Page 68 of A Luna's Dynasty
“Promises, promises.”
“Let’s hope the centaurs know how to make soundproof houses, or the entire village will know of this promise.” He watched as a red blush crept over her cheeks. Tonight, they wouldn’t just feast on food but on each other, rekindling their bond and promises to one another.
Chapter 42
“You know she won’t be able to live in a pack forever. I just want to make sure that isn’t a problem for you.” Brad’s voice was barely above a whisper as he spoke with Asher.
“I know, and it isn’t a problem. Whatever she wants and needs is all that matters to me. My place is with her, no matter where that leads me. My priority is keeping her safe.”
“I’m worried for her safety, too. That is the reason we can’t allow her to leave without a guardian. It has nothing to do with you, but—”
“I understand. One of my pack members explained the situation. Now, I’m not happy that you took her like you did. You could have waited and taken me with you. I’m not going to pretend as if I’m okay with what you did.” Asher listened as Brad chuckled.
“Good. You shouldn’t be. However, I won’t apologize. I did what was necessary and, given the situation, I wasn’t comfortable leaving her. She could have been killed if we hadn’t shown up. She might be a grown adult, but she needs someone with her constantly. She needs her protector.”
“I don’t understand why her guardian hasn’t shown up yet!” Asher growled quietly.
“It’s because if a guardian is around her, it will speed up her awakening. They would need permission for that. The problem is it’s already happening. It’s like it rebounded hard, and I don’t understand why.”
Asher sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “She was wearing a magic suppressor until just recently. She took it off, and—”
“And it caused an influx.” Brad winced with a small nod. “It caused the process to speed up. She’s in danger now, and you need to understand the risks of bringing her back to your pack. I want you to think about her safety and what’s best for her.”
“Is keeping her here what’s best for her? Or what’s best for you?”
“I could be accusing you of the same thing.”
Asher’s eyes narrowed at Brad. “Don’t for one second ever think that I don’t want what’s best for her. She’s my other half. The reason for my existence. I would gladly lay my life down for her without any hesitation. No matter how important she is to you, it’s not even close to being on the same level. You want to treat her like a treasure that needs to be locked up. She is a strong, independent woman who doesn’t need her damn wings clipped. She needs to spread them so she can fly. I won’t put her in a cage, but that doesn’t mean I can’t protect her. I want to give her everything she’s missed out on, and so much more.” He smiled softly at Brad. “Have you found your mate?”
Brad sighed. “Not yet.”
“When you find your partner, everything changes. Once you find that person who breathes new life into you, you’ll want to do anything and everything just to put a smile on their face. I’m going to protect her while doing my best not to smother her. I’m a possessive alpha male, and I’m going to make mistakes. I already have … my wolf is very jealous. It’s hard for us to see her healing others. That’s a ‘me’ problem, not a ‘her’ problem. The wolf inside of me wanted to stop her from being a healer and keep her to ourselves.” He shook his head with a small frown. “It would make my wolf feel better, while trampling on her feelings. The same goes for protecting her. I won’t trample on her to make you feel better, or myself. However, I understand there’s a balance with this, and it’s something that Lita and I will talk about and come to an agreement on. Her safety is important to you, but not more important than it is to me. Her happiness comes secondary to you, but it’s just as important as keeping her safe.”
“I understand what you’re getting at.” Brad pursed his lips, nodding his head. What was the point of having her locked in a cage if she was miserable? Sure, she would be safe and protected, but what kind of life would that be for her? He neededto think about this differently. “Once a guardian arrives, I’d like to send a few of my men back to your pack. Is that alright? Extra safety, and they can let us know if you’re in danger.”
Asher smiled. “Yes, I think that’s a great idea.”
Lita was playing with the centaur children when she stopped and began scanning the area for Asher. Spotting him near the trees, she found him in deep conversation with Brad, but it didn’t look confrontational. Asher was nodding his head, but she couldn’t hear what they were talking about. They must have been speaking very quietly because she couldn’t hear anything, no matter how hard she tried. He glanced in her direction, smiling when he caught her watching him. Moments later, he began walking toward her.
“Ready to turn in for the night?” he asked, reaching out and bringing her to his side.
“Play with us tomorrow!” the children yelled as Asher led a waving Lita away.
“What were you two talking about?” Lita watched as his lips twitched up to a smile.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” he teased with a chuckle.
“Yes, I would like to know. Well?” She tugged on his arm like a child, making him laugh.
“Alright, my nosey little mate. We were just discussing your safety. Brad thought it would be best if you stayed here. But we talked about it, and I said that you should have an equal say in your safety. We both agreed that you should always have someone with you from now on. No more walks on your own, but I don’t want you smothered, either. What do you think? What do you want? If you want to stay here, I’ll stay with you.”
“I want to go home.” She looked up to see his eyes smiling down at her, and she realized how naturally she called the Black Ice Pack home. “I’ve enjoyed my stay here, but I want to go back to our pack. I want to lead with you. I don’t like the idea of having an escort, but I guess it’s doable.”
“Honestly, most pack leaders do have guards around constantly. It isn’t something Black Ice has practiced, but we will be from now on. I could have lost you, and I won’t let a mistake like that happen again. However …” He tugged her against his side as they walked up to the house. “You were supposed to be using the restroom, and instead, you went on a little walk.”
“I didn’t intend to go on a walk, but Felicia wanted to speak with me.” They stopped walking as Asher stepped in front of her. She realized they’d never talked about it, but she’d assumed Felicia told him.
“What did she want? She told me it was just girl talk … but it was more than that, wasn’t it?”
