The Guardian's Bond (5 page)

“I’m a niece,” Livi said as he smiled.

“Good. And while I’m peeling the skin off your Dragon self to make weapons against your kind, you will give up their hiding place.”

“I will never betray my family,” Livi said with a low tone.

“Enough torture will make you do anything I want,” he said as he gripped her chin roughly.

Livi’s eyes narrowed. “Remember that,” she whispered before punching him along the jaw hard enough to send him flying through the air. Grabbing the charm from around her neck she shoved it in her pocket, smiling as he lifted his head with wide eyes. “Oh yeah asshole, and by the way, I’m not a Dragon.”

“Then what the hell are you?”

Livi smirked. “Adopted.” Stepping forward she punched him on the nose, sending him flying back. The less she told him about Other Kin the better, so why not fabricate a little. “I’m human just like you, so I don’t fall prey to your charms,” Livi chuckled as she lifted his head up. “Any of them. The eyes and breath, nothing but a few magician tricks asshole, to keep the public interested in Alston. How do you think we do such a great tourist business?” Her fist came down hard, knocking him out. Livi knelt down, grabbed him by the collar and flash-stepped.

* * * *

Livi met Tommy’s gaze as he and her family ran into the courtyard of Roven Manor. She knew Peter and the Security Force team attached to her had informed them she was coming. And she’d been sighted the moment she passed through the gates dragging one unconscious Dragon Hunter.

“Holy shit, Livi,” Tommy said as he turned her face gently.

“He’s worse off than I am.”

“Why did you let him do this?” His gaze turned to Peter. “You were supposed to protect her!”

Livi dropped her baggage as she put her other hand against Tommy’s chest when he went toward Peter. “I told them to stay back.” Meeting his gaze, his nostrils flared with anger, she gave him a reassuring nod. She knew her dad and mom stood there waiting for an answer as well. “He thought I was a Dragon and put a charm around my neck. I wanted to see what kind of information I could get from him verbally and from reading his mind. I had to make it look like I had Dragon blood in me and go down without being able to move.”

“And?”

Livi turned to look at her dad. “I need to call for a council meeting.”

“I’ll see to it,” Drake said. “Tommy, can you get her cleaned up for me?”

“Yes sir.”

Livi tried to smile but the wounds to her face stopped her as Tommy led her to the Manor and her room. “You don’t have to.”

“Your father asked me.”

“And you do everything he asks, right Tommy?” she asked as he walked from her bathroom carrying a cloth.

“He is my Alpha, Livi. Of course I’m going to follow his directions.”

“Would you have done it if he didn’t ask?” she asked softly.

“Yes.”

Livi sat on her bed while he tended to her wounds. They both knew that her Lyken and Fae blood would heal most by tomorrow, but it was still nice to have someone care for her enough to clean her as gently as he did. “Tommy?”

“Hmmm?”

“Do…do you like me?”

“Of course I like you, Livi,” he answered, slowly lowering the now cool cloth. “I thought that was obvious.”

“Why have you ignored me all these years?” She glanced up when he sighed and moved away.

“I can’t answer you, not yet anyways. And I know you’re going to be mad as hell with me when you find out, but I think you’ll understand why.”

“I’m not following you.”

“In good time, Livi. In good time.”

“Where are you going?” she asked when he headed for her door. “That’s it? You tell me ‘in good time Livi’ and you’re just going to leave?”

“I need to.”

When he turned, Livi noticed his canines had descended and his eyes glowed. “Tommy?”

“Stay there,” he said when she went to rise. “If you come close I may lose control and I don’t want that, Livi.”

“The full’s coming.”

“I know.”

“But…”

“Do not push me, woman,” he growled.

Livi closed her eyes as the door shut behind him. What the hell, he was shifting just from touching her, tending to her, and her damn body was aching all over. She’d held back shifting to her Fae self but it wasn’t easy. Lying back on her bed all she could think of was Tommy as she drifted to sleep.

* * * *

Livi sat with her aunt and uncle the next day and told them what happened with Tommy the night before. “So tell me what I am supposed to do.” Moving her gaze from her fifteen-year-old cousin who was watching his toddler twin brother and sister playing, to her Uncle Evan and Aunt Kasey, she waited for them to answer.

“I don’t know, Livi,” Evan said.

“It’s like first he likes me, then he can’t stand me, then he likes me again, he’s worried about me, he kisses me, then he starts to shift by just touching me and my stomach aches every time he’s near me.” Livi sighed and almost missed the look they gave each other. “What was that?” Livi asked as she jumped up, staring down at the both of them. “What was that look you just gave each other?”

“Oh Christ, don’t tell me they’re giving each other
the look
,” her cousin Tarrin snorted. “Next thing you know they’ll be taking off to make two more of these,” he said motioning to the twins.

“Watch your mouth,” Kasey said as she pointed to him.

“No, it’s not that kind of look, Tarrin. They know something and they’re not talking,” Livi said as they did it again. “See, right there!”

Evan sighed. “Livi, you know how much we love you, and if I could, I would tell you everything. However, it’s not my place. You need to go talk to your parents
or Mari, and I suggest you do it quickly.”

Livi’s gaze narrowed.

“Don’t even try to mind-read me, young lady,” Evan stated as he rose up, towering over her. “You know better.”

“I’m a Guardian of Alston.”

Evan chuckled. “Yeah you can try that shit, but if you remember, you can’t use your Guardian powers against a loyal Alstonian. Smart ass little kid, go talk to your dad before I put you over my knee and spank the shit out of you.”

“Ha! As if you could catch me, old man.”

“I’ll ‘old man’ you, girl,” he chuckled.

Livi laughed as she flash-stepped away and headed for the manor. Why wouldn’t he tell her? Uncle Evan always told her what to do or what was going on. He was her ground; she could always depend on him to tell her the truth and not beat around the bush. He always gave it to her straight up, so for him to not tell her what was happening, Livi knew it had to be something big and that something included Tommy. Frowning, she knew what she was feeling or had a good idea. Although she hadn’t felt it since she’d been drawn back to Alston for her first mating and Tommy. Slowing down to a walk, she headed up the front stairs of Roven Manor and headed right for her dad’s office. “Hey, I need to talk to you.”

“Livi, it will have to wait,” Drake said.

Livi smiled at her Uncle Rhys and Aunt Mari. “Oh no, somehow I think these two are involved anyway so just call mom down here so we can get it out in the open.”

Drake’s brow lifted. “Since when do you issue me orders?”

“Since someone is messing with my life,” she snapped.

“I suggest you watch your tone,” he growled.

Livi’s lip curled as he took a step forward. Not only his Alpha energies but also his father ones had her bowing her head in submission. “Apologies, Dad, but I need to know and Uncle Evan won’t talk to me. He told me to come talk to you and mom, or Aunt Mari.” Lifting her head, she watched as they gave each other a look. “See, that is what I’m talking about. Someone is hiding something from me and I want to know what it is right now.”

Drake sighed. “Sit down while I send for mom.”

Livi sat there and listened as her parents and Aunt Mari explained everything, from the day Tommy and she got in big trouble from the Golem attack, to Aunt Mari’s conversation with her mother, Ancient Darina. And about Livi and Tommy staying separated so Livi could concentrate on her training instead of Tommy.

“Livi,” Kalana said. “We found out before the Darkness attacked that you and Tommy are to be bonded mates, life mates, and it was advised from the Ancients to continue keeping you and Tommy separated so you could train and not be distracted by him. We couldn’t take the chance that you would concentrate more on Tommy than on your role as Guardian.”

“But that wasn’t your decision to make, it was mine,” Livi said.

“And if you remember, you wouldn’t follow pack rules. You ran about like a wild child, so we had to enforce what we thought was correct for you. Even Tommy told you, you never listened or paid attention to him when he tried teaching you pack rules. He stood guard over you all the time because, even then, he knew there was something drawing him to you, but you were both too young to realize what was happening.”

Livi lowered her head as realization hit her like a wave of water. Her stomach ache every time she was near Tommy wasn’t her Lyken mating tendencies. She was feeling the
Kirmid
, the Fae way of telling her who her life mate would be. No wonder she transformed to her Fae self whenever she was near Tommy. “Does Tommy know?” she whispered, lifting her head when no one answered.

“Yes,” Drake said. “And he’s been asked to try and stay away from you until this is over with, but I don’t see that happening. He’s close to a rut and it gets worse every time he’s near you.”

Livi’s eyes widened. “That’s why he started the change just from cleaning me up last night?”

“Yes.”

“Dad, the full moon is in a week.”

“I know, and if you mate with him then, even though it’s the first time for you both together, he’ll most likely claim you then, even if you both want to hold the claiming off.”

Livi glanced sideways as her lips jutted to the side. “Well you see…that’s not entirely true.”

“What?” Kalana said as she jumped up, standing by Drake.

“If you two have mated, he wouldn’t be going into a rut,” Drake said.

“I kinda…have been coming here since I went into season, and I’ve been mating with Tommy every full moon; although he has no idea it’s me,” Livi said as she looked back to her parents.

“Explain,” Drake growled. “There’s no way he wouldn’t know it was you, he’d have scented you the moment you stepped foot here
.
Especially during the full moon.”

Livi stood. “Okay, but it’s easier to show you. Step back.”

“By the ancients,” Drake whispered.

“Holy shit,” Kalana said.

“Hey, I had no idea,” Mari said as she held up her hands.

Livi smiled at them as she unfurled her wings and shook out her long black hair. “For some reason when I went into season I shifted Fae, not Lyken.” Moving over to the huge mirror that hung in her dad’s office Livi noticed that her eyes had become translucent, her skin shimmered and her wings were those like an iridescent pattern of earth tone colors, almost like her mom’s but different. Livi had more reds to go with the Dragon energies she could call upon.

“Can you shimmer or shrink?” Kalana asked.

“Yes, both.”

“Do you know how rare this is, Livi?” Mari asked.

“Yes, Triton brought me to talk to his Aunt Hera and she explained why to me.”

“You spoke with Hera?” Mari snorted.

Livi smiled as she turned to face them. “Yes, and I know you two had some tiff going on Auntie, but seriously, she really does know how to make a great cup of tea, and she’s nice. Oh, and don’t go getting mad at Triton for not telling any of you, I made him promise me.”

“So this is why Tommy couldn’t scent you and none of us knew you were here?” Rhys asked.

“Right, and with the speed I can run, no one really noticed me coming or going.”

“Is that a safety issue we need to discuss about fast moving Other Kin?” Drake asked.

“No, it’s only me, Dad.”

“So, you and Tommy have been mating for how long?” Kalana asked with a smile.

“Since I came into season five months ago, and no there has been no one else, although the Prince of Atlantis did try to get a little frisky.”

“Which one?” Mari asked.

“All five, the horny toads,” Livi chuckled, stopping suddenly. “Shit, Tommy’s coming.” Closing her eyes, she shifted back to her human self and stood there as he knocked on the door and her dad granted him permission to enter.

“Lord Drake, I hate to interrupt, but I believe it best for you and Lord Rhys to come to the security center now,” Tommy said as his gaze landed on Livi.

Livi noticed his nose twitch.

“What’s going on?” Drake asked.

“We were able to gather more information from both Dragon Hunters with the ability Livi told us about. We have a bigger problem than we thought.”

Livi started to follow them out when Tommy turned meeting her gaze.

“Please stay back.”