Page 29 of Guarded By a Monster

“It’s okay. She is a fantastic cook, and one of her favorite things is feeding people. It’s one of her love languages.”

“Love language?”

I giggled. “Yeah, it’s a saying that started a few years ago when someone wrote a book about five love languages. Now it’s used to show any way someone shows their love, or prefers to receive it.”

“What are the five love languages?”

He looked ready to pull out a pen and paper to take notes, and my middle went gooey. “I know one is physical touch and another is gifts, but I can’t remember the rest. To be honest, I never read the book.”

“What is your love language?”

His eyes seemed to bore through me and I would have sworn they flared brighter. A trill ran up my spine and I clamped my thighs together. “Um. Cats, I suppose. Love my cats, love me.”

His eyes closed like he committed it to memory. He looked away before opening them. “Will you come with me to the common hall?”

“To invite your brothers to dinner?”

“Yes.”

I smiled up at him. “Sure.”

He took off down a path and I trotted to catch up to him. I tried to sound casual as I asked, “So, what is your love language?”

He spun around and dropped into a crouch in front of me, his eyes definitely blazing red, the scarred one a touch dimmer than the other.

“You.”

His voice was deeper than I’d ever heard, and the growl of it washed over my skin like a rough caress. I swallowed hard. I reached for him without thought and he gently took my hand in his giant one, curling his fingers around mine.

How did such a massive, deadly creature become so gentle?

“We are all gentle.”

I startled, not realizing I’d asked out loud.

“Except for maybe Roul.” He snickered. “But Jade?”

“Hmm?”

“Make no mistake. The scientists did their jobs well. We are killers. And Iwillkill anyone who threatens you.”

I was going to have to carry a spare pair of panties unless I wanted to walk around in wet ones all day.

twenty

I tried to ignorethe smell of Jade’s arousal. We were nearly to the common hall. If we were slightly further away, I’d be tempted to pull her into the woods and see how far she would take her curiosity.

I didn’t think it was anything more than that. She looked at me like the scientists did—only with far more heat. She hadn’t been able to help but touch me. Even that small contact had me wanting to crawl out of my skin and into hers. My willpower was stretched to its limit, but I would stay in control. For her.

I opened the door to the hall and nearly ran into her as she stopped just inside. She took a step back, putting her back flush to my front and my hand instinctively wrapped around her, shielded her, protected her. I growled at the room and my five brothers stopped talking, their heads swiveled toward us in unison.

Roul stepped back and crouched. He and I were the muscle of our group, and well aware of our size.

Not to say the rest weren’t fearsome. All of them, save Drym, made themselves smaller. Drym’s head rested on top of Kendal’s, arms wrapped around his mate much as mine were wrapped around Jade.

It wasn’t unusual for all of them to be here. We gathered around this time every day, and most preferred to spend most of their time here. As Quin said, it was strange still to be alone.

Kendal broke the tension. “Jade! How are you?”

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