Page 27 of Fated Guardian

In the blue light of the glow worms, I can see exactly what he’s talking about. Jasmine, two feet thick, is pressing down against us, with so many fragrant blooms, I think I might be drowning in it.

Nolan presses back up, and his back brushes against the flowers. “We might have to hack our way out with a machete.”

“No!” I wiggle. “I’ll just?—”

“I’m kidding, Coral. I’d never do anything to one of your plants without checking with you first.”

I relax, then look up at him. “Nolan?”

“Yes?”

“I think this might be the most perfect night of my life.”

Nolan’s eyes shine with emotion, and he pulls me to him. We lay like that, on the moss couch, beneath a ceiling of jasmine stars, until I feel sleep tug at me.

When I fall asleep, for the first time in years, there are no nightmares.

There’s only Nolan.

Chapter 8

Nolan

After the greenhouse, I make up my mind.

I’m going to ask Coral to be my mate.

She’s perfect. I love who I am around her. I love the unique way that she sees the world, and the way that she makes me look at everything in a new light. I love the joy she takes in every moment, and I don’t want to be without her. Ever.

The only problem is that interspecies mating is very, very rare. Most alphas don’t approve of that type of mate bond, because so much could go wrong.

I don’t know anything about the fae, really, other than what Coral has offered. I’ve seen her magic in action, and it leaves me absolutely stunned every time. She is magic like I’ve never seen. She’s so different from what I’m used to as a shifter. But I love it all the same.

I don’t want anyone to be my mate… except Coral. Which is good, because my thirtieth birthday is on the horizon, and I can already feel some of my power fading.

It started when I fought the jaguar shifter. Normally, I can take care of other shifters pretty handily. I’m big, I’m strong, and there are very few who can walk away from a fight with me. But that jaguar shifter almost killed me.

I haven’t told Coral how close it was, but… I was fuckin’ nervous at the time. I can feel it in other ways, too. My wolf feels distant. I’m not filled with energy. It’s harder to shift.

The weird part, though, is that no one has asked about me. Not even my sister. Amara hasn’t checked in, hasn’t said anything about the fact that now, my thirtieth birthday is less than a month away.

It feels… shitty. If I’m always the one who’s there for everyone, why is no one there for me?

“Nolan?” I hear Coral call. She’s been in the garden for a while now.

I need to go tell Thorne what I’m asking for. I hope he’ll give it to me.

Walking over to the garden, I pause.

Coral is staring at the pumpkins. One of them has a giant, squirrel-sized hole chewed out of it. When Coral glances back, she’s frowning. “For some reason, the pumpkin didn’t tell me that it was being chewed through.”

“Maybe it was happy to be food?”

“Maybe. I don’t know…”

I lean over and kiss her. Coral smiles into the kiss, relaxing slightly. “What was that for?”

“No reason. Just because I like you.” I smile.

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