My eyes snap up to him. “Your Ella?”
Even as he tugs her closer into his chest, he at least has the decency to appear chagrined by my question.
I’m shocked when she blinks at me and speaks in my mind. “Please, do not chastise Finn. He saved me. Besides, I don’t mind. I have not been anyone’s since my parents died.”
At first, I’m stunned that she even heard me and was able to respond in kind. Is the bond already that strong? Even as I consider this, her words give me pause. We are not supposed to attach ourselves to her in this way. It is our duty to guard her, protect her, defend her, and help her marry the prince. That is all.
I tilt my head to the side to regard her. “Ella, do you feel a... pull to us in any way?”
“Yes.” She looks back again at Finn. “I was just talking about this with Finn and Cash. It’s strange, but I do feel a connection to them. And actually...” Her gaze travels over me, Nyx, and Devon. “To you as well.” She pauses. “It’s as if I know you all care about me. That you would never hurt me.”
“That is right.” I nod encouragingly. “It is part of the bond—the one that forms between a female and her guards.”
Cash takes her hand. “We are your guards, Ella.”
“But why do I need guards?”
Finn wraps his arms even tighter around her, and she turns to look up at him. “Because of the wolf that came for you in the forest. There may be others.”
“Why?” She looks to him in confusion. “What have I done to make them hunt me?”
I know it’s irrational since she can never be my mate, but I want her attention on me and not Finn anyway. So, I take her hand gently in mine. “In our kingdom, there are many factions. One of which does not want the reunification of our people with humans. They know that the Elders foretold your coming and what you would do. So, they seek to stop you any way that they can.”
She shivers, and I hate the fear in her eyes, especially since my words are the ones that put it there in the first place.
Kneeling before her bed, I lift her hand and press a soft kiss to the back of it. “We will keep you safe, Ella. My vow. No one will be able to harm you now that we are here.”
“He’s right.” Cash steps beside me and grips my shoulder. “We have trained our entire lives to protect you.”
“You have?”
“Yes. We are bound to you.”
She tips her head to the side to regard me. “Tell me more about this bond.”
“All guards have a bond to the one they protect as well as to each other.” I close my eyes briefly as I feel of it deep inside me. “Even now, I can feel it strengthening between us. Can you?”
She nods. “In my heart, I know you will never harm me. You will always protect me, and I am safe with all of you. Even though we just met, it feels as if I have known you my entire life.”
I smile. “Yes. That is the bond. And when you have decided that you approve of each of us, you may seal us to you permanently.”
Her small brow furrows softly. “How?”
“A kiss.”
Her eyes widen slightly as she blushes. “But I’ve never—”
I move to reassure her. “It is all right, Ella. You do not have to decide upon this yet. You may wish to wait until after you have met the prince.” Sadness fills me at the thought of him even touching her; knowing she can never be mine.
“But how will I catch the eye of the prince?” She frowns and waves a hand over her body. “He isn’t going to want me looking like this.”
I cock my head to the side to regard her. Does she not know she is perfect? She is the most beautiful and enchanting woman my eyes have ever beheld.
“The royal ball,” I reply, rubbing my thumb over the back of her hand and reveling in the feel of her soft skin against my own. “There are a few shifters that work in the palace. They are the ones responsible for organizing this event, having planted the idea in the queen’s mind.”
It is true. The Elders have many agents working toward this end, trying to fulfill the prophecy so that we will once again have peace and unity between our two kingdoms.
Ella frowns as her blue eyes dim even further. “I do not even have a dress for the royal ball.”
To my surprise, Devon steps forward. His vertically slit pupils contract and then expand as his green eyes stare down at her, full of devotion. “Leave that to us. You need not worry about anything now that we are here.”
Chapter 7
Nyx
“So, are you the rabbit?” She smiles at me, and my heart stops and then begins pounding against my ribs.
Normally, I am the stoic one and not easily flustered. But when she asks me my name again, all words escape me, including the ability to form any coherent thoughts. All I can think is that she is the most beautiful female I have ever seen.
I have dreamed of her many times, and she is everything I imagined and much more. And I am certain this is not the bond making me feel this way. As her blue eyes stare up at me, I am completely lost. Would that she could be mine. I would treasure her always.
“Nyx.” Kai chuckles beside me. His blue eyes dance with barely restrained amusement as he playfully punches at my arm. “Yes he is, and it seems that you”—he arches a brow at her—“are the one and only person capable of rendering him speechless.”
Growling, I snap my head toward Kai and narrow my eyes. That insufferable blue jay. He enjoys watching me flounder
