Page 42 of Her Bossy Wolf Protector

I manage a tired smile. “Thanks. I feel like I’ve been through the wringer.”

Gabriel steps into the room and hands me the glass of water. I take a grateful sip. The cool liquid providing a momentary relief to my parched throat.

“How are you holding up?” he asks, his eyes searching mine.

I sigh, sinking back onto the bed. “Honestly, I’m exhausted. Mariya’s tests were more intense than I expected.”

He nods, understanding. “I know it’s a lot. The supernatural world can be overwhelming.”

“It is also downright scary,” I say.

He takes a step forward before stopping himself. “Hey. Nothing will happen to you. I am the Protector. You have nothing to worry about. You will be safe. And you heard Mariya; she will strengthen the ward tomorrow.”

“Okay, Gabriel.”

He stares at me, and there is something intense happening between us. I am not sure what kind of pull he has on me, but it is one that settles lower in my belly.

“I should proba–”

“What does it mean to be a werewolf?” I ask, cutting him off. Just because I have no idea whatIam does not mean I can’t learn more about the man I am so insanely attracted to.

“Well, you saw the first night. I can completely transform into my wolf form. I am older and stronger, so I have managed to control my change. The wolves that attacked you that day were younger and a lot more naïve. I wanted to think they didn’t know any better, but knowing what I know now, that was just wishful thinking.”

I swallow the lump in my throat. “So, the younger ones don’t know better than to believe in this savior?”

He shakes his head. “I wouldn’t say that. The treaties have been in place for a long time. This is just them rebelling because they think that supernatural beings rank higher than humans on the food chain. What they don’t get is that the treaty also protects us from hunters and humans who know about us.”

Us? Shit!Him so casually including me unnerves me.

It also sends a jolt of electricity through me. But actually, I like the idea of belonging to something outside myself. I try to clear my head. This must be the headache messing with my thoughts.Since when would I be happy being clumped together with werewolves and vampires, for fuck’s sake?

I look up to find his eyes have gone a shade darker. He takes a step towards the door. “I should go,” he says.

I want to stop him, but I think better of it.

If he stays here, I am not sure what I might do.

“Goodnight, Gabriel.”

He rubs his jaw, “Goodnight, Jade.” And then, just as quickly as he came in, he left.

Instead of dwelling on all the confusing emotions coursing through me – desire, defeat, fear, exhilaration – I decide to down the rest of the water and then slip in between the cool sheets.

I barely have time for a coherent thought before I drift off to sleep.

In my dream, I’m transported to a realm shrouded in an otherworldly glow, a landscape where the sky swirls with iridescent hues. Everything looks green and purple.

Visions unfold before me like scenes from a storybook. I see dragon children dancing in circles, their laughter echoing through the mist. Among them stand figures cloaked in regal attire.

The dream shifts abruptly. I find myself in a courtyard adorned with towering pillars, where beings of celestial grace bow before me. They crown me in shimmering diadems, addressing me as “Majesty” in a chorus reverberating through the dream realm.

As the dream dissolves like morning mist, I awaken, my heart pounding. The dream’s remnants linger in that fragile veil between sleep and reality, vivid and haunting fragments of Nytera’s visions and Gabriel’s tales swirling in my mind.

Could it be?

Could I really be?

In the wake of this mystical reverie, I’m left grappling with the profound connections between the dream’s symbols and the cryptic messages from Nytera and Gabriel.

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