Page 36 of The Bodyguard and the Alpha
Fuck,both sides of me thought in tandem.
“Stop there,” my brother said. “You can’t see her unless you can control your violent impulses.”
We stood in a silent stand-off for several minutes before Luc sighed. “You’ll need to use words brother.”
“I want my mate.”
“Bastien, I know.” My brother stressed the words. Hedidknow. He had recently found his own mate. And for her, he had shifted, just like I had. But his two halves had reached an agreement to share their body.
I eyed him and the guards behind him. I didn’t want to hurt my brother and it would make Electra sad if I injured the others. Unclenching my fists, I drew on my human side for control and for the words my brother needed to hear. “I’ll behave if you give me a better room. With a bigger bed. And bring me my mate.”
Luc’s smirk told me that I’d played right into his hands. “See how easy that was?”
“Shut up.”
Chapter 41
Electra
There was no clock in my room and without a watch or phone I had no way to measure the time passing in the windowless room. But it felt as though hours had passed when someone knocked on my door. Hours that I had spent staring at the ceiling, refusing to think about how Bastien had pounded against my shields. I wasn’t thinking about what it meant when he stopped. I wasn’t wondering what he wanted to say.
“Come in,” I called tonelessly.
Luc stepped into the room.
“Luc.” I sat up, pushing at my tangled hair. “Are you here for my debrief? Can I get outta here after that?” I hated how desperate I sounded, but I needed to leave. I needed to get far, far away from Bastien Bowden.
I wanted to see my sister. I wanted to cry on her shoulder. She was the one person who still gave me physical contact. In the last five years, she was the one loving constant in my life. Although we didn’t see each other as often as we wanted, we were still close. Her recent problems as a target of terrorists—likely the same terrorists that had taken Bastien and me—hadtaken years off my life. My pre-cog had flared multiple times and I hadn’t been able to do anything about it.
Bastien gave you physical contact, said the evil Witch on my shoulder.He gave you orgasms. He called you Baby. And you loved it.
No, I wasn’t thinking about that. About him.
“Go?” Luc’s surprise wrenched me back to my surroundings. His eyes narrowed, taking in my dishevelled state. “Why would you leave your mate?”
I gaped like a goldfish.
Luc laughed, a genuine belly laugh. “How about we get you cleaned up and properly fed, then we’ll both share what we know. And my brother will be a lot more relaxed, knowing that you’re being properly looked after.”
I ignored the belly flutters of hope. They lied.
Half an hour later, I felt much more human. Luc had led me—staying close while carefully not touching me— down a corridor, up some stairs and through a solid door. Suddenly I was back in a section of the Palace I recognised. “You’re taking me back to my own rooms?”
“I thought you might feel more comfortable in your familiar environment.”
So much.
By the time I’d showered, and dressed in a clean uniform, food had been delivered. And this time, I’d fallen on it like a starving animal. The effort of setting solid walls had taken a lot of energy and my body was demanding I replace the lost calories. For once I even ate the dessert.
Luc rumbled his approval. “Bastien will be pleased that you’ve eaten.”
I looked up, pausing with my spoon midway to my mouth. With a full belly and the restorative power of a shower, my brain had finally started to work again. “He’s talked to you?”
“A little.” Luc frowned. “He is capable of negotiating even though the logical part of himself isn’t in control.”
“Will he regain control?” My shoulders hunched as I remembered that this was my fault.
“Hey, what happened there?” Luc’s expression was full of concern, his mis-matched eyes soft. It was still a shock seeing the physical proof that he had finally bonded his inner Shifter.
