Page 144 of Guarded
During those moments, Nox and I would catch each other’s eye, and I knew we were thinking the same thing. Neither of us could’ve predicted that we would end up here. Making it out of Hell had been too much for us to hope for.
Finding this happiness? This family?
It was a dream come true. No, it was better, because this life was beyond anything either of us would’ve dared dream of.
All we wanted now was for that happiness to extend to our friends. Dahlia and Darius didn’t seem to be making much headway with their mates. Dahlia was away for periods of time, but Darius was spending longer at the house. I’d say it was for Quill, but Nox and I had repeatedly offered to stay there so he could go off and do whatever he needed to. His answer had been that there was nothing he could do. That was all he’d tell us. I had no idea what had,or hadn’t, happened with his mate. Whatever it was though, it hadn’t been good.
My chest ached for him. I wanted my friends to find the same happiness I had. It didn’t seem fair that fate wasn’t smoothing the way for them as it had for me. Because, let’s be real, it had been my fuck-ups that had slowed Noah and me down. Fate had had nothing to do with it.
In a way, it made our love more special though. We hadn’t fallen in love because fate demanded it, but because of each other. Sure, the tugging ache had played into it, but it had nothing to do with how we made each other laugh, or our conversations during the long weeks apart. The way we both wanted the other to be happy and to protect each other in every possible way. Fate had no part in that.
But love? That had everything to do with it.
While Dahlia and Darius were struggling, at least Quill was doing better now. He’d yet to leave the house, but he was back to his cereal days and being a general nuisance around the house.
The first time he’d pissed Dahlia off to the point where she killed him, we’d all breathed a sigh of relief, Dahlia included. Quill still wasn’t close to being okay, but he was getting there. Inch by inch, he was reclaiming his life. It was a slow and difficult journey, but he wasn’t making it alone. The rest of us were right by his side, every step of the way.
Noah sighed, leaning back against me as the sun cleared the horizon. “Guess that’s our signal to go home.”
Home. Once, thinking of the compound as my home would’ve terrified me. But that was because I hadn’t understood what it would mean.
Noah is my home.
It was another addition to my list. I’d kept it going, scribbling down any new titbit I discovered about my mate.I suspected it might be several centuries before I ran out of things to add.
“Yes,” I said, leaning down to kiss his neck. My hair brushed against my cheekbone as I did so. I was growing it long again. Truth be told, I’d hated having it short. Knowing how much fun we had with Noah’s hair during sex, I’d decided I wanted to get in on that action too. With how Noah kept obsessively running his hands through it all the time, I knew it was a decision he approved of. “Let’s go home.”
We hadn’t made it past the hallway before the door slammed open. It hit the wall with such force that I instinctively shoved Noah behind me, my shield springing into place.
Hilarious really, given Noah was definitely the more powerful of the two of us. I couldn’t help it though; my instinct would always be to protect him.
A massive figure stumbled over the threshold, blood covering his hands and face. His eyes were wild, his chest rising and falling as though he’d run a marathon. He was shaking from head to foot, power crackling around him.
“Rami?” My jaw dropped. “What the fuck?!”
Just then, his knees gave way. I swooped forward to catch him, taking his weight. Noah was at my side, helping me hold him.
“Help,” Noah hollered, panic ringing in his voice. “Foyer, now!”
All around the house, doors opened and running footsteps sounded.
“Here, I’ve got you,” I said. We lowered Rami to the floor carefully, and I crouched beside him. I’d got to know the big angel well over the past few months, and never once had I seen him without a smile on his face.
Noah shot me a worried look before addressing Rami. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
Rami shook his head numbly. He kept staring at a fixed spot in the distance, gently swaying on the spot.
Micah appeared, his eyes widening in horror as he took in Rami’s state. He shot Noah and me concerned looks before crouching too. “Rami, my god. Whose blood is this?”
Rami held a wobbly hand up in front of his face, like he hadn’t realised it was there. Tears filled his eyes. “My mate’s.”
The shocked silence that followed those words was almost deafening. The twins had appeared in the doorway, their stunned expressions mirror images of the ones we all wore. Every Seraphim, Sam, and Nox had gathered in the foyer, horror-struck by what was unfolding.
“Is your mate alive?” My heart broke at Micah’s question. If Rami had found his mate, only for him to die…
“He is,” Rami whispered. “He’s alive. He shouldn’t be, but he is. I saved him. Not that he’ll remember it.”
“You compelled him?”
