by Lexi Ostrow
He pushed open the garage door that lead into the house and dropped his bag on the hook near it. “Hey, Serena, don’t freak it’s just Julian. I’m back.” Silence met him and his stomach churned. Had she left? Had someone come through from her book to harm her? Not a possibility, Julian, the only problem in her book was she was unwilling to wed. He doubted someone like that would come through to this world, but he knew that part of the semi cosmic powers meant both good and evil could come from the books. Secretly he’d wanted some badass blood sucker to be a part of whatever book his Guardian came from. Not that he was going to complain about the golden haired beauty who was all too quiet now.
“Serena?” He heard the television still running but saw no one on the couch. Leaning over he chuckled when he saw her. She was still in the damaged dress but it was clinging tightly to her, her hair was spread on the couch and small snores came from her. “So royalty does snore.” He grinned. If she was the sort that could handle teasing he knew he needed to hold onto this one.
Carefully, he moved her legs backwards on the couch and sat on the edge next to her. “Hey, Serena, hun, can you wake up please?” His voice was gentle, like he used to use when he wanted to wake Nicole up. Sighing at himself for even bringing her up he pushed the memory aside, why had he even gone there?
She mumbled something and tried to turn over on the couch, the action causing her to push into him with her legs as she slowly sat up. He noticed then that she had figured out how the sink worked because her face was predominately clear of the soot. When her eyes must have focused she pulled back for a second and gasped.
“Hey don’t worry. You’re safe. Do you remember where you are?”
She frowned for a moment and sat up, knocking her legs into him again. “Yes.” One word, that was all he got and he could hear the sadness in it. He mentally kicked himself for leaving her alone. She had to be confused as shit and he’d left her in a strange house, with strange shit all alone for a few hours.
Did she even want to be here? He was told the connection needed to be made, but he knew it was a one way connection since they didn’t even know they were books or whatever until it was too late. Fuck. What if she didn’t want this AND wasn’t an asset as a Guardian? He’d sure as shit never thought of that.
Julian was quickly regretting choosing from a romance novel the more the night went on. But then, he looked at her and felt the burst of their forced connection through every cell in his body. It tingled and raged all at the same time and it made him feel whole, like he’d been missing something his whole life. How can you regret this? You will just have to protect her, that is all.
He ran a hand through his hair and the strands fell in front of his face. “I’m sorry by the way. For bringing you here and then abandoning you for a bit. But my job, it’s too important to ignore doing it.”
Her eyes softened a little at his apology. “I know the importance of work, based on what you do you would be like a knight in my time, a guard at the very least. I cannot fault you for caring for others.” She was quiet and his stomach jumped. She hadn’t said it was ok that she was here.
“So, how are you feeling about, well all of this?”
The guarded expression flew back over her face and he knew he fucked up. “As I said, I know duty. I am here by no choice of my own, but it is how it will be.” Her words cut him. Sure they didn’t know each other and sure all he felt toward her at this stage was lust, but hearing that she really didn’t want this was not what he’d expected. He’d always assumed for it to work, a Guardian would be more….open minded.
“Do you know all the rules?” he asked, more to find out what he may not know than anything else. Again she gave a terse nod.
“I know that the general idea is I am to stand by your side and fight for whichever side you have chosen. I also know I am stuck here and that I am grateful that it is with you. You seem to be a good man and that is more than the plethora of suitors father had lined up back home.”
The words still stung, even though he knew they were probably the best compliment he would get from her. He took a deep breath and blew it out. Stuck or not, he needed to ask and he knew that the answer would probably piss him off and hurt him, but better to know how this relationship was going to be in order to know how to proceed. “If you could go back, would you?”
Her eyes met his and he saw her battling, or perhaps just thinking, it over. Hope stirred within him. The connection he felt with her was most likely nothing more than lust and a bond between Word Speaker and Guardian, but he wanted her, wanted to know everything about her, to see what was really there. He knew he was being dramatic, but having failed for so long, there was so much more than a roll in bed on the line. What would he do if she really didn’t want to be here?
“Yes.” She chewed her lower lip after the word was out and silence passed between them before she spoke again. Her hand slid over his knee and a bolt of lust shot through him. “It is not that I do not like you. I fear after experiencing your touch that I like you far too much for someone who has just met you. But I have a duty to my family and I love my time, yours seems nice, but not for me. I know I have learned a fraction of what there is, and already I am uncomfortable.”
His heart dropped. Fuck the emotions that coursed through him when he was near her today, he’d finally proven he could do the whole Word Speaker thing and his one and final Guardian had no desire to be here with him. Julian wondered if his thoughts showed on his face. He’d failed again. After so many years and ruining a relationship in order to fulfill a duty he felt he had by having such cool powers, and now the person didn’t want to be here.
Squashing the desire to curse and possibly hit the couch in anger he spoke as calmly as he could. “I see. I don’t know much about this. You’re my first. But there’s got to be an out clause. Has to be a way for you to go home since you didn’t get a choice.” He stood up from the couch and put some distance between them. He needed to because with her hand on his knee he’d been dying to push her back into the couch and try to change her mind. But that wasn’t right. He’d asked a question and it wasn’t her fault she didn’t want to be here.
“Julian, are you mad?”
Her question was barely audible and he felt bad, but not enough to reassure her.
“Well let’s just say I’m not thrilled, ok? Look I don’t blame you and I asked the question. But yeah, it does pretty much suck that right when I’ve done it right and found an amazing woman to share this with, she’s ready to bail.” His hands clenched into tight fists, he was trying to control his anger by reminding himself it really wasn’t her fault.
The commanding tone he’d heard from her before was back when she spoke. “I did not say I was going to do whatever bailing is. I simply said this was not for me. I do not like when my words are twisted. I am here, I will do what I need to and I know all the things I should.” She was off the couch and standing directly in front of him, head titled to look him in the eyes. “And I know there is a connection between us because of this situation, I also know that I very much like it and think that it is the best part of all of this, that I’ve come to meet you. Except for right now because I would very much like to strike you for being callous to me.”
He didn’t think about his next move. His hand reached out and tugged on her wrist, pulling her body into his before crushing his mouth onto hers. Before he’d been gentle. Now he didn’t have it in him. He was pissed, scared she would leave before he could figure out what he wanted and horny as hell. His tongue swiped against hers, hard and fast as his other hand pushed her lower body into his. A growl came from him and it didn’t seem to frighten her. Her arms wound around his neck and her tongue slowly began to tangle for dominance with his own.
He pushed the top of her bodice down as best as he could. With just a corset left he flicked a finger over the hardened nipple beneath the ancient bra and she cried out. He smiled into their kiss knowing she definitely wanted him. His hips we
re grinding into hers and she was pushing back against him. His dick was hard and throbbing hard to be inside of her. His hand kneaded her breast and the other wrapped in her hair. When she rubbed harder against his dick he saw stars and was worried for a moment that he came.
Breathing hard he pulled back from her mouth and suckled her throat, kissing a trail down it before covering his mouth over the cotton over her breast. Serena’s cry was perfect and when she arched her back and pushed her peak further into his mouth he growled deep. His hand snaked up her leg under the ridiculous amount of fabric of her underskirts. He didn’t remove her panties as he brushed his fingers across her folds under the cotton. She was wet for him and he gently bit her nipple at the realization.
“Julian, please.”
Her plea was nothing more than a breathy whisper and he rubbed a finger over her clit before pulling the underwear aside and sinking a finger into her tight warm core. She cried out and he kissed her again, swallowing her cry. But as his finger slipped deeper in, his concern from earlier was confirmed.
He pulled his hand free and tore his mouth from hers. She was a virgin. He’d thought as much from her kissing skills, but had been uncertain. Now he knew. She leaned forward and slanted her mouth over his. It took every ounce of willpower he had ever summoned to pull back and push her gently into the couch.
“Serena, stop, you’re a virgin.” His voice was ragged with need and he was breathing so hard he could barely get the sentence out.
She nodded and went to stand, he placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her.
“No. I will not sleep with you. Not if you aren’t certain.”
She scowled and crossed her arms over her half exposed chest. “Yes, I am. I know plenty of men at the castle who would not stop or think twice.”
Fire danced across his vision as the insult hit home. The lust was gone, extinguished by anger at the taunt. “Yes well perhaps I am a better man. I will not take the innocence of a woman who doesn’t even want to be here.” He walked away from her and stopped at the base of the stairs. “Let’s get you a damn shower and I’ll figure out how to get you home so that you can go back to all those wonderfully willing men. Because I won’t fuck you until you decide you want to be here. And for the record, I want you, but I can control myself. I tend to not make it a habit to sleep with someone I’ve just met.” He wasn’t sure if she even understood the insult, but he began to stomp up the steps.
She wasn’t following him. He could tell because he could see her out of the corner of his eyes, standing with her arms crossed and her face turning red out of the corner of his eye.
“I take back what I said, Julian. I am not glad I met you.” She stormed after him and he pushed open the bathroom door and stalked to the shower.
When he heard her walking behind him he spoke. “This is how we get clean here. You smell and look like shit, so do it.” He twisted the handles on halfway and didn’t bother explaining. “See the stuff in those bottles. It’s soap, use it.” He knew he was an ass, but he didn’t care. He’d been stopping so he could take her upstairs and make her first time better, less rushed. He really didn’t care that he’d just met her, he felt like he knew her and he wanted her. But after that comment of hers, well he would do whatever it took to get her home so she wouldn’t be stuck where she didn’t want to be.
He slammed the bathroom door behind him and heard a small sound of a whimper. “Fuck.” He almost turned around to go back in and apologize, but stopped himself. If she didn’t want to be here then there was no point. Let her be angry, hopefully she would be free of him soon and he could try again to not be a royal failure.
“Mr. All-powerful-trench-coat-man, who refuses to give me a name, you’ve never answered me before, but I need you to get your ass here. My Guardian and I have a little problem here.”
Chapter Seven
He held his breath and counted to ten in his head. His eyes had flashed colors for a moment and he knew it. If he didn’t breathe and calm down before he went to Julian he would undoubtedly do something to the human he would regret. “Eleven, twelve, thirteen.” He added on the additional numbers and blew out a long, slow breath.
He’d been worried about Julian for about eight years. He’d been elated the male had finally pulled someone from one of the books. He nor his brother could figure out what had stopped the process in weaker Word Speakers. They’d each had their theories, but in the end, a Word Speaker always drew at least one. It finally happened for Julian so he had been willing to overlook the character drawn out. For a few reasons, but mainly because he’d been watching Julian on and off for years and knew what it meant for him to have finally done it.
He had a hero complex. Julian had become a firefighter as soon as he left school and dedicated his time when he wasn’t on rotation after his fiancé had left him. So yeah, he’d wanted the guy to have a good break of things in the end. But fuck if he didn’t wish he’d put a stop to the royal little bitch coming over in the first place. Her uselessness in war was the least of her problems. She was selfish, close minded and one of the few Guardians to ever fully turn away the chance to live their own life. Had she been running for fear of the war, well he could let that go. Serena De Bauc was running because she wanted to be at home in the safe little world she knew and please her parents.
His eyes flashed again and he felt his fangs distend. Again he pushed a breath out. “Calm down. She’s useless, but not a bitch.” He’d been on edge ever since removing Ciara Miller’s powers. He supposed it was guilt eating at him for getting involved. Or maybe it was getting his ass whooped the other night by Huracan. Either way he’d been testy and on edge, he needed more time between visits with his brother or he was going to fall into a black hole of annoyance he wouldn’t be able to get out of. Then there wouldn’t be two sides; just his brother’s.
Flicking his wrist he shot a ball of energy across the room. It bounced off the wall and flew directly for the doorway to Julian. “Damnit.” He lurched forward and swatted the ball away before it had a chance to cross worlds. He stared in awe through the doorway. His were one way unlike the ones Ciara Miller, and now Dale, could create. None could see him watching them. Watching their whole lives. The man he’d been watching for so many years was broken and beaten no doubt about that.
Fixing the problem would be easy enough. Over the years more than one Guardian or Word Speaker had been upset about the final pairing. It was life; human emotions were fickle and could latch onto someone without meaning too. Of course there was an out clause. Having pissed off warriors on either side would be detrimental. Especially if they were on his because he knew demons would fight either way, damning his own side. The problem was the weaker Word Speakers lost their powers should they sever a connection with a released Guardian and Julian Michelson might be physically fit, but he was as weak as they came power wise.
That meant he wasn’t going to undo this just yet. He and his brother didn’t have a damn clue when this war would magically rain down on mankind. So there was no real harm in the Lady Serena having been picked at this point so he would give them a small chance, with a little lie, to fix their relationship. Nodding at no one at all, he stepped through the doorway and sat on the bed behind Julian.
“Do stop pacing if you don’t mind. You’re not going to get anywhere that way.” Julian jumped at the sound of his voice. “Yes I listened. I always listen, but that doesn’t mean I have to show up.”
Julian did what all alpha males do every time he angered them, Julian charged him. With a yawn and a wave of his wrist he flipped his Word Speaker backwards, ass over head. “Let’s not do that again. I’m in a nasty mood and more than once I’ve been known to accidentally hurt someone.” To press his point he picked Julian up telepathically and froze him in place.
“Fuck you.”
“You know, I’m the good brother and I hear that an awful lot. I must need to go to school and learn how to play in the sandbox better,” Julian growled at him a
nd he raised an eyebrow. “Do you want to know what can be done or not?”
No response, just a glare from the male.
Wonderful, I need to work on my personality after visits with my brother again. “Well fine, if you won’t respond I’ll assume you do. You’re correct, Guardians do have a way out. Do I know what it is? No, I have to go look it up.” Enter the lie. “Mistakes aren’t normal in my line of Word Speakers.” So he was lying. He knew from watching Julian that feelings of inadequacy were what drove Julian. So he would play on those if he needed too. “For the time being, try not to kill each other. Show her the world, who knows you may be able to pick up where you just left off.” He laughed and disappeared from their world back into his own, one that existed in a void between all the worlds, where he assumed all Gods homes were. Where all the gods of any pantheon called home.
Stepping through directly to his living room he dropped to the couch and left the doorway open to Julian so he could monitor it. “Come on, Michelson, don’t let me down boy.”
* * *
Julian held his breath and counted to ten to stop from exploding when the man just vanished from the room. He could move again. For good measure he stretched his arms above his head to be sure it was real. Julian ran a hand down his body, feeling for any damage that may have happened when he ate shit. Paralysis was a huge fear of his and he’d just gotten a small taste of it. The amount of power the guy had scared him. Being frozen like he just was sent a chill through him. He was a fighter, a savior or he wouldn’t do what he did for a living, but if that man controlled the supposed good half of a war, he wasn’t interested in running into his brother, ever.