoherent excuse before leaving in a hurry.

By the time Gaël returned to the dining room, he was more puzzled than offended when he saw his brothers frowning his way. "What?"

Then do it again.

JULIETTE WAVED AS SOON as she spotted Aprilynne's familiar figure briskly enter the university's dining hall. Even though the older girl, whose long hair was pulled back in her usual ponytail, looked anything but elegant in her favorite oversized shirt and jeans, Aprilynne still carried herself with an air of self-assurance that was befitting the ward of House Bellecourt's lord and master.

Heads turned as the other ward joined Juliette in her table, but while the attention had Juliette awkwardly ducking her head, Aprilynne had no trouble ignoring the gazes that went their way, half of which was envious and resentful, while the other half was just plain curious.

Many preters, Caros and non-Caros alike, craved association with House Bellecourt for the power it wielded, and most of them resented the fact that a twist of fate had enabled lowly humans and outcasts to become the family's wards.

Aprilynne, realizing that the younger girl was still uncomfortable at everyone's scrutiny, glowered at those who were blatantly staring at them, and Juliette, seeing this, quickly straightened her shoulders and gave the older girl a reassuring smile. "I'm good. Please don't mind them."

"Those girls need to be taught a lesson," Aprilynne said darkly.

And that was exactly what she was afraid of, Juliette thought nervously. Her therapist once told her that every person had their own way of dealing with fear and trauma, and what had worked for the other girl was turning herself into a fighting machine. There was nothing the other ward loved more than breaking bones and hunting down evil preters, and the last time Aprilynne had believed someone needed to be taught a "lesson", well...

Juliette repressed a shudder at the memory, and when she saw that Aprilynne still looked unconvinced, she hurriedly thought of something else to talk about, like...ah!

"Why did you ask to meet up?" Juliette blurted out. "Has something happened?"

---