Page 27 of A Highland Gargoyle's Lucky Star
Dargan scowls. “Clearly a professional.”
“It’s amazing such a tiny human managed to overcome him,” Zar marvels.
My chest swells with pride.
My mate is fierce.
I freeze. Oh,fuckno. I’m not going to start down this path.
I clear my throat. “We’ll question Noah tomorrow for more details. For now, we should rest and return to this when we’re fresh.”
We part ways and I head toward the room where Noah’s staying. I don’t even need to ask anyone where he is. I can sense him, like he’s already a part of myself.
My grandfather always used to tell me how immediate the mate bond can be. I just didn’t think it would take root in me so fast, let alone before magically tying the bond between us.
When I arrive at the door, I knock softly.
Our clan’s head doctor, Martha, gestures me inside.
“How is he?” I ask, studying a sleeping Noah, who appears worryingly frail and small in the large bed.
“Well, how do you think? Someone gave him a good smack in the head, and he’s got quite a goose egg forming there. Fortunately, there’s no sign of concussion or more serious injury. He may have a bit of a headache when he wakes up”—she smirks—”but that may be due to the alcohol more than the bump on his noggin.”
I let out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding and move over to the bed to take hold of Noah’s hand. It’s warm and fits so well in my palm.
Once I’ve reassured myself he’s all right, I force myself to leave for my own room.
The morning sunshine is already starting to peek through the windows of the castle, and exhaustion weighs me down as I drag my sorry arse to bed.
When I flop onto my mattress, I heave a loud sigh.
My fated mate.
Why now, of all times?
No.
It’ll have to wait because I have bigger things to worry about. Raedyn should be back soon with information on the threat coming our way from the West, and no doubt there will be others coming looking for Noah like Kelwyn suggested. A Conduit’s power is far too tempting for others to ignore.
Keeping him here and safe will be my top priority.
When I think about just how close we came to losing him, I know it’ll probably give me nightmares for quite some time. If we’d gotten there even a moment later…
The alternative makes me cold all over.
Noah is essential to the survival of my clan. We must repair and reinforce the barrier before it’s too late—and he’s the one person who can help us make that happen.
I want to tell myself that’s the only reason I have such an intense and growing need to protect the wee human that I cannae stop thinking about.
But like a siren’s song, the mate bond calls to me, whispering of hopes and dreams I abandoned long ago.
I have a worrying feeling the temptation of Noah will eventually be too hard for me to resist.
Chapter seven
Noah
Mama Delilah’s Daily Horoscope Reading
