The Guardian's Bond(19)
Livi rolled, falling from the chair, and scooted over to him slowly. “Sorry I flirted with him, Tommy.”
“It’s alright, babe.” Meeting her gaze he spoke with her through mind-speech. “They have no wires in here or video equipment.”
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah, slight bump on the back of my head, how about you?”
“I’m alright, just tired of getting slapped around.” Sitting by his side, she laid her head on his shoulder.
“Tommy, I have something to confess.”
“We’re not dying here, Livi.”
“I know, but it’s just something I want to get off my chest.” Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes. “Tommy, you’re the only man I’ve ever been with. When I went into season five months ago, I was drawn back here to Alston, to you, and something happened I never expected. I shifted Fae.”
“What?” Shifting over he met her gaze.
“The female you’ve been mating with is me. I don’t know how to explain it. Hera said it’s very rare, but my ability to draw Dragon energies must have given me the ability to shift to both Lyken and Fae forms, and my Fae didn’t emerge until I went into season.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Livi shrugged with a smile. “I kinda like sparring with you and I thought you’d be mad. And I thought you didn’t like me.”
Tommy sighed. “Livi, I had no choice but to step back from you. I’ve explained why. It’s not what I wanted, especially when we were teenagers. Shit, I threatened every male in school to stay the hell away from you. My hormones wanted my mate even then. I think that’s why I went into season so early. Do you know how hard it was for me to keep my distance? To stay away from you when we should have been sweethearts through school and strengthening our bond to each other? It just about killed me when I hit eighteen. I had to get out of Alston for fear of breaking my word to your father and mine.”
“That’s when you went to the police academy and college?”
“Yeah. I had such an intense need to protect you that I needed to leave.”
“That’s why you didn’t come near me when I did come home.”
“Yeah.”
“Tommy…” Livi glanced up when the door opened and the Hunter came back in.
“Well, what the fuck is this?” the man asked as he moved toward Livi.
“Leave her alone!” Tommy growled.
Chapter 4
“Livi, come on baby, can you hear me?” Tommy asked. “Come on baby, wake up for me,” he said as she groaned.
“Tommy.”
“Yeah, sweetheart, are you alright?”
“I think I passed out.”
“You did. They carried you in here about an hour ago. What the hell did they do to you?”
“Kept hitting me…all over. Man, am I going to look pretty in the morning.”
“Baby, we have to get you out of here. They’re not taking no for an answer and me being a cop has no effect on their actions,” he said loudly enough for the person coming to hear. His gaze narrowed when the Hunter strode in. “You stay the fuck away from her!” Yanking at the ropes around his wrists he flinched when they ripped into his skin.
“I’ll say it again, where’s the Dragon?”
“And I’ll say it again, you’ve lost your fucking mind.”
“We know there’s a Dragon in the area and the little bitch here was the last one seen with Barrett…”
“Yeah and we’ve already been over this before, asshole! The little bastard scurried like the rat he was when I caught him smacking her around and attempting to rape her in the woods. There’s an APB out on his ass.”
“What?” He turned lifting his walkie-talkie.
Tommy smiled. “You heard me. An all-points bulletin has been issued for him.” Stupid Hunters, they didn’t realize Other Kin knew how to take care of their shit. After all, they’d had enough practice over the centuries hiding from humans. Other Kin just learned to use the human laws against them when the humans thought to attack one of their own.
“We know the Dragon is on Alston somewhere and we will be going in force to scare her out.”
“What you’re going to do is scare a bunch of townspeople. Have you lost your mind?”
“She’s there,” he said as he grabbed Tommy up by the neck. “I heard her myself twenty years ago. The roar was horrendous.”
“I’ve lived there all my life and have never heard what you’re describing. For your sake, I hope you have a good shrink.” Tommy’s eyes went to the door when it opened, another man stepping in.