“I thought it would not happen until after her marriage to the prince,” Nyx adds. “Otherwise, I would have insisted we all come sooner.”
Kai turns to Cash. “Well then, it seems as though you did not have a choice. But what have you told her?”
“Nothing,” Finn answers from across the room, his green eyes practically burning into ours. I’ve never seen him appear as possessive over something as he appears to be with our female.
“You told her nothing?” Nyx asks incredulously. “But you said she saw you shift.”
“She did. And she accepts that we are shifters here to protect her,” Cash adds. “Saving her from that wolf shifter was fate, for it made her more willing to accept us for who we are.”
“I believe she feels the pull of the bond but does not realize what it is yet,” Finn explains as he tenderly brushes a stray tendril of hair behind her ear. “Because she already trusts us completely.” He gestures to her smaller form, snuggled against him, and unbidden jealousy flares to life deep inside me.
Where on earth did that come from? I should not be feeling this way. Especially not toward a human—the female we are supposed to guard.
Quietly, we approach and stare down at our female. The one we have trained for so many years to protect.
The mark on my arm begins to burn slightly. It’s not painful, but it’s enough to get my attention. I glance down at my forearm and notice the rest of my bond brothers doing the same. The small whirling pattern on our skin glows softly, and when I lift my gaze, we all stare at each other a moment before looking back down at her.
This is confirmation that she is indeed the one. The Elders told us that our marks would alert us when we’d found the Chosen One that we were bound to protect with our lives.
She has not even sealed us to her as guards, but already we respond to her as if we are.
With long, blonde hair, pink cheeks, and full lips, her form is so slight; she is both delicate and beautiful in the same measure. The soft light of the lone candle lends her an ethereal glow. I am captivated and completely enchanted. Is this what it feels like to lose one’s heart to a female?
I’ve heard of females mating to one of their guards. It is rare, but it has happened before. But it cannot be this way for us. It is our duty to make sure she weds the prince of this kingdom. It is her fate to restore the balance between our two worlds. She will be the bridge between shifters and humans.
Once peace is restored, our people can stop living in fear of being hunted. All can be as it was in the time of my great-grandparents, when shifters and humans lived among one another without conflict.
Even as this thought churns through my mind, I find myself overcome with jealousy as I look at Finn. A soft sigh escapes her lips, and she snuggles even closer to his chest.
Fierce possessiveness fills me as my gaze travels over her form. I level an angry glare at the mischievous twins. Their animal form matches their human personality—always getting into trouble and always getting away with it. They should not be sleeping so close to her.
Quietly, I slip into the bed behind her.
“What are you doing?” Finn snaps, jealousy lacing his voice.
I arch a brow. “I’m merely keeping her warm.” If they can sleep next to her, so can I.
“You’re going to scare her,” Cash says. “She does not know you yet.”
I ignore him as I lay down beside her and close my eyes. My nostrils flare as I drink in her delicate scent. She smells delicious, and she feels so warm. My arm fits nicely around her smaller form, and as I lightly tug her back against me and away from my bond brother Finn, I marvel at how she seems to mold against me like this, as if made for me. I cannot help the low rumbling purr that begins deep in my chest. My tail comes out as I partially shift, wrapping itself around her ankle.
Cats are naturally warmer than most creatures. She seems to sense this because she presses herself back against me. I long to bury my nose in her hair, but I refrain. She is not my mate; I am merely providing her warmth. A duty that any guard would do for their female.
Something tugs at my shoulder, and my eyes snap open to find Nyx. It figures the annoying rabbit would try to pull me away, probably because he wants to take my place.
Kai’s expression is thunderous as he stares down at me. “Get up,” he says in a harsh whisper, not bothering to use the mind link anymore. “Now.”
I look across at Finn and gesture. “What about him? Aren’t you going to tell him anything?”
Kai grits his teeth.
I sigh heavily, not wanting to follow our leader’s order. “Fine.”
I start to get up, but Ella turns to face me. I’m so panicked, I shift, and so does everyone else, except for Cash and Finn.
She blinks several times in confusion and sits up. She looks at Cash. “What’s going on?”
He gives her a nervous grin. “The rest of our bond brothers are here.”
“Bond... brothers?” She scrunches her face in confusion.
He gestures to each of us. Ella leans forward, wincing as she does so, and I panic, shifting back into a human. Something stirs deep inside me, wanting desperately to soothe whatever has pained her. “What is wrong?”
She shrieks and scrambles back into Finn’s arms. “Who are you?”
“Conjure some clothes for your human form,” Finn snaps, pointing to my manhood in disapproval. “She is human. They do not like nudity, remember?”
Her eyes are wide as they stare down at my cock, and my cheeks burn with embarrassment as I quickly shift so
