Enlightening Bloom(20)

I feel Tucker’s warmth behind me. He doesn’t hesitate in putting his arms around my shoulders and pulling me back into his chest. Instead of pulling away like I know I should I give in, letting him comfort me. It makes me feel weak, but in this moment that’s exactly how I feel and there’s no changing it.

Tillie eyes Tucker’s arms holding me. Her eyes move to her mate briefly before coming back to mine. “It’s coming to you already.”

I look around the little group like I’ve missed something. How in the world does she figure any of this is an explanation? If anything she’s confused me more.

“This is your mate.” She states.

“No.” I protest, pulling out of Tucker’s comforting arms.

“Yes.” Tucker agrees. I turn and glare at him.

This time Tillie joins in with the guys’ chuckling. I move my glare to them. Heath holds his hands up in surrender as he tries to stifle his laugh. He moves beside his mate, looping his arms around her waist, and pulling her flush against his side. Tillie rolls her eyes at the move, but doesn’t pull away.

“I think my mate needs a little help explaining this.” He says, grinning. She crosses her arms against her chest and rolls her eyes again, as if the idea of her needing his help is ridiculous.

“I’m thinking you’re right.”

“You’ve been fighting your mating, right?” He asks.

“We’re not mates.”

“She has.” Tucker answers at the same time as me.

“Haven’t you wondered why you’re fighting it so hard when it’s not natural for mates to do so?”

Okay, he has me there. But instead of saying that I stay quiet.

“I figured it’s because she’s fully human.” Tucker tosses out his theory.

Heath shakes his head. “It’s because she’s a Guardian. She’s challenging you because as a Guardian she needs to know you’re strong enough to be her mate.”

Tucker quirks an eye brow. “I’m seven feet of pure muscle. How can she doubt my strength?”

“Arrogant.”

“Confident.” Tucker counters.

“Well, apparently you aren’t strong enough to be the mate of a Guardian.” I taunt with a roll of my eyes.

He pulls me back to him, turning me to face him in the process. Bending so his face is right by mine he growls. “You want to test that, mate?”

I swallow hard. Not in fear. Excitement. Why the hell is this possessive, crazy, wolf crap turning me on?

“Umm…” Heath clears his throat to get our attention back. “She’s going to test your physical strength, of course. She’ll need you to be strong because a Guardian is only as strong as her mate. She gains her strength from you. But she also needs to test your emotional strength. She needs you to be able to emotionally handle being the mate of a Guardian. She’ll be throwing herself in danger more often than not and if you can’t control your basic need to protect her you could hinder her responsibilities. I know how hard that is because as a wolf you need to protect your mate more than you need to breathe, but with a Guardian you need to support her. Trust her to protect herself, and to protect her Oracle.”

I don’t feel like I’m testing him. Am I testing him? This is all too much.

“I’ll be stepping up my skills to ensure I pass this test and soon.”

“I’m not testing you!”

“You are. But I can handle anything you throw at me, so it’s alright.”

His arrogance is working my last nerve so to give him a little test, I pick up a large stone off the ground, as quickly as possible, and chuck it at his big head. To my disappoint he catches it easily. I purse my lips in aggravation which causes him to grin.

“Did I pass this test?”

I ignore his question and grumble. “Freakin’ arrogant, big-headed, annoying canine.”

I try to ignore Tucker’s laughing to focus on Heath and the least emotionally draining point he brought up. “If I’m getting this so called strength from him why don’t I feel stronger?”

He looks down at his mate and she takes over the conversation. “Because you haven’t completed your bond. You won’t come into your full strength as a Guardian until you accept your mate and go through with the mating ceremony.”

My shoulders slump. If that isn’t a little bit of wolf-y black mail I don’t know what is. Either I mate the freakishly large wolf shifter or put my best friend’s life on the line because I won’t have my full power to protect her.

“You know what they say about freakishly large shifters?” Tucker wiggles his eye brows.