Watch Over Me (Guardians Book 1)

by Shane Morgan

  Lars sighed heavily. “Then, we will be more careful. It’s all right, Calissa.”

  “No, it’s not,” I muttered and turned away from him.

  He touched my shoulder. “What’s wrong? You seem troubled. Talk to me.”

  “It’s just...what’s the point?” I faced him again. “Why are you doing this, Lars? You’re marrying Anya soon, and yet you’re sneaking around and making out with me in secret. Why? What are you doing? What do you want with me?”

  He reached for my face, cupping it with his warm hands. “Oh, sweet Calissa, I want to be with you. These emotions are new for me, but the one thing I can make sense of is that I want you in every way possible. Only you.”

  I gasped, overwhelmed by the rush of desire.

  “Don’t you feel the same?” he confirmed.

  “Yes,” I breathed out. “These feelings are new for me as well. I’ve never felt this strongly for anyone before.”

  Lars towed me into his warm embrace, treating me to an ardent kiss that tingled my core. When it slowed to an end, I rested my head against his chest and listened to the melodious beating of his heart.

  “I want to be with you. I’m just afraid of what will happen.”

  He tightened his arms around me. “Do not worry. As long as we’re together, we can face anything.”

  We stood there in silence, cloaked in the hums of the night.

  When Lars spoke again, he sounded nervous. “I fear it is a lot to ask, but from the pit of my very existence, I really want to.”

  I eased back to look up at him. “Ask me.”

  His eyes gleamed in the moonlight. After a deep breath, he said, “Calissa, may I take you?”

  “You can take me anywhere.” I wrinkled my forehead and chuckled. “What do you mean?”

  Lars chortled softly. “I mean…will you be with me tonight?”

  “Oh.” My temperature rose. He desired more of me. My body. Was I ready to give it to him? I swallowed, moistened my lips, and whispered, “Yes.”

  Happiness contorted his features.

  He gently lifted us off the ground.

  I held on snugly until we landed minutes later in a quiet and peaceful area I hadn’t been before. It was further from the dwellings. Very hidden, with a pond, tall shrubs and rocks surrounding it. Butterflies swarmed my tummy when I glimpsed a blanket on the grass.

  “Hm.” I squinted up at Lars. “You prepared.”

  A mischievous smile tugged at his lips. “I left it in case you said yes.”

  He changed into his human form and took off his shirt. My nervousness grew.

  “This is the only way I can be with you,” he explained. Then he tossed his shirt to the grass and motioned for us to sit down on the blanket.

  I trembled as I did.

  Lars settled in front of me and trailed his hands down my arms, causing shudders.

  “Do not be nervous,” he whispered, hovering his mouth near my lips. “I will not hurt you, Calissa.” He kissed me slow and passionately.

  I placed my arms around him and eased him to the ground with me. My nerves calmed as we continued kissing, replaced by hunger while we moaned with lust for one another.

  Taking his time, he pulled down the straps of my dress. I slithered out of it along with my underwear.

  Lars looked captivated as he observed my very naked human body under the moonlight. He trailed his hands along my curves. “Incredible,” he gushed. “You are a work of art.” He beamed at the sight of me and groaned with longing.

  I paused and admired him as well once he peeled off the rest of his garments. Unquestionably, he had a man’s body. He was beyond fit and desirable.

  Lowering on me again, he lightly grazed my lips like a torturous tease, growled, and pressed his mouth on mine while he gradually parted my legs with his hand, careful with his touch as he massaged me there.

  My breathing intensified. I ached for more.

  When Lars moved his hand, anticipation for his body devoured me so much that I whimpered.

  Brushing aside my curls, he kissed me once and whispered, “I am yours, and you are mine.”

  I gasped from the instant pleasure when Lars entered, feeling an indescribable force flow from his body into mine. Every fiber of my being became electrified with passion, fire tingling beneath my skin as if our souls were linking.

  Our rhythms matched, and I trembled from carnal heat and caressed his firm back with the tips of my fingers.

  Lars groaned into my mouth while increasing his motions. When I locked my legs around him, he huffed in satisfaction, tore his mouth away, then began tracing my neck with his hot tongue.

  His name oozed from my lips in breathless whispers, at the same time he growled mine between his sexy grunts.

  Unspeakable euphoria rose higher than the pleasure I was already experiencing with Lars. Even greater, our bodies shattered apart in sync. We slowly steadied our movements and heavy breathing.

  Lars splayed tender kisses over my face, then paused and stared at me in this adoring way.

  “You are the most amazing person,” he lauded in a close murmur, stroking my jaw. “I am in love with you.”

  I absorbed his heart-melting confession, caressed his face, then replied softly, “I’m in love, too.”

  A smile stretched his lips, and before I knew it, we were making love again.

  When exhaustion set in, we lay entangled, staring up at the glittery night sky.

  Lars grasped my hand on his chest as he spoke. “I am at a loss for words. I do not know how to explain the joy of being with you, Calissa. My sweet Calissa.”

  I giggled. “Maybe it’s because this was your first time.”

  He draped his arm over my stomach, a serious expression on his face as he looked at me. “No. It is more than that. I have given you my heart.”

  A sad feeling came over me, thinking it would only be like this; stealing time together in secret. “What about Anya and your rules? You’ll get in trouble because of me.”

  Lars eased up and hovered above my face. “We will find a way to be together. I cannot join with Anya. My heart has chosen another. I love you, Calissa.”

  His words made me glow on the inside out.

  “I love you, Lars.”

  He placed a gentle kiss on my lips, and we stargazed a little longer before eventually getting up to dress and return to the dwellings.

  We cautiously snuck back to his room later that night and made love again, falling asleep in the refuge of each other’s arms.

  19

  I gnawed at my bottom lip while watching Lars train with the other guardians in the clearing. He was in his human guise as if he thought I didn’t lust for his other side just the same.

  Shamelessly, I sat there on a bench under one of the large trees studying his bulging muscles, the tension in his grip on the silver spear, and how hot his grunts sounded as they fought aggressively.

  My nerves were still fired up after our intimate moments. I couldn’t stop thinking about his hands on my body, the indescribable pleasures from making love, his sexy growls at my neck, and the flirty whispers in my ears. Everything.

  Gosh, I was undeniably in love with Lars. What were we going to do?

  “Your desire is in full bloom for everyone to see,” Ilris teased, coming over to me. “You are salivating.”

  I rolled my eyes but still wiped my mouth with the back of my hand just in case. “Whatever. I wasn’t drooling.”

  She snorted at my feeble attempt and sat beside me, hand touching her stomach where a baby bump was starting to show.

  “No training with Sarayas today?”

  I shook my head, feeling a knot in my gut. “I upset her with my comments yesterday. She reported to guardian duty this morning.”

  “What were your remarks about?” she questioned, pinching her brows.

  “Um…It was stupid.”

  Ilris nudged my arm. “Sarayas doesn’t hold grudges. Speak to her when she returns.”

&
nbsp; I smiled in my appreciation, and we gazed across at the guardians.

  Lars was taking a break from training. He must have sensed my eyes on him because he slanted and gave me a quick smile then resumed sparring.

  “You have given your heart,” Ilris muttered, turning to look at me again. “It is not hard to see.”

  “I have,” I admitted. “Truthfully, I never want to go back to Brighton or anywhere else in that world. I want to live here in Gargouille kingdom because...” I caught my breath. “This is where Lars is.”

  Her gunmetal-grey eyes enlarged at my declaration. She peered at Lars briefly and looked back at me.

  Taking my hand, she said kindly, “Calissa, your love for each other will not be accepted. Should Lars choose to be with you, he will be shunned; lose his honor as not only guardian but as the prince of our kingdom. And you, you will not be protected.”

  I already knew all this, but hearing it out loud placed a terrible ache in my heart.

  “I don’t know what to do, Ilris,” I murmured. “I love him. I don’t want to lose him, but I don’t want to end up like my parents either. I just…I have no idea what to do.”

  She frowned. “Lars has never looked into the fountain. But you can. What if he is not your chosen mate? Would you allow him to sacrifice so much, knowing he is not meant to be yours for eternity?”

  “Ugh.” I looked at Lars again.

  Ilris touched my arm tenderly. “You say you have no idea what to do. Would you like to be certain?”

  “You mean, I should make a decision based on some weird magical fountain?” I didn’t keep the sarcasm from my tone. “It’s just water, Ilris. Nothing more.”

  She gave my hand a light jerk. “After what you experienced in the mountain and the pool, you should be a believer. The fountain is a sacred instrument that has never steered us wrong. Instead of making fun of our practices, try it yourself.”

  I scoffed.

  “Scared?” she taunted, pulling my gaze.

  “Are you daring me, Princess?”

  Ilris shot to her feet and reached for my hand. “Come, Calissa. After all, it is only water.”

  Caving to the challenge, I grasped her hand, and we walked across the courtyard, turned down the stone steps, and strolled until reaching an older building.

  Ilris opened the wooden door and motioned for me to follow.

  Mouth open in awe, I peered up at the giant columns and endless ceiling. Vines were growing on the inside along the stone walls. Up ahead was the famous dark fountain with strange writings etched into it.

  Heart pounding with anticipation, I shadowed Ilris toward the eerie structure.

  There was no water inside.

  “Hm. I’m a little disappointed. It’s smaller than I expected, and it’s also empty.”

  Ilris pursed her lips and squinted at me. “The water comes when you touch the engravings on the side of the fountain.”

  “Oh. Fancy.” I observed the old thing again. “Then it just shows you who you’re supposed to be with?”

  A sneaky smile emerged. “You splay your hand over the water, and the face of your chosen mate will appear.”

  I couldn’t deny, I had the desire to test it. But… “What about Sarayas? She didn’t see anyone in the water when she did it.”

  Ilris shrugged. “Perhaps because it already showed her face to Ezio.” As if reading my mind, she nodded at the fountain. “Go ahead.”

  I twisted to it and muttered, “What if I don’t like what I see?”

  She placed her hand on my shoulder as she spoke. “The water shows us one future. One mate. It is the gargoyle way to always adhere. But you are different, Calissa. You can choose a different path from what is shown in the water.”

  A shaky breath seeped from my lips. I faced the empty fountain. Perhaps it would give me clarity, prove that I wasn’t wrong for succumbing to my feelings for Lars. Or maybe, it’d show how bad the situation was.

  Ilris stepped back to give me space.

  I sucked in an intense air, lightly pressed my hand to the engravings in the stone, and anxiously waited for something to happen. Just as I was about to move my hand, water magically began to rise in the fountain.

  My eyes widened in amazement. My jaw dropped.

  “Oh…shit.”

  Once it stopped, I moved my hand from the side and waved it over the water once. It glistened and ebbed backward as if the entire fountain had been jolted.

  When the water settled into place again, a face started to form. My heart rate climbed, and my breathing intensified as I watched it piece together into Lars’s human face.

  “Oh my gosh!” I gasped. “We’re supposed to be together.”

  Ilris quickened to my side to confirm. Her grey eyes enlarged. Then she looked at me, worry contorting her beautiful face.

  I knew what this meant. Lars and I had quite a dilemma.

  My smile wavered as I turned back to the fountain. Lars’s face started to fade, and the water receded to wherever it was, leaving the area completely dry as if nothing were there before.

  “It showed his human face, not his gargoyle,” Ilris pointed out.

  “Yeah, why?”

  She turned her head slowly. “I have no answer. As a young girl, I saw Luuk in his gargoyle self.”

  “Hm.” I wobbled my head, curls dancing on my shoulders. “Maybe this thing just shows us what we want; what’s in our hearts.”

  Ilris leaned her head to one side and frowned. “Calissa….” She stiffened suddenly, then pivoted from the fountain.

  Anya’s angry gargoyle face glared at us.

  She asked Ilris through clenched teeth, “Who did she see?” She hadn’t seen a thing or heard his name.

  “Um…” Ilris scowled. “Anya, do not lose control.”

  “Ugh!” She shoved me to the side and lunged for me.

  “Anya! Don’t!” Ilris pleaded, clasping her hands over her baby bump in a protective way.

  Ignoring her friend, Anya gripped my arm and shouted like an animal, “Was it Lars?”

  I smirked and taunted, “What if it was?”

  “You...”

  Ilris yelped as Anya pulled back her fist to punch me.

  Writhing away, I dodged the blow and elbowed her wing. She grunted from the hit.

  “Both of you stop this at once!” Ilris demanded.

  “Are you seriously fighting me over a man?” I mocked Anya. “Where’s your dignity?”

  She clenched her fists in anger. “He is not a man! He is gargoyle!”

  I gripped her right fist as she came at me again, stopping yet another attempt at a punch. But her left hand briskly gripped my throat. I gathered all the strength I could and forced her back against the stone wall with a thud. No idea how I was able to take her on as a mere human, but something in me could match her just enough.

  Ilris gasped and hurried to us, trying to put an end to our fight. She loosened Anya’s grip on my throat, but the irate gargoyle shook off her friend and looped her arms around me. We wrestled until we tripped over to the ground, neither of us conceding.

  “Stop it!” Ilris implored, staying clear of the scuffle. “Stop this at once!”

  “What in the world is taking place here?” Obel yelped.

  Anya and I froze on the ground and peered back at him, entering the building.

  He halted beside Ilris and passed shocked looks between us. “What lunacy is this?”

  Anya pushed me away and straightened on her feet. She switched into her human form and tossed her blonde hair off her shoulders. It was still flawless, but her white clothes appeared dirty.

  I was also a mess, blowing out ragged breaths. My jeans and top were covered in stone shavings, and my curls felt disheveled.

  Scoffing, Anya snapped her head to her friend and said, “Come, Ilris.”

  Ilris stalled in place and looked at me, conflict in her features while she rubbed her tummy.

  I nodded and told her, “It’s okay. I’m fine
.”

  She walked behind Anya after the snooty gargoyle rudely brushed past Obel—like he wasn’t old enough to be her father—and marched out of the building.

  Obel snorted, then came over and reached for my hand, helping me from the ground.

  I brushed myself off and relaxed.

  “What happened? Why were you fighting?”

  “It’s nothing.” I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

  Obel glanced at the sacred fountain then back at me. “Did you see a face in the water?”

  I shifted from one leg to the other, uncertain if I should tell him.

  “Who did you see?” he asked in a gentle and fatherly tone.

  “Lars,” I admitted in a close whisper.

  He smirked. “As I’ve suspected. So that is why Anya…” He trailed in thought and carried his gaze over me. “Well, I suggest you clean up before tonight.”

  I wrinkled my brows. “What’s tonight?”

  “A celebration.”

  20

  The celebration was in honor of young gargoyles who had completed their training and would take the oath to become guardians.

  Obel recommended I observed the event since I was so curious. He emphasized that jeans and a tank top wouldn’t cut it, and I had to dress appropriately.

  I heard knocking at the door while styling my hair and went to answer, knowing it wasn’t Lars because he would simply fly through the opening.

  Ilris wore a remorseful expression. She gestured to the dress hanging over her arm. “Something to wear.”

  “Thank you. Come inside.”

  Gorgeous was an understatement to describe the gargoyle princess. She looked regal in her form-fitting white dress and jewelry; loose waves in her auburn hair as it dangled in her back. Sunkissed skin was flawless with pink blush on her cheeks and red-stained lips.

  Ilris placed the lovely dress on the bed and faced me. “Are you all right? I am sorry I left you there.”

  “It’s fine, really.” I finished brushing my curls into a neat bun and stuck silver pins at the sides.

  “Anya and I have been close since we were young,” she went on, wringing her fingers before her. “Like sisters.”