Page 44 of Guardian of Shadows

Tony growled, and Tessa turned in her seat. “Don’t give me that look,” he said.

“I’m not looking at you, doofus. Elle, does it hurt?” Instead of telling Tony, she blinked her eyes, and Tessa grinned. “Good. Do we need to call someone and let them know what’s going on?”

Elle blinked once, and Tessa tapped her finger against her chin. “You were staying with Brent in Norway, right? And he knows to tell your sister where you’re supposed to be?” Elle affirmed with another blink. “I’m on it. Wait, what time is it in Norway? Never mind. Fuck, this non-verbal communication is difficult.”

Tony huffed out a breath. “You do realize I’m sitting right here, right? I’ll call Brent. Ridiculous.”

“Be nice to your mother. She’s had a rough day,” Gregor chided.

Tessa patted her mate’s cheek. “Thank you, baby.”

“Your parents are couple’s goals.”

“Yeah, they’re great. You and I will get there, Sweetheart.” Tony dug into his front pocket and pulled out Elle’s ring. He lifted her hand and slid it on her finger. “There.”

Elle prayed they lived long enough for that to be true. Then again, Grevolus had tried to kill her, so why hadn’t it worked?

“Tony, when Grevolus took me down to the basement, he lit up the sigil again, and the pain was excruciating, and then he asked why I wasn’t dead. He tried to kill me. I think he also tried when I was in Norway. He was surprised to see me when we returned.”

“Fuckin’ hell, I hate that bastard. How’s the pain now?”

“My arm still burns, and my head aches where he hit me.”

“He...” Tony growled as his claws and fangs emerged. Tessa turned and frowned.

“What is it? Why are you phasing? There’s not enough room for your wings, Son, so tamp that shit down.”

“Grevolus tried to kill her by burning the sigil. When that didn’t work, he hit her.”

Gregor pulled over to the side of the road and put the vehicle in park. He took several deep breaths, but Tessa jumped out and paced beside the car. Elle couldn’t hear what she was saying, but Tessa was yelling while waving her arms wildly. Elle hated that they were all upset, but it felt good to have someone care about her wellbeing.

“Tony, I’m okay. It’s just a headache.”

“I’m still going to rip his black heart out.”

Gregor glanced in the rearview mirror, and although Elle couldn’t smile at him, she blinked several times. He nodded and got out of the car, stopping Tessa from pacing. He took her face in his hands, pressed his lips to hers, then tugged on her braid. Whatever he said calmed her down, and they returned to the SUV.

Once Gregor was back on the road, Tony called Brent, asking if Yari or Cassi had returned. He then relayed what happened with Grevolus and said they were headed home.

“Brent promised to call as soon as either Yari or Cassi returns from Evyndral.” After a few minutes of silence, Tony took her hand. “Elle, I have a theory. I think that because you and I are mated, the bond kept you safe. One of my uncles bit his mate while she was dying, and it kept her alive.”

“Then I’m glad we completed the bond when we did. Even if he can’t kill me, it hurts really bad. I’m not giving up on having the sigil removed.”

“No, Baby. We’ll never give up. Not until you’re whole again, and that bastard is six feet under.”

Chapter 15

During the drive home, Anthony asked Elle to recount everything that happened after he left her at the farmhouse. Grevolus had already lured her downstairs and knocked her out by the time Anthony got back. That was why he couldn’t hear her moving around. She also said she’d dreamed about Novus, and she assumed that was what drew the ravens to her since she didn’t consciously do it.

Carleigh called to let them know the Jeep’s tracking system showed it to be stopped outside Waynesboro, which meant Grevolus was traveling north. At least he had been. Carleigh was searching nearby car lot cameras. She’d also set up alerts for stolen cars in the area. Anthony didn’t understand how it all worked or if what the Trio did was legal, but that was why his cousins were the brains, and he was the brawn. Gregor in turn called Dominic, and once they got to the house, Dom and Lilly were there waiting. The two males went to retrieve Anthony’s vehicle, and after Anthony got Elle situated on the sofa, Lilly worked her magic again. She wasn’t able to undo the paralysis, but she did ease the pain in Elle’s head where the bastard hit her.

While Anthony and Lilly sat with Elle, Tessa focused on rearranging Tony’s drawers and closet so she had somewhere to put Elle’s laundry she had washed the night before. When she finished, she joined them, taking one of the recliners.

Elle was able to ingest small doses of liquid, but she wasn’t able to chew, which meant eating was out. His mate needed nutrition, so Anthony called Connor, informing him of the situation. Connor had passed off his clinic to another Gargoyle, but he still had access to medical equipment and promised to come check on Elle soon.

Anthony took Elle’s hand. “Sweetheart, do you mind if I step outside for a few minutes? My beast is going nuts.”

“I’ll be fine, Tony.”

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