Protector (9 page)

I scowled at him. “You are such a pest.”

His chest expanded as he inhaled. “It is not necessary for you to state the obvious, just as this is not a conversation of which the outcome will change.” Then he dumbfounded me by reaching and placing the gentlest palm to my cheek. “Not after you already touch a part of me where your presence is needed. No one will take that away from me, neither you by your harsh words or by your declaration there is an enemy warrior loose. You will therefore accept my aid and give me what no other can.”

I gulped and found myself strangely melting at his sincere words. It seemed I secretly liked a “take charge” man. I cleared my throat and found my voice. “Well, when you put it that way...”

“I do. So you will settle yourself in Belle’s spare bedroom with Silvie, where you will rest. Fast-healing or not, you still took a very hard blow to the head.” He twirled me around, retrieving Silvie’s bag from her before directing us both down a wide hallway. Davio selected the third white painted door on the right and strode inside. There were two twin beds with burgundy covers and a pretty, white painted intricate iron high-table in between them. It was a large room with lemon painted walls and square-cut windows which overlooked the front road. Very nice.

Silvie took one of the two pristinely made beds and extended a hand to take her bag from Davio. “Thanks,” she said. “I hope this means you two have sorted yourselves.”

His breath whooshed out. “I have a feeling we’ve only just begun, but regardless, I would request that you not allow my mate to think too deeply on what has gone down today. If you can, remind her she’s important to me. I would greatly appreciate it.”

“Hello,” I snapped, flicking my fingers. “I’m in the room here.” Irritated without his physical touch, my blood once again bubbled with renewed tension.

Recognizing it, I closed the gap and took his hand, sighing with relief as the internal pressure thankfully melted away. I felt like an emotional lunatic with the ups and downs of this new relationship.

Raising my hand, he brought it to his chest. “I must remember too. The strain intensifies for us both if we do not touch.”

I stared at his chest, at where he now pressed my hand against his heavily beating heart. It seemed we both had a lot to learn.

Frowning, I drew in a deep breath. “Davio, does this soul match feel just as strange and difficult to you as it does to me?”

Then another shock. My hand, the one he still held pressed to his chest, heated. A second later, my pulse jumped.

I swore my heart now beat in time to his, that the rhythm was in sync.

My hand trembled where he continued to grasp it to his warm skin. “Do not fear the change.”

“You felt that too?” My skin rippled with goosebumps.

“It is the bond strengthening.” His voice was raspy and hard. Deliciously hard.

I swung my gaze to Silvie’s demanding some much needed help with just one shooting look. Only she was no help at all–she grinned broadly, looking ready to laugh her socks off.

I spun back to Davio. “That better only happen the once–or else.”

“The once.” A devilish smile. “The female’s heart follows the suit of her male’s, aiding him in sensing any distress.”

“Yeah,” I huffed, pushing him away. “If you can’t tell, I’m feeling distressed.”

And what was I going to do with him?

He was impossible–boundlessly and inhumanely impossible.

Chapter 4

It was impressive all right. One modified 4x4 Holden Colorado in a deep sea-blue color, with a silver sports-bar on the front and a whopping enclosed deck at the rear of the huge cab.

I stood in Belle’s triple-bay garage simply staring at the muscular-looking vehicle with awe.

“What’s wrong?” Davio quizzed me, holding the front passenger door open. He was dressed in casual cargo shorts and a white t-shirt and it was time for school. “You’re supposed to jump in. You know. Vehicle. Drives on roads. Uses fuel. Can’t teleport this one.”

Obviously.

I rolled my eyes. “It’s so big. Did you have to buy such a visibly big thing? You were only gone for an hour. No student I know of has a vehicle of this–” I tilted my head sideways to take in the width and breadth of the tires which were definitely enhanced “–size.”

“Yeah.” He stood, licking his lips at the view in front of him. “I couldn’t resist it. It seems I’m an impulse buyer.” There was no remorse, not one ounce of it in his tone.

“Well, nice impulse buying,” I finally conceded, giving him at least that much.

He turned to Zac and Viv as they approached, pointing out the back two doors for them. “Hop in, otherwise you’ll have to squeeze into the back of Silvie’s little nugget of a car.”

Silvie caught his teasing words as she skipped into the garage and headed toward her own gas-guzzler. “Yeah, yeah. Nice wisecrack.” She attempted to smack him as she passed, clearly aiming for his head but missing since he reflexively ducked.

Last night those two seemed to do much of the same, always bantering and joshing with each other like long lost siblings. It was curiously funny to watch how they got on so well.

I laughed at their childlike shenanigans, at how peeved Silvie was that Davio was so quick on his toes.

“Next time I’ll make contact with your big head, you towering menace,” she threw at him. To Belle ever so sweetly, she said, “Hop in with me since the one with the big head will want to take his mate with him. You can even have the front seat.” She winked at me.

“Lovely,” Belle groused. “Although I’d like to point out there are some things a protector should never be called to do.”

My heart panged.

Davio slid a hand to the small of my back and guided me toward his beast. “I can see you want to ride with Silvie, but you’re coming with me.” His tone was no-nonsense, all sense of earlier play gone. “We can’t become complacent. The warrior could return at any time, especially considering his warning to do so.”

“Sure,” I conceded, taking one last look at Belle sliding into my front seat next to Silvie. I wanted to swap places so bad.

So crazy too.

Because for the first time in my life I had room–I even stretched out my legs. I couldn’t even reach the front of the cab. Yeah, now that was some room.

Six and a half minutes later, we arrived at school. Wearing casual shorts and t-shirts like any other typical teenager, Zac and Viv bounded off to the main office to enroll for what was left of the school year. Thank heavens. I needed to feel the semblance of normality after all the changes of the past few days. Davio wouldn’t be here full-time. He had reminded me last night that once the threat to me was gone, he’d be gone. But at present, he was focused on flushing out the warrior, taking his enemy down and all before he could return to his country, his family and his home.

Silvie parked her car and locked it just up ahead of where we’d parked. She dashed off behind Belle along the concrete pathway, both of them quickly disappearing from my sight.

“You ready to go?” He squeezed my leg from beside me as he turned off the key.

“Mmm-hmm.”

“Faith.” He cupped my cheek, lightly stroking his fingers over my skin until I turned my head toward him. “Did you sleep well last night?” Alone now, his attention was fully on me.

I nodded. “Yeah, fine, although I couldn’t maintain my mind-merge with you through the walls. The distance was simply too great for me to hold.” I breathed in slowly and resettled myself, comforted again by the mind-merge and his physical touch. “And you?” I asked, since there hadn’t been time for any private conversation this morning at Belle’s busy breakfast table.

“Not the best.” His gaze rested on mine. “I find your mind-merge is necessary to provide me with some form of relief. Most mates have bonded telepathically by now. It aids them in staying connected over long distances. Although it is a link of trust, and obviously that confidence hasn’t built between us.”

Well, it wasn’t like I hadn’t tried to form the link as I had so effortlessly done with Belle. Except as he’d said there was one simple prerequisite. A telepathic link of this nature was only ever possible if both parties intrinsically trusted the other. So far, I was still dubious.

“I guess it’ll happen when it happens.” I drew back–we had class, the bell now sounding its first ring.

I pushed the passenger door open and met Davio at the rear of the Colorado.

I leaned against the enclosed deck. “So, how did you get a driver’s license? It’s not like you have this kind of transportation in Peacio.” Or so Belle had noted after describing Peacio’s seventeenth century vibe of horse and cart.

“I had private tutors and my education included your world and mine.” He fetched our bags from underneath the heavy black cover and swung them over his shoulders. He clasped my hand as we walked along the concrete path toward the school’s entrance.

Like other high schools or colleges in New Zealand, Te Pukē’s school was made up of blocks of weatherboard-clad classrooms, many of the
m two-stories high with anywhere from four to eight classes in a block. We passed the main school administration, now remodeled in earth-toned bricks, its aluminum windows colored in a bright trim. Around us, a thousand students made their way to class, arriving by foot, bus or car.

Davio leaned in as students passed us. “Why the frown?”

He seemed to pick up on every little nuance. “I missed my run this morning. I usually jog for an hour or so before school.” It dragged at me that I’d missed it. Too much was happening too quickly.

We walked into class together, heading straight down the aisle to the back row. Davio had phoned into the office this morning and confirmed he was taking every one of the classes he’d enrolled in that first day. No surprises there that our timetable matched perfectly. Zac and Viv had done the same, except as this was their first day, they were required to physically sign in at the office. They still hadn’t made their way back.

I sidled into my regular seat. Davio pulled out what was Silvie’s chair and joined me. I stared at him. “That’s my best friend’s spot–not yours.”

“No.” Very adamant. “This is mine until the threat against you is removed.” Then reaching under the desk, he linked our hands. “I’ve got to get a hold on regulating this temper of yours.

I squeezed my fingernails into his palm, biting into his flesh. “What temper would that be?”

“That vile temper you’re always firing at–” He stopped, his gaze shooting toward Silvie as she stormed our way. Zac and Viv were two steps behind. Silvie clearly did not like the loss of her spot any more than I did as she snapped out the chair behind us.

My thoughts were now conflicting, because as Davio held my hand, I couldn’t stop the knowledge that my need to have him close steadily grew. Exhaling, I slid a finger along the reddened marks I’d stabbed into his palm.

“I’m sorry. Perhaps you’re right.” What was wrong with me? I couldn’t allow these roiling emotions to take me. I needed to find some kind of middle ground and stop snapping. Especially at him.

His hand tightened around mine. “Do not concern yourself with a few small marks. I fast-heal, and you have the right to express yourself freely with me.”

I nodded. That was a fact I never intended to forget.

Later in the day, as the bell signaled our lunch break, the six of us made our way out to the edge of the football field, taking a soft grassy spot in the sunshine. Students sat eating their lunch in small groups around the perimeter.

Ignoring the pull of listening to the others with my advanced hearing, I stretched out on the ground with my hands folded behind my head, settling in close to Davio’s side on my back. Above me, clouds drifted in smatterings of cotton ball white across the blue expanse of sky.

With the peaceful moment, my mind drifted, my eyes closing as my thoughts returned to the warrior.

I tried to concentrate on his image in my need to give Davio something more to go on, something…

There was an internal push.

I focused.

There was some kind of subconscious order within my mind, demanding I listen.

That’s when I understood. Somehow, someway, instructions had been left within my mind and I was to follow the path. Bizarre didn’t even begin to cover that. Although I was learning certain things didn’t always appear as they should.

As I searched my memory, the warrior’s image crystallized. He had a strong jaw line with a long narrow nose and light-colored hair, his eyes a piercing violet hue.

Thoughts nudged at the periphery of my mind, ones which told me I needed to unlock those missing moments which were shrouded in haziness. There was more I hadn’t recalled and there was a way I could.

It happened, and within an instant, I was back there, outside the house by the front door and staring wide-eyed at the warrior who raised a heavy baton as he prepared to strike.

“Hey.” I threw my hands up in front of me. “I won’t forget what?”

The warrior’s violet eyes misted. “I don’t wish to hurt you, but you can’t recall the truth. Not yet. Loveria will take you. That poses a danger to you. I can’t allow it.”