Page 62 of The Bodyguard and the Alpha
She was willing to share her body with me, but her mind was another matter.
Which brought me back to her shields. My mate needed to trust me enough to let me in, so I knew what she was thinking. Always. And then I would give her everything she had ever desired.
“Landing in one minute sir.”
Fuck. There was going to be a shitstorm to deal with after today. I had Council members to placate. Information to gather. I had to find out who suspected that I hadn’t Declared my Intent before I gave her my mate bond. I had to deal with it before it became a bigger problem.
I flexed my fingers, being careful to keep the sharp claws on my fingertips away from my mate’s gentle skin. A public announcement that Electra was my mate should have gone out days ago, but Luc had kept the information in the Palace locked down as tightly as possible while I’d been under guard. It wouldbe easy enough to control the narrative in a press release. Given that I was the President and she was my bodyguard, it would be simple to say that we’d kept our courting private. And although Calypso clearly suspected something was wrong, she would never betray her sister.
Provided Maximilian hadn’t told anyone else, I could control this.
I had to control this.
Failure was not an option. Not when I finally had everything I had ever wanted.
For the first time in years, I questioned my choices. I had wanted to follow in my mother’s footsteps all my life. I believed that I could make a difference. I was confident about myself. While my Beast-half had been locked away, I was good at what I did. I didn’t get tripped up by my emotions. My logical, rational side ruled, and it had made me ruthless. I made deals and alliances.
I worked so hard that I had no life.
Realisation hit me.
I didn’t want to be President anymore. I wanted my mate. A family. Everything else could go to Hell.
Chapter 57
Electra
I woke in an unfamiliar bed. The mattress was soft as a cloud and the sheets were like butter against my skin.
My naked skin.
Sitting up, I scanned the room in the dim light of early morning. Enormous bed. Priceless art on the walls.
Okay. The room was familiar. I was in the presidential suite.
Alone.
I refused to feel hurt that Bastien wasn’t here with me. He was the President. He was a busy man. I had known that he would have to go back to his life once he bonded the two parts of his soul.
And where did that leave me (other than alone in a bed)? Did he still want me as his mate? As his bodyguard? What would we tell the other members of the security team?
Oh yeah, they already knew.
Familiar frustration flared in my chest.
Sweetheart, you’re awake.
Bastien’s mental voice was warm and smooth, like warm honey.
Shit. My shields.
As if sensing my panic, his mental voice was soothing. I’m not reading your thoughts, my mate. But I can tell that you are awake. Breakfast is ready and will be delivered in ten minutes.
We always had breakfast in the Small Dining Room. Always. Since I’d started. Without fail, Bastien had breakfast with me when I was on shift.
And today he wasn’t.
Or was breakfast being delivered so that we could talk in private?
